Institute of Business Administration

Karachi
Remedial English
Course Outline
Course Instructors: Rabail Qayyum & Sameen Alam
BBA, BS I
Fall 2012
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Course Description:
This foundational course is primarily designed to ensure that students acquire sufficient English
proficiency to become capable of following instruction in the more advanced English Grammar
and Composition course. It concentrates on redressing the basic aspects of language, with stress
on the effective use of grammar for clear communication. Hence the students will study the four
skills - reading, writing, speaking and listening - driven by integrated grammar activities, and
aligned with the needs of the learners.

Course Objectives:
The course is designed to help you:
• develop your vocabulary range and improve your (pronunciation &) grammar
• critically read academic texts
• produce correct & appropriate written & spoken texts.

Speaking & Listening

At the end of the course students will be able to:
• communicate effectively in real life situations
• identify main message
• give reasons/examples to justify their views

Reading
At the end of the course, students will illustrate how to:
• skim and scan a given text
• distinguish between facts and opinions
• recognize main and supporting ideas in written texts
• distinguish between different forms of writing and understand the importance of each
• identify appropriate vocabulary and collocation errors in a given text
• interpret charts and graphs

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Writing
At the end of the course, students will demonstrate how to:
• determine a purpose and audience for writing
• develop unified, coherent and concise paragraphs
• manage paragraph transitions
• use effective and appropriately linked sentence structures
• use appropriate vocabulary and identify collocation errors

Methodology:
The course is designed to be learner-based and the methodology draws from this focus. The
learning is aimed to be attained through a communicative approach. The students are provided
with a stimulating learning environment that offers many opportunities for improving
communication skills through open discussions, language awareness exercises and activities.
These interactive activities will encourage original and critical thinking. The students are made
aware of the importance of collaboration by engaging in group work. The affordances of peer
review will be used to increase students’ understanding of a wide range of language issues.
The teacher will closely monitor the learning process.

Session Topic

1 Introduction

2-3 Reading Strategies

• Levels of comprehension
• Strategies for effective reading
• Differentiating between fact and opinion

4 Listening Skills
• Strategies for effective listening
• Levels of comprehension

5 Vocabulary
• Appropriate vocabulary
• Avoiding collocