Kent, M.

(2014) English for Visiting Scholars

English for Visiting Scholars
Duration
Main Contact
Where

16 weeks, 60 minute classes, Monday & Wednesday from 6-7:00 p.m.

Moriah Kent - moriah.kent@colostate.edu
Eddy BLDG. Room 105

Course Description: This is a course will enhance students receptive and productive abilities
through a focus on the four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing through
development of basic communication skills for living in the United States. It will also help
students communicate in the Academic sphere effectively, clearly and successfully.
Course Goals: The goals of this course include:
1. Students will learn how to communicate in both formal and informal English by
noticing differences in talking with professionals versus talking with friends.
2. Students will be able to plan and execute travel plans both within Fort Collins and the
United States.
3. Students will learn how to improve their pronunciation skills through tasks which
require them to talk with native speakers.
4. Students can understand simple conversations in English such as reserving hotels,
asking for directions and basic conversations about weather, etc.
5. Students can understand simple and more complex written English such as notes,
emails, text messages, etc.
6. Students will be able to ask and answer questions about their home countries, daily
lives and their time as visiting scholars.
7. Students will hold written and spoken conversations with native speakers.
8. Students will be able to give lectures as visiting scholars using PowerPoint on known
material.
9. Students can write short, simple communications, compositions and requests for
information (ACTFL, 2012).
Course Curriculum
Week
1-2

Unit
Unit 1: Getting
to know you

Lesson overview
Objective Students will learn how to deliver greetings and
goodbyes in English, as well as participate in common icebreakers
in formal and informal environments.

3-4

Unit 2: Talking
about yourself

5-6

Unit 3: Getting
around

7-8

Unit 4: Giving
lectures

Objective Students will learn how to informally and formally talk

about their home country, their research, their goals at CSU and
their plans for when they return home.
Objective Students will be asking and receiving directions,
talking on the phone with friends or while making reservations,
what to do and say in an emergency situation.
Objective Students will learn how to give formal lectures, using
PowerPoints to enhance their lectures and learning about talking

Kent, M. (2014) English for Visiting Scholars

9-10

Unit 5: Reading
scholarly
articles
11-12 Unit 6: Taking
notes
13-14 Unit 7: Written
communication
s
15-16 Unit 8: Final
projects

points versus what appears on a PowerPoint.

Objective Student will learn skimming and scanning for
important information and how to find the main ideas and topics.
Objective Students will practice writing while listening and
deciding whats important to write down during lecture.
Objective Students will learn about using informal texts with
friends and family and formal written texts such as thank-you cards
or letters of inquiry.
Objective Students will research a topic of their choosing that
relates to their research topic (such as engineering, chemistry, etc.)
or a conference proposal theyd like to submit as visiting scholars
for two class periods and then will deliver 30-minute lectures over
the course of two class periods

Kent, M. (2014) English for Visiting Scholars

Unit 7: Lesson 1/4 - Informal Writing

Pre-lesson Inventory:
Overview of lesson goals:
1. Language: The language goal of this lesson is to introduce students to informal acronyms
and initialisms of formulaic sequences commonly used in English writing of cards, text
messages and emails. Also, to help students understand appropriate contexts in which
these forms of informal language are used.
2. Content: Students will be able to read and comprehend informal written texts to/from
friends and family.
Materials to take to class:
1. Magnets
2. Dry-erase markers
3. Blank paper for two activities (name acronym and jumbled sentences rewrite)
4. Spot-the-Difference worksheet
5. Acronym meaning worksheet
Equipment needed for class: DOC cam and projector
Assignments to collect from students: None
Special room arrangements: None
Introduction: 30-60 seconds
Purpose: to convey todays lessons objective to students clearly.
Procedure:
-

The teacher will write on the board and say that todays objective is to be able to read and
write informal written English. We will also be looking at common acronyms and
initialisms that may appear in informal cards, text messages and emails. (If students dont
know the word acronym or initialism, it will become clear in the warm-up.)

Warm-up: Your name is an acronym! (15 minutes)

<Adapted from http://eslgamesbox.com/ (http://eslgamesbox.com/2013/02/19/10-no-prep-warmup-activities/)>
Purpose: To give students an opportunity to draw from previous vocabulary learned during this
course and to begin thinking in terms of acronyms.

Kent, M. (2014) English for Visiting Scholars

Procedure:
-

Students will write their names vertically on a piece of paper.

