Overall objectives:

1 - This English language course covers upper-intermediate level of learning English as a foreign language: common reference B2.2 level, strong vantage from the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. This course aims at the acquisition and improvement of linguistic structures from students - independent users - so that their knowledge of the English tongue on its various competences may be improved at upper-intermediate level.
2 - This course, entirely taught in English, aims at the students' development of various competences, namely reading, speaking, writing, listening skills, at upper-intermediate or strong vantage level. Students are asked to participate in a wide array of communicative activities so as to promote auto-confidence in their use of English in everyday situations.

Syllabus:

1 - I - INTRODUCTION - LANGUAGE AWARENESS: Speaking, Listening and Writing ? Punctuation/Capitalisation ? Spelling (Commonly misspelt words) ? British English versus American English
2 - II - VOCABULARY AND READING A - Vocabulary Expansion through reading and analysing language in context, drawing on a selection of authentic oral and written texts from the adopted Course Book, Total English - Upper-Intermediate, Students? Book: Units 6-10, Pearson Longman. - Unit 6. Explore: exploring the jungle, a magical kingdom; the weather; on the move; verb phrases about moving/travelling; expressions with go - Unit 7. Excess: excess about food; food and cooking; verb phrases about money; animals and animal expressions; have/get something done - Unit 8. Success: lead or follow; describing personality; winners; Tot.com - Unit 9. Crime: legal madness; law and insurance; conversational expressions; newspaper headlines - Unit 10. Mind: the power of the mind; brave new world; ways of speaking; belief and opinion; advertising
3 - B - Extensive Reading A full text will be read and studied by students during the semester. This will be exam relevant.
4 - III - There will be an overview of grammar structures of the English language in order to identify and correct persistent interference-based difficulties as well as a focus on the following items: Nouns: countable/uncountable; irregular plurals; Word Formation: prefixes and suffixes; Pronouns: reflexive pronouns; Adjectives: comparison and superlative of adjectives, adjectives and intensifiers, compound adjectives; adjectives with -ed/-ing ? Modifiers: hard/hardly; Irregular Verbs (EIRE - List 2); Verb Classes / Leading Forms / Finite/Non-finite Verbs; Verb Tenses and Uses: narrative tenses/future perfect and future continuous/present perfect simple and present perfect continuous; Past Modals of deduction: must/might/can't have; Phrasal Verbs with three parts; It's time/I'd rather/I'd better; Reported Speech and Reporting Verbs; Direct Questions, Subject Questions, Indirect Questions; If Structures (2): First, Second, Zero, Third, and Mixed Conditionals; The Compound Sentence and the Complex Sentence (Classification of Grammatical Units): form classes of words; function classes within the phrase and within the clause; Sequencing Devices: Having/ After; Relative Clauses: Defining RCl / Non-Defining RCl; Passives

Literature/Sources:

Sinclair, John , 1991 , Collins Cobuild English Grammar, and Student?s Grammar (Self-Study Edition) , Collins
Swan, M., and C. Walter , 1997 , How English Works , Oxford 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,

Assesssment methods and criteria:

Classification Type: Quantitativa (0-20)

Evaluation Methodology:
Classes are of the expositive, theoretical-practical type. The presentation of the syllabus material is achieved through constant lecturer-student-lecturer interaction. During class-meetings students will develop their oral production as well as their written work in English, both through individual work and pair work. Students are also asked to use Total English - Upper-Intermediate, Workbook, which will help them consolidate what has been studied in class. In terms of assessment, Assessment - Type A was chosen from the Assessment Regulation of Madeira University. Hence, in larger classes students are assessed during the semester in two written partial exams (Exam 1: 50% + Exam 2: 50%) and in smaller classes (Exam 1: 40% + Exam 2: 40% and Class Activities: 20%), in which their language skills will be tested at the upper-intermediate level.