MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM

NGUYEN TAT THANH UNIVERSITY Independence – Freedom – Happiness

BACHELOR OF ARTS IN ENGLISH STUDIES

COURSE SPECIFICATION
073476-COMMUNICATION IN ENGLISH- ADVANCED

I. General educational requirements

 Module code: 0101073708
 Term: 6
 Number of credit: 2
 Period of learning activities
o Theoretical periods: 20
o In-class discussion periods: 25
o Practical periods: 0
 Self-study period: 135
 Department in charge: department of English studies, Faculty of Foreign Languages
 Knowledgeable module: Fundamental knowledge
General knowledge □ Professional knowledge 

Fundamental knowledge Major knowledge □ Special knowledge □


Compulsory Elective
Elective
□ □ Compulsory Elective Compulsory Compulsory Elective
 □
□ □ □ □

 Prerequisite modules: Communication in English Upper-Intermediate

 Studied modules: Effective listening Upper-Intermediate
 Teaching language: English  Vietnamese □

II. Objectives and expected learning

outcomes Course objectives:

This course aims at offering foundation speaking strategies for IELTS test band 6.5, introducing
students to different types of speaking questions and developing their speaking skills in various
contexts. The course also provides interactive practices to develop communication skills with
other learners as well as simulation exams to get used to the IELTS speaking test.

Expected learning outcomes:

The course contributes to the expected learning outcomes of the curriculum according to the
following scale:
N: does not
support S:
supports
H: highly supports
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2
 Contribution’s rates of the module for the expected learning
Code Name of course outcomes
ELO1 ELO2 ELO3 ELO4 ELO5 ELO6 ELO7 ELO8 ELO9 ELO10 ELO11 ELO12

07 Communication S H H N S H S S H S N S
34 in English –
76 Advanced

Abbreviati Expected learning outcomes of this module

ELOs
on Upon completion of this module, students are able to
Knowledge
ELO 1
Identify the types of questions and strategies to answer
CELO 1 ELO 2
each
ELO 3
Apply basic and complex grammar points to answer 3 ELO 1
CELO 2 parts of IELTS speaking test ELO 2
ELO 3
Skills
Demonstrate proficiency and fast response when asked ELO 5
and answer about daily, social and academic topics ELO 6
CELO 3 ELO 7
ELO 8
ELO 9
ELO 5
Organize a long talk about a random daily or academic ELO 6
CELO 4 topic within 1 minute ELO 7
ELO 8
ELO 9
Attitude
Appreciate the differences among different cultures and ELO 10
CELO 5
their accents ELO 12
Formulate self-study habits to practice speaking skills
ELO 10
CELO 6 outside the classroom.
ELO 12

III. Course description

This course includes 8 units, covering 8 most common speaking topics in IELTS examiniation. Students
are introduced with neccessary vocabulary and grammar points to deal with each topic. In each unit,
students are exposed to questions for IELTS part 1, 2 and 3 and other exercises to practice
communication skills with other learners. Attention will also be paid to improve students’ accent by
focusing on their pronunciation, intonation and fluency.

IV. Teaching and learning methods

1. Teaching methods
 Lectures
 Discussion
 Presentation (oral and group work)
 Interview
 Online conference
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  ICT application

2. Learning methods
 Students participate in classroom lectures, group discussions
 Students access to online platform to prepare for upcoming lessons, practice exercises and interact
with other learners
 Students practice extra exercises in references by self-study

V. Students responsibilities
 Attendance: Students must attend lectures at least 80% of total time of the course
 Participation: Students read specific materials provided by lecturers, do exercises,
take part in group discussion.
 Attitude: respect

VI. Assessment and Grading

1. Grading scale: 10
2. Evaluation and scoring rate:

Table 1. Matrix evaluates CELOs

CELOs Group Individual Midterm Presentation Final

work work (10%) (20%) examination
(10%) (60%)
X
X X X
Self-study Unit 1 to Unit (Each group presents a topic
Groupwork unit 1 to from Unit 1 to Unit 8)
CELO 8
unit 8
1
X X X X
(Each group presents a
CELO Groupwork unit 1 Self-study Unit 1 to Unit 8 topic from Unit 1 to Unit
to unit 8 8)
2
X X X X
CELO Groupwork unit 1 Self-study Unit 1 to Unit (Each group presents a topic
to unit 8 8 from Unit 1 to Unit 8)
3

