FACULTAD DE CIENCIAS SOCIALES

DEPARTAMENTO DE LENGUAS Y CULTURA

ENGLISH 5

COURSE CODE - SECTION: LENG-1155 SECTION 08

TYPE OF COURSE LANGUAGE X
COURSE LEVEL UNDERGRADUATE
CREDITS 2
YEAR - SEMESTER 2021-20A
PROFESSOR: Claudia Patricia Mojica
CLASS SCHEDULE Monday through Friday 11:00 -12:15
E-MAIL: cp.mojica10@uniandes.edu.co
OFFICE: VIRT: ZOOM
OFFICE HOURS Mondays 10:00 am

ENGLISH PROGRAMS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGES AND CULTURE

The mission of the English programs of the Department of Languages and Culture of Universidad
de Los Andes is to support learners enrolled in the programs offered by the university in the
development of highly proficient English language use, critical thinking skills, cultural and
interdisciplinary sensitivity and autonomy to be successful in academic, social, and professional
situations by providing high quality teaching as demonstrated through rigorous coursework and
assessments.  

ACADEMIC ENGLISH SUPPORT PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The mission of the Academic English Support Program (AESP) is to support undergraduate
students at Los Andes in effectively completing academic and professional tasks in English within
the university and beyond, by providing students with high quality English instruction,
autonomous learning strategies, and critical thinking skills. 

The Academic English Support Program provides undergraduate students at Los Andes with the
English instruction they need to complete academic tasks in English within the university, as well
as to use English effectively in academic and professional situations outside the university. It is
also designed to help students acquire the strategies they need to continue learning English
independently beyond the classroom. The Academic English Support Program has eleven levels
and two cycles: basic and intermediate/advanced. The purpose of the basic cycle is to prepare
students for an English-language academic environment and to be able to read academic texts,
which are required in their university classes. Successful completion of the basic cycle fulfills the
university’s English reading requirement, and prepares students to take cursos I. The purpose of
the intermediate/advanced cycle is to provide students with specific focused instruction in oral
and written communication, including aspects of both fluency and accuracy. Successful
completion of the intermediate/advanced cycle fulfills the university’s second language
requirement.
Basic English Fundamentals LENG 1150
English 1 LENG 1151
English 2 LENG 1152
English 3 LENG 1153 Integrated Academic Skills
English 4 LENG 1154
English 5 LENG 1155
English 6 LENG 1156
Intermediate English 7 LENG 1157 Intermediate Academic Speaking
English 8 LENG 1158 The Basics of Writing Academic English
Advanced English 9A Students LENG 1159 Writing for Science and Engineering
Choose
English 9B One LENG 1160 Writing for Humanities and Social Sciences
English 10A Students LENG 1161 Speaking for Academic Purposes
Choose
English 10B One LENG 1162 Speaking for Professional Purposes

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Basic Cycle
The goal of the basic cycle is to help students develop the English language skills necessary to
operate, with relative effectiveness, in academic and social settings; it also focuses on
empowering students to become effective readers that can cope with the demands of their
academic life at the University and of their future professional lives.

Course Overview
English 5 is the 6th course in the Basic Cycle. At this level, students work on their development of
the four language skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking), and acquire essential grammar
structures and vocabulary that will allow them to succeed in academic and social settings. In an
attempt to empower students to cope with their most immediate academic need, and similar to
the previous and subsequent courses in the Basic Cycle, this course aims to develop a stronger set
of reading skills in comparison to the other skills of the language. Moreover, critical thinking skills
are taught and practiced, requiring students’ reflection and analysis rather than simple recall.
The extent to which the language skills will be developed corresponds to the following exit levels
as per the Common European Framework of Reference:

Reading: B2
Listening: B1+
Speaking: B1
Writing: B1
Grammar: B1
OVERALL COURSE OBJECTIVES

In terms of reading, students can distinguish between main ideas and supporting details and, in
this way, synthesize information and identify the text structure. In terms of reading, students
will be able to distinguish between main ideas and supporting details and recognize text
structure. They will also be able to recognize purpose and audience of the text as well as several
patterns of organization. In relation to writing, students can write short connected texts to show
sequence or order of importance. Regarding listening, students can identify main and supporting
ideas as well as the function of different discourse markers in a short lecture or simple
presentation. Concerning speaking, students can do a series of academic tasks ranging from giving
descriptions to asking questions and giving opinions. With respect to grammar, students can use
infinitives after verbs, and the real conditional appropriately.