For each letter of their name, they will write a word that begins with that letter that
describes themselves.

The teacher will provide an example on the board with her nickname Mo (M is for
motivated, O is for optimistic).

As a class, students can brainstorm some adjectives and the teacher will write them on the
board.

Students will get approximately 5-7 minutes to complete this activity.

Some students can share their acronyms with the class on the DOC cam.

Transition: Today our focus is informal writing and acronyms and initialisms. Now were going
to look at two different texts to become familiar with the features of informal writing.
Activity 1: Spot the difference (15 minutes)
Purpose: To give students two texts to compare and notice the difference between a formal text
and an informal sounding text.
Procedure:
-

Students will get into pairs or groups of three.

Each pair will have two texts side-by-side. One text will be written more formally and the
other will be written informally.

Pairs must spot the differences between the two texts and decide which text is formal and
which text is informal.

After 7 or so minutes, the teacher will ask which text is informal? Why do students think
that?

Then she will ask pairs to provide differences they spotted. The teacher will project the
texts on the projector through the DOC cam and circle the differences.

Transition: Using these differences, we will talk about informal, but common chunks of
language that English-speakers use frequently to communicate informally.
Presentation of new material: Formulaic Sequences as Acronyms (15 minutes)
Purpose: To introduce students to 12 acronyms of formulaic sequences that are commonly used
in English informal written texts, and you may even hear them in spoken English between
friends.

Kent, M. (2014) English for Visiting Scholars

Procedure:
-

The teacher will hand out a worksheet titled Acronyms.

Students will read the worksheet to themselves for 2 minutes.
As a class, volunteers will read half of the text out loud and then the class as a whole will

read the entire text.

Using the acronym sequences from the previous exercise that are in the worksheet, the
teacher will ask students what each piece of acronym language might mean based on the

context provided.
The acronyms will be written on the white board.
As the teacher and students negotiate acronym meanings, student volunteers will come to

the white board to write out the word sequence represented by the acronym.
Students will fill in and refer to the worksheet as we go through it.

Activity 2: Discussion (10 minutes)

Purpose: To help students understand and articulate the purpose and context of informal writing,
as well as develop an understanding about why informal writing is important or good to know
about as an ELL.
Procedure:
-

Using the Socratic Method, the teacher will ask questions and write them on the board to
allow students to talk about and generate ideas about why informal writing might be

important or useful.
The teacher will first ask what is the meaning of acronym and initialism? The teacher

and students will negotiate this meaning.

The teacher will ask students why this type of informal language might be important or
useful? What situations might you use informal writing for? Who might your audience be

when using informal language?

The teacher will also ask if students have received any communication from Englishspeaking friends that they didnt understand because of informal communication? What
did they do? Have they used informal writing to communicate with friends in their L1 or
in English? Is there informal language/acronyms in your L1? Why is it important to know

it?
The teacher will ask if students think that chunks and acronyms are useful or important

and why?
Depending on what information the students provide, the teacher may also suggest that
informal writing is good for building rapport and more intimate relationships with
friends. Chunks are also good time-savers and processing shortcuts. (Wray, 2000, p.475)

Kent, M. (2014) English for Visiting Scholars

Closure: 5 minutes
Purpose: to assess students knowledge on why informal language is important and let students
know the objective of the next class period.
Procedure:
-

The teacher will ask students to consult notes they took during the discussion.
The teacher will ask each student to provide one thing they learned about informal
writing, one reason they think informal writing is important, or name one situation in
which students feel they could use informal writing.

HW Assignment: None
Announcements: None

Unit 7: Lesson 2/4 - Informal Writing Continued

Pre-lesson Inventory:
Overview of lesson goals:

Kent, M. (2014) English for Visiting Scholars

1. Language: The language goal of this lesson is to introduce students to informal acronyms
and initialisms of formulaic sequences commonly used in English writing of cards, text
messages and emails. Also, to help students understand appropriate contexts in which
these forms of informal language are used.
2. Content: Students will be able to read and comprehend informal written texts to/from
friends and family.
Materials to take to class:
1. Magnets
2. Dry-erase markers
3. Colorado postcards
4. Blank paper for one activity (postcard rough draft)
5. Jumbled sentences activity
Equipment needed for class: DOC cam and projector
Assignments to collect from students: None
Special room arrangements: None
Warm-up: Review of last class (5 minutes)
Purpose: to convey todays lessons objective to students clearly.
Procedure:
-

The teacher will write ask what was studied last class?

