Goals of Course: This course will concentrate on four main areas:

     (1) Literary appreciation and pronunciation correction through poetry memorization. Students are required to memorize and recite aloud in class one poem per week from a handout to be distributed, also available online. Each poem will be analyzed and discussed in depth regarding form and content. Students will receive intensive individual guidance and correction on their pronunciation when reciting the poems.

     Click here for the Poems for Memorization handout for Fall 2002.
     Find more poems online yourself.
     Click here for the About Poetry: English Prosody Plus Selected Literary Terms handout. (Refer to this for definitions of terms like iambic, doggerel, and synaesthesia).

     (2) Reading and translation practice. This semester we will mainly be reading excerpts from modern literature, though additional texts not in the textbook may be assigned. Each of the passages will be read in depth and translated orally into Chinese, and sometimes acted out in class. The reading will be followed by a class discussion and a short quiz, usually on vocabulary. Students are actively encouraged to relate what they read and learn to their own life, experiences, and feelings, and to listen attentively to what their classmates have to say.

     (3) Listening practice with audio and video tapes and online resources. Two hours of class a week will be held in the Audio-Visual Building, where audio and video tapes will be used as the basis for listening comprehension exercises. There will normally be one written listening assignment a week.

     (4) Various oral presentations, including a book summary first semester and a dramatization second semester. 

      This is not a composition course, and we unfortunately have too large a class and not enough time for lots of conversation practice. You must create opportunities for yourself to get practice in these areas. Remember that you are responsible for your own education – the NTU faculty and staff can help you with only part of it!

      E-mail: Every student is expected to apply for and actively use an NTU e-mail account, available free from the Computer Center, if you don't already have one. Even if you do have an e-mail account, you are strongly encouraged to get an NTU account - it is in general more dependable and less prone to problems than 'Hotmail' type accounts. Each student is responsible for keeping their e-mail inbox under quota so that you are able to receive and send mail at all times. In the first week of class, each student is required to send an e-mail message to the instructor with an English quote you like, together with its source. (Example: We are so fond of being out among nature, because it has no opinions about us. -Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, philosopher (1844-1900)) It must be a verifiable quote, correctly formatted, containing no errors. The purpose of this is (1) to collect the e-mail addresses of everyone in the class, so we can all use them for class communications; and (2) to remind you right at the beginning of the semester of the importance of producing careful and not sloppy work.

     All students are encouraged to use the Freshman English discussion board to discuss in English any topic you like, but particularly matters relating to our class work.

     Grade calculation: Attendance (note that missing more than three classes or being late to class more than five times without good reason is sufficient grounds for receiving a failing grade for this course; if you must miss class or be late let Ms. Chung know by e-mail or otherwise beforehand), homework, quizzes (usually given after we finish reading and discussing each text), oral presentations, class participation, attitude, progress made, final exam. Extra credit will be given to students who do independent research on a class-related topic and share their findings with the class.

     Lab Fee: NT$500 per semester.

     Submit a blank 90-minute cassette tape: Students must supply a blank 90 minute cassette tape on which will be recorded the poems, maybe some of the readings, and the listening exercises. Label the tape and the spine of the tape case insert with your name in English and Chinese, your student number, your department, and course title.

     Text: Tomlinson, Brian. 1986. Openings: Language through Literature - An Activities Book. London: Penguin. 187pp. Paper. Purchase as a class from Bookman 書林書店 after the first class. Additional texts from other sources may be assigned.

     Pronunciation journal: You are required to keep a running record of specific sounds and other areas you need to work on in your pronunciation in a small notebook, based on feedback you receive in class. You are expected to have your journal open and ready throughout each class, without being reminded.

     Each student will also be asked to choose a simplified or original novel to read with a partner and give an oral book report on.

     Handouts will be posted on this Web site.

