2021 Faculty Courses Liberal arts and basic science courses English language courses
English 7 45-RW
- Academic unit or major
- English language courses
- Instructor(s)
- David Pomatti
- Class Format
- Exercise
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 5-6 Thu (H102)
- Class
- 45-RW
- Course Code
- LAE.E213
- Number of credits
- 010
- Course offered
- 2021
- Offered quarter
- 3Q
- Syllabus updated
- Jul 10, 2025
- Language
- Japanese
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
English 7 is designed to improve students’ English language skills for academic purposes and provide them with more knowledge in relevant areas. The materials include topics such as international and intercultural issues as well as current topics of science and technology. Expectations require students to practice: reading academic articles, listening to English lectures, speaking before an audience, and developing skills to write paragraphs and short essays.
Course description and aims
By the end of this course, students will:
・be able to express their ideas and opinions in classes confidently
・be able to write paragraphs or short essays
・be able to better understand academic lectures
・practice effective reading strategies
Keywords
Four language skills, fostering international awareness, communication, studying abroad, TOEFL
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
The course units focus on the textbook topics 1-4 for English 7. Lessons focus on the text topics by checking background knowledge, reading passages, explaining and practicing featured skills, and doing writing exercises, with a final writing task. I provide considerable help for students through audio & video clips and grammar & vocabulary practice.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Course Introduction. Begin with Unit 2:” Lies and Truth”—the subject of honesty and dishonesty, and the possibility of absolute truth. Learn about lying and truth in contexts of personal and social behavior, politics, and history. Reading: “Looking for the Lie” about lie detection. | Reading: identify main ideas and different types of supporting details; complete a summary of a text. Writing an effective introduction. Grammar & vocabulary points. |
| Class 2 | Unit 2, continued. Reading: “On the River” (Huckleberry Finn) about acting morally in regards to lying or telling the truth. Start Unit 1: “Neuroscience and Empathy,” which provides a neurological explanation for the feeling of empathy. Reading about Mirror Neurons. | Writing an introductory paragraph with a thesis statement. Identify negative and positive connotations of words. Understand the elements of a clear narrative. |
| Class 3 | Continue Unit 1. Reading on “The Kindness of Strangers. | Grammar: past unreal conditionals. Vocabulary: word forms. Using quotes, writing an autobiographical narrative. |
| Class 4 | Unit 3 (part 1): “The Road to Success,” and the influence of personality, ambition, and other factors that contribute to success. Reading: “Gotta Dance” on following one’s passion. | Paragraph structure: topic sentence, illustration, and conclusion. Grammar: kinds of adjective clauses. |
| Class 5 | Continue Unit 3: Reading on “Kids Learn Poise Through Dance.” Identifying connecting themes between two texts. Start Unit 4: “What Is Lost in Translation?” Theme of cross-cultural insights and the impact of immigration on individuals and their families. | Synonyms, hyphenated adjectives. Write an essay on the three most important qualities a person needs to be successful. Vocabulary: use of suffixes to create related verb forms. |
| Class 6 | Continue Unit 4: Readings on immigrants’ experiences. A look at Gaijin/Japanese cross-cultural communication in Japan, especially in the area of “Polite Fictions.” | Sentence combining. Write a compare and contrast essay. |
| Class 7 | Finishing up topics and review. Final exam. | Exam will cover lesson points, grammar, vocabulary, and reading skills presented in the units. |
Study advice (preparation and review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.
Textbook(s)
NorthStar (4th ed.) Reading & Writing 5, International Student Book ISBN: 978-0-13-404978-6
Reference books, course materials, etc.
I will post lesson files for each class that include supplementary YouTube video clips, outlines and sometimes additional articles, and the lesson plans for the class.
Evaluation methods and criteria
Evaluation will be based on participation (breakout rooms) and in-class work (listening/video viewing), written homework and essays, and unit quizzes & a final exam. Essays count twice as much as other homework and quizzes. The final exam counts three times as much.
Related courses
- LAE.E111 ： English 1
- LAE.E112 ： English 2
- LAE.E113 ： English 3
- LAE.E114 ： English 4
- LAE.E211 ： English 5
- LAE.E212 ： English 6
- LAE.E214 ： English 8
- LAE.E311 ： English 9
Prerequisites
None
Other
None.