Syllabus Information

1.1. Aims of the course

As the main aim of this course consists of students’ improvement of their grammatical and communicative competence in the English language, mainly in the written form, the learning outcomes have been set according to these aspects. In the same way, the assessment will try to measure the students’ competence in the four main language skills: speaking, writing, reading and listening (within a B2 level).

1.2. Context and importance of this course in the degree

If the mastering of the English language has become essential for any graduate, this is even more so for the future Primary English teacher. Thus, this course is vital for any student that wants to graduate in the English Speciality because it will provide hum/her with the necessary tools to understand and analyse written and oral texts in English, which will be useful to reflect on cultural and professional aspects as well as to be able to communicate in oral and written form with a high degree of precision.

1.3. Recommendations to take this course

Students are recommended to attend all the lessons and participate in all the activities proposed, which will correspond, at least, to a level B2 according to the CEFRL. In the same way, students are advised to make the most of all the resources and opportunities that may arise to practise the language both inside and outside the classroom. In any case, it is highly important for students to choose this subject once they have passed the subjects English in Primary Education I and II.
Due to the shortfalls that have been identified in the level of the students enrolled in this course in this previous years, this subject is aimed at improving the general level of competence in the English language, drawing from the premise that students are recommended to course this subject once they have a B2 level. Although there exists the possibility of failing the diverse subjects of the English speciality owing to a low level of competence in the English subject, this requirement becomes even more important for the subject of English in Primary Education III.

2.1. Competences

1. Express oral and written English (EC 52).

2 Deal effectively with situations concerning the learning languages in multilingual and multicultural contexts. The promotion of reading and the critical remark of texts of the various scientific domains and cultural rights contained in the school curriculum. Express themselves in verbal and written form with correction and dominate the use of different techniques of expression in the different areas of knowledge (CG 3). 3 Search, manage, process, analyze and communicate information effectively, critically and creatively (14 CT).

4 Acquire literary education and know children's literature (EC 45).

5 Analyse and incorporate in a critical manner the most relevant issues to the current society that affect family and school education: educational and social impact of the audiovisual languages; changes in gender inter-generational relationships; multiculturality and interculturality; discrimination and social inclusion and sustainable development (EC 23).

2.2. Learning goals

At the end of the course learners should be able to:

1 Understand the gist and the details of a variety of complex texts, including the understanding of both inferences as well as text register and structrure. Students should also be able to guess the meanings of unknown words and recognize writer’s intentions.

2 Write clear and coherent texts in English. These should be well structured and detailed texts about complex current affairs. Students are expected to emphasize certain text features, express elaborate viewpoints bearing in mind the audience and show a good command of linking, cohesive and planning devices.

3 Show extensive lexical resources and have a good command of grammar accuracy.

4 Interact successfully with different speakers, showing good pronunciation skills, enough fluency and natural speech.

5 Understand the gist and the details of a variety of oral texts, including different accents and regional varieties from native and non-native speakers about abstract and complex issues (provided students are familiar with them).

2.3. Importance of learning goals

In an increasingly internationalised educational context, overcoming the objectives of this subject will allow the students to participate in forums and international programmes, both during their training and in their future professional careers. The competencies acquired will be a great help to access the labour market, in addition to marking the guidelines for further training while learning this foreign language throughout life.

3.1. Assessment tasks (description of tasks, marking system and assessment criteria)

Assessment Activities

The following evaluation activities will be used to test attainment of the objectives proposed:
1:Type A
- Written pieces done in class on the course topics
- Summaries and critical analyses of texts (fragments dealing with culture, children literature or from the media)
-Midterm exam, consisting of these parts:
1. Listening comprehension
2. Use of English

-Final written exam (official dates set by each faculty) consisting of:
a) Summary and critical analysis of a text (fragment dealing with culture, children literature or from the media)
b) Listening comprehension
c) Use of English
d) Writing
-Final oral test (official dates set by each faculty)

2:Type B
Students opting for evaluation Type B will be evaluated exclusively through a global written paper a) Summary and critical analysis of a text (fragment dealing with culture children literature or from the media); b) Listening comprehension; c) Use of English; d) Writing and an oral test, coinciding in its design and time schedule with the final Type A evaluation exams.
Since evaluation of oral expression /interaction involves special time-space conditions, it is the responsibility of each lecturer to determine the format and date(s) for this test to be held, and to inform the students with time, through the usual means.

