English Expeditions - Ritsumeikan University

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Academic Skills

Course Description

The aim of this course is to further develop students’ basic academic skills. This course will practice and build on the skills learned in English 1~4. The first focus will be on improving sentence structure and academic essay writing. In-class writing as well as a short essay using the Online Homework Submission and Evaluation System will be required. Additionally, students will learn the basic principles of the scientific method and the engineering process and put those principles into practice. Finally, students will learn about proposal making via group work and informal group presentation.

Course Goals

Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:

  • use the eight basic sentence patterns to express written ideas
  • explain the pros and cons of a situation in a written essay format
  • understand the basics of the scientific method
  • understand the basics of the engineering process
  • listen to short lectures and understand the key words and main ideas
  • make a group proposal and explain their ideas in a clear and concise manner

For more detailed information, check the Can-do Goals for this course.

Grading Criteria Updated for 2020 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Curriculum Changes

Grades will be based on the following:

9 Tasks Tasks are graded on a 6-0 scale. If all requirements of the task are completed at an exceptional level, you will receive 6 points; if they are fully met, you will receive 4~5 points; if they are somewhat met, 2~3 points; if they are inadequately or only partially met, 0~1 point; if you do not participate in the task or are absent, 0 points. 54 Points
1 Homework Assignment 10 points (no late homework is accepted) 10 Points
1 Homework Feedback 1 point 1 Point
3 TOEIC® Exercises Cycles 5 points each 15 Point
Proposal Materials 20 points
NOTE: A score of 0 for your proposal materials will result in an unsatisfactory grade ('F') for the course.
20 Points
Late assignment submission minus 1 point  

Text

Academic and Media Skills: English Expeditions, Seibido Publishing Co., Ltd.

Note: You are required to purchase a copy of this text for this class. Any possession of a copy of this text (even if it is your own copy) from a previous semester will be considered a violation of academic honesty.

English-English Dictionary

You are required to bring an English-English dictionary to class every day. See the list of recommended dictionaries below for more information.

Course Schedule Print Updated for 2020 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Curriculum Changes

Class Weekly Topics Tasks Proposal Materials HW Agenda
1 Defining Skill Sets  
2 Writing Skills Sentence Patterns
Brainstorming / Pros and Cons
     
3 Writing Skills Outlining and Key Sentences   HW5 Preparation  
4 Scientific Method Defining the Scientific Method      
5 Scientific Method Dependent and Independent Variables   HW5  
6 Engineering Process Introduction to Quirky, Edison Nation, and Kickstarter
Engineering Process in Action
     
7 Engineering Process Project Development      
8 TED Talk Note Taking   HW5 Feedback  
9 TED Talk Proposal Materials Preparation      
10 TED Talk Proposal Materials Preparation      
11 TED Talk   Proposal Materials    
12 (~7/21) TOEIC® Exercises Preparation  
13 (~7/21) TOEIC® Exercises Cycle 1 (Deadline: 7/21)  
14 (~7/21) TOEIC® Exercises Cycle 2 (Deadline: 7/21)  
15 (~7/21) TOEIC® Exercises Cycle 3 (Deadline: 7/21)  

Course Can-do Goals



Program-wide Standards

Grading Scale

97% or more, A+; 87-96%, A; 77-86%, B; 60-76%, C; below 60%, F

NOTE: At the end of your second semester, you will be taking a TOEIC-IP exam. You will then be re-streamed for your second-year courses based on the results of this achievement exam, your placement test, and the numerical average of all of your first-year English courses. Therefore, it is important to strive for not only a high letter grade, but also for the highest numerical grade that you are capable of.

Attendance Policy

Students are expected to submit assignments in a timely fashion. Failure to submit timely may result in a reduction of the student’s overall grade. Students will be penalized 3 demerits for each non- submission and 1 demerit for each late submission. Students who accumulate more than 15 'demerits' (the equivalent of 5 absences) will receive an unsatisfactory grade ('F') for the course, regardless of their actual score. As a rule, no make-up work will be given for unexcused absences.

NOTE: Students who fail to take the TOEIC-IP exam will have 5 points subtracted from the total score of EACH English class they are enrolled in.

