Course Objectives & Requirements:

Based on language resources that students already have, this course further develops students’ competence and confidence in coping with variety of listening tasks with appropriate listening skills; and as well provides opportunities for improving expressive proficiency & communicative efficiency.

The learning objectives of this unit are:

ü To grasp the essential skills of good listening—such as prediction, taking notes, repeating, doing summaries, taking exams, and retelling, etc.

ü To improve students’ communicative competence and expressive ability in academic environment

ü To lay a solid foundation for students’ sound development of linguistic intuition

ü To understand foreign culture and custom

ü To convey Chinese culture and custom to foreigners

ü To learn self-management and promote learning motivation

ü Students are also expected to listen to English radio programs and other English materials after class. Homework should be finished in time and written reports are required irregularly.

Course Contents:

Unit One: Happy Family Life

v Warming up

v All you need is love?

v First meetings

v A Valentine story

Unit Two: Shaping and Reshaping Personally

v Warming up

v Self-esteem

v How to deal with depression and anger?

v Short talks on listening skills

Unit Three: All Can Succeed

v Warming up

v The road to success

v Good better best

v Language study and language appreciation

Unit Four Creative Minds

v Warming up

v Scientists of the millennium (I)

v Scientists of the millennium (II)

v Short talks on listening skills

Unit Five: Leisure Time

v Warming up

v Mozart’s music still alive today

v The man with the horn

v Bank Holiday DIY

Unit Six: Everybody Can Help the Environment

v Warming up

v Campaign California Re-Leaf

v PBS—a biodegradable plastic product

v Short talks on listening skills

Unit Seven: News I: Disasters

v Warming up

v News items

v Torrential storms in Kenya

v Language study and language appreciation

Unit Eight: News II: Health

v Warming up

v Hand washing

v Lifestyle & environmental factors vs cancers

v Doctors on the Internet

Credits: 2