English II (Level B1 and above) [IELVB195]

5 credits
30h
2^nd quarter
Language of instruction: English
Teacher: LABATE Simon

Learning outcomes

B1 level according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL).

Overall reading comprehension: a student can:
- understand longer texts related to his/her field of interest and infer the meaning of an unfamiliar word from its context
- look for and find information in a fairly long text, or in several different texts.
- identify the sequence and conclusions of an argument without necessarily understanding the detail.
Overall listening comprehension: a student can:
- follow the main points of a long discussion taking place in his/her presence, provided the language is standard and clearly articulated.
- understand simple technical information, for example instructions for commonly used appliances
- can also understand the information contained in most recorded or broadcast material, provided the subject is familiar and the language is clearly articulated.
Overall production: a student can:
- recount an event, giving all the details needed to understand it
- describe feelings and reactions
- explain a problem and suggest solutions.
- can also develop a sufficiently clear argument and be understood without difficulty most of the time
- can use questions to check whether he/she has been understood.
Overall written production: a student can:
- write simply articulated texts on a range of subjects in his/her field, linking a series of discrete elements in a linear sequence.
- recount experiences by describing feelings and reactions in simple, articulate text
- tell a story
- write very brief reports in a conventional standard form that convey routine factual information and justify actions
- take notes in the form of a list of key points in a simple presentation, provided the subject is familiar, [a direct formulation and [a clear diction in everyday language

B2 level according to the CEFRL:

Overall reading comprehension: a student can:
- read with a high degree of independence, adapting reading style and speed to different texts and purposes and using appropriate references selectively
- have a broad and active reading vocabulary but may have difficulty with infrequent expressions.
Overall listening comprehension: a student can:
- Understand standard spoken language, either live or on the radio, on familiar and unfamiliar topics normally encountered in personal, social, academic or professional life.
- Only very loud background noise, inappropriate speech structure or the use of idiomatic expressions can affect comprehension.
- Can understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics, in standard language, including technical discussions in his/her field of specialisation, and follow a speech of some length and a complex argument provided the subject is fairly familiar and the general outline of the presentation is indicated by explicit markers.
Overall oral production: a student can:
- Give a detailed description and presentation on a wide range of topics related to his/her field of interest, developing and justifying ideas with secondary points and relevant examples.
Overall written production: a student can:
- Write clear, detailed texts on a wide range of topics related to the area of interest, synthesising and evaluating information and arguments from a variety of sources.

Objectives

The aim of the course is to ensure the acquisition of at least B1 level, with the possibility of improving to B2 level. All the learning activities will be coloured by specialised IT vocabulary.

Content

Taking the placement test on WebCampus will be compulsory. Certain skills (reading comprehension, listening comprehension, language structures) will be tested according to the CEFRL descriptors. The results of this test will be purely indicative: they will enable both the teacher and the students to find out their level before starting the course, and possibly catch up and/or fill any gaps before the start of the course in the second semester.

The course will combine face-to-face and distance learning:

Face-to-face: 8 lesson sessions organised between February and April in the form of interactive seminars in English on the following aspects: texts, vocabulary, grammar, exercises, videos aimed at reinforcing knowledge and mastery of the language and communicative skills, in particular reading and listening, but also written and oral production as well as oral interaction.
Remote learning: from the start of the course, a portfolio can be created on WebCampus in preparation for the oral exam in June (or August). Specific details will be provided via the platform.

Each lesson, supervised by a substitute of the course coordinator, will be focused on a TED presentation. Here are the topics (for reference, the videos may be changed based on their relevance):

The birth of the computer
The rise of human-computer cooperation
How we're teaching computers to understand pictures
A computer that works like the brain
All your devices can be hacked
The self-organizing computer course

The final class (in which the course instructor will participate too), will be dedicated to student presentations on a topic related to the world of computer science.

Exercises description

Many grammar and pronunciation exercises are available on WebCampus.

Teaching methods

The teaching methods are based on 4 axes:

The first is the interactive constructivist model, which offers a richer framework for educational action than the purely transmissive or behaviourist model. The foundations of this approach include the following concepts: learner autonomy and initiative, information processing by students using their own cognitive structures, an active approach based on task processing, empowerment of students through the dynamics of choice, and dialogue.