METHODOLODY

This course embraces the philosophies of learner autonomy and student centeredness, and it
offers students the tools and opportunities for their development as language learners. The
course is also based on the belief that effective language learning is only possible through
consistent daily practice and review. This, in turn, requires commitment, dedication, and
discipline by the learners both in and out of class.

The methodology is guided by an eclectic approach in which the teacher customizes the class
using a number of possible methodological options at his or her disposal in the best interest of
the student’s learning process (Brown, 2001).

The course runs for 8 weeks, and it consists of 7.5 hours in class and 4.5 hours of independent
work during the first 7 weeks, and 3 hours of in-class time and 9 hours of independent work
during the eighth week. During class time, students are encouraged to participate in different
activities in the four language skills as well as grammar and vocabulary. Likewise, during their
independent work time, learners are required to complete task work, practice what they learned
in class, or prepare for upcoming sessions.

ASSESSMENT

Students’ work is marked on a scale of 0 to 5 where 5.00 is the highest possible grade, and 3.00 is
the lowest passing grade. The final official grade is reported as either A (aprobado/pass) for
grades of 3.00 and above or R (reprobado/fail) for grades below 3.00. Exams and coursework
have the following values:

Module 1
Type Overall Breakdown
15% Other skills
Classwork 15%
(5% speaking, and 10% LGW)

The following breakdown is based

on the 100% of the exam:

Midterm Exam 30% 35% Reading

25% Listening
20% Writing
20% Grammar
 Module 2
Type Overall Breakdown
10% Speaking Task
Classwork 25%
15% Other skills

The following breakdown is based

on the 100% of the exam:

Final Exam 30% 35% Reading

25% Listening
20% Writing
20% Grammar

NOTE: Please keep in mind that THERE IS NO LOS ANDES POLICY FOR AUTOMATICALLY ROUNDING
COURSE GRADES. The lowest passing grade is 3.00; any grade lower than 3.00 WILL NOT BE a
passing grade.

In the event that you wish to dispute a grade, please refer to the procedure explained in articles
64 and 65 of the undergraduate student handbook (reglamento de estudiantes de pregrado
version 2018).

ATTENDANCE

From the undergraduate student handbook (reglamento de estudiantes de pregrado versión

2018):

ART. 43. Es facultativo de cada profesor controlar la asistencia de sus alumnos y

determinar las consecuencias de la inasistencia, si ésta es superior al 20%.

ART. 44. Los parámetros para controlar la asistencia serán informados a los estudiantes el
primer día de clases, junto con el programa del curso, con el fin de que se comprometan a
respetarlos desde ese momento.

All courses in the program will follow these regulations. Students who miss more than 20% of
classes, including required online class sessions in blended courses, will fail the course and will
receive a grade of R (reprobado/fail). Instructors will inform students of the procedure for
checking attendance on the first day of class.

Notes on virtual modality: Learning a language is achieved through constant, systematic

practice. Virtual modality demands your active participation in synchronous and asynchronous
lessons. Please, keep close contact with your teacher and classmates, and make sure you
participate and engage in lessons and thus, contribute to your own and others’ learning.
Política de ajustes  razonables  y  política de momentos difíciles
El/la estudiante debe expresarle a su profesor(a) por correo y de manera oportuna las
dificultades que pueda estar teniendo. Estas pueden ser barreras de conectividad,
de acceso a recursos tecnológicos suficientes, así como barreras de salud física y mental de
él/ella o de sus familiares que se agudizan a causa de las consecuencias derivadas de la
pandemia y el confinamiento.

Academic Honesty

Students are expected to understand the basics of academic honesty, and to be proactive and
responsible members of the university community. If you are uncertain if something might
constitute academic dishonesty, it is your responsibility to ask your instructor in advance to
clarify. No student may claim that they did not understand what academic dishonesty is, or use
ignorance as a defense or excuse for dishonest conduct. Likewise, it is the student’s responsibility
to act honestly, not the instructor’s responsibility to prevent dishonest behavior. Failure to
adhere to general standards, or violation of standards described here, given by your instructor, or
in any course materials may result in a grade reduction, up to and including a grade of zero (0).
All work submitted for evaluation is subject to verification of sources, process, and the student’s
ability to produce similar work in English unaided. Academic dishonesty may be reported for
further action.

