English Expeditions - Ritsumeikan University

English 3 (Communication I)

Course Description

The aim of this course is to develop students' basic communication skills in the context that they will most need those skills: graduate school. Within the framework of going abroad to present a paper on their graduate research, students will learn skills needed for traveling (e.g. asking for/giving directions, making reservations), negotiations, survey taking, and problem solving, as well as be introduced to skills involved in making a presentation at a conference. Additionally, students will learn to start and continue a conversation naturally, using a number of communication strategies such as asking follow-up questions, giving extended answers, and using repair skills, fillers and rejoinders. They will also learn about turn taking and how to control the flow of a conversation by adding information. Finally, writing skills will be practiced with a short essay using the Online Homework Submission and Evaluation System.

Grading Criteria

Grades will be based on the following:

4 Mini-Quizzes 8 points each
12 In-class Tasks In-class tasks are graded on a 4-3-2-1-0 scale. If all requirements of the task are completed at an exceptional level, you will receive 4 points; if they are fully met, you will receive 3 points; if they are adequately met, 2 points; if they are only partially met, 1 point; if you do not participate in the task or are absent, 0 points.
1 Oral Examination 10 points
1 Homework Assignment 10 points
Late to class, using your cell phone, chattering in Japanese, sleeping in class, no text, no dictionary minus 1 point

Text

E3/E4 IM English Expeditions Materials, Seibido Press.

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.

Class In-class Tasks Workshop Homework Mini-Quiz
1 Unit 1 Orientation
2 Unit 2      
3 Unit 3     Mini-Quiz 1 (Units 1-3)
4 Unit 4      
5 Unit 5      
6 Unit 6 Writing Workshop I    
7   Writing Workshop II   Mini-Quiz 2 (Units 4-6)
8 Unit 7   HW8  
9 Unit 8 Writing Feedback    
10 Unit 9     Mini-Quiz 3 (Units 7-9)
11 Unit 10      
12 Unit 11      
13 Unit 12      
14   Oral Exam Prep   Mini-Quiz 4 (Units 10-12)
15 Oral Examination      



Program-wide Standards

Grading Scale

95% or more, A+; 85-94%, A; 75-84%, B; 60-74%, 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 attend class regularly. Failure to attend class regularly may result in a reduction of the student's overall grade. Students will be penalized 3 'demerits' for each absence and 1 'demerit' for each 30-minute period they're late. Students who accumulate more than 15 'demerits' (the equivalent of 5 absences) will receive an unsatisfactory grade ('F') for the course. 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 bring an English-English dictionary to class every day. 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.

Extra-Credit Points

The English Expeditions extra-credit system is tied into the TOEIC exercises, in order to encourage all students to practice their TOEIC test-taking skills in preparation for the TOEIC examination. For more information on the TOEIC examination, see the TOEIC Exercises section of your Online Education text. The extra-credit point system is as follows:

Semester One Semester Two Semester Three Semester Four
Correctly complete 3 cycles of TOEIC exercises (350 questions) BEFORE the deadline. Correctly complete 3 cycles of TOEIC exercises (350 questions) BEFORE the deadline.
AND
Score higher on the TOEIC-IP test than you scored on the placement test. *
Correctly complete 3 cycles of TOEIC exercises (350 questions) BEFORE the deadline. Correctly complete 3 cycles of TOEIC exercises (350 questions) BEFORE the deadline.
AND
Score higher on the second TOEIC-IP test than you scored on the first TOEIC-IP test. *

Fulfilling the above requirements will result in five extra-credit points being awarded for each English class in which you are enrolled.

NOTE: Students who have failed to properly submit all homework assignments or have been found in violation of our academic honesty policy are ineligible for extra-credit points.

* NOTES for FALL Classes:

Note: TOEIC Bridge-IP scores will be converted to TOEIC-IP scores for all calculations.
  1. Students who don't take the TOEIC-IP exam, score fewer than 200 points, or have a 20% or greater drop in their scores will receive -5 points in each course.
  2. For students who do not fall into a. above, the top class (largest gain) in each group receives 7 points (two classes for IM level).
  3. For students who do not fall into a. above, the top five scores in each class receive 7 points.
  4. Students who do not fall into a.-c. above will receive 5 points if they have completed 3 cycles of the Online TOEIC Exercises before the deadline and have scored higher on their current TOEIC-IP exam than on their previous exam.
No Academic Honesty Violations HW Complete TOEIC Ex Complete Took TOEIC-IP Exam TOEIC-IP Score Gain TOP 5 TOEIC-IP Score TOP TOEIC-IP Gain Class TOEIC-IP Score >200 TOEIC-IP Score <20% Drop Extra-
Credit Points
7
7
7
7
5
0
0
0
0
0
0
-5
-5
-5

オンラインTOEIC Exercisesを期限内に3サイクル終了すると、1回生前期と2回生前期には、履修中の全必修英語科目でボーナス得点(Extra-credit Points)が5点ずつもらえます。ただし、出席が足りていない場合、未提出の課題がある場合、および、不正行為が一度でもあった場合は、ボーナス得点の加算はありません。

TOEIC-IPを受験する1回生後期および2回生後期は、ボーナス得点加算の仕組みは下記a,b,c,dのようになります。ただし、出席が足りていない場合、未提出の課題がある場合、および、不正行為が一度でもあった場合は、b,c,dに該当してもボーナス得点は一切ありません。

  1. TOEIC-IPを受験しなかった場合、受験してもスコアが200点未満だった場合、および、スコアが前回よりも20%以上下がった場合は、受講中の全必修英語科目で5点ずつ減点されます。
  2. クラス毎に前回の試験からスコアが平均どれだけ伸びたかを算出します(出席が足りていない学生のスコアは計算に入れません)。スコアが最も伸びたクラスを、英語のクラス編成グループ別に、レベル毎に(UIレベルとPIレベルでは各1クラス、IMレベルでは各2クラス)選びます。そのクラスの全員に対して、履修中の全必修英語科目にボーナス得点を7点ずつ加点します。ただし、上記aに該当する学生はボーナス得点はもらえません。
  3. bに該当しなかったクラスでも、各クラス、高得点5位までの取得者に対して、履修中の全必修英語科目にボーナス得点を7点ずつ加点します。ただし、aに該当する学生を除きます。
  4. 上記b,cに該当しない場合でも、オンラインTOEIC Exercisesを期限内に3サイクル終了し、かつ、前回の試験からスコアが伸びていたら、履修中の全必修英語科目でボーナス得点を5点ずつもらえます。
注)1回生については、得点の伸びを算出する際、入学時に受験したTOEIC Bridge-IPの得点を公式の換算式を用いてTOEICの得点に換算します。

Guidelines

The following guidelines are designed to make your English classes run a bit more smoothly. Please take the time to read each of them carefully and ask questions if any of the points are unclear.

Classroom

  • No chattering when someone else (especially the teacher!!) has the floor.
  • In-class tasks must be completed in English. English classes meet only once a week for 90 minutes. If you speak Japanese while you're in English class, you're wasting possibly your only chance to practice English every week.
  • Use only a ballpoint pen for text-based exercises. It is important to learn from your mistakes and if you use a pencil, you'll probably end up erasing your mistakes. If you find that you've made a mistake, cross it out with a single line (so that you can still read it and learn from it!).
  • Students are allowed to use a dictionary for most in-class exercises. However, you must use an English-English dictionary only.
  • Attendance is taken only once per class. If you come late, be sure to write your name on the blackboard so that the teacher can mark you present after class.
  • Turn off all portable telephones during class and remove them from your desk during class.
  • Do not do homework from other classes during your English class.

Textbook

Since we only have a few minutes together each week, it is important that you thoroughly prepare for each class. The following are suggestions to help you use the textbook to its fullest.

  • Always, always, always bring your text to class! If you've forgotten your text, then borrow one of your classmates' and make copies for the lesson that we will be covering in class that day. You cannot expect to do well in class if you don't have your book. Remember, if you don't bring your text to class, you will have one point deducted from your in-class exercise score for that day.
  • Although we may not have time to cover every section of each unit in class, you are still responsible for the entire unit. Therefore, when reviewing each unit, make sure that you review the entire unit.

The Academic Honesty Policy for S&E English Classes

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

  1. Copying answers from another student's exercise, quiz, etc. before or during class.
  2. Showing your exercise, quiz, etc. to another student before or during class.
  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.

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. 他者のQuiz, Exercise(予習用課題、復習用課題を含む)の答えを勝手に盗み見たり、写させてもらったりした場合
  2. 他者にQuiz, Exercise(予習用課題、復習用課題を含む)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。

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。

Copyright 2005 English Expeditions - Ritsumeikan University