COURSE DESCRIPTION & OUTLINE SKILLS CENTRE

Course Code: SC1020

Course Title: Skills Centre
Semester: Fall 2023
Instructor: ___________________
Email: _______________________

COURSE DESCRIPTION
Skills Centre course is a supplementary English course for those students who do not meet the
university’s English requirements for their course of study. It is a zero-credit course and is a pre-
requisite that students must pass in order to graduate. Students who scored 50 percent or less in the
English component of the UCP’s admission test are enrolled in Skills Centre to improve their language
skills through a structured and comprehensive course based on CEFR model which covers reading,
writing, listening and speaking. Completing the Skills Centre course not only gives students the
opportunity to considerably improve their English language skills in general, it also helps them
succeed during their higher education studies and in their future careers. Skills Centre course is also
open to current undergraduate students who feel their performance in university would benefit from
additional English language practice.

COURSE OBJECTIVES
This course aims to improve all four language skills, speaking, listening, reading and writing to reach
level B2 of the CEFR. In addition, it provides students with the confidence to communicate in
English in a variety of different settings, for example social, professional and academic. The students
should be able to:

 Comprehend the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics, including
technical discussions in his/her field of specialization.

 Interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native
speakers quite possible without strain for either party.

 Produce clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects and explain a viewpoint on a topical
issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options.
 COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES

The learning outcomes for this course can be divided into four categories according to the four
language skills (reading, listening, writing, and speaking) addressed in CEFR. After the
completion of this course, the students shall be able to do the following:

Reading

• Comprehend long and complex factual and literary texts, appreciating distinctions of style

• Comprehend specialised articles and longer technical instructions, even when they do not relate
to their field

Writing

• Express themselves in clear, well-structured text, expressing points of view at some length

• Write about complex subjects in a letter, an essay or a report, underlining what they consider to
be the salient issues

• Select style appropriate to the reader in mind while expressing themselves

Speaking

• Express themselves fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions

• Use language flexibly and effectively for social and professional purposes

• Formulate ideas and opinions with precision and relate their contribution skillfully to those of
other speakers

• Present clear, detailed descriptions of complex subjects integrating sub-themes, developing

particular points and rounding off with an appropriate conclusion

Listening

• Comprehend extended speech even when it is not clearly structured and when ideas are only
implied and not discussed explicitly

• Comprehend television programmes and films without too much effort

ASSESSMENT STRATEGY
Assessment Type Percentage
Quiz 10% (Average all)
Quiz 1: Listening (Before midterm)
Quiz 2: Listening (After midterm)
Assignments 10% (Average all)
 1 Reading Assignment
 2 Writing Assignments
Class Participation 10% (Average all)
Presentation 10%
Midterm Examination 20%
Final Exam 40%

Any specific teaching/learning strategies:

English language proficiency development exercises, pair/group work, mock meetings, group
discussion, role-plays, lectures, reading material, handouts, reference books, accuracy and fluency
exercises, projects and research work will be used depending on the topic.

Methodology will include lectures, interactive sessions, group presentations, reading material, listening
to audios, writing exercises, using videos and group projects catering to the blended approach.

Suggested Reading Material

1. Selected reading material from British Council Website
2. Selected reading exercises from Global Intermediate and Upper-Intermediate,
Macmillan
3. Any other suitable online resources
4. CEFR self-assessment checklist for students
 COURSE CONTENT AND DELIVERY PLAN

Targeted
Week Unit Topics Theme Grammar Knowledge Assignment/Quiz/Activity SDGs
Skills
 Making Speaking 1 SDG 4 &17
Introductions
 Subject Pronouns  Talking about famous
 Predicting
1 1
Content using People L&S  Possessive Adjectives personality
visuals

 Preview a text  Nouns Listening Quiz 1 SDG 14

 Skimming People R & LD  Verbs
2 1
 Scanning for
information
 Subject Pronoun Writing 1 SDG 4 & 5
 Write a profile  Simple Sentences
People CT& W  Writing Profile of your
3 1
family/friend/etc.

 Predicting content  Difference b/w ‘there is’ & Speaking 2 SDG 11 &
 Listen for Main ‘there are’ 13
idea  Describing photos of a
4 2 Seasons L&S  Adjectives/describing
 Listen for details words
favourite place


 Scanning for Reading 1 SDG 11 &

information  Noun phrases 13
5 2 Seasons R & LD
 Reading for detail  Prepositional phrases
  Word order Writing 2 SDG 8
 Write about the  Correct punctuation  Writing about the weather
6 2 Seasons CT&W
weather in your town/city/country

7 Mid Term Exam

8 Midterm Exam for Other Subjects

 Listening for main  Present Simple Speaking 3 SDG
idea  Verb Collocation  Interview students for a 3, 4 &
9 3  Listening for Lifestyle L&S survey (Record a video) 8
detail

 Reviewing a text  Parts of a sentence Listening Quiz 2 SDG 3,4 &

10 3  Annotate a text Lifestyle R & LD  Simple Present 8
 Verb Collocation

Writing 3 SDG 3,4 &

 Write about main  Time expression  Writing about the life of 8
11 3 Lifestyle CT & W
ideas & details  Simple Present a student in your class

12 FINAL EXAM

*L&S: Listening & Speaking **R&LD: Reading & Language Development ***CT&W: Critical Thinking & Writing
 Table of Contents
Book 1: Listening, Speaking & Critical Thinking

Unit Number Theme

Unit No. 1 People

Unit No. 2 Seasons

Unit No. 3 Lifestyle

Book 2: Reading, Writing & Critical Thinking

Unit Number Theme

Unit No. 1 People

Unit No. 2 Seasons

Unit No. 3 Lifestyle