English Language 1

Objectives and competences

Objectives

The students revise and upgrade their knowledge of the general English language previously acquired at secondary school and acquire the basic ESP vocabulary and the most common grammatical structures used in their professional fields to be able to successfully communicate in everyday professional situations and basic academic settings.

Competences
The students will further develop all four types of their general English and basic ESP language skills: speaking, listening, writing and reading. Moreover, the students will also develop basic critical thinking skills, as well as basic ESP presenting skills. They will also understand the importance of cross-cultural communication and become sensitive to cross-cultural differences affecting communication. By taking into account the latter they will acquire a sound basis for further developing their communicative competence in basic interactions across cultures.

Prerequisites

Good knowledge of general English equivalent to the level of the general matura/vocational matura examination in the English language.

Content

• Revising selected grammatical structures in general English and learning the most common grammatical and syntactic structures used in basic ESP* texts and oral presentations.
• Acquiring basic ESP vocabulary within the students' professional fields by analysing selected authentic texts and other sources, including digital/online sources. Developing the general awareness of the importance of intellectual property rights.
• Using the newly-acquired basic ESP vocabulary in essays and simple professional texts such as descriptions of professional events, professional fields and study areas, job and scholarship applications etc.
• Learning how to successfully prepare and deliver an oral presentation on a less demanding ESP topic.
• Simple case studies of successful cross-cultural communication.

*ESP = English for Specific Purposes

Intended learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding:

The students will be able to appropriately use the grammatical and syntactic structures discussed, as well as the newly acquired basic ESP terminology and thus successfully communicate within their professional fields (communication with business partners, working with sources in different languages, writing professional texts etc.). They can distinguish between different genres and are able to compose essays and other short professional texts on a selected topic. They will be able to express their opinions on a particular professional issue and demonstrate basic argumenting skills. Moreover, they will be able to present selected professional topics to a general audience in an oral form. They are also able to identify cross-cultural differences affecting commnication and express themselves effectively in less challenging circumstances within a multicultural environment to avoid communication gaps.
The general objective of the course:
Achieving the B2 level of English language competence (according to CEFR – the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) and acquiring basic ESP terminology.

Readings

  • Carter, R. and M. McCarthy. 2006. Cambridge Grammar of English. A Comprehensive Guide – Spoken and Written English Grammar and Usage. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. (selected topics/pages) Catalogue E-version
  • McCarthy M. and F. O'Deal (1997). Collocations in Use. How words work together for fluent and natural English. Self-study and classroom use. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. (selected topics/pages) Catalogue E-version
  • Šabec, N. and D. Limon. Across cultures: slovensko-britansko-ameriško medkulturno sporazumevanje/Slovene-British-American Intercultural Communication. Maribor: Obzorja 2001. (selected chapters)E-version Catalogue

  • selected professional texts

Assessment

examination, oral, coursework, project

Lecturer's references

Veronika Piccinini, English language lecturer, holds a BA (Hons) in English Language in Literature. Since 2005, she has been working at the University of Nova Gorica, where she has been teaching ESP – English for Specific Purposes at various study programmes. She has also been teaching EAP – English for Academic Purposes as a branch of ESP as part of the courses Introduction into Project Work and Group Project at the School of Environmental Sciences at the University of Nova Gorica.

She has gained her professional experience by teaching at various institutions on different levels of the educational system. She has received further professional training also in the U.K. and Austria (ECML – European Centre for Modern Languages, part of the European Council). She is particularly interested in the research of the methodology of teaching English as a foreign language, especially in creative language teaching. She has been presenting her work at conferences and published articles in Slovenia and abroad.

PICCININI, Veronika. Project work as a tool for enhancing the transfer of ESP knowledge into practice. Humanising language teaching, Jun. 2012, year 14, iss. 3.
[COBISS.SI-ID 2416379]

PICCININI, Veronika. Extending ESP knowledge into Practice. In: Proceedings of the Fourth International Language Conference on the Importance of Learning Professional Foreign Languages for Communication Between Cultures, 22 and 23 September 2011. Maribor: University of Maribor, Faculty of Logistics, pp. 190–192.
[COBISS.SI-ID 2165499]

PICCININI, Veronika et al. The linking verb be in English technical and literary texts and its equivalents in the Slovene translations. Vestnik, 2006, vol. 40, no. 1/2, pp. 109–120.
[COBISS.SI-ID 618747]

PICCININI, Veronika et al. The Cambridge grammar of English in the ELT classroom: teaching selected features of spoken English. Humanising language teaching, Apr. 2012, year 14, iss. 1.
[COBISS.SI-ID 2153979]

PICCININI, Veronika. Exercise book for English practice sessions: English for undergraduate students of viticulture and enology. Nova Gorica: Založba Univerze, 2013.
[COBISS.SI-ID 265623296]

PICCININI, Veronika. The importance of giving oral presentations in English. Proceedings of the International Language Conference on the Importance of Learning Professional Foreign Languages for Communication Between Cultures 2010, Faculty of Logistics, Celje, 23 and 24 September 2010.
[COBISS.SI-ID 1677563]