     Readings (tentative; we may or may not finish all of these; or we may add some additional ones) passage from:
     1. The Graduate by Charles Webb; p. 3-4. Supplementary activity: Watch the movie, The Graduate; available in the AV library.
     2. The World According to Garp, by John Irving, p. 10-11.
     3. A Visit from the Footbinder, by Emily Prager; p. 90-93
     4. A Dream of Africa, by Camara Laye; p. 103-104.
     5. How Far Can You Go?, by David Lodge; p. 39-44. Audio interviews
     6. A Man for All Seasons, by Robert Bolt; p. 109-112. Supplementary activity: Watch the movie, A Man for All Seasons; available in the AV library.
     7. Midnight's Children, by Salman Rushdie; p. 59-60.
     8. "The Rabbits Who Caused All the Trouble", by James Thurbur; p. 51-52.

     1. Listening Assignment for Sept. 19-26: A Moment of Science (II) : (1) Take a Hike and Improve Your Memory and (2) Laughter is a Social Signal? (There's also an 'A Moment of Science (I)' from last year, if you'd like extra practice. This is not required this semester.)

     2. Listening Assignment for Sept. 26-Oct. 3: A Moment of Science (III) : (1) Smells and Colors and (2) The Color of the Universe

     3. Listening assignment for Oct. 3-10: The New York Times: Seafood Salad
Audio file of reading of passage from The Graduate for practice before oral quiz on Monday Oct. 7.

     4. Listening Assignment for Oct. 10-17: The Mayo Clinic II  Videos: (1) Capsule endoscopy and (2) All about an allergy test

     5. Listening assignment for Oct. 17-24: Lives of the Writers (I): Jane Austen
     
     6. Listening assignment for Oct. 24-31: Lives of the Writers (II): Charlotte and Emily Brontë

     7. Listening assignment for Oct. 31-Nov. 7: Steve Chandler: 100 Ways to Motivate Yourself: Change Your Life Forever

     8. Listening assignment for Nov. 7-14: Putting Things Away by Amanda McBroom

     9. Listening assignment for Nov. 14-21: Joseph Campbell: The Hero's Adventure

     10. Listening assignment for Nov. 21-28: The Dobelle Implant and Seeing with Sound

     11. Listening assignment for Nov. 28-Dec. 5: Ask Dr. Laura (3)

     12. Listening assignment for Dec. 5-12: Mutant Message Down Under

     13. Listening assignment for Dec. 12-19: Sting: I'm so happy I can't stop crying

     14. Listening assignment for Dec. 19-26: Christmas carols

     15. Listening assignment for Dec. 26-Jan. 2: The Nine Billion Names of God (I)

     16. Listening assignment for Jan. 2-9: The Nine Billion Names of God (II)

     17. Winter break listening assignment: BBC interview with Ray Charles

Outside Work: All students are encouraged to advance their English skills on their own, outside class. Here are some ideas on how to do this; also please visit Extras on this site for some resources to get you started:

      Read English newspapers and magazines (many available free online – see Extras or do a search), novels (simplified ones are OK!), materials on the Internet, anything else of interest;

     Listen to the radio – programs like Studio Classroom or Ivy League, and ICRT, which broadcasts BBC programming every weekday morning 6am-7am, Internet broadcasts from around the world (see Extras);

     Watch English language TV programs, e.g. sitcoms and the news, and movies: movies can be borrowed and viewed in the AV library;

     Speak and write English with friends: you may want to set up a language exchange, meet English speakers through activities in Taipei's foreign communities, or just practice with classmates; writing to an e-mail pen pal – try joining a special interest discussion group (see Extras) and send a note to someone who says things you think are interesting.

Daily log:
September 16: Introduction; three limericks for memorization; watch The Graduate: visit Web site; bring 90-minute blank cassette; prepare pronunciation journal; choose simplified novel for oral book report

September 19: Reviewed limericks; listening exercise: transcription of John Lennon's "Imagine"; listening assignment: A Moment of Science (II)

September 23: Drew lots for remaining places in class; recited limericks; new poem: "To a Ten-month's child" by Donald Justice; read The Graduate by Charles Webb; p. 3-4 in textbook

September 26: Reviewed poem; finished "Imagine"; marked A Moment of Science (II); listening exercise: A Moment of Science (III)

September 30: Recited "To a Ten-month's child"; new poem: "Break, Break, Break" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. read The Graduate. Subscribe to e-mail digest of the New York Times at http://www.nyt.com. Go to 'Member Center' and choose 'E-mail prerferences'.

