Foundation Studies | Professional Studies | Language Enhancement
Required Courses - Language Enhancement
ECP 3120 Professional Chinese I
This course aims to assist participants to increase personal language ability and to pave way for further studies. Through different types of exercises and practices, the course will correct habitual language problems and enhance participants’ language ability. To meet participants’ needs and standards, items of learning may be adjusted from time to time. Course outline:
(A) Basic linguistic knowledge and its usage: 1) characteristics of Chinese characters; 2) correction of wrongly-written Chinese characters; 3) connotative distinction; 4) comparison of Cantonese and Putonghua words and phrases; 5) syntax; 6) punctuations.
(B) Training in reading and writing: 1) characteristics of narrative writings, expository writings and argumentative writings; 2) strategies of reading and writing; 3) analysis and correction of syntax errors; 4) writing of academic papers.
(C) Basic knowledge of Searching for data: 1) printed reference tools; 2) Internet.
ECP 3130 Professional Chinese II
This course aims to assist participants to increase personal language ability and to pave way for further studies. Through different types of exercises and practices, the course will correct habitual language problems and enhance participants’ language ability. To meet participants’ needs and standards, items of learning may be adjusted from time to time. Course outline:
(A) Basic linguistic knowledge and its usage: 1) characters of Chinese language; 2) essence of Chinese language; 3) relationship between language and thought;
(B) Training in listening and speaking: 1) strategies of listening and speaking; 2); skills of reading aloud, narrating and describing, explanation, questioning, and elaboration, 3) correction of commonly mispronounced characters; 4) correction of problems in articulation; 5) academic presentations.
(C) Application of searching for data: 1) Chinese bibliography; 2) Internet and database.
ECP 3140 Reading and Writing for Academic Purposes
The course aims to develop students’ English skills in academic reading and writing. Students will practice using reference sources on the English language and on education. They will be guided towards intensive critical reading of academic prose in the context of education, and given practice in note-taking and summarizing skills. The course also provides students with writing skills for short argumentative essays and library-based term papers on topics in education.
ECP 3150 Listening and Speaking for Academic Purposes
This course aims to develop students’ listening and speaking skills in academic contexts. Students will practise such skills as taking notes on lectures, recognizing the development of a talk, distinguishing between main points and supporting details, taking part in an academic discussion, and giving an oral presentation. Themes of practice activities will be related to education, in particular early childhood education.
ECP 3170 English for Education Professionals I
ECP3170 is the first of three courses designed to develop students’ English language proficiency. This first course will mainly focus on reading and writing skills, but will also involve some oral discussion of issues raised and will work on developing students general language proficiency. Additionally, the course will encourage students in the use of available independent learning resources. Reading will focus on skills needed for university studies, such as identifying main points and following sequence in educational texts. Participants will also extend their general and academic vocabulary to support this academic reading. The writing element of the course will be workplace-related. It will include general writing skills such as paragraph organization, general to specific order and editing. Specific writing skills will develop the ability to describe aspects of education, students and schooling, educational processes, and other issues within the educational context. (Not for students who have taken ECP3140.)
ECP 3180 English for Education Professionals II
ECP3180 is the second of three courses designed to develop students’ English language proficiency, and will continue and extend much of the work of ECP3170. The course will again mainly focus on reading and writing skills, with some oral discussion of issues raised, and will continue to work on developing students overall language proficiency. Vocabulary work will include further extending knowledge of vocabulary needed for academic study, and also developing awareness of word form. Reading will focus on skills needed for university studies, such as identifying positive and negative evaluation, and participants will read journal articles as well as other educational texts. The writing element of the course will be workplace-related, and will include general writing skills such as text organization and awareness of written and spoken styles. Participants will also develop the specific writing skills needed to explain and evaluate aspects of schooling and other educational issues, and to reflect on teaching practices. Prerequisite: ECP3170.
ECP 3190 English for Education Professionals III
ECP3190 is the third of three courses designed to enhance students’ English language proficiency. The course has a more oral focus than ECP3170 and ECP3180, and works on developing students’ English listening and speaking skills within an educational context, while also extending their English language proficiency. Participants will listen to talks on educational issues, and work on subskills such as identifying the main point. They will also take part in discussions and make presentations, developing their ability to express themselves in English in a small group and in front of an audience. Prerequisite: ECP3170 and 3180. (Not for students who have taken ECP3150.)