Assessment criteria

Assessment activities will assess the following:
- Oral production/interaction: fluency, grammatical accuracy and pragmatic aspects, phonetic correctness and intonation, lexical variety and appropriacy, use of appropriate genre conventions, use of adequate communication strategies.
- Written production: cohesion and coherence (clear, organized ideas), structural and lexical variety, spelling, grammar and lexical accuracy, use of appropriate genre conventions, self-correcting ability.
- Listening comprehension: ability to extract global ideas and understand details of recorded text, ability to make correct inferences about a speaker’s attitude, recognition of segmental and suprasegmental features in the speech chain.
- Reading comprehension: ability to synthesize the main ideas in a text, ability to make inferences for understanding, ability to find specific information, ability to use the context for deducing meanings of unfamiliar vocabulary or expressions and critical capability to analyse text so as to make a value judgment.
Assessment criteria and requirements to pass the course
In order to pass the course, students must obtain a final mark equal to or more than 60% of the total score. Moreover, students must obtain an equal to or more than 50% mark in each of the individual parts. If any of these requirements are not met, it indicates that the student has not met the minimum level of proficiency required and, therefore, the student has not passed the subject.

Type A

1. Achievement Assessment: 50%

• Speaking: 10 % - Video lecture, Interview, Video Job presentation, Oral presentations…
• Writing: 10 % - Contrastive essay, Blog entry, Job application letter, Children’s story…
• Reading: 10 % - Reading comprehension tasks on the sub-topics presented above to do in class - Individual/Pair/Group work (jigsaw reading, multiple choice, true/false, short answers, insert text….) - Different formats and authentic texts (books, journals, websites, blogs, English textbooks, manuals…)
• Listening: 10 %: Listening comprehension tasks to assess different listening microskills (understanding general ideas and detailed information, making inferences, guessing meaning from context, etc.).
• Use of English and Vocabulary: 10 % : Se medirá en algunos ejercicios realizados en clase y a través del resto de destrezas, principalmente las de writing y speaking

2.Proficiency Assessment: (50%).

• Speaking: 10 % - Oral exam
• Writing: 10 % - Producción escrita de algunos de los textos trabajados en clase
• Reading: 10 % - Reading comprehension tasks (jigsaw reading, multiple choice, true/false, answer short questions, insert text….)
• Listening: 10 % - Listening comprehension tasks (multiple choice, true/false, answer short questions, summary….)
• Use of English and Vocabulary: 10 % - Cloze test.

Type B

• Speaking: 20 %
• Writing: 20 %
• Reading: 20 %
• Listening: 20 %
• Use of English and Vocabulary: 20 %

All students are entitled to opt for Procedure B, even when they have already been assessed through Procedure A. In the case that a student completes both procedures, the higher of the two scores will be applied after the following process: The result from Procedure B will constitute 80% of the mark with the remaining 20% being made up of the result of the in term work for Procedure A. For example, a student with a 10 in Procedure B, and a 0 in the term work from Procedure A will have an overall score of 8.
The content and percentages of the second call test are the same as those of the overall test in Procedure B. Only the marks achieved during this call will count, in other words, the separate parts passed in the first call will not be taken into account.

4.1. Methodological overview

The learning process of this subject follows the principles of the communicative approach, which help students develop their communicative competence in discourse, grammatical, pragmatic, strategic, and intercultural contexts. Planned learning tasks focus on active student participation. Moreover, methodologies linked to Project-based learning, collaborative and cooperative learning, and autonomous and reflexive learning will be promoted.

4.2. Learning tasks

The provided programme, which aims to help students achieve the planned results, consists of the following activities:

1. Analysis of formal aspects in oral and written texts, and their different use and meaning within a given context through observation, reflection and problem-solving activities.

2. Extensive and autonomous reading of long texts (including literary ones) and intensive reading of shorter texts, by implementing the capacity for synthesis and critical analysis.

 3. Listening and video-viewing activities with tasks of comprehension, parsing, and pragmatic and discourse analysis.

            4. Communicative activities (simulations, debates, etc.).

            5. Searching for information on the internet or in libraries about cultural aspects related to the programme.

            6. Implementing the writing process, peer editing and auto correction, which includes the revision of the students’ own texts and those of their cassmates through the use of rubrics and checklists.

            7. Practice online resources for promoting autonomous learning.

            8. Problem-solving activities through diverse onsite activities

            9. Project-based learning

4.3. Syllabus

Activities and tasks to be carried out are planned around topics which should be of the learners’ interest:

1. Learning (stages in education, cross-curricular topics, multiple intelligences, learning to learn, learning a second language…)

2. Mass media (social networks, blogs, news channels, tv series, advertising, media manipulation….)

3. Living abroad (society and culture in English-speaking countries, working abroad, culture shock, travelling….)

4. Children around the World (early education around the world, children’s stories, developed and developing countries, values and storytelling…)

4.4. Course planning and calendar

Schedule of onsite sessions and of handing in of essays.
The schedule of mid-term exams and the handing in of essays will be announced by the teacher, either on the ADD or in a document that will be given to students at the beginning of the academic term.

They will be explained either in a written document provided by the teacher or on the ADD. The official dates of the final exams can be checked on the official websites of our different faculties.

