230503 Speaking (S) (WiSe 2008/2009)

Please note that participation in this class is restricted to students of English!

This course is intended to give you more confidence and more practice in speaking English for informal conversation, interviews, and in a classroom context, both as a student and, potentially, as a teacher. We will pay attention to pronunciation and reading out loud.
You will receive assessments of your recorded spoken English and guidelines for how to improve. Considerations of politeness and appropriate language for particular situations will play an important role. The Speaking classroom should be considered as a safe and non-threatening environment where you can express yourself in English while getting to know your fellow students and gaining feedback from them as well as the teacher. The goal is to increase your accuracy, fluency and flexibility in English and also to prepare you for the Language Proficiency Test later in your studies. Active class participation is essential for every member of the course--you will receive plenty of encouragement and support and will be expected to make progress throughout the semester. You will also have the opportunity to discuss topics that reflect your interests while practicing a variety of discourse styles.