UoPeople Online Syllabus Repository (OSR)
ENGL 0001: Beginner English
ENGL 0001: Beginner English
Course Description
This course provides alphabet knowledge and the mechanisms of reading, listening skills and simple pronunciation. At the end of the course, students will be able read and write the English alphabet in addition to introducing themselves using very basic phrases. There is no peer assessment in this course.
Prerequisites
None
Required Textbook and Materials
UoPeople courses use open educational resources (OER) and other materials specifically donated to the University with free permissions for educational use. Therefore, students are not required to purchase any textbooks or sign up for any websites that have a cost associated with them. The required and recommended readings, supplemental materials, or other resources and websites necessary for lessons will be provided for you in the weekly course Unit areas and the Learning Guides.
Software Requirements/Installation
- Kaltura with audio/visual recording and upload capabilities
- Chrome browser
Learning Objectives and Outcomes
Language Objectives
- Students will develop a basic understanding of the English alphabet and reading mechanics
- Students will develop a basic understanding of reading and writing in English
- Students will be able to read and write English numerals (1-20)
- Students will be able to introduce themselves using simple phrases (e.g. name, country, age, job, phone number)
Academic Objectives
- Students will be able to understand and follow simple instructions about their assignments
Learning Outcomes
- Students will demonstrate via oral communication pronunciation of the alphabet and mono-syllabic words
- Students will demonstrate reading and writing abilities by typing words in English using a list of familiar words
Course Schedule and Topics
This course will cover the following topics in eight learning sessions, with one Unit per week. The Final Exam will take place during Week/Unit 9 (UoPeople time). The following is an outline of how this course will be conducted, with suggested best practices for students.
Unit 1: Hi, My Name Is...
- Read the Learning Guide and Reading Assignments
- Review and Complete the Video Assignment
- Participate in the Discussion Assignment
- Make entries to the Learning Journal
- Take the Self-Quiz
Unit 2: How Are You?
- Read the Learning Guide and Reading Assignments
- Review and Complete all interactive vocabulary assignments
- Review and Complete the Video Assignment
- Participate in the Discussion Assignment
- Make entries to the Learning Journal
- Take the Self-Quiz
Unit 3: Basic Conversation
- Read the Learning Guide and Reading Assignments
- Review and Complete all interactive vocabulary assignments
- Review and Complete the Video Assignment
- Participate in the Discussion Assignment
- Make entries to the Learning Journal
- Take the Self-Quiz
- Take the Graded Quiz
Unit 4: Short Replies and Numbers
- Read the Learning Guide and Reading Assignments
- Review and Complete all interactive vocabulary assignments
- Review and Complete the Video Assignment
- Participate in the Discussion Assignment
- Make entries to the Learning Journal
- Take the Self-Quiz
Unit 5: Just How Old?
- Read the Learning Guide and Reading Assignments
- Review and Complete all interactive vocabulary assignments
- Review and Complete the Video Assignment
- Participate in the Discussion Assignment
- Make entries to the Learning Journal
- Take the Self-Quiz
Unit 6: Socially Speaking
- Read the Learning Guide and Reading Assignments
- Review and Complete all interactive vocabulary assignments
- Review and Complete the Video Assignment
- Participate in the Discussion Assignment
- Make entries to the Learning Journal
- Take the Self-Quiz
- Take the Graded Quiz
Unit 7: Employment
- Read the Learning Guide and Reading Assignments
- Review and Complete all interactive vocabulary assignments
- Review and Complete the Video Assignment
- Participate in the Discussion Assignment
- Make entries to the Learning Journal
- Take the Self-Quiz
Unit 8: Putting it All Together
- Read the Learning Guide and Reading Assignments
- Review and Complete all interactive vocabulary assignments
- Review and Complete the Video Assignment
- Participate in the Discussion Assignment
- Make entries to the Learning Journal
- Take the Self-Quiz
Unit 9: Course Review and Final Exam
- Read the Learning Guide and take the Review Quiz, if you haven't already done so
- Prepare for, take, and submit the Final Exam
- The Final Exam will take place during the Thursday and Sunday of Week/Unit 9 (UoPeople time); exact dates, times, and other details will be provided accordingly by your instructor
Course Requirements
Discussion Assignments & Response Posts/Ratings
Most units in this course require that you complete a Discussion Assignment. You are required to develop and post a substantive response to the Discussion Assignment in the Discussion Forum. A substantive response is one that fully answers the question that has been posed by the instructor. In addition, you must extend the discussion by responding to at least three (3) of your peers’ postings in the Discussion Forum. Discussion Forums are only active for each current and relevant learning week, so it is not possible to contribute to the forum once the learning week has come to an end. Failure to participate in the Discussion Assignment by posting in the Discussion Forum and responding to peers as required may fail in the course.
Video Assignments
This course uses video and/or audio assignments for roleplaying activities. In language learning, it is important to be able to engage with others in using the language. Throughout the course, you will have a series of assignments that require you to do just that. You will be given a prompt and a detail on how your assignment is graded. Remember, although only what you submit is graded it is encouraged to try a few practice videos or audio versions before sending in the one you feel best demonstrates your ability.
Learning Journals
Your instructor may choose to assign specific topics and/or relevant questions as a weekly Learning Journal entry for you to complete. The Learning Journal must be updated every week because its entries will be assessed by your instructor directly as a part of your final grade. The Learning Journal will only be seen by your instructor.
Vocabulary Assignments
Some units have interactive vocabulary assignments. These assignments may take the form of flashcards, word searches, definitions, dictation, and fill-in-the-blanks. You will have unlimited attempts during the learning week to finish these assignments and your highest score will be the one recorded in the grade book.
