Course Description: 

This course will focus on improving students’ English abilities in preparation for high school courses. An emphasis will be placed on reading and comprehension skills, as well speaking abilities during class discussions based on short
to medium length passages dealing with issues ranging from intuition and making decisions, to social skills in groups and choosing an occupation.

Course Skills: 

Group discussion and speaking skills, writing short responses, and critical reading skills.

Method of Instruction: 

An introduction to each new topic will be presented in a lecture, and discussions will be both student led and done in cooperative learning groups. Assignments will be done individually, as well as in groups. Students will be expected to read and complete other work outside of class.

Resources & Major Texts:
- Beyond True Stories (Intermediate & High Intermediate levels)
- Writing and Discussion prompts provided by the instructor.

Assessments/Major Assignments:
- Group presentation of an issue presented in one of the readings.
- Each student will be responsible for leading a small group discussion.

Instructor:
Michael Y has a BA in English Literature and Philosophy from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. He has been teaching high school level courses for 8 years, and is a certified American teacher at the HSEFZ International Department.