Project of Reading Course Development Designer: Erin 9610002M Instructor: Mavis Shang Date: 06/09/2008

1. Project of Reading Course Development Designer: Erin 9610002M Instructor: Mavis Shang Date: 06/09/2008

2. Outline • Setting • Background • Aims • Objectives • Syllabus Design • Teaching Approaches • Evaluation

3. Context Applied English Department is a part of College of Language and Communication at I-Shou University, Kaohsiung County, Taiwan. There are two classes for each academic year with about 50 students for each class.

4. Background • English is a foreign language • The level of students are freshmen • Ages are from 18 to 20 • Reading proficiency level is “Intermediate- • Low” (ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines)

5. Aims 1) To help students improve their English reading comprehension regarding a variety of contents of the texts. 2) To provide reading strategies to assist students to enhance the range of vocabulary and to increase the ability of getting the information from the texts 3) To promote student’s confidence and achievement during the course

6. Objectives • 1. To enhance the extent of vocabulary, including: • 1) recognizing the vocabulary from different • topics of the texts • 2) predicting the meaning of vocabulary from • previous texts • 2. To read for information, including: • 1) identifying the topic (theme) • 2) identifying the main idea, detailed idea, and • implied ideas • 3) summarizing the content the text in oral

7. Objectives • 3. To read interpretably, including: • 1) inferring the writer’s intention, • attitude, and purpose • 2) making critical judgments • 4. To promote motivation and interest, including: • 1) discussing with group members • 2) sharing ideas with others orally • 3) expressing other information and • opinions in the written

8. Syllabus Design • Determining the scope and sequence • (1) Scope • ‧The topics of material: from students’ needs • to global issues • ＊ The list of the topics: family, school, food, health, • travel, shopping, environment, politics, economics, • technology, and medicine • ‧Time management • ‧The extent of students’ language skills: four • language skills

9. Syllabus Design • Determining the scope and sequence • (2) Sequence • ‧The length of the text: from 350 words to 750 words • ‧The usage of the words: from easy to difficult • ‧The sentence structures: simple to complex • ‧ The types of the texts: from simplified to • unsimplified

10. Syllabus Design • Determining the scope and sequence • (2) Sequence • ‧reading process: part to whole • 1) Read the text • ˇ Skimming • ˇ Recognizing the vocabulary • ˇ Predicting the meaning of vocabulary • ˇ Looking up the meaning of vocabulary

11. Syllabus Design • Determining the scope and sequence • (2) Sequence • ‧reading process: part to whole • 2) Reread the text • ˇ Identifying the topic. • ˇ Identifying the main idea, detailed ideas, and • implied ideas • ˇ Taking notes • ˇ Generating literal questions • ˇ Inferring the writer’s intention, attitude, and purpose.

12. Syllabus Design • Determining the scope and sequence • (2) Sequence • ‧reading process: part to whole • 3) Respond the text • ˇSummarizing • ˇPromoting critical thinking. • ˇSolving problems • ˇDiscussing with group members

13. Syllabus Design • Determining the scope and sequence • (2) Sequence • ‧reading process: part to whole • 4) Share responses • ˇSharing ideas. • ˇMaking judgments • ˇExpressing • 5) Do follow-up activities • ˇReading more related articles. • ˇFinishing assignments or homework

14. Syllabus Design 2. Selecting a syllabus framework 1) Skill syllabus: Focus on skills training 2) Task-based syllabus: Focus on the task that students have to finish by using target language, promoting critical thinking, and training four language skills i) Problem solving tasks ii) Decision-making task

15. Teaching Approaches Two teaching approaches will be employed: (1) Reading approach; (2) Task-based approach.

16. Teaching Approaches • (1) Reading Approach: • (reading skills, content, and vocabulary) • ＊ Advantages: • reading extensively based on learners’ • correct level and interest, • remembering the content of text, • expanding vocabulary quickly, • training students to get main points, • building up reading, • enhancing students’ critical thinking, • getting a lot of information

17. Teaching Approaches • (2) Task-based approach: • (consciousness-raising and completing a task ) • ＊ Advantages: • developing higher cognitive and • metacognitive strategies • training students’ speaking and writing

18. Evaluations • Formative Evaluation • Mid-term exam • Quizzes • Asking students to identify the topic in oral. • Asking students to identify the main idea, • detailed idea, and implied ideas in oral.

19. Evaluations • Formative Evaluation • Asking students to summarize the • content of the text in oral. • Asking students to infer the writer’s • intention, attitude, and purpose in oral. • Asking students to make critical judgments • and to share ideas with others. • Assignments or homework for each student

20. Evaluations • 2. Illuminative Evaluation • Interview • Questionnaire • Teacher’s records • Students’ peer evaluation • 3. Summative Evaluation • Final reading test • Final paper

21. ~Thank You~