X X X
Groupwork unit 1 X
to unit 8 Self-study Unit 1 to (Each group presents a topic
CELO Unit 8 from Unit 1 to Unit 8)
4
X X X
Groupwork unit 1 to X (Each group presents a topic
CELO unit 8 Self-study Unit 1 to Unit 8 from Unit 1 to Unit 8)
5
X X
X X
CELO Groupwork unit 1 to (Each group presents a topic
6 unit 8 Self-study Unit 1 to from Unit 1 to Unit 8)
Unit 8

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 VII. Main coursebooks and references
* Course book and lectures:
[1] Archer, G., Passmore, L., Crosthwaite, P., & Souza, N. D. (2017). Mindset for Ielts. an official Cambridge
Ielts course level 2. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

* Reference materials:
[2] Harrison, M. (2012). Complete Ielts band 5-6.5. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

[3] Cambridge, E. S. O. L. (2006). Cambridge IELTS 7 (Vol. 2013). Cambridge: Cambridge University

Press.

VIII. Detailed course description

Week Contents CELOs

Chapter 1: THE MAN-MADE ENVIRONMENT

A/ Key contents: (5 periods)

Theory contents: (4 periods) CELO 1
1. Speak about various aspects of where you live for (speaking part 1) CELO 2
2. Respond to Wh-, would, and Yes/ No questions about where you live CELO 3
CELO 4
1 3. Prepare more information for common speaking part 1 topics CELO 5
4. Use syllable stress in words correctly CELO 6
Group work/ practice: Exam skills

B/ Self-study: (10 periods)

[3] Test 1 Speaking, part 1
[2] Vocabulary and grammar

Chapter 2: LEISURE AND EDUCATION

A/ Key contents: (5 periods)
Theory contents: (4 periods) CELO 1
1. Express your opinions about sport for Speaking parts 1 and 2 CELO 2
2. Use connecting words to give longer and more detailed answers CELO 3
CELO 4
2 3. Use sentence stress and intonation to express your feelings about a CELO 5
topic CELO 6
Groupwork/ practice: Exam skills
B/ Self-study: (10 periods)
[3] Test 1 speaking part 2 and 3
[2] Vocabulary and grammar
3
Chapter 3 : THE NEWS AND MEDIA
A/ Key contents: (5 periods) CELO 1
Theory contents: (4 periods) CELO 2
CELO 3
5
Week Contents CELOs
1. Speak about the news and media for speaking part 1
2. Use adjectives and intonation to express feelings about a news story
CELO 4
3. Use paraphrase and the passive to describe an event for Speaking
CELO 5
part 2 CELO 6
Groupwork/ practice: Exam skills

B/ Self-study: (10 periods)

[3] Test 2 Speaking part 1 and 2
[2] Vocabulary and grammar

Chapter 4: TRAVEL AND TRANSPORT

A/ Key contents: (5 periods)
Theory contents: (4 periods)
CELO 1
1. Plan your long-turn answer for Speaking part 2 CELO 2
2. Use the correct sequencing words to give your answer a clear CELO 3
structure CELO 4
4 CELO 5
3. Understand sentence stress when using sequencing words
4. Deal with follow-up questions after our long turn CELO 6
Groupwork/ practice: Exam skills
B/ Self-study: (10 periods)
[3] Test 2 Speaking part 3
[2] Vocabulary and grammar

Chapter 5: BUSINESS AND WORK

A/ Key contents: (5 periods)
Theory contents: (4 periods)
CELO 1
1. Speak in detail about business and work for speaking part 2 CELO 2
2. Express your wishes and intentions in a variety of ways CELO 3
3. Expand your answer to a speaking part 2 task using subordinate CELO 4
5 CELO 5
clauses
4. Use contractions when speaking to sound more natural CELO 6
Groupwork/ practice: Exam skills
B/ Self-study: (10 periods)
[3] Test 3 speaking part 1 &2
[2] Vocabulary and grammar
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Chapter 6: THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
A/ Key contents: (5 periods) CELO 1
Theory contents: (4 periods) CELO 2
1. Speak in detail about conservation and the environment CELO 3
2. Recognise different functions in speaking part 3 questions CELO 4
CELO 5
3. Express your opinions with the appropriate emotion CEO 6
Groupwork/ practice: Exam skills

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Week Contents CELOs
B/ Self-study: (10 periods)
[3] Test 3 speaking part 3
[2] Vocabulary and grammar

Chapter 7: EDUCATION SYSTEMS

A/ Key contents: (5 periods)
Theory contents: (4 periods) CELO 1
1. Speak in detail about education CELO 2
2. Consider reasons, causes and effects for different speaking part 3 CELO 3
CELO 4
7 situations CELO 5
3. Make suggestions or recommendations CELO 6
Groupwork/ practice: Exam skills
B/ Self-study: (10 periods)
[3] Test 4 speaking part 1 and 2
[2] Vocabulary and grammar

Chapter 8: FESTIVALS AND TRADITIONS

A/ Key contents: (5 periods)
Theory contents: (4 periods)
1. Speak in detail about celebrations and special events CELO 1
2. Make comparisons between the past and the present, or between CELO 2
similarities and differences CELO 3
CELO 4
8 3. Use words and phrases that show concession to look at both sides of CELO 5
an argument CELO 6
4. Stress key words to make comparisons
Groupwork/ practice: Exam skills
B/ Self-study: (10 periods)
[3] Test 4 speaking part 3
[2] Vocabulary and grammar

Chapter 9: REVIEW
CELO 1
CELO 2
A/ Key contents: (5 periods)
CELO 3
Theory contents: (4 periods)
CELO 4
9 Simulation speaking test (3 parts)
CELO 5
CELO 6

B/ Self-study: (10 periods)

Review and practice for final test

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 Lecturer’s requirements for the module:
 Classroom
 Teaching facilities: Projector, speaker, blackboard, microphone

March 13th, 2020

Head of English Studies Lecturer

(Sign and write down full (Sign and write down full
name) name)

Pham Le Nhat Linh

Dean of Faculty of Foreign Languages

(Sign and write down full name)

Le Thi Kieu Van (PhD)

APPENDIX: LIST OF PERMANENT LECTURERS, TEMPORARY LECTURERS, AND ASSISTANT

LECTURERS
Permanent lecturers
Full name: Pham Le Nhat Linh Academic title or Degree:
Address:
Phone No.:

Email: plnlinh@ntt.edu.vn website:

Contact: via cell phone, email and face to face.

Temporary lecturers (If any)

Full name: Academic title or Degree:
Address: Phone No.:

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 Email: website:
Contact: via cell phone, email and face to face.

Assistant lecturers (If any)

Full name: Academic title or Degree:
Address:
Phone No.:

Email: website:
Contact: via cell phone, email and face to face.

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 Scoring Rubrics for
Presentations
Scoring Rubric for Oral Presentations

Traits 5 – Excellent 4 – Very Good 3 – Adequate 2 – Limited 1 – Poor

 Main points are  Main points are  Main points are  Main points are  Presentation lacks
Information Quality and

very clear and very clearand somewhat clear not clear and lack main points and
detailed detailed but could use significant detail related details
Organization

 Information is  Information is more detail  Some information  Information

directly linked linkedto  Most information is linked to the lacks
to presentation presentation is linked to the presentation topic connection to
topic topic presentation  Information the
 Information  Information topic is loosely presentation
is very is well  Information organized topic
organized organized is organized  Information
is not
organized
 Speaker  Speaker appears  Speaker appears  Speaker appears  Speaker
Nonverbal Communication

appears very fairly generally at ease uneasy and appears very

comfortable comfortable and confident somewhat insecure uneasy and
and confident andconfident  Speaker  Speaker rarely insecure
 Speaker  Speaker generally sometimes faces facesthe  Speaker faces
consistently faces faces the audience the audience and audience or away from the
the audience and and maintains maintains eye makes eye audience or
maintains good good eye contact contact contact makes no eye
eye contact  Speaker  Speaker  Speaker rarely contact
 Speaker generally sometimes appears to be  Speaker
consistently appears to be appears to be engaging with the appears
appears to be engaging with engaging with the audience disengaged
engaging with the audience audience  Speaker uses few from the
the audience  Speaker uses body  Speaker's body motions or audience
 Speaker uses motions and body motions and gestures or has  Speaker lacks
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 body motions gestures well gestures neither gestures or any body
and gestures  Speaker utilizes support nor detract movements that motions or
very effectively much of the room from presentation distract the gestures or
 Speaker utilizes the via movement  Speaker moves about audience demonstrates
 Speaker is mostly consistently
distraction body

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 room very some of the room stationary motions or gestures
effectively via  Speaker is
movement completel
y
stationary
 Speaker’s voice  Speaker’s voice  Speaker’s voice  Speaker’s voice is  Speaker’s voice
Quality of Verbal Communication

is very confident, is steady, strong is generally frequently too is consistently

steady, strong, and clear steady, strong weak or too strong too weak or too
and clear  Speaker often uses and clear  Speaker rarely uses strong
 Speaker inflections to  Speaker sometimes inflections to  Speaker fails to
consistentlyuses emphasize key uses inflections to emphasize key use inflections to
inflections to points and create emphasize key points and create emphasize key
emphasize key interest points and create interest or speaker points and create
points or to  Speaker's interest sometimes uses interest or
create interest talking pace is  Speaker's talking inflections speaker often
 Speaker's talking mostly pace is inappropriately uses inflections
paceis appropriate appropriate  Speaker's inappropriately
consistently talking pace is  Speaker's
appropriate often too slow talking pace is
or too fast consistently
too slow or
too fast
 Scoring Rubric for Oral Presentations

Content and Scientific Merit (60 points)

Introduction:
○ Defines background and importance of research.
○ States objective, and is able to identify relevant questions.

Body:
○ Presenter has a scientifically valid argument.
○ Addresses audience at an appropriate level (rigorous, but generally
understandable to a scientifically-minded group).
○ Offers evidence of proof/disproof.
○ Describes methodology.
○ The talk is logical.

Conclusion:
○ Summarizes major points of talk.
○ Summarizes potential weaknesses (if any) in findings.
○ Provides you with a “take-home” message.

Speaking Style/Delivery (20 points)

○ Speaks clearly and at an understandable pace.
○ Maintains eye contact with audience.
○ Well rehearsed (either extemporaneous or scripted presentation).
○ Limited use of filler words (“umm,” “like,” etc.).
○ Speaker uses body language appropriately.
○ Speaker is within time limits.
○ Speaker is able to answer questions professionally.
○ Speaker is dressed appropriately.

Audio/Visual (20 points)

○ Graphs/figures are clear and understandable.
○ The text is readable and clear.
○ Audio/Visual components support the main points of the talk.
○ Appropriate referencing of data that is/was not generated by presenter

General Comments

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 Scoring Rubric for Oral Presentations: Example #3

PRESENCE 5 4 3 2 1
0
-body language & eye contact
-contact with the public
-poise
-physical organization

LANGUAGE SKILLS 5 4 3 2 1
0
-correct usage
-appropriate vocabulary and grammar
-understandable (rhythm, intonation, accent)
-spoken loud enough to hear easily

ORGANIZATION 5 4 3 2 1
0
-clear objectives
-logical structure
-signposting

MASTERY OF THE SUBJECT 5 4 3 2 1

0
-pertinence
-depth of commentary
-spoken, not read
-able to answer questions

VISUAL AIDS 5 4 3 2 1
0
-transparencies, slides
-handouts
-audio, video, etc.

OVERALL IMPRESSION 5 4 3 2 1
0
-very interesting / very boring
-pleasant / unpleasant to listen to
-very good / poor communication

TOTAL SCORE / 30
 GROUP DISCUSSION RUBRICS
Some of the Most of the All of the Weight
Time 1 pts Time 2 pts Time 3 pts
Helping Some of the Time Most of the Time All of the Time 2
Students were "observed" Students were "observed" offering Students were "observed" 0
offering support or assistance to support or assistance to each other offering support or assistance to %
each other occasionally. the majority of the time. each other consistently
throughout the role play.
Listening Some of the Time Most of the Time All of the Time 20%
Students were "observed" Students were "observed" engaging in Students were "observed"
engaging in effective listening effective listening techniques engaging in effective listening
techniques (reflective) part of the (reflective) the majority of the time. techniques (reflective)
time. consistently throughout the
role play.
Participating Some of the Time Most of the Time All of the Time 20%
Each student was Each student was "observed" Each student was
"observed" contributing to contributing to the role play the "observed" contributing
the role play occasionally. majority of the time. consistently throughout
the role play.
Persuading Some of the Time Most of the Time All of the Time 10%
Students were Students were b"observed" Students were "observed"
"observed" exchanging, defending, and thinking exchanging, defending, and
exchanging, defending, and critically about their ideas the thinking critically about
thinking critically about their majority of the time. their ideas throughout the
ideas part of the time. role play.
Questioning Some of the Time Most of the Time All of the Time 10%
Students were "observed" Students were "observed" Students were "observed"
interacting, discussing, and asking interacting, discussing, and asking interacting, discussing, and
questions questions among asking

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 among all of the group members all of the group members the majority questions among all of the
part of the time. of the time. group 20%members
throughout the role play.
Respecting Some of the Time Most of the Time All of the Time 10%
Students were Students were "observed" Students were "observed"
"observed" encouraging and supporting the encouraging and supporting
encouraging and supporting the efforts and ideas of others the the efforts and ideas of others
efforts and ideas of others part of majority of the time. throughout the role play.
the time.
Sharing Some of the Time Most of the Time All of the Time 10%
Students were "observed" Students were "observed" offering Students were "observed"
offering their ideas and their ideas and reporting their offering their ideas and
reporting their findings to each findings to each other the majority of reporting their findings to each
other part of the time. the time. other throughout the role play.