Wednesday 31 August 2016

1M1 Course overview




1 M English focuses on developing strong reading and writing skills as well as improving your oral English (listening and speaking) in addition to mastering grammar and vocabulary at a lower intermediate level.
Reading
Reading will serve to develop your understanding of British/Irish/American literature and culture, as well as to strengthen your comprehension, analysis, and interpretation.
We will start with Irish author John Boyne's amazing novel about Germans and the Holocaust from the point of view of a young boy :TheBoy in the Striped Pyjamas 1 The year is 1943. When Bruno returns home from school one day, he discovers that his family must move from their home to a new house far away, where there are no neighbours and nothing to do. A tall fence running alongside stretches as far as the eye can see and cuts him off from the strange people he can see in the distance. Bruno decides that there must be more to this desolate new place than meets the eye, so sets out to explore... The excellent 2008 film directed by Mark Herman is very truthful to the book and you will certainly shed a few tears over Bruno's moving story.
We will go on with TheGiver2 by Lois Lowry. Imagine a society where nobody can see in colour - everything is monochromatic. Imagine a society where spouses are selected, children are assigned parents, names are predetermined, and jobs are selected for its citizens. In The Giver, these decisions are the responsibility of a committee of elders. You will not find hills or snow, either: hills make transportation difficult, and snow makes the growing season shorter. Everything is perfect. There is no hunger, poverty, or war. Lois Lowry portrays her idea of a utopian society.
The Giver is a fascinating, thought-provoking book about a fictional society. It will provide you with many opportunities to discuss major issues about the society portrayed in the Giver aw well as
our society, discussions that will be held in class, in small groups, will fuel ideas for essay writing .
Writing Through a number of different writing assignments – from writings based on grammar topics to narratives and a descriptive essay in form of a “spy mission” you will practise your writing skills. You will also be writing about literature in many creative ways. You should expect to write once or twice a month , whether in quick exercises (summaries or notes taking ) or for a major class writing. Major essays may require outline and drafts at home but are assigned well in advance, so organize your work in order not to be overwhelmed with other homework.
While reading the novel mentioned above , I expect you to do the assignment that goes with it. Take every opportunity to express your writing skills during quick assignments I give you in class, which I am always willing to correct. At the end of a course, I may also collect writings done in class to assess them with a mark.
Grammar3
Grammar topics will be introduced in context then practised ,exercised and hopefully mastered in the Golden Grammar Book. You should expect to be assigned grammar exercises as homework every week. Most of the grammar exercises are self-corrected, so be sure to come to class with questions on matters that are unclear to you. Highlight or underline any sentence which you haven't understood while doing your exercises, I shall answer your questions.
Your first year of English in high school will cover basic tenses - those you know already (Present, Past, Present Perfect, simple and continuous forms) Imperatives, Participles, Interrogatives as well as Articles, Adjectives, Pronouns and Nouns. Summaries of every grammar chapter can be downloaded and printed from the English Bugnon Website under English BugnonGrammar4U4
Vocabulary5
In order to increase your proficiency in English for daily written and oral language, vocabularies will be studied by theme-related chapters which may lead to situation role-playing, listening activities or quick writing. Be ready to learn about two-three pages every week and have a final test on every one or two chapters. The average number of pages for a test should be around ten. Vocabulary tests might take the shape of listening tests as well. You must obtain 75% of the points to reach the average in vocabulary tests.
Use flashcards if you have trouble remembering difficult words. You will be able to review your vocabulary on the bus, during recess, ... or to group words according to the theme you are studying. Pay a special attention to phonetics, many tests will involve dictation/oral comprehension/expression as well.
Speaking
Major oral presentations in front of the class (at least one each semester, on English-speaking countries in the world and on bands or singers of your choice), in pairs or groups, will challenge your speaking skills.
Remember you are not allowed to read, only notes and keywords will be accepted. You will also be expected to present summaries/activities in connection with the books we read. While reading a book, all activities which involve sharing information with your classmates or presenting feedback on a chapter you have read, alone or in group, will give you opportunities to practise your oral expression. Always make the effort to ask your questions in English! It's rewarding.
Listening and understanding
During classes, I speak English only so your listening skills will be constantly challenged. We will watch films in connection with the novels we read in their original version. You can practice at home watching most TV series in English. Going to our language laboratory will also enable you to practice your interactive communication skills. Watching and listening to the latest news on the BBC (radio or TV) will be part of the curriculum. If you have trouble understanding what I say, you are most welcome to ask me to repeat, I will do so. I am ready to find alternatives to let my explanations sink into your mind - other words, gestures, drawings, ... - but bear in mind French should be avoided as much as possible. However, as soon as the bell rings, feel free to come to my desk and ask for extra explanations, then we may chat in French.
Website
Most of the material which I hand out to students can be found on my website6, allowing students to access a document even if they have been absent or if it happens to be lost . Plenty of useful information is waiting for you either on my personal website on the English Department's for instance if you are looking for a "séjour linguistique", an exchange program or more general help (excellent on line dictionary, extra-exercises on line, listening activities,... ) or on Google Drive.You always have the opportunity to contact me by e-mail7
Tests and marks
Vocabulary tests will be grouped and their average (decimal, unrounded) multiplied by 3 will give you 3 full marks , each one equivalent to any other mark you will get in grammar, reading comprehension, ... .You will have an extra vocabulary test so you will be allowed to leave out the worst mark if you have attended all tests at the end of the school year. ln addition to the vocabulary tests mentioned above, expect 2 tests at least in each skill (reading comprehension, writing, speaking and listening) plus 3-4 tests in Use of English(=grammar). All the tests weigh the same , except vocabulary tests (keep your marks updated!).
In case of absence or illness, it is each student's responsibility to inquire about the material received or the assignments due.
Teacher’s word
Please be sure to come to class prepared (which means ready for tests , exercises done or chapters read), with all the necessary equipment for each lesson. I hand out a lot of photocopies, make an effort to organize them into files so as to find them easily when needed. Switch off your cell phones and open your mind.
Finally, if you find yourself in trouble, academically or otherwise, please come and see me sooner rather than later so we can work together to find a way to get you back on track. Don't be afraid to ask for help. I will make time to see you one-on-one. I hope this will be a good year for you in English
Martine Guignard

1John Boyne: The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, Random House, 2006
2 Lois Lowry : The Giver, HarperCollins 2014
3 T.Spencer:The Golden Grammar Book, fourth edition, 2014
5. Bescherelle anglais: le vocabulaire, edition Hatier, juin 2008
7. my email: martine.guignardschneider@vd.educanet2.ch PW google drive ; English2