VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY – HO CHI MINH CITY

UNIVERSITY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES

FACULTY OF ENGLISH LINGUISTICS AND LITERATURE

COURSE SYLLABUS

I. General information

1. Course title GRAMMAR 1 – B2

2. Course code NVA063.1

3. Type of course (compulsory, optional) Compulsory

4. Level of course Bachelor

5. Year of study (if applicable) 1

6. Semester when the course is delivered 1

7. Number of course credits allocated 3 (2 theoretical credits + 1 practical credit)

Independent study: 90 hours
8. Name of lecturer(s) N/A

9. Mode of delivery (face-to-face, distance Face-to-face

learning)

10. Prerequisites N/A

11. Language of instruction English

12. Work placement(s) N/A

II. Course overview

The course is designed to provide students with:
● knowledge and understanding of the target English grammatical points, i.e. their structures and
uses in realistic contexts; and
● opportunities to apply acquired knowledge to language production via speaking and writing
practice in class as well as at home
The target grammatical structures covered in the course includes
1. Present and Past: Simple and Progressive
2. Present and Past: Perfect and Perfect Progressive
3. The Future
4. Negative Yes/No Questions; Statements and Tag Questions
5. Nouns, Articles, and Subject-Verb Agreement
6. Gerunds and Infinitives
7. Modals
III. Course learning outcomes
Upon completion of the course, students should be able to:
1. explain different uses of the targeted grammatical points.
6
 2. apply acquired knowledge into oral and written language production.
3. select ICT applications for learning and research.
4. show positive responses to cultural diversity.

IV. Recommended or required readings

Required materials
Cooper, A., & Eckstut, S. (2018). Grammar explorer 3 (Chapters 1-8). Nelson Education, Ltd.

Reference materials
Foley, M., & Hall, D. (2012). My grammar lab: Intermediate B1/B2. Pearson Longman.
Eastwood, J. (2011). Oxford practice grammar: Intermediate. OUP.
Paterson, K. (2012). Oxford living grammar: Upper-Intermediate. OUP.

V. Course contents and schedules

Sessions Course contents Required readings Planned learning activities and teaching methods
1 Course Cooper and Eckstut- Discussion
introduction Didier (2015), Unit Lecture
Present and Past: 1, pp. 2-29 Grammar practice
Simple and Language practice
Progressive ● Speaking: Discuss some ways families are
changing in our country. (p. 29)
● Writing: Activities 13A (p. 11), 9B (p. 25), & 3
(p. 29)
2 Present and Past: Cooper and Eckstut- Discussion
Perfect and Didier (2015), Unit Lecture
Perfect 2, pp. 30-61 Grammar practice
Progressive Language practice
● Speaking: Share about a goal that you have
achieved. How did it affect you? (p. 60)
● Writing: Activities 12 (p. 40), 10 (p. 47), & 3 (p.
61)
3 The Future Cooper and Eckstut- Discussion
Didier (2015), Unit Lecture
3, pp. 62-89 Grammar practice
Language practice
● Speaking: Discuss a plan you have for the future.
(Activity 4, p. 87)
● Writing: Activities 11B (p. 77), 7B (p. 83), & 3 (p.
89)
4+5 Review: Units 1-3 Discussion
Further practice Grammar practice
Progress Test 1 (A2) Language practice
6 Negative Yes/No Cooper and Eckstut- Discussion
Questions; Didier (2015), Unit Lecture
Statements and 4, pp. 91-113 Grammar practice
Tag Questions Language practice
● Speaking: Activities 9C (p.100), & 2 (p. 113)
● Writing: Activity 3 (p. 113)
7+8 Nouns, Articles, Cooper and Eckstut- Discussion
and Subject-Verb Didier (2015), Unit Lecture
Agreement 5, pp. 115-141 Grammar practice
Language practice