The teacher will write what students say on the board.

The teacher will ask students what acronym and initialism mean?

The teacher will then say that today we are going to continue with studying these in an
informal context.

Transition: Lets see if we can decipher and use these acronyms!

Activity 1: Texting Jumbled Sentences (20 minutes)
<Adapted from Communicative Activities for EAP (Guse, 2013, p. 166)>
Purpose: To give students an opportunity to use formulaic acronyms and notice where they can
be used in informal communication.
Procedure:
-

The class will make groups of four or five students.

The teacher will pass out a black piece of paper.
Each group will receive a packet of jumbled sentences.

Kent, M. (2014) English for Visiting Scholars

-

The students will take 2 minutes to read the sentences.

Then the students in their group will put the text together and rewrite the whole text on a

piece of paper provided.

The teacher will ask one group to share which sentence goes first? Another group will

share the second sentence, etc. until the whole piece is put together. As students tell the
-

teacher, she will put the sentences in their order on the DOC cam.
Any ordering that needs to be fixed will be addressed.

Activity 2: Writing (30 minutes)

Purpose: To allow students to produce informal language to write a postcard to a friend/family
member.
Procedure:
-

The teacher will give each student a postcard from Colorado and a blank worksheet.
The student will pick a friend or family member to write to and will have 5 minutes to

write a draft of their postcard as the teacher walks around helping and checking.
After 5 minutes, students will switch with a partner and check each others work for 2

minutes.
Then students will have 3 minutes to write their final draft on their postcard. If students

need more time, they can complete their postcards at home.

If they have stamps and know the address, they are more than welcome to actually send
their postcards.

Closure: 5 minutes
Purpose: To assess students comprehension of the lesson and ask if students have any questions.
Procedure:
-

Ask students to write down one situation when they might use informal writing (different
from writing a card, text or email) and write one question they have about informal

writing, chunks or acronyms.

Teacher will collect the papers.
Closing comment: Even though informal writing isnt used in academic texts, they it is
very common in other media such as magazines, text messages and emails and its good
to recognize these things and understand their meanings.

HW assignment: None.
Announcements: Our next lesson will move on to formal writing.

Kent, M. (2014) English for Visiting Scholars

Kent, M. (2014) English for Visiting Scholars

10

Kent, M. (2014) English for Visiting Scholars

11

*Jumbled Sentences: these will be cut out and mixed up for each group.

Tuan: Whats up, Dongxue?

Dongxue: Im at the doctor.
Tuan: R U OK?
Dongxue: Yeah, I just totally burned my face off with a curling iron. JK! The nurse
just came in. BRB..Ok, Im back.
Tuan: OMG! That sounds awful!
Dongxue: LOL! Im fine. I just needed to see the doctor ASAP to get it looked at.
Tuan: I hope youre OK! I dont want you to look like a monster (AKA Freddy
Kruger). JK!

Dongxue: OMG! I do not look like that! BTW have you seen that new horror
movie?
Tuan: No, but I want to. Ill take you when get out of the doctors.
Dongxue: O, thnx! That sounds like fun!
Tuan: NP.
Dongxue: Okay, well, I G2G, the doctor just came in.
Tuan: Ok, TTYL.
Dongxue: XOXO!

Kent, M. (2014) English for Visiting Scholars

12

When is it okay?
Read the 3 texts below and decide if they are informal or formal and if the use of the acronym(s)
is appropriate or not. Give one reason why or why not?
1. I mentioned Sellevision for some reason, I forget why. Then, we were talking about the
show and our favorite hosts and she said the very same thing I'm telling you now!!! Isn't that a
hoot! LOL! She said, "She's a very hairy lady.
Formal or Informal?
______________________________________________________________________
Is the acronym usage appropriate? _____________________
Why or why not?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
2. Dear Prof. Kent, I am ill and will be missing class today. I apologize for my absence and I will
return to class next week on Monday. Thank you for understanding. TTYL, Kenshin
Formal or Informal?
______________________________________________________________________
Is the acronym usage appropriate? _____________________
Why or why not?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
3. Dear Dr. Martin, thank you for meeting with me yesterday. I greatly appreciate that time you
took to interview me. I am attaching my CV and letter of interest. Please email me with any
further questions you might have. Thank you! Sincerely, Darla
Formal or Informal?
______________________________________________________________________
Is the acronym usage appropriate? _____________________
Why or why not?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________