Welcome to Communication Skill II, everyone. This is an integrated-skills offering in which students will engage in and with the four basic skills of language acquisition. Using a series of topics from our textbook, we will explore various modes of expression, including oral presentations and debate. This course will focus on language useful in university contexts. This is a 15-week course offered by the Department of Literature during Fall, 2021.

The principal focus of this course is on enhancing English that students can and hopefully will use in university contexts. In addition to some reading, writing, and listening, this course will include many speaking opportunities, in which students are expected to actively engage.

Class material will be provided by the instructor and will also be available online. Students are encouraged to bring any electronic devices they feel might be helpful, including by not limited to e-dictionaries, smart phones, and personal computers.

Should you so desire, here is our syllabus.

 Week 1 (September 20, 2021) — Class introduction; Word Bank; Business Documents 

Good day, everyone, and thank you for enrolling in this course. We will endeavor, as you certainly know, to expand your knowledge of skills necessary to function in English both in your university context(s) and in the wider world.

Obviously, one important facet of functioning in any language is sufficient vocabulary knowledge. In our class you will encounter some new lexis (i.e., vocabulary), and I expect you to make a concerted, systematic effort to acquire those new words and phrases. More specifically, I expect you to make an online vocabulary page using Google Drive; all students are required to do so, and you will add at least seven new words or phrases each and every week.

 Homework: 

 Week 2 (September 27, 2021; on-demand) — Sports: Solo El Capitan Climb 

Today's class will be on-demand, which means you do NOT have to come to class. However, you do need to complete several tasks this week instead of being in class on the 27th.

First, please watch the video (1) and read the El Capitan climb story (2). Next, do the worksheet (3) and hand it in via this File Request (El Capitan worksheet—available from Sept 25th). Third, watch two more climbing videos from those on the El Capitan climb webpage; most of the videos are short, only 2-3 minutes long. Finally, add seven words to the your page in our Class Word Bank.

 Homework & Class Material: 

 Week 3 (October 4, 2021) — Science: Ancient Tree in Greece 

Here we have a video that shows how the tree was moved (courtesy of Russia Today).

I'd also like to remind you of reaction reports. These are short reports about the reading in a particular class in which you react to the reading. This term I would like to have six reaction reports, of which three will be written and three will be oral (using FlipGrid, please).

Written reaction reports will be handed in using this File Request (Comm Skills File Request), please. Oral reaction reports will be handed in via FlipGrid, of course.

 Homework & Class Material: 

 Week 4 (October 11, 2021) — Language: Typing vs. Handwriting 

Today, Gentle Students, we will be considering a topic of some importance for you, typing vs. handwriting. For many people now, I suspect, the keyboard is the tool of choice for writing, yet part of me is and always will be fond of handwriting. Here is a nice summary page, courtesy of Chloe Burroughs. A rather more selective viewpoint from Cornell University blog is here.

Speaking of handwriting, here is one gentleman with a singular talent for handwriting. Jake Weidmann is a master penman, and his works are things of beauty, as you'll soon know. That hand in the picture? His hand, of course.

 Homework & Class Material: 

 Week 5 (October 18, 2021) — Discussion; Quiz #1 

In this class groups of students will be meeting with me to discuss one of our class topics OR a topic related to one of our class topics. Each meeting will be about 15 minutes.

Later today we will enjoy our first quiz, which will cover class basics and material from Weeks 2, 3, and 4. As we will see in class, our quizzes will be administered using Google Forms. Note: the quiz will be posted about 3:00 this afternoon, and you need to take the quiz by midnight today.

 Class Material & Homework: 

 Week 6 (October 25, 2021) — Culture: US Military and Snacks 

Today we will be reading about some of the history of snacks (yes, they have a history). As with a fair number of the finer things in life, many snacks have a military background.

 Class Material & Homework: 

 Week 7 (November 1, 2021—on-demand) — Technology: Nanowood 

Good day, everyone, and thank you for visiting our class webpage. Today's lesson is on-demand, which means you only have to visit, check the things to do this week, and then complete them. Next week (November 8) we will again be meeting on Zoom.

Our topic this week is nanowood, which is wood that has been changed some and reduced in size. As you'll see, the characteristics of the wood change during that process.

 Class Material & Homework: 

 Week 8 (November 8, 2021) — Science: Chip Implantation 

Good day, everyone. We all know how society has changed over the last few years and become increasingly convenient, but another innovation might make make life even more convenient. As you'll see in this story on microchip implants from Euronews, in Sweden many people are choosing to have a small microchip implanted in their hand.

Today we will also be talking a bit more about presentation basics.

 Week 9 (November 15, 2021) — Presentation Skills; Quiz #2 

Today I'd like to remind you good people about your Reaction Reports. You need to submit six reports this term; three will be written and three will be oral. Each written report should be 100-150 words and should be submitted using this File Request (Comm Skills Reaction Reports), please.

Each oral report should be 2-5 minutes long and submitted using Flipgrid. The topic code will be provided by email.

Next, I would like to talk more about presentations because you, my Good People, will soon be doing a presentation for your classmates and me. Recall, first, that I asked you to watch a particular video on my preferred PowerPoint format. Today I would like to emphasize the speaking part of presentations, which simply means you must (a) provide content and (b) guide your listener(s). This means that you must direct and lead your listener, of course.

Your upcoming presentation:

Class Material & Homework:

Weeks 10 (November 22, 2021) —  Language: Kumzari, a Unique Language 

Next week, my Good People, we will be enjoying student presentations.

My apologies, everyone! I simply didn't get the link posted for our second quiz. Please finish it by midnight today.

Your second task is to write an editorial letter to someone about one of our topics so far. First, please base your letter on this format (also here as a PDF). You will submit your editorial letter using this File Request (Editorial Letter).

Class Material & Homework:

Week 11 (November 29, 2021) —  Student Presentations 

Thank you for your editorial letters, about which I'll provide some feedback soon.

Today we will be enjoying student presentations. Please remember the advice that I provided in the presentation video.

Reaction reports: Remember that you need to submit a total of six (6) reaction reports this term. Three will be written and submitted using this this File Request (Comm Skills Reaction Reports). The two QR codes will take you to Flipgrid, where you'll record your oral reaction reports. For students in my 2nd-period class, use the LEFT QR code or this Join Code (e0f2f34a), and my 3rd-period students should use the RIGHT QR code or this Join Code (d6645d79).

Class Material & Homework (for next week):

 Week 12 (December 6, 2021) — Climate: Rebuild or Leave Paradise  (Smithsonian Tween Tribune)

Let's have an in-depth look at rising sea levels. Two mechanisms contribute to the rise in sea levels, an actual increase in the amount of water (from melting ice) and an increase in volume (from the oceans being warmer).

Class Material:

 Week 13 (December 13, 2021) —  Culture: Cricket Soup 

Good day, everyone. In our final two classes this calendar year, we will deal with cultural issues. Today our focus is culinary with a glance at cricket soup. In today's reading, everyone, please note that there are four versions with different levels of difficulty: 730L, 880L, 1010L, and 1210L. We'll be using 880L in class, but feel free to read other versions.

Your homework this week will be to both read ...

Class Material:

 Week 14 (December 20, 2021) — Culture: Christmas 

My fine students, we have now nearly arrived at Christmas! Well done, and hang in there for just a little longer as we finish up our fall term next week on the 27th.

Today we will speaking about Christmas, of course.

Class Material:

Second, ...

 Week 15 (December 27, 2021) — Meeting with Dr. Elwood; Final Exam 

Groups of about five students will meet with me for 15 minutes. Each person will speak for 2-3 minutes; please prepare a question for me as well. You only need to come to class at your assigned time. Your topic should be related to one of our class topics this term, but it should be somewhat different. For example, we talked about the connection between M&Ms and the military on October 25. From that, you could talk then about food on the International Space Station, how to eat in zero gravity on the ISS, or something similar.

Second, you will need to complete the final exam for our spring term. Inasmuch as we're still in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, the exam will be completely online; you will click on this link, which is now available (18:55, Monday, December 27). You should finish the exam by midnight (23:59) on Wednesday, December 29.

Finally, make sure you have handed in six reaction reports in addition to having finished the Word Bank (100 words). The deadline for those is January 17 (Monday) at 23:59 (midnight).