Implementation Methods for Course Teaching of College English in Nanchang Institute of Technology (NIT) (on Trial)

N.G.J.Z.[2015]No.12

     According to the spirit of Opinion of Nanchang Institute of Technology on Making Training Program for Undergraduate Majors (revised in May 2014) (N.G.F.[2014]No.58), in the principle of “distinctive guidance, individualized teaching”, NIT has made the implementation methods on the basis of teaching reform of college English over the years to meet students’ increasingly diversified learning demand for foreign languages.

I. Training Objectives

(I) General Objective

By virtue of building multi-level and diversified teaching objective system, meet students’ demand for individualized study. Cultivate students’ comprehensive English application ability in terms of listening, speaking, reading, writing and translating, especially the ability in reading, writing and translating, strengthen their independent learning capability, expand students’ international vision and improve students’ cross-cultural communication competence and the ability to participate in international competition.

(II) Stage Objective

The teaching of college English consists of foundation stage and improvement stage.

1. Objective for foundation stage: cultivate students’ comprehensive English application ability to make them be able to effectively communicate in oral and written form in future work and society, strengthen their independent learning capability and improve their comprehensive cultural literacy.

2. Objective for improvement stage: determine one of the following two items as per students’ aspiration and ability

 (1) Cultivate students’ ability to make use of English to obtain professional information and deal with professional problems in the international and information-based society;

 (2) Students furthering their study reach the requirements of master students’ entry exam syllabus for students’ application ability for English language.

II. Classification and Grading Methods

According to the principles of “students’ voluntariness, individualized teaching”, college English adopts classification and grading teaching.

(I) Classification

Divide students’ into “category I” and “category II” according to freshmen’s intention for PG entrance exam upon admission.

1. “Category I” means the students intended for PG entrance exam, and their teaching objective for improvement stage is to reach the requirement of master students’ entry exam outline on students’ English language application ability.

2. “Category II” means the students temporarily not intended for PG entrance exam, and their teaching objective for improvement stage is to cultivate the ability to obtain professional information and deal with professional problems in the international and information-based society.

3. After the first academic year ends, students may rotate between “category I” and “category II” after putting forward written application and passing assessment.

(II) Grading

The teaching of foundation stage of college English for “category I” and “category II” adopts grading teaching mode.

1. Foundation Stage

After freshmen enrollment, NIT will uniformly organize them to accept Placement Test, and divide students into Grade A (no more than 30% of total number of students) and Grade B according to the exam results from high to low. Grade A students focus on the infiltration of cultural background and the cultivation of discourse competence, and Grade B students emphasize the consolidation of language knowledge.

(1) The teaching classes of grading teaching will be determined by School of Foreign Languages as per the relevancy of subject majors, and submitted to Dean’s Office for filing.

(2) Grading teaching adopts rotation system, and upgrading and degrading dynamic adjustment will be conducted as per certain proportion of the final-term exam results for each semester.

2. Improvement Stage

(1) “Category I”: divide students into Grade A and Grade B according to different English foundation, and make different teaching plan to help students pass the PG English entrance exam.

(II) “Category II”: students may enter improvement stage for study after passing English proficiency test of NIT. Students’ may independently choose courses with corresponding credits according to self industry, interest, English proficiency and independent choice.

III. Course System and Teaching Arrangement for College English

(1) Course Arrangement and Progress of College English

1. Overall Teaching Arrangement: College English contains 14 credits and 224 class hours.

2. The course system of college English for “category I” includes course group of general English (8 credits), course group of English for PG exam (6 credits) and online course group (independent study).

3. The course system of college English for “category II” includes course group of general English (8 credits or 10 credits), extended course for English improvement stage (4 credits or 6 credits) and online course group (independent study).

4. Course arrangement and progress are shown in Table 1.

Table 1 Course Arrangement and Progress of College English

(II) Notes to Course System

　1. Foundation stage for “category I” consists of 128 class hours, arranged in the 1^st and 2^nd semesters, totaling 8 credits; there are 96 class hours for improvement stage, arranged in the 3^rd and 4^th semesters, totaling 6 credits.

2. The total class hours for foundation stage of Grade A class of “category II” shall be no less than 128, arranged in the 1^st to 2^nd semesters, totaling 8 credits; those of Grade B shall be no less than 160 class hours, arranged in the 1^st to 3^rd semesters, totaling 10 credits.

3. The courses in foundation stage of “category I” and “category II” consist of audio-visual-oral course and reading, writing and translating course. The former is completed in the language laboratory, and the latter is dominated by classroom teaching. Try to use multimedia courseware for assistant teaching, and adopt small class form. Independent study is mainly completed in the independent study center.

4. English extended courses of improvement stage for “category I” are general limited courses, arranged in the 3^rd and 4^th semesters, 6 credits. The improvement stage for “category II” adopts independent course choosing; English extended courses are general limited courses, 32 class hours for each course, 2 credits, 2 class hours every week. The improvement stage of Grade A class is arranged in the 3^rd and 4^th semesters, totaling 3 courses, 6 credits; that of Grade B class is arranged in the 4^th semester, totaling 2 courses, 4 credits.

5. If the students in Grade A class for “category II” fail to pass the English proficiency test in the 2^nd semester, they will be rotated to Grade B class, and continue to learn the foundation courses of college English in the 3^rd semester. Meanwhile, if the students in Grade B class pass the English proficiency test, they will be rotated to Grade A class for the course study of improvement stage.

IV. Assessment and Evaluation

(1) Course Assessment of Grading Teaching for Foundation Stage

The assessment adopts the method of combining formative evaluation with summative evaluation. The assessment of foundation courses of college English consists of the course assessment of college English reading, writing and translating & audio-visual-oral college English. In order to highlight the cultivation of students’ oral competence, a separate test will be set for speaking, and the assessment result will be included in the course result of audio-visual-oral college English. Those failing in audio-visual-oral college English will be required to take part in the resit of such two courses as audio-visual college English and English speaking.

(II) Course Assessment of Improvement Stage Series

The course assessment of improvement stage series adopts the method of combining formative evaluation with summative evaluation. Formative evaluation for “category I” is mainly based on students’ performance at ordinary times and the completion of learning tasks, as well as teachers’ assessment on students; summative evaluation is dominated by evaluating students’ comprehensive English application ability, embodying the teaching requirements for reading, writing and translating in the syllabus. Formative evaluation for “category II” mainly combines classroom activities with extracurricular second classroom activities records, facilitating students’ effective study; summative evaluation adopts diversified examination form, such as the combination of oral exam, final paper, written exam and final paper, or the combination of oral exam and written exam.

V. Miscellaneous

1. The Methods will take effect since the students of Grade 2014.

2. The Methods are subject to the explanation by Dean’s Office.

May 5, 2015