Daily assignments and homework will be assigned in class and posted on the Students section of this website. Details on all the major assignments will also be provided in class.

 

Course Schedule

The daily course schedule and major project due dates are listed here in the syllabus and also on the class website. The daily schedule is subject to changes, which I will notify you of in advance. You are responsible for changes made more than 24 hours before class, so check the class website and your NCSU e-mail daily.

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Submitting Assignments

You will submit assignments either in-class (handwritten or typed), as a comment in response to a post in the Students section, or as a file uploaded to your NCSU Google Drive account and shared with me.

 

MAJOR ASSIGNMENTS (75%)

 

Class Discussions (10%) / Rubric

You will participate in a variety of small- and large-group discussions about topics explored in the course units and student presentations. Each discussion will use a slightly different format. The topic for each discussion will be assigned in class and posted in the Students section of the website, and you will be allowed to prepare beforehand and bring notes.

 

Class Discussion Leader (5%)

You will sign up in advance to work with a group of 2-3 other students that leads one class discussion. You will be provided with the topic and format for the discussion, but it will be your group’s responsibility to help lead the discussion (e.g. asking questions, soliciting opinions, moving the discussion forward). Your group is welcomed (and encouraged!) to work with me as you prepare to lead the discussion.

 

Formal Presentations / Rubric

You will prepare and deliver three formal presentations to the class. Each presentation should include a visual (PowerPoint/Prezi slides, a poster, an artifact, etc.). Each presentation will include one minute for Q&A at the end.

 

Country Spotlight (5%)

You will teach the class about ONE interesting of your home country. For instance, you might teach us about a famous person; explain an important historical event or holiday; teach us how to do a traditional dance; give instructions for how to cook a traditional food dish; or something else that you want us to know about your country. Length: 2-3 minutes.

 

“Talk Nerdy to Me” (10%)

You will teach the class about a specific topic of interest or current research focus in your field of study, or an important contribution (e.g. a theory or invention) that your field has given society. Length: 3-4 minutes

 

Generally, your presentation should:

• Introduce the topic by providing an overview of the field and specific topic

• Define key terms and concepts for an audience not familiar with your field or topic

• Discuss why the topic is important to people in your field and/or to society

 

“Making the Strange Familiar” (15%)

In groups of 2-3, you will research and develop a research project that explores a controversial topic or issue in U.S. culture or society (e.g. politics, education, religion, economics, race). You can choose your group members, but you are strongly encouraged to find people who you will work together with well (**suggestion: work with peers who speak a different first language). Length: 8-10  minutes

 

The topic can be one we discuss in class, or it can be a topic of interest to your group that we have not discussed. You can choose to focus only on the U.S., or you can compare the topic/issue to the current situation, opinions, and viewpoints in your home countries.

 

The key requirements are as follows (details will be provided in class):

• Interviews or surveys/polls of Americans

• References to at least 6 credible sources about the topic, including at least 3 scholarly sources

• Relevant visuals

 

Midterm: Group Discussion (10%)

For our midterm, we will meet in small discussion groups of 2-3. When you arrive, you will be given 3-4 possible discussion prompts and will have 15 minutes to prepare a brief discussion on the prompt your group selects.

 

Final: TED Talk (15%) / Rubric

Our final will be a TED-style event, in which you will prepare and deliver a brief presentation in the form of a TED talk. For instance, you might persuade us to consider, or agree with, a specific position on a topic; you might persuade us to take some form of action; or you might identify a problem and propose a solution that we should adopt. You can choose to memorize or use brief notes, but either way the presentation should be well-rehearsed. Length: 5-6 minutes

 

DAILY WORK (25%)

You will complete daily in-class and homework assignments, including: listening guides, vocabulary and grammar quizzes, informal presentations, and pronunciation activities. To a large extent, your participation is reflected in how conscientiously you complete these assignments, since it means you attend class regularly, engage actively in class discussions and activities, and bring your materials to class each day.

 

PARTICIPATION (5%)

Because this is a class focused on speaking and listening, you will need to participate and engage actively in class in order to improve. Your participation grade includes: coming regularly to class (see the policies on absences and tardies), participating actively in class group work and discussions, volunteering to answer questions, using technologies (e.g. cell phones, laptops, tablets) responsibly in class, and making the class an overall better environment.