The second axis concerns adherence to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL). There are several types of language activity: reception (listening and reading), production (continuous oral expression, writing), interaction (oral) and mediation (translation and interpreting). Each language activity is broken down into levels according to precise performance descriptors. Communicative competence is divided into three components, which are also covered at all levels: linguistic competence (lexicon, syntax, phonology), sociolinguistic competence (markers of social relations, rules of politeness, expressions of popular wisdom, dialects and accents) and pragmatic competence (organising, adapting and structuring discourse). These three skills make up the language communication skill. It will therefore no longer be a question of limiting ourselves exclusively to considerations of linguistic knowledge.

The action-oriented perspective is the idea that the language user has to carry out tasks (which are not solely linguistic) in given circumstances and a given environment within a field of action.

The third axis concerns the differentiation of profiles. According to the "Missions" decree (art 5, §12), differentiated teaching is "a teaching approach which consists of varying methods to take account of the heterogeneity of classes and the diversity of learning styles and needs". To give each student the best possible chance of success, basic exercises (A1-A2) will be freely available, as will pronunciation exercises.

The fourth area concerns the design of the student workload. Particular attention will be paid to the distribution between face-to-face teaching hours and the credits allocated to the English course. A certain number of hours/credits will therefore be spent face-to-face with the teacher, while the rest of the hours/credits will be spent at a distance using the WebCampus platform. For each module, it will be necessary to define which activities are best carried out remotely and to keep the face-to-face hours for essential support from the teacher.

Evaluations

Learning activities are assessed on both a continuous assessment basis and a summative assessment basis during the June assessment period in the form of a written examination and an oral examination.

Continuous assessment :

5% of the overall mark is awarded on the basis of completion of the portfolio during the semester (continuous assessment): compliance with instructions (available on WebCampus), compliance with deadlines, compliance with methodology. The portfolio must be posted on WebCampus no later than the day of the final exam. This assessment is used to practise and test receptive reading and listening skills. Please note: failure to complete this portfolio will result in a ban on taking the written exam, which will de facto result in a mark of 0/20 for the course, even if the written part is passed.
15% of the overall mark is acquired following an oral presentation on a subject related to the world of computing. Instructions for this test (e.g. choice of subject, format, etc.) will be explained during the course and on WebCampus. The mark will be based on the quality of the language (vocabulary, grammar, fluency, communicative attitudes, etc.) and the quality of the visual support (PowerPoint, Keynote, Canva, etc.). Depending on the number of students registered and wishing to take part in this part of the assessment, students may be asked to prepare and present this task in pairs. All presentations will take place during the last class of the semester.

Summative assessment :

40% of the overall mark is awarded on the basis of a final written examination held during the second assessment period in June. This exam tests receptive listening skills and written production, as well as knowledge of technical vocabulary and grammar. This part of the assessment is weighted as follows:
- Grammar (30%), in the form of a multiple-choice questionnaire (with a penalty for choosing a wrong answer)
- Vocabulary (30%), in the form of fill-in-the-blank sentences and/or sentences to be created from a given word
- TED talk summary + commentary (40%): a formal, objective summary of a TED talk on an IT-related subject, followed by a personal commentary on the talk and its content.
40% of the overall grade is allocated based on a final oral examination. This test assesses the competence in continuous and interactive oral production. For this examination, you will be required to answer questions based on elements present in the portfolio completed throughout the year. It's important to note that the goal is not to simply recall content but to engage in discussion about it. If the portfolio is not completed at all, the student will not have access to the oral examination. Students will be required to register for the oral examination through a module on WebCampus to ensure an efficient process.

For the resit exam (August), each student will retake the part(s) for which they have failed (meaning where they scored less than 10/20). It is the responsibility of the student to find out which parts they have passed or not. Students have the right to reattempt a passed part in order to improve their grade for that part, upon request to the course instructor. In this case, the August grade will replace the June grade in any case. The weighting of the different parts remains the same as in the first session.

Warning : please note that the success of this teaching unit does not lead to certification.

Language of instruction

English

Location for course

NAMUR

Organizer

Faculté d'informatique
rue Grandgagnage 21
5000 NAMUR
P. 081725252
F. 081724967
secretariat.info@unamur.be

Degree of Reference

Undergraduate Degree

	Block	Credits
Bachelier en sciences informatiques (horaire décalé)	1	5