Course Information

Course Description and Objectives

Speaking Practice A is a course that is taken after a student has completed Academic English, usually in the first semester of the student’s sophomore year. It is divided into four levels (A1, A2, A3, A4)based on student proficiency. This course primarily focuses on oral communication skills, with a secondary focus on writing skills. The main objective of the course is to help students develop their spoken language ability within a variety of settings, such as interpersonal, professional, and academic.

Course Materials

Top Notch 1 (2^nd edition)  is the only required textbook.

Grading

Attendance	10%
Participation	15% (in-class, 10%, Kakao Talk discussions and interviews, 5%)
Assignments	20% (writing assignments, 10%; multi-ROM homework, 10%)
Quizzes (5)	25%
Exams	30% (speaking midterm, 15%; speaking final, 15%)

Attendance Policy

Having good attendance is a prerequisite for earning a good grade in this class. For each two periods you are absent you will lose one mark. You will also lose one mark if you are late three times. If you miss more than 25% of the class hours (e.g. more than sixteen periods or four full days),you will receive an F for the course.

Participation

In this course you will be required to take part in activities such as projects, discussion, and role‑playing, and you will often have to work in groups or in pairs. Since this course focuses on oral communication, you will be expected to speak English in class and actively engage with classmates and your instructor.

Your basic in-class participation score (7.5 points) is based on the following criteria: interaction with other students in English, attentiveness and preparedness. Your basic in-class participation score is calculated by multiplying your raw basic in-class participation score by the proportion of classes that you actually attended. The second part of your in-class participation (2.5 points) is based on your contributions in class.A further 5 points of your participation score is based on two Kakao Talk group discussions and two interview recordings.

Assignments

Submission dates for the writing and multi-ROM assignments will be announced. Late submissions will incur a 10–50% penalty (10% per day late).

Quizzes and Exams

There will be one written quiz per unit. The midterm and final exams are oral exams. If you are absent for either the midterm or final, you will receive an F for the course. More details will be given prior to the quiz and exam dates, which can be found on the following page.