6
 ● Speaking: Activity 10A (p. 130)
● Writing: Activities 12A (p. 123), 3 (p.139), & 3
(p.141)
Use a paragraph describing a day trip to a town or
place of interest near you, using some of the
pronouns and quantifiers you have learned.
Write a film review, using some of the pronouns
and quantifiers you have learned.
9 Gerunds and Cooper and Eckstut- Discussion
Infinitives Didier (2015), Unit Lecture
6, pp. 142-173 Grammar practice
Language practice
● Speaking: Activities 6B (p. 148), & 8C (p. 150)
● Writing: Activities 12 (p. 160), 12 (p. 169), & 3 (p.
173)
10 Review: Units 4-6 Discussion
Further practice Grammar practice
Progress Test 2 (A3) Language practice
11 Modals (part 1) Cooper and Eckstut- Discussion
Didier (2015), Unit Lecture
7, pp. 174-205 Grammar practice
Language practice
● Speaking: Activities 12 (p. 183), & 4 (p. 203)
● Writing: Activities 12 (p. 199), & 3 (p. 205)
12+13 Modals (part 2) Cooper and Eckstut- Discussion
Didier (2015), Unit Lecture
8, pp. 206-233 Grammar practice
Language practice
● Speaking: Activities 11 (p. 215), & 5 (p. 231)
● Writing: Activities 14B (p. 228), & 3 (p. 233)
You and your friend Nick want to present a
musical at the end of the college term. Write an
email to Nick making some suggestions about
which of your friends could take part. You might
talk about their skills, their availability, and what
they will be able to contribute to your show.
14 Review: Units 7-8 Discussion
Further practice Grammar practice
Progress Test 3 (A4) Language practice
15 Review Discussion
Further practice Lecture
Grammar practice
Language practice
TBA Final Exam (A5)
Note: The schedule was planned with 15 four-period meetings and thus should be amended by
Instructors to fit 12 five-period meetings.

6
VI. Assessment scheme
Assessment Tasks Points Percent Score Percent of Note
Total
Grade
A1. Participation 10 points 25% Midterm 30% To be computed
A2. Progress Test 1 25%
A3. Progress Test 2 25% by the
A4. Progress Test 3 25% University
100% Admission Office
A5. Final exam 10 points 100% Final 70%

100% (Passing grade: 5/10)

(See detailed rubrics attached.)

VII. VII. Course alignment matrix

Course learning outcomes (CLOs) Programme Teaching and Assessment tasks

learning outcomes learning activities
(PLOs)
CLO1 – explain different uses of the PLO1 – L1 D + L + GP + LP A2 + A3 + A4 + A5
targeted grammatical points
CLO2 – apply acquired knowledge PLO1 – L1 D + L + GP + LP A2 + A3 + A4 + A5
into oral and written language
production
CLO3 – select ICT applications for PLO3 – L1 D + L + GP + LP A2 + A3 + A4 + A5
learning and research
CLO4 – show positive responses to PLO6 – L1 D + L + GP + LP A2 + A3 + A4 + A5
cultural diversity
(Note: D = Discussion, L = Lecture, GP = Grammar practice, and LP = Language practice)

VIII. Course policies

A. Grades
Grade Policy: All grades are public and transparent to all students. Instructors are required to inform students
of their midterm scores during course time. Any queries about their midterm scores should be raised and
answered TWO WEEKS prior to the instructor’s submission of the scores to the Faculty Academic Office.
Group Work Policy: All group members are required to take part in a group oral presentation and/or written
project and thus receive the same score(s) based on the whole group’s performance. Once formed, groups
cannot be changed except for cases of students’ extended hospitalization.
B. Technology and Media
Students are encouraged to contact instructors via email after class hours if they have any queries about the
course contents, lessons, etc. The instructor’s email address should be provided in the first meeting of the
course.
C. Student Expectations
1. Attendance in all sessions is strongly recommended. Participants are required to give advance notice of
their absence in case of illness or any other situations. However, 80% is the minimum attendance required
for a student to take the final test.
2. The use of mobile phones and/or laptops for personal purposes without instructors’ permission is forbidden
during class time.

6
3. Participants are expected to be well prepared and take an active role in class discussions and work
collaboratively with their peers.
4. Forms of plagiarism and cheating will lead to a failing grade or zero on the assignment or test.

Date of approval: January 2021

Approved by Prepared by

Department of Language Skills

Nguyen Dang Nguyen, Ph.D.

Dean, Faculty of English Linguistics and
Literature