English
Level B1 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages – CEFR
The final exam is divided into two parts, which are held in the same exam session:
1. written test (grammar and vocabulary, 30 questions in 30 minutes), with multiple-choice and open-ended questions;
2. oral test (presentation on a ICT-related topic following the instructions provided in class, max 10 minutes), which is assessed based on grammar proficiency (25%), lexical proficiency (25%), pronunciation and fluency (25%), structural consistency of the presentation (25%).
Both parts will be given a score out of 30 and the final mark will be the mean of the two scores. Students are required to pass both parts with a minimum score of 18 out of 30.
The course aims at developing receptive and productive skills in English language at an upper-intermediate level (B2 – Vantage according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages – CEFR) and to get students started to the use of English for Computer Science.
In particular, students are required to develop the following skills:
1. to use the main morpho-syntactic structures of English at an intermediate level across registers;
2. to identify and use the basic specialised lexicon of and for Computer Science (i.e. hardware, software, programming, web) to read and understand specialised texts;
3. to talk about everyday issues or computer-related topics.
The course is divided into three modules:
A) Upper Intermediate language practice (24 hrs, objectives 1 and 3). This module focuses on the lexico-grammar competences of English at an upper intermediate level. Listening, speaking, reading and writing are here practised based on the following grammar and functional areas. Special attention will be drawn on speaking and listening:
Time and Tense
- The simple present
- The present continuous
- The past simple
- The past continuous
- Used to and would
- The present perfect simple
- The present perfect continuous
- The past perfect
- Going to and will
- Present tenses for talking about the future
- Modals
Sentences
- Word order
- Reported speech and reporting verbs
- Relative clauses
Other verb forms
- Verbs followed by the infinitive or the –ing form
- First, second and zero conditional sentences - The third conditional, wishes and regrets
- The passive
- Get/have something done
- Phrasal verbs
Naming and describing
- Articles
- Personal, possessive, reflexive and demonstrative pronouns
- Countable and uncountable nouns and expressions of quantity
Functional Areas
- Ways of comparing
- Possibility in the present and in the past
- Present, past and future obligation and necessity
B) The Language of the Media (16 hrs, objectives 2 and 3). In this module, through the analysis of authentic texts and the participation in oral (i.e. role plays) and written (i.e. functional exercises of English for special purposes – ESP) activities, students are got started in the use of specialised English for Computer Science based on the following main topics:
- Hardware, input/output devices, storage devices;
- Software, graphic software, desktop publishing;
- Internet, websites, email, web applications;
- Programming
- Gaming
C) Presentation (8 hrs, objective 3). This module will address the linguistic and communicative strategies to prepare a presentation on IT-related topic with a visual support (e.g. PowerPoint, Prezi).
The material will be shown/distributed in class and uploaded to the e-learning page of the course.
Moreover, the following book will be used in the lessons (please purchase a copy of the book before the course begins):
Remacha Esteras S. (2011) Infotech. English for computer users. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Reference Grammar:
Murphy Raymond (2012) English Grammar in Use. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Frontal lessons, students will be required to be actively involved in class activities (reading, listening, speaking, writing exercises) to achieve the morphosyntactic and lexical objectives of the course.
Grammar and vocabulary skills may be further developed through the use of an online self-learning platform. At the beginning of the semester students will be required to take a placement test in order to be assigned a course based on their entry level.