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Course Syllabus

ESL 0975 Level 4 Oral Communication

  • Division: Humanities
  • Department: Languages & Linguistics
  • Credit/Time Requirement: Credit: 1; Lecture: 5; Lab: 0
  • Prerequisites: Placement in ESL 0975 through the department
  • Semesters Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer
  • Semester Approved: Fall 2025
  • Five-Year Review Semester: Summer 2030
  • End Semester: Summer 2031
  • Optimum Class Size: 10
  • Maximum Class Size: 20

Course Description

This course is designed for advanced ESL students. The course will prepare students for regular college courses by increasing fluency, critical analysis, and evaluation in formulating arguments. Students will be able to acquire CEFR Independent-Proficient (B2-C1 level) vocabulary. This course is cross-listed with CED 0975 (Level 4 Oral Communication – Continuing Education).

Justification

This course is similar to the courses taught at other Utah ESL programs at the advanced levels. Placement for Level 4 is made with a placement test. In level four we focus on analysis, evaluation and creation. Activities such as sharing opinions, debate, and presentations help students to be prepared for participation in college level conversations, discussions, and lectures. This course is taught at Snow College to move towards academic skills development in the four language skills.

Student Learning Outcomes

  1. Upon successful completion of ESL 0975, students will be able to analyze, evaluate and create longer phrases and express themselves fluently and spontaneously.
  2. Students will be able to use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic, and professional purposes.
  3. Students will be able to create clear, well-structured detailed arguments on complex subjects.
  4. Students will be able to understand implicit meanings, pragmatics, and nonverbal cues.

Course Content

In this course, students will learn to express him/herself fluently and spontaneously without much searching for expressions. Pauses will be at a minimum. They will learn to understand implicit meaning as well as interact with implicatures, sarcasm, irony, and humor. Students will learn to handle informal and formal conversations on employment, current events, and public/community matters. They will practice describing and narrating in past, present, and future, and handle items they are not familiar with by asking appropriate questions. Students will learn to communicate with accuracy, clarity, precision, and in detail to convey messages without ambiguity. They will practice paraphrasing, summarizing, and conveying complex ideas. Students will practice debate, discussions, impromptu speeches, and presentations.