4.5. Bibliography and recommended resources

[BB: Bibliografía básica / BC: Bibliografía complementaria]

• Huesca:
• [BB] Hewings, Martin. Advanced grammar in use : a self-study reference and practice book for advanced learners of English : with answers and cd-rom / Martin Hewings . 3rd. ed.. 3rd. printing Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2014
• [BB] Hewings, Martin. Cambridge Academic English : An Integrated Skills Course for EAP. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2012
• [BB] Lane, Sarah. Instant Academic Skills : A Resource Book of Advanced-level Academic Skills Activities. Cambridge : Cambridge Universty Press, 2011
• [BB] McCarthy, Michael. English Vocabulary in Use : Advanced / Michael McCarthy, Felicity O'Dell . 1st. publ. , 10th print. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2008
• [BB] Oxenden, Clive. New English File. Advanced. Student's book / Clive Oxenden, Christina Latham-Koenig . 1st published, repr. Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2013
• [BB] Thomas, B. J.. Advanced vocabulary & idiom / B.J. Thomas . New. ed., 14th imp. Essex : Longmam, 2007
• [BC] Foley, Mark. Longman advanced learners grammar : : a self-study reference & practice book with answers / Mark Foley & Diane Hall . 7th. impr. Harlow : Longman, 2008
• [BC] González Vera, Pilar. Learning to write academic texts in English in higher education / Pilar González Vera, Pilar Mur Dueñas . 1ª ed. Zaragoza : Mira, 2014
• [BC] Rollinson, Paul. An introduction to academic writing : writing essays in English / Paul Rollinson . Madrid : Ediciones de la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, D.L. 1996
• [BC] Swan, Michael. Oxford English grammar course. Advanced : a grammar practice book for advanced students of English : with answers / Michael Swan and Catherine Walter . Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2011
• Zaragoza:
• [BB] Hewings, Martin. Advanced grammar in use : a self-study reference and practice book for advanced learners of English : with answers and cd-rom / Martin Hewings . 3rd. ed.. 3rd. printing Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2014
• [BB] Hewings, Martin. Cambridge Academic English : An Integrated Skills Course for EAP. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2012
• [BB] Lane, Sarah. Instant Academic Skills : A Resource Book of Advanced-level Academic Skills Activities. Cambridge : Cambridge Universty Press, 2011
• [BB] McCarthy, Michael. English Vocabulary in Use : Advanced / Michael McCarthy, Felicity O'Dell . 1st. publ. , 10th print. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2008
• [BB] Oxenden, Clive. New English File. Advanced. Student's book / Clive Oxenden, Christina Latham-Koenig . 1st published, repr. Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2013
• [BB] Thomas, B. J.. Advanced vocabulary & idiom / B.J. Thomas . New. ed., 14th imp. Essex : Longmam, 2007
• [BC] Foley, Mark. Longman advanced learners grammar : : a self-study reference & practice book with answers / Mark Foley & Diane Hall . 7th. impr. Harlow : Longman, 2008
• [BC] González Vera, Pilar. Learning to write academic texts in English in higher education / Pilar González Vera, Pilar Mur Dueñas . 1ª ed. Zaragoza : Mira, 2014
• [BC] Rollinson, Paul. An introduction to academic writing : writing essays in English / Paul Rollinson . Madrid : Ediciones de la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, D.L. 1996
• [BC] Swan, Michael. Oxford English grammar course. Advanced : a grammar practice book for advanced students of English : with answers / Michael Swan and Catherine Walter . Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2011
• Teruel:
• [BB] Hewings, Martin. Advanced grammar in use : a self-study reference and practice book for advanced learners of English : with answers and cd-rom / Martin Hewings . 3rd. ed.. 3rd. printing Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2014
• [BB] Hewings, Martin. Cambridge Academic English : An Integrated Skills Course for EAP. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2012
• [BB] Lane, Sarah. Instant Academic Skills : A Resource Book of Advanced-level Academic Skills Activities. Cambridge : Cambridge Universty Press, 2011
• [BB] McCarthy, Michael. English Vocabulary in Use : Advanced / Michael McCarthy, Felicity O'Dell . 1st. publ. , 10th print. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2008
• [BB] Oxenden, Clive. New English File. Advanced. Student's book / Clive Oxenden, Christina Latham-Koenig . 1st published, repr. Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2013
• [BB] Thomas, B. J.. Advanced vocabulary & idiom / B.J. Thomas . New. ed., 14th imp. Essex : Longmam, 2007
• [BC] Foley, Mark. Longman advanced learners grammar : : a self-study reference & practice book with answers / Mark Foley & Diane Hall . 7th. impr. Harlow : Longman, 2008
• [BC] González Vera, Pilar. Learning to write academic texts in English in higher education / Pilar González Vera, Pilar Mur Dueñas . 1ª ed. Zaragoza : Mira, 2014
• [BC] Rollinson, Paul. An introduction to academic writing : writing essays in English / Paul Rollinson . Madrid : Ediciones de la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, D.L. 1996
• [BC] Swan, Michael. Oxford English grammar course. Advanced : a grammar practice book for advanced students of English : with answers / Michael Swan and Catherine Walter . Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2011