October 3: Practiced poem; marked "A Moment of Science (III"); listening assignment: NYT Seafood Salad online video; practiced reading The Graduate passage aloud, noting pronunciation and intonation; oral test of reading of The Graduate passage on Monday Oct. 7; use audio file to practice.

October 7: Recited "Break, Break, Break"; new poem: "Love's Philosophy" by Percy Bysshe Shelley; oral test on The Graduate passage; begin reading passage from The World According to Garp, p. 10-11.

October 14: Recited "Love's Philosophy"; new poem: "The Armful" by Robert Frost; marked "Seafood Salad"; new listening assignment Mayo II; brief discussion of The Graduate.

October 17: Marked Mayo (II), listening assignment: Jane Austen; read The World According to Garp.

October 21: Recited "The Armful"; learned "The South"; bibliographic format; finished The World According to Garp.

October 24: Marked Jane Austen, assigned The Brontes; read A Visit from the Footbinder.

October 28: Recited "The South", learned "The Crystal Gazer"; reviewed form of oral book report; read A Visit from the Footbinder.

October 31: Marked The Brontes, assigned Steve Chandler; text.

November 4: Recited "The Crystal Gazer", learned "My Dream, My Works..."; book report dates decided; text.

November 7: Marked Chandler, assigned "Putting Things Away"; finished reading "A Visit from the Footbinder".

November 11: Vocabulary/stress Quiz #1 on first three readings; recited "My Dreams, My Works...", learned "The Owl"; started A Dream of Africa.

November 14: Marked "Putting Things Away", assigned Joseph Campbell; review compound, phrase stress; read Africa.

November 18: Recited "The Owl", learned "Sonnet 39"; continued reading Africa.

November 21: Marked Joseph Campbell, assigned Technologies for the Blind; finished reading Africa.

November 25: Vocabulary quiz; recited "Sonnet 39", learned "A Song"; read How Far Can You Go?

November 28: Marked Technologies for the Blind, assigned Dr. Laura; one oral book report; text reading.

December 2: Recited "A Song", learned "Seaman's Ditty"; five oral book reports; continued How Far Can You Go?

December 5: Reviewed "Seaman's Ditty"; learned , discussed Dr. Laura; assigend "Mutant Message"; five oral book reports

December 9: Recited "Seaman's Ditty"; learned "Bells of Grey Crystal"; three oral book reports

December 12: Reviewed "Bells of Grey Crystal"; reviewed scansion; marked "Mutant Message"; assigned "I'm So Happy"; five oral book reports

December 16: Recited "Bells of Grey Crystal"; learned "This Be the Verse"; five oral book reports

December 19: Reviewed, discussed Larkin poem; marked, discussed "I'm So Happy"; favorite carols; last two oral book reports; "How Far Can You Go" reading

December 23: Christmas carol singing.

December 26: Recited Larkin, learned "In Flanders Fields"; "How Far Can You Go"

December 30: McCrae to be recited again 1/2; learned "Account" for reading, discussion; prepare Rushdie, "Midnight's Children"

January 2: Recited "In Flanders Fields"; reviewed "Account"; finished Lodge, began discussion; winter vacation assignments

January 6: Read "Account"; learned "Memory of Sun"; reviewed meter, feet, rhyme, discussed final exam; continued discussion of Lodge passage

January 9: Vocabulary quiz on Lodge passage; collected tapes; poems to memorize for final: (3) Break, Break, Break; (5) The Armful; (10) Petrarch; (13) Bells of Grey Crystal; reviewed "Memory of Sun"; read Rushdie passage.

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