Academic Reading and Discussion

Reading

Keywords:
Academic English, Culture, Discussion, Grammar, Intensive Reading, Literature, Speaking, Vocabulary, Academic Reading, Critical Thinking, Reading Strategy

Delivery - Fully online (授業の実施形態: 完全オンライン)

Students will be asked to have their cameras on during live sessions.

Course Description

This course is a combination reading and discussion course suitable for students with a TOEFL Paper-Based Test score between 460 and 524. It is designed to give an introduction to, and preparation for academic work. The aim of the course is to help students become more effective and confident readers on academic subjects.

Students will be exposed to a wide range of interesting academic topics during the course. The readings come from varied sources such as books, textbooks academic journals, newspapers, magazines, and online articles. Each week looks at a different theme, and each week introduces two reading from the one theme. In each class, students will interact in pairs or small groups to discuss the content and issues related to the readings.

All homework for this course will be done online through Moodle so students will require access to a computer and the internet. On occasion, students may be required to bring a computer to class.

Student Selection:

This course is best suited for students who:

are comfortable taking instruction and participating in English
are happy to perform pair and group work
are looking to develop their reading skills

Instructions:

In addition to regular participation both in class and on-line, students must complete all assignments (and complete them in a timely manner) to pass the course.
Students must pay attention to this university’s attendance regulations in this class.
Some or all of the homework for this course will be online, and or uploaded in digital format. Students enrolling in this course will require access to a computer or at least a smart phone, and the internet. On occasion, students may be required to bring a computer to class.
As 40% of the grade for this course comes from participation, students enrolling in this course will be required to actively participate in pair work and small-group discussion and be prepared to talk in class.

Feedback:

Feedback for this course will be provided by the instructor verbally during class, online through Moodle, or by e-mail. Homework will be checked and graded, and feedback given automatically through Moodle or verbally by the teacher. Periodic updates on each student's grade condition will be provided by the instructor.

Course Objectives

This course will focus on helping learners to improve academic reading skills. Main objectives include:

providing skills and strategies for effective reading
building vocabulary
becoming familiar with the test format, instructions and questions
encouraging discussion

Attendance and Participation: 40%
Homework: 60%

1	Session 1 (Wed. 7 Oct. ‘20) Course Introduction, Class Rules, and Moodle Enrollment
2	Session 2 (Wed. 14 Oct. ‘20) PUBLIC SPEAKING – The Power of Public Speech Homework 1 – Famous American Speeches
3	Session 3 (Wed. 21 Oct. ‘20) URBAN STUDIES – City Fact Sheet Homework 2 – The Future of Cities
4	Session 4 (Wed. 28 Oct. ‘20) BUSINESS – The Extraordinary Life of Steve Jobs Homework 3 – The Pixar Story
5	Session 5 (Sat. 31 Oct. ‘20) PSYCHOLOGY – When Does a Fear Become a Phobia? Homework 4 – Case Studies
6	Session 6 (Wed. 4 Nov. ‘20) NUTRITION STUDIES – Food Rules Homework 5 – Bad Food? Tax it, and Subsidize Vegetables
7	Session 7 (Wed. 11 Nov. ‘20) MEDICINE – The Hippocratic Oath – A Modern Version Homework 6 – The Invisible Enemy
8	Session 8 (Wed. 18 Nov. ‘20) AMERICAN LITERATURE – “Indian Camp” – Part 1 Homework 7 – “Indian Camp” – Part 2
9	Session 9 (Wed. 25 Nov. ‘20 ART HISTORY – A Biography of Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890) Homework 8 – The Letters of Vincent Van Gogh
10	Session 10 (Wed. 2 Dec. ‘20) EDUCATION STUDIES – Savage Inequalities: Children in America’s Schools Homework 9 – An Autobiography of Malcolm X
11	Session 11 (Wed. 9 Dec. ‘20) SOCIOLOGY – The Global Context Homework 10 – Sociological Theories of Crime
12	Session 12 (Sat. 12 Dec. ‘20) MEDIA STUDIES – Mind Control and the Internet Homework 11 – The Positive Effects of Social Networking Sites
13	Session 13 (Wed. 16 Dec. ‘20) POLITICAL SCIENCE – The Morals of the Prince Homework 12 – The Declaration of Independence
14	Session 14 (Wed. 23 Dec. ‘20) Course Review, Final Reading Task, and Student Feedback
15	Online Session - Assignment (Due by 09:25 on Wednesday, 23 December 2020) The IELTS Reading

Join this class and learn effective reading strategies, build your vocabulary, enhance your note-taking skills, and develop your critical thinking through analyzing what’s written between the lines. There will be lot of pair-work and small group group-work to ensure that there is a lot of opportunity for speaking as well. It should be not only rewarding, but interesting, too.