Overall objectives:

1 - The development and consolidation of the undergraduates' reading, speaking, writing and listening skills.
2 - To foster their confidence and fluency in the use of both written and spoken English in daily authentic situations.
3 - A recycling and consolidation of language structures, previously studied, will be followed by the acquisition of new language structures, complemented by self-studying activities, on a daily basis, in order to improve their oral and written production in English.
4 - Students participate in a variety of communicative activities in class, including the discussion about topics from their extensive readings, thus fostering communicative skills (linguistic, discursive and socio-cultural) which contribute to the effective use of English, in the interpersonal, transactional and ideational functions.

Syllabus:

1 - INTRODUCTION - TOWARDS LANGUAGE AWARENESS: Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing. Review of Punctuation, Capitalisation, Spelling (commonly misspelt words), Word Stress, Pronunciation, Units of language.
2 - VOCABULARY AND READING A - Vocabulary Expansion through language analysis in context drawing on sets of handouts and the course manuals, Total English - Upper-Intermediate, Students Book (Units 1- 5) and Total English - Upper-Intermediate, WorkBook (Units 1- 5). B - Extensive Reading: a novel.
3 - ENGLISH GRAMMAR: DETERMINERS, PRONOUNS, QUANTIFIERS, POSSESSIVE CASE, NOUNS, ADJECTIVES, ADVERBS, WORD FORMATION, MODIFIERS, PREPOSITIONS, WH-QUESTIONS, QUESTION TAGS, VERBS: IRREGULAR VERBS (B2.1 List), VERB CLASSES, LEADING FORMS, GERUNDS AND INFINITIVES, VERB TENSES AND USES (PRESENT/PAST/...) , AUXILIARY VERBS, PHRASAL VERBS, MODALS, IF STRUCTURES (I / II / III); IN CASE, EMPHASIS

Literature/Sources:

Jones, D. , 1991 , English Pronouncing Dictionary , Cambridge U.P.
Murphy, R. , 2012 , English Grammar in Use , Cambridge U.P.
Foley, M , 2006 , Total English - Upper-Intermediate, Workbook , Pearson, Longman
Acklan, R. & Crace, A , 2006 , Total English - Upper Intermediate, Students? Book , Pearson Longman
Carter, R. & M. McCarthy , 2006 , Cambridge Grammar of English: A Comprehensive Guide - Spoken and Written English Grammar and Usage , CUP,
Harmer, J. & R. Rossner , 1991 , More than Words: Vocabulary for Intermediate to Advanced Students , Longman,
Swan, M., & C. Walter , 2005 , Practical English Usage , OUP,

Assesssment methods and criteria:

Classification Type: Quantitativa (0-20)

Evaluation Methodology:
Classes are of the expositive, theoretical-practical type. The presentation of the syll. material is achieved through ongoing lecturer-student-lecturer interaction. During class-meetings students will develop their oral and written production in Eng., both through individual and peer work. Students are asked (1) to use the Workbook, which will help them consolidate what has been studied in class; and (2) to undertake a systematic study of the Struct. learned (levels A1 to B1) doing the exercises recommended in Collins Cobuild Student's Grammar. There will be also a focus on the Devel. of oral skills, so students are supposed to practise reading aloud and communicate exclusively in Eng. Assessment: Type A was chosen from the Ass.Regulation of Madeira Univ. Hence, students are assessed during the semester in 2 written partial exams (1: 40% + 2: 40%) and in an oral component (20%), in which their reading, writing, listening and speaking skills will be tested at upper-intermediate level.