The following are expressly prohibited:

 Writing an assignment or any substantial portion of an assignment in a language other

than English and then using automatic translation software to translate that text to
English
 Using tools or sources beyond those provided or approved in advance for use
 Writing any part of an in-class assignment outside of class unless otherwise instructed
 Writing any part of an assessment response (test, exam, quiz, etc.) outside of the
designated assessment period
 Using any portion of someone else’s work without proper quotation or paraphrase and
citation/attribution
 Using work created for or in another class, including another section of this course
 Presenting work that someone else created as your own
 Providing information about an assessment to others
 Soliciting information about an assessment from others

When in doubt, ask your instructor.

Refer to section 10 (Capítulo X) of the undergraduate student handbook (Reglamento de

estudiantes de pregrado) for further information on university policies regarding academic
honesty.
 COURSE CONTENT

Week 1 (August 9th -13th)

Pathways: Unit 5, Lesson A

LENG1155 Book: Being Super Busy May Be Good for Your Brain

Reading
 Can understand how a monolingual dictionary works to find the suitable meaning of a
word.
 Can scan a long text or a set of related texts in order to find specific information.
 Can distinguish supporting details from the main points in a text.
Listening
 Can identify details that support a point of view in a simple presentation or lecture aimed
at a general audience.
 Can distinguish between main ideas and supporting details in a simple presentation or
lecture.
Writing
 Can write descriptions of past events, activities, or personal experiences.
 Can take notes on a simple presentation or lecture aimed at a general audience.
Grammar
 Can use infinitives after verbs when dealing with familiar topics

Week 2 (August 16th-20th)

Pathways: Unit 5, Lesson B

LENG1155 Book: Pathological Media Use

Reading
 Can show comprehension of text structure using a mind map or outline.
 Can identify the use of paraphrasing in a simple academic text.
Listening
 Can identify details that support a point of view in a simple presentation or lecture aimed
at a general audience.
 Can distinguish between main ideas and supporting details in a simple presentation or
lecture.
Speaking
 Can express opinion using simple language.
 Can give straight forward descriptions on a variety of familiar subjects.
Writing
 Can take notes on a simple academic text.

Week 3 (August 23rd-27th)

Pathways: Unit 6, Lesson A

LENG1155 Book: Let’s Eat: How Diet Influences the Brain

Reading
 Can infer meaning in a structured text, if guided by questions.
Listening
  Can effectively take notes while listening to a simple straight forward presentation or
lecture on a familiar topic.
 Can recognize discourse markers that compare and contrast ideas.
 Can recognize that a speaker has summarized ideas in a simple presentation or lecture.
Speaking
 Can express opinion using simple language.
Writing
 Can write an everyday connected text using a set of short elements or facts and building
them into a sequence.
Grammar
 Can use the real conditional with the present and the future (zero and first conditionals).

Week 4 (August 30th-September 3rd)

FIRST PROGRESS EXAMINATION: (Monday, August 30th and Tuesday, August 31st)

Pathways: Unit 6, Lesson B

LENG1155 Book: Preventing Hunger with Food Banks
Speaking
 Can answer basic questions about information presented in graphs and charts.
Grammar
 Can use the real conditional with the present and the future (zero and first conditionals).

Week 5 (September 6th-10th)

Teachers’ meeting--autonomous work for students: Tuesday September 7 th. If the

meeting overlaps with class, students will be assigned autonomous work.

Pathways: Unit 6, Lesson B

COURSE CONTENT WEEK 6: Preventing Hunger with Food Banks

Reading
 Can identify the main line of argument in an academic text.
 Can identify examples in an academic text to support an argument.
 Can identify the main conclusions in a text that presents and contrast arguments in a
clearly signalled way.
Listening
 Can identify details that support a point of view in a simple presentation or lecture aimed
at a general audience.
 Can distinguish between main ideas and supporting details in a simple presentation or
lecture.
Speaking
 Can answer basic questions about information presented in graphs and charts.
 Can ask basic questions in a simple academic discussion.
Writing
 Can use discourse markers to show order of importance.

Week 6 (September 13th-17th)

Pathways: Unit 7, Lesson A

WEEK 6 and 7: Natural Disasters and Human security
Reading
 Can understand the author’s purpose and intended audience.
 Can synthesize information from two or more basic texts if guided by questions.
Listening
 Can identify details that support a point of view in a simple presentation or lecture aimed
at a general audience.
 Can distinguish between main ideas and supporting details in a simple presentation or
lecture.
 Can effectively take notes while listening to a simple straight forward presentation or
lecture on a familiar topic.
 Can recognize discourse markers that compare and contrast ideas.
 Can recognize that a speaker has summarized ideas in a simple presentation or lecture.
Speaking
 Can ask basic questions in a simple academic discussion.
Writing
 Can describe the sequence in a process when writing a simple text, using common
discourse markers
Grammar
 Can recognize different parts of speech of words in context.

Week 7 (September 20th-24th)

Pathways: Unit 7, Lesson B

Reading
 Can understand the author’s purpose and intended audience.
 Can synthesize information from two or more basic texts if guided by questions.
Listening
 Can recognize that ideas in a simple presentation or lecture are similar when signalled by
discourse markers.
Speaking
 Can give a short talk about a familiar topic with visual support.
 Can use basic discourse markers to structure a short presentation.
Writing
 Can describe the sequence in a process when writing a simple text, using common
discourse markers

Grammar
 Can use gerunds as subjects and objects.

Week 8 (September 27th-October 1st)

FINAL ACHIEVEMENT EXAMINATION: (Monday September 27th and Tuesday September 28th)

Course Materials

 Course Book- ENGLISH 5 Leng-1155 available through home delivery service, or at

Fotocopiadora Copyestrella (Calle 18 A # 1-13) and Print & Copy (Calle 19 Bis # 1-43).
More information will be provided by your teacher.
 Note: In this period of the year, we will encourage buying a physical paper-copy of the
yellow book for two main reasons: First, we believe it will aid students' learning as
hand-written work has shown to be of greater value in acquiring what is studied. In
addition, it will ease the cumbersome task of having multiple windows open on a
computer screen and thus not being able to follow teacher instructions while completing
class tasks. Second, this effort will economically support local businesses that are facing
the possibility of bankruptcy. 

 Pathways 2, Listening, Speaking and Critical Thinking B Second Edition available

through home delivery service or at Libería Uniandes (Cra 1 Nº 18A- 12)
More information will be provided by your teacher.

 Monolingual dictionary.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Agrawal, R., & Kool, V. (2016). Behavior in the Virtual Environment. In Psychology of Technology
(pp. 213-215). Springer International Publishing.

Bailey, S. (2003). Academic Writing. New York, NY: RoutledgeFalmer.

Burrell, T. (2015, May 15). Let’s Eat: How Diet Influences the Brain. Retrieved June, 2017, from
http://www.brainfacts.org/across-the-lifespan/diet-and-exercise/articles/2015/lets-eat-how-
diet-influences-the-brain/

Chase, B. T., & Johannsen, K. L. (2012). Pathways 2: Listening, Speaking, and Critical Thinking.
Boston: National Geographic Learning.

Clarin, E., & Jocson, J. (2016). Fragmentation, Intertextuality and Hyperreality: The Postmodern
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europe/

Dictionary.com. (n.d.). Main Idea. Retrieved June, 2017, from

http://www.dictionary.com/browse/main-idea

Echeverri Acosta, Luz Marina, & McNulty Ferri, Maria. (2010). Reading Strategies to Develop
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Hansen, K., & Paul, N. (2015, October 21). Information Strategies for Communicators. Retrieved
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managing-and-synthesizing-information/
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boost cognition, or do people with better cognition tend to keep busy? From
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or-not-180959147/

Langan, J. (2010). (Fifth ed.) Ten Steps to Advancing College Reading Skills. West Berlin, NJ:
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Turney, D. (2014, January 25). Her reality: could you really fall in love with your computer?
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could-you-really-fall-in-love-with-your-computer-20140122-319q4#ixzz2t7z4KAsa

UCAR. (n.d.). How Volcanoes Influence Climate. Retrieved June, 2017, from
https://scied.ucar.edu/shortcontent/how-volcanoes-influence-climate

University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing. (2015, October 27). Writing for Success. Retrieved
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tone-and-content/

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