English-English Dictionaries

You are required to use an English-English dictionary for your exercises. The following is a list of quality paper dictionaries for English language learners. You may use any other dictionary or you may elect to use an electronic dictionary.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, Oxford University Press.
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Longman Press.
Collins Cobuild English Dictionary, HarperCollins Publishers.

Online FAQs

A bilingual set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) has been prepared for each course, as well as a general set for the entire curriculum. You can access these FAQs from the menus on your English Expeditions home page. Please read all of your FAQs before your second meeting.

Extra-Credit Points

Due to Curriculum Changes concerning the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), Extra-Credit Points are not available in the Spring Semester of 2020. See your Grading Criteria above for updated 2020 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Curriculum Changes concerning the TOEIC® Exercises.

2020年度は、Extra-credit Points(ボーナス得点)はありません。通常とは違った位置付けで皆さんにTOEIC Exercisesに取り組んでもらうことになりました。各科目のシラバス Grading Criteria(評価の基準)に提示されている通り、TOEIC Exercisesの得点は、正規の得点として、100点満点評価の中に15点(1サイクル5点X3サイクル)組み入れられます。

The Academic Honesty Policy for S&E English Classes

The following will be considered violations of our academic honesty policy:

  1. Copying any answers from another student's exercise, doing any exercises together with other students, or using a textbook from previous years. Exercises are to be completed entirely on your own.
  2. Showing any portion of your exercise to another student.
  3. Using any form of 'cheat sheet' in performing an exercise, quiz, etc.
  4. Taking copies of an exercise, quiz, etc. (including unused copies) outside of the classroom. (This includes taking pictures of the exercise, quiz, etc.)
  5. Using writing instruments or telephones during feedback of an in-class exercise, quiz, etc.
  6. Copying answers from another student's exercise, quiz, etc. while it is being administered.
  7. Copying any portion of a homework exercise from another student.
  8. Allowing any portion of your homework exercise to be copied by another student.
  9. Copying (or closely paraphrasing) portions of a homework assignment from other sources (printed matter, the Internet, etc.) and presenting it as your own, regardless of whether you acknowledge the source. This includes using translation software to translate any portion of your submission into English.
  10. Sharing Rainbow or English Expeditions User IDs or Passwords with another student.

Any of the above violations will result in a score of 0 for ALL exercises on that day, as well as forfeiting your chance for extra-credit.

理工学部英語授業における「不正行為」に関する取り決め

不正行為は、いかなる理由があれ一切認められません。以下のような行為は、不正行為とみなします。

  1. 他者に(たとえ一部でも)課題の答えを写させてもらった場合 (課題を複数で一緒にやること、そして、過年度のテキストを使用することも含みます/課題は必ず独力でやること)
  2. 他者に(たとえ一部でも)課題の答えを写させた場合
  3. Quiz, Exercise等において、カンニングペーパー等を使用した場合
  4. Quiz, Exercise等の答案(未使用のものも含む)を不当に持ち帰った場合 (カメラ付き携帯等による撮影も含みます)
  5. Quiz, Exercise等のフィードバックの際、筆記用具、携帯電話等を手にした場合 (正答を盗もうとしたとみなします)
  6. その他、Quiz, Exercise等の実施を妨害する行為、他者の受験を妨害する行為、 替え玉受験等も、不正行為とみなします。
  7. Homework Assignmentにおいて、他者のAssignmentの一部または全部をコピーした場合
  8. Homework Assignmentにおいて、他者に自身のAssignmentの一部または全部を コピーさせた場合
  9. Homework Assignmentにおいて、書籍やWWWのサイトから得た情報をそのまま、 もしくは改ざんの後、断りなく(引用を明記せずに)、自身のAssignmentに盗り入れた(すなわち著作権を侵害した)場合(英語の授業で課されるassignmentの多くは、引用を明記する、しないにかかわらず、一切の引用を認めていません) 。これには翻訳ソフトの使用も含みます。一旦日本語で書いて、それを翻訳ソフトを利用して翻訳して提出することは、それがたとえ一文であっても許されません。
  10. RainbowやEnglish ExpeditionsのユーザーIDやパスワードの授受があった場合

上記、および上記に類する「不正行為」があった場合は、当該学生の当該科目における、その日の得点を0点にするとともに、Extra-credit pointsはすべて無効になります。