Quizzes
This course will contain three types of quizzes –Self-Quizzes, Graded Quizzes, and Review Quizzes.
Self-Quiz
Self-quizzes may contain multiple choice, true/false (yes/no), or short answer questions. The results of the Self-Quiz count towards your final grade.
- There are eight self-quizzes
- Quizzes contain 5 multiple choice and true/false (yes/no) questions.
- You have unlimited attempt(s) at each quiz.
- You have 20 minutes to take the quiz.
- The score will be available after submission.
Graded Quizzes
Graded quizzes may contain multiple choice, true/false (yes/no), or short answer questions. The results of the Graded Quiz will count towards your final grade.
- There are two graded quizzes
- Quizzes contain 10 multiple-choice and true/false (yes/no) questions worth 10 points each.
- You have 1 attempt at each quiz.
- You have 40 minutes to take the quiz.
- The score will be available after submission.
Review Quiz
The review quiz may contain multiple choice, true/false (yes/no), or short answer questions. The Review Quiz will assist you in a comprehensive review and full understanding of all course material, in preparation for your Final Exam.
- There is 1 review quiz
- The quiz contains 25 multiple-choice and true/false (yes/no) questions.
- You have unlimited attempt(s) at each quiz.
- You have 90 minutes to take the quiz.
- The score will be available after submission.
Final Exam
The Final Exam will take place during the Thursday and Sunday of Week/Unit 9, following the completion of eight units of work. The format of the Final Exam is similar to that of the quizzes and may contain a combination of different question types. You
will have one attempt to take the exam, and it will be graded electronically. Specific instructions on how to prepare for and take the exam will be provided during Week/Unit 8.
- Final Exam contains 25 multiple choice and true/false (yes/no) questions worth X points each.
- You have 1 attempt.
- You have 90 minutes to take the quiz.
- The score will be available after the final examination period.
- Feedback is available after the exam period has finished
Course and Announcements Forums
The Course and Announcement Forums are the place to raise issues and questions relating to the course. It is regularly monitored by the instructors and is a good place to meet fellow students taking the same course. While it is not required to participate in the Course and Announcement Forums, it is highly recommended.
Course Policies
Grading Components and Weights
Each graded component of the course will contribute some percentage to the final grading scale, as indicated below:
| Course Requirements | Number of Items | Points for Each | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discussion Assignments | 8 | 10 | 15% |
| Video Assignments |
4 | 10 | 15% |
| Learning Journal |
8 | 10 | 20% |
| Vocabulary Assignments |
18 |
10 | 17% |
| Self Quizzes |
8 | 10 | 8% |
| Review Quiz |
1 | 25 | 2% |
| Graded Quiz 1 |
1 |
100 | 5% |
| Graded Quiz 2 |
1 | 100 | 5% |
| Final Exam | 1 | 100 | 15% |
| Total | 100% |
Grading Scale
This course will follow the standard 100-point grading scale defined by the University of the People, as indicated below:
| Letter Grade | Grade Scale | Grade Points |
|---|---|---|
| A+ | 98 - 100 |
4.00 |
| A | 93 - 97 |
4.00 |
| A- | 90 - 92 |
3.67 |
| B+ | 88 - 89 |
3.33 |
| B | 83 - 87 |
3.00 |
| B- | 80 - 82 |
2.67 |
| C+ | 78 - 79 |
2.33 |
| C |
73 - 77 |
2.00 |
| C- |
70 - 72 |
1.67 |
| D+ |
68 - 69 |
1.33 |
| D |
63 - 67 |
1.00 |
| D- |
60 - 62 |
0.67 |
| F |
Under 60 |
0.00 |
Grade Appeal
If you believe that the final grade you received for a course is erroneous, unjust, or unfair, please contact your course instructor. This must be done within seven days of the posted final grade. For more information on this topic, please review the Grade Appeal Procedure in the University Catalog.
Participation
Non-participation is characterized by a lack of any assignment submissions, inadequate contributions to the Discussion Forums, and/or lack of peer feedback to Discussion/Written Assignments. Also, please note the following important points about course participation:
- Assignments must be submitted on or before the specified deadline. A course timeline is provided in the course schedule, and the instructor will specify deadlines for each assignment.
- Any student showing non-participation for two weeks (consecutive or non-consecutive) is likely to automatically fail the course.
- Occasionally there may be a legitimate reason for submitting an assignment late. Most of the time, late assignments will not be accepted and there will be no make-up assignments.
- All students are obligated to inform their instructor in advance of any known absences which may result in their non-participation.
Academic Honesty and Integrity
When you submit any work that requires research and writing, it is essential to cite and reference all source material. Failure to properly acknowledge your sources is known as “plagiarism” – which is effectively passing off an individual’s words or ideas as your own. University of the People adheres to a strict policy of academic honesty and integrity. Failure to comply with these guidelines may result in sanctions by the University, including dismissal from the University or course failure. For more information on this topic, please review the Academic Integrity Policy in the University Catalog.
Any materials cited in this course should be referenced using the style guidelines established by the American Psychological Association (APA). The APA format is widely used in colleges and universities across the world and is one of several style and
citation formats required for publication in professional and academic journals. Refer to UoPeople's APA Tutorials in the LRC for help with APA citations.
Code of Conduct
University of the People expects that students conduct themselves in a respectful, collaborative, and honest manner at all times. Harassment, threatening behavior, or deliberate embarrassment of others will not be permitted. Any conduct that interferes with the quality of the educational experience is not allowed and may result in disciplinary action, such as course failure, probation, suspension, or dismissal. For more information on this topic, please review the Code of Conduct Policy in the University Catalog.