Syllabus

Introduction

This is a blended course, English for Architecture and Urban Planning at Universidad Simon Bolivar. This course is intended for the practice of the different language abilities. The whole course is designed following the tenets of content-task-based instruction. In this course, students will be discussing about the essence of Architure and Urban Planning and a general overview of the construction materials and structures used in their profession.

Objectives

1. Language

At the end of the course students will have practiced:

• vocabulary related to the content
• reading authentic texts related to the content
• recognizing different kinds of rhetorical patterns in readings
• writing different kinds of paragraphs
• listening to authentic videos and recordings related to the content
• speaking about the course-related content

2. Content

At the end of the course students will have discussed about the following topics:

• The Essence of Architecture and Urban Planning
• Construction Materials
• Structures

3. Study Skills

Students will have the opportunity to:

• use different Webtools for learning (web pages, wikis, online platforms, voice tools, text and voice chats)
• work in groups
• develop outlines and brainmaps
• practice notetaking skills
• develop autonomy in learning

Click here for the timetable with the distribution of the content by week

Methodology

This blended course has been designed to give certain autonomy and flexibility to the students. The multimedia lab will be our meeting place, especially for students who do not have easy access to computers. However, students are not forced to be in the lab, they can do the activities from other places, and not necessarily at the same time the lab session is taking place. They only need to complete the activities assigned for each week (see Weekly Activities). Students will participate in group work, and these activities can be done at any time the groups decide to meet; in the case of the chat, previous invitation and agreement with the teacher. Some activities will combine f2f and online elements, these activities will require students presence in the classroom. With the different activities students will develop and practice vocabulary related to the contend while they read authentic texts and listen and view authentic videos. Students will also be involved in peer and self-assessment of the work done.

Evaluation

The evaluation follows the tenets of Alternative Evaluation. See Assessment section for details.

References

Online Resources: see Resources section.