2009/3/11 Freshman English at Soochow University From Past to Future by Eleanor S. Leu

2009/3/11 Under English Department  1. ~ till 81 academic year (1992)  2. from 82 to 93 ( )  3. from 94 to 95 ( )

2009/3/11 Under Language Center  academic year (2007)  academic year (2008)  3. from 98 academic year till ~

2009/3/11 Curriculum Design  1. Core courses / Credits  2. Teaching Materials  3. Evaluation

2009/3/11 ~ till 81 academic year  Required for all freshman students  Students from the same department made up a class ( 數一 英文 11 組 )  Reading 英文 : 4 hours / 4 credits (MOE) Listening 聽講實習 : 2 hours/ 1 credit (Soochow: by TA of Language Center)

2009/3/11 ~ till 81 (1992)  Reading materials: Freshman English Reader compiled by teachers Freshman English Workbook Passages for Recitation and Useful Phrases Outside Readings: Graded Readers Writing Assignments: grammar exercises, sentence making, etc.

2009/3/11 ~ till 81 (1992)  Unified Mid-term & Final Exam (Saturday? – school day) Unified Grading Papers (from Monday to Wednesday) Types of Questions: Sentence making Recitation Multiple choice (outside readings), etc.

2009/3/11 From 82 to 93 academic year FE is one of the required foreign languages ( 大一外文 ) -- students made their own choice from English, German, Japanese, Spanish or French Different majors made up a class ( 校時段一 英文 11 組, 溪時段一英文 13 組, 城外文英文 52 組 ) fewer students / classes than before

2009/3/11 82 to 93  Reading & Listening 4 hours / 3 credits (Soochow) (taught by the same teacher)  Reading materials: chosen by individual teacher Writing assignment: sentence making

2009/3/ Supplementary Reading Materials  From 83 to 89: English Grammar Workbook  From 91 to 93: Soochow University Supplementary English Reader: complied by teachers one lesson (self-study) included in both midterm and final exams two lessons for winter vacation

2009/3/11 82 to 93 academic year  Same Listening materials: Family Album, Atlas 2 & 3, True Colors 2 & 3 Unified mid-term & final listening 60% (30 questions) 40% made by individual teacher  Course grade : Reading 60% Listening 40%

2009/3/11 From 94 to 95 academic year  Freshmen except those who had passed 全民英檢中級初試 or 學測或指考 達頂標 were required to take the two- year foreign language program -- Freshman English and Sophomore English.  All classes were conducted in labs.

2009/3/11 94 ~ 95  Students who enrolled in the Freshman English were placed into one of three levels (High, Mid, and Low) based on their scores from the English section of the JCEE.  More classes and more low-achievers on English proficiency – low level classes included 補救教學 ( on-line learning)

2009/3/11 94 ~ 95  Reading & Listening: 3 hours / 2 credits  Same Teaching Materials: 94: Soochow University English Reader True Colors Book 2 (video used for high level only) 95: Active Skills for Reading Book 3 (1st edition), True Colors Book 2

2009/3/11 94 ~95  Course grade : Reading 60%, Listening 40%  Unified Mid-term and Final exams: Same questions for all three levels of students Reading – Saturday afternoon (80 minutes) Listening – 40 questions, regular class time Midterm: 30%, Final: 30%, others: 40%

2009/3/11 96 academic year (2007)  Freshman English was divided into two courses: Reading and Listening but basically taught by the same teacher.  Reading: 2 hours / 2 credits (regular classroom) Listening: 2 hours / 1 credit (lab)

2009/3/11 96 academic year (2007)  Same teaching materials : Reading – Active Skills for Reading Book 3, 2nd edition Listening – Top Notch I  Unified Mid-term & Final exams  Reading: 100 minutes  Listening: 80% unified, 20% individual

2009/3/11 97 academic year (2008-9)  Students who enroll in Freshman English have to pass SEPT, including reading & listening tests, equivalent to 全民英檢中級複試, at the end of Sophomore English program.  Those who don’t pass have to take remedial classes in the third or even the fourth year.

2009/3/11 97 academic year (2008-9)  Students are placed into three levels, and teachers get different numbers of repeaters in different courses of one FE class.  Different reading & listening materials for each of three levels  Different question types on unified mid-term & final exams for each level (heavy workload on the level coordinator)

2009/3/11 97 academic year (2008-9)  Writing assignments: sentence making for low and mid, other more creative types for high  Evaluation: 70%--75% normal distribution placed between High: Mid: Low:

2009/3/11 97 academic year (2008-9)  Number of classes:  Reading & Listening, each 75 (Day & Night)  High level: 15 classes  Mid level: 40 classes  Low level: 20 classes  Number of students in each class:  Reading: 62 (Mid) – 18 (High)  Listening: 58 (Mid) – 18 (High)

2009/3/11 Future Prospects  1. How to collaborate with SE  2. How to design for the third (or the fourth) year’s remedial program  3. Focus on EGP or ESP (high level)?