Weekly outline

  • General

    This is a one-semester course and is taught in English , only if there are some compliacated structures, the teacher uses Czech. Therefore, it is suitable for English speaking students.

    The programme of the course:
    The course is aimed at students who are interested in improving their listening and speaking skills (not only) in the field of the academic English.
    The starting level of English is at least B2. The course is for those sutdents whose level of the language is such that they will be able to understand and use the English language.
    The course will also deal with techniques how to approach tests.

    1 x 2 face-to-face lessons
    The work in the course is divided between the listening and speaking, even though both skills will overlap each other. The listenings will be in the form of audio-recordings and/or videos which will be followed with a discussion. One part of the lessons will also be simple speaking activities (3-5-minute talks).

    Credits are determined by active attendance (There is no exact number of lessons you need to take. However, at least 50% of the lessons are recommended.), regular preparation, 3-5-minute talk, final listening test.

    Materials will be chosen from different sources, these will be available in Moodle (possible printing and/or working with the electronic version of the materials – notebooks, tablets; mobile phones are not recommended due to their small size. Some materials might be distributed during the lessons. These will be available in Moodle after the lesson.

    Moodle will also provide you with the listenings if you miss the listening lesson, so that you will be able to participate in the follow-up discussion.

◄Week 9 - 29/11/2021 - Speaking - Gender in Kids' Education
►Week 11 - 13/12/2021 - SPEAKING - Social networks, data and their influence

  • Week 10 - 06/12/2021 - LISTENING - Social networks, data and their Influence

    • This lesson takes place via Zoom. The link is in the email I sent you with the information on going online. If you can, try to make sure you will be able to open files sent via Zoom chat during the lesson or open them from Moodle.

    • SOCIAL NETWORKS, DATA AND THEIR INFLUENCE

      This week's topic focuses on social network, namely Facebook, and the data that is collected every day on the internet about all of us and as such can be misused. Before you actually get to the following tasks and the video, try to make sure you have enough time so that you can go through everything at once.

      You are going to watch a video from Ted Talks again. The presenter is Carole Cadwalladr, a British journalist, and her topic:

      "Facebook's role in Brexit - and the threat to democracy"

      1) Before you watch the video, or even before you start with the vocabulary pre-task, do the following...

      -          Imagine it is June 2016. It is one day before the referendum in the UK on whether to Leave or Remain in the EU takes place. What do you think the result of the referendum will be?

      -          Imagine it is the day when the result of the referendum has just been revealed. The UK voted for Leave. What is your immediate reaction? Can you remember?

      -          Imagine it is November 2016. It is one day before the election in the USA. Donald Trump vs. Hilary Clinton. Who do you think will win?

      -          Imagine it is the day when finally, the results of the American election are being revealed and you have just found out that it is  Donald Trump who has just been elected the next American President. What is your immediate reaction? Can you remember?

      2) Do the Exercise 1 - Facebook's role in Brexit - and the threat to democracy - vocabulary. Make sure you understand the words that appear in the exercise as some of them are quite crucial for understanding the presentation. There is a pdf version for you to work with, in case you prefer the papers.

      3) Watch the video - presentation. For the first time do not try to do the gap-filling Exercise (Exercise 2). Watch and listen only. Think of your answers to the questions from the sort of intial pre-task activity relating to Brexit and Donald Trump's election.

      4) Then listen to/watch again and complete the Exercise 2 - Facebook's role in Brexit and the threat to democracy - gap-filling. You can, of course, watch and listen more times. If you still cannot get the answers (after 2 attempts), there is a tapescript for you to check and/or you can turn on the subtitles (do not turn them before you try a few times without them). There is again a pdf version of the exercise 2 so that you can prepare the answers.

      5) Finally, there are again some questions for you to think about before the discussion on Monday via Zoom.

    • File icon
      2) Exercise 1 - Facebook's role in Brexit - and the threat to democracy - vocabulary - pdf File
    • File icon
      2) Exercise 1 - Facebook's role in Brexit - and the threat to democracy - vocabulary - pdf - KEY File
    • URL icon
      3) Ted Talks TED2019 - Carole Cadwalladr: Facebook's role in Brexit - and the threat to democracy URL
    • File icon
      4) Exercise 2 - Facebook's role on Brexit - and the threat to democracy - gap-filling - pdf File
    • File icon
      4) Exercise 2 - Facebook's role on Brexit - and the threat to democracy - gap-filling - pdf - KEY File
    • File icon
      Facebook's role in Brexit - and the threat to democracy - Complete Tapescript (copy) File
    • File icon
      05) Questions to think about for the discussion File
◄Week 9 - 29/11/2021 - Speaking - Gender in Kids' Education
►Week 11 - 13/12/2021 - SPEAKING - Social networks, data and their influence