GST 111 2018-2019 Course Compact PDF

Preview

Summary

This is a two unit course. It is made up of various tips needed to excel academically....

Description

Covenant University, Ota College of Leadership and Development Studies Department of Languages and General Studies

COURSE COMPACT Program: Course Code: Course Title: Units: Coordinator: Session: Semester: Time: Venue: Office/Inter

General Studies GST 111 Communication in English 1 2 Dr. E. C. Onwuka 2018/2019 Alpha Thurs 12-2pm Lecture Theatre 1 A402B/ 2215

Brief Overview of Course

GST111 Communication in English 1 introduces students to the various language skills required to effectively engage their primary task in the University of studying to achieve excellence in their various disciplines. In other words, the course offers students invaluable skills to optimize their residency in a world-class university like ours. These skills are all connected with a functionally effective use of English in formal and informal settings as a tool of communication. These skills include study, listening, note-taking, comprehension and summary, vocabulary development, writing and oral skills. Course Objectives

At the end of the course, students should be able to: i. Organize their study time effectively ii. Listen to lectures effectively and properly manage lecture notes iii. Develop effective reading habits and increase in their reading speed iv. Apply effective methods of summarizing reading materials v. Develop a wide range of vocabulary for a successful academic career Method of Lecture delivery/Teaching Aids

Guided instructions, interactive sessions; group works/projects. Multimedia-assisted power-point presentation will be used. Course Outline Module A: Week 1 Week 2 Week 3

ELEMENTS OF STUDY SKILLS Preparing for Academic Success Tools and Facilities for Effective Study Challenges to Effective Study Habits

Module B: Week 4 Week 5 Week 6

LISTENING SKILLS/NOTE TAKING Conditions for Effective Listening Nature of the Lecture Aspects of Effective Note taking

Module C: Week 7

EFFECTIVE READING SKILLS Overcoming Poor Reading Habits

1

Week 8 Week 9 Week 10 Week 11

Increasing the Speed of Reading Types of Reading Materials and Note-making Understanding and Summarizing Reading Materials Further Works on Summarizing

Module D: Week 12 Week 13 Week 14 Week 15

ASPECTS OF VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT Sources of English Vocabulary Ways of Increasing the Vocabulary Revision Examination

Structure of Programme/Method of Grading Continuous Assessment 30% Examination 70% Ground Rules Students are to be seated at least 5 minutes to the time of lecture. Lecture door closes 10 minutes after the commencement of lecture. Students are to attend lectures with relevant materials and texts. No form of misconduct would be permitted in class. Side-talks, rude language, improper dressing, eating etc, will not be tolerated. Topics for Assignments/Students Activities (i) Group project works (topics to be decided) will test language and study skills (ii) Other assignment topics will be decided by lecturers at the various study groups Alignment with Covenant University Vision As part of the vision of Covenant University with regard to raising a new generation of leaders in Nigeria and beyond, this course is intended to produce competent communicators, especially where language skills are of utmost importance. This course is especially designed to equip students with advanced skills in listening and reading. Contemporary Issues/Industry Relevance There is an ever increasing need for highly qualified personnel with corporate skills in oral and written Communication. The products of this course are expected to satisfy the needs for placement in the academia, the mass media – the corporate world and indeed all other fields where a high degree of proficiency in English, Communication and language skills are required. Recommended Reading

Ogbulogo, Charles (2004). Problem Areas in English Grammar & Usage. Lagos: Sam Iroanusi Publications Akere, Funso. (1990) English Across Disciplines. Lagos: Pumarks Nig. Ltd

2

LECTURE NOTES Module A: Elements of Study Skills (i) PREPARING FOR ACADEMIC SUCCESS • Purpose (right choice of Courses) • Time Management • Effective use of the Library • Friendship with teachers/Mentors • Active use of the four basic language skills • Effective note taking/note making • Team work – project participation/extra-curricular activities •

Have the I CAN attitude

(ii) TOOLS AND FACILITIES FOR EFFECTIVE STUDY An effective study is usually enhanced by procuring relevant tools/facilities that are need. Such tools include: • Text books • Reference books (dictionaries, commentaries, encyclopaedia, charts, atlas, thesaurus, graph books, yearbooks etc. Other materials/publications like newspapers, magazines, abstracts etc. may be useful) Study Tools • Journals • Personal PCs with Internet resources • Stationery • Files • Other peculiar course requirements • Note: you are supposed to acquire at least two text books for every course. (iii) CHALLENGES TO EFFECTIVE STUDY HABITS Most challenges to effective study arise as a result of a student’s inability to organise: • Their time • Their environment or location for study • Their learning resources • A systematic and coherent approach • The records and notes they keep for future reference. Organizing your Time One of the best ways of organizing your time is to draw out a time-table of your waking hours for the whole day/week. Then fill in those times taken up with eating, lectures, fellowships, relaxing or resting. Then you will be left with times for: • • •

Private study period between lectures Time after breakfast or dinner Time during weekends

3

In our context, a student should be prepared to commit some 12-15 hours per week to studying and assignment production. Your schedule should have at least the following 4 main types of times: • For writing up your notes at the end of each day • For accessing reference books in the library and for doing research • For extended uninterrupted periods to do assignments • For leisure/recreation/rest

Module B: Listening Skills and Note Taking (i)

CONDITIONS FOR EFFECTIVE LISTENING

Language skills  Receptive Skills (Listening & Reading)  Expressive Skills (Writing & Speaking) Listening & Hearing Hearing – (a biological) process by which sound waves are received, modified and relayed along the nervous system – done effortlessly - (passively) perceiving sounds. Listening – Psychological) (conscious) processes of selecting sounds – concentrating and getting desired information from sound frequencies. It is active (the first and the most important language skill). It involves the application of your following:  language skill  general knowledge  cognitive reasoning  evaluation skills Types of Listening Types of information being anticipated and the context, determine the appropriate listening type.  Attentive listening – basic for all types of contexts–full concentrating/attention e.g. lectures  Critical/analytic listening – requires evaluating a message/information using explicitly stated points. You listen objectively-questioning points in the light of existing information  Reflective listening – listening with positive thinking; reflecting on main points of the message, their implication –their general impact etc. e.g. sermon.  Appreciative listening – engaging in feelings/emotion in listening able to identify the mood of the speaker in the event - how the speaker use words to add effect to meaning-forming image of certain expressions  Empathic listening – identifying with the mood of the speaker – i.e. responding to his/her feeling Conditions for Effective Listening  Take a convenient sitting position  Concentrate – discipline your mind – avoid distractions, mind wandering or day dreaming  Pay attention to the speaker’s verbal performance appreciate his/her use of language (if you can) - note his/her voice modulations.

4

     



Stay alert to speaker’s pauses or falls of speech rhythm for position response, interposing, or follow-up questions Repeat keywords or phrases in your mind in order to retain them, especially names, items, dates etc. Look at the speaker’s face, posture and gesture interpret NVCs correctly Be ready to ask questions or remark that will provide further explanation/amplification of information Provide regular feedback responses Give appropriate NVC (non verbal communication) feedbacks to reinforce the speaker’s confidence, establish rapport and strengthen confidence e.g. smiles, especially actions that will reduce breakdown, indifferences or tiredness Take notes for future reference

Poor Listening Poor listening is characterized by:  Intermittent dozing  Mind-wondering or day dreaming  Distractions, such as talking, or doing something else during lectures  Feedback responses that communicate tiredness or resentment  Actions, such as intermittent gazing at the wrist watch, tapping the foot on the floor or hissing, which imply that the speakers is not wanted  A negative opinion of the speaker and his or her message thereby giving a negative responses (iii)

NATURE OF THE LECTURE

A lecture is a body of information, which may consist of instructions, procedures, processes or practice on any aspect of human knowledge. Generally a lecture mirrors what is on the mind of the lecturer to offer to his students or learners. Most academic lectures are instructional and some are interactive, generally aimed at equipping the learner with certain skills and requisite knowledge. Some train the learner to be able to perform certain assignment or jobs in order to practice certain professions. Therefore a lecture is NOT just about passing academic examinations; rather it is for imparting knowledge, skills and values for a successful living. Here in Covenant University (or Landmark University) our goal is to produce capacity-based new generation of leaders that will be entrepreneurially self-reliant, intellectually robust and visionary oriented. What to expect from a lecture  Life- applicable knowledge or information  Procedures for performing certain knowledge-based activities  Results of proven processes and procedures  Precaution against possible failures (i.e. how not to perform/approach certain activities) etc. Right Attitude to a Lecture  An inquisitive mind  A question (s) to be answered in the lecture  An attentive heart and ears

5

   

A positive attitude towards the lecture and the lecturer Active participation in class A sense of alertness and vigilance A determination to leave the lecture with a new knowledge

Structure of a Lecture Every lecture has a topic and consists of key points and goals/objectives, which lecturers often share with their students at the beginning of the lecture. Lectures are usually organized sequentially and logically. Ideas are sometimes presented in a chronological order, transiting from one level to another. Most lectures are divided into three segments namely:  



The introduction: comprising a summary of what the entire lecture is about. Some introductions define key concepts and purpose of the lecture The Body: comprising the content of the lecture. Here main ideas and key points are explored, illustrated and exemplified. Subordinate ideas are also explored. Conclusion: comprising a summary of the lecture. Students are reminded of the key points of the lecture. Sometimes practical demonstrations of certain main points are carried out here.

Identifying key points in a Lecture A student must watch out for guides to new points at the point of transitions. Words such as next, firstly, secondly or thirdly, moreover are good guides to new ideas. As you will find in the next lecture on note-taking, words that indicate cause and effects relationship (e.g. therefore) and contrast (e.g. on the contrary) are also very helpful. You must participate in practical demonstrations and applications and pay attention to models or examples. Lecture paragraphs are usually tied together coherently by certain discourse markets or cohesive devises such as although, similarly, in addition, etc are also good guides to key points in the lecture. Identifying patterns of Lecture Organization You may begin by asking yourself the following questions about the lecturer and the lecture, particularly about how the lecture is organized.  Does s/he order, list or itemize facts?  Does s/he narrative events sequentially?  Does s/he relate cause to effect?  Does s/he make a general statement followed by examples? Being able to recognize the organization of a lecture aids understanding and notetaking Conclusion Lectures should therefore not leave you the way they met you. There is always sometime new to learn. It is always good to prepare for a lecture by: 

reading ahead (with the course outline of the lecture, you can begin to read around the topic)

6

  

(iii)

arming yourself with relevant questions providing study materials e.g. relevant texts and writing materials Approaching a lecture with a ready mind in order to have your questions answered.

ASPECTS OF EFFECTIVE NOTE TAKING Recording frees your mind from the stress of the memory Mike Murdock Human beings forget more than half of what they hear within 24 hours Research findings

Consider these Realities:

     

There is a great mass of new information to the assimilated in the university There are urgent mental tasks competing for time. Lectures must be complemented by personal reading. Assignments and projects are tied to deadlines Success is indexed on completion of assignments and the fulfilling of requirements Non-compliance leads to frustration

Note-Taking Note-taking involves the following related activities:  Listening attentively to lectures;  Reading carefully through a passage, a part of a book or the entire book  Making amend of the major point heard or read; and  Organizing these points for easy understanding. Note-taking can also be used as a plan of:  What to say as a speech, or  What to write as a text, an essay or an examination answer Uses of note-taking Note-taking has been found to be useful in the following areas:  Research – involving review of relevant sources on specific topics  Examination preparation – with good points from our lectures and relevant books  Memory help. Achieving Success in Note-taking  Find out the subject of the lecture or the text and make it the title of your notes – e.g. The Core Values of Covenant University  Identify the main points of the lecture or the text  Look out for the logic of the text or the speech  Follow specific markers as guides such as listing, sequencing and time relatives e.g. first, next, lastly, then, which etc. Or  For indicating a cause and effect relationship – so, because, therefore, since, thus, etc.  For contrast – but, nevertheless on the contrary, on the other hand, although, yet etc.

7



For summing up – to sum up, to conclude, in other words, finally.

It is advisable when taking notes from a text to start with a quick survey of the text. This is followed by another quick reading within which to make a mental note, and bearing in mind the connectivity between the points. It is important to understand the whole text before taking notes. Emphasis should be placed on the paragraph, rather than on the sentence. You may use abbreviations to represent information, e.g. e.g., i.e., c.f. pp. dt. esp. etc. Forms of the note There are a variety of ways of taking notes. While some of them are highly personalized others are quite standardized. Most of the personalized ones occur as diagrams, charts, designs. The standard methods are the outline, and the summary in connected sentences. Summary as a form of note-taking The summary is an advancement of the outline. The points jotted are used in writing connected and co-ordinated sentences. These sentences must be cohesive and coherent. To achieve success in summarizing, the following guidelines should be adopted:  Select relevant points  Present the points briefly and accurately.  Write the points in short sentences and in your own words Conclusion Reading and listening to lectures will not achieve the desired result without notetaking. Students who take notes concentrate better, create records for future use and enhance their memory. These are requirements for becoming great students in a world-class university.

Module C: Effective Reading Skills Reading makes a man – Francis Bacon Today a reader, tomorrow a leader - Fusselman

(i)

OVERCOMING POOR READING HABITS

Reading of relevant texts and materials complement lectures as an important study skill. Active reading helps solve the problems associated with poor reading habits. Active reading therefore must involve:      

Reading with a purpose Reading with a focus Reading with guide questions Adopting a flexible reading speed Employing memory enhancing devices Having attitudinal adjustments

The general reading process involves:  

The eyes and the mind decoding encoded information The mind absorbing the ideas stated or implied

8

Types of Reading     

Intensive reading – painstaking Extensive reading covering wide areas of knowledge Skimming – general overview Scanning – for specific information Detailed reading for general information

Techniques for Effective Reading SQ3R  Survey  Question  Read  Review  Recall (ii)

INCREASING THE SPEED OF READING    

Skimming – very fast – surveying for general impression Fairly rapid reading – for review materials/revision/recreation The average reading – for leisure Contemplative reading – for sake of memorizing

Eye Movements  

The ‘saccadic’ movement followed by a stop The regressive or backward movement – eyes go backward - re-read parts to reinforce memory

Poor Reading Habits  Reading all materials at the same speed  Saying word to yourself (vocalizing)  Moving the lips while reading  Using a finger or pen to trace words  Moving the head or shoulder  Reading word by word  Reading aloud Rather:  Vary your reading speed to suit context  Read with your mind  Control backward eye movement  Read critically  Let your eyes move and not your head Conclusion    

Take enough rest Eat well Plan your reading Read with a Focus

9

(iii)

TYPES OF READING MATERIALS

Reading materials include:     

Book (recommended texts) Reference Materials (dictionaries, encyclopedias, year books, journals, abstracts, indexes, internet resources etc.) Newspapers, magazines and other media Lecture Notes Etc.

(iv) SUMMARISING READING MATERIALS AND NOTE TAKING To summarize means to reduce the volume or size of a written or spoken passage while retaining its complete meaning. You generally apply the principles of summarizing in note making. The general assumption in summarizing and notemaking is that a text exists which can be reduced in length without tampering with the content or meaning. It is also assumed that the writer of a summary understands thoroughly the content of the message or information contained in the material. In summary writing therefore, you are required to:  Read the passage until you understand it thoroughly. You may have to read it at least twice.  Capture the essence and main points of the passage in one or two phrases  Underline the essential points of the material if necessary (note: Do not underline library books)  Identify subordinate points  Put the main points in your own words; arrange them systematically  Include only the information in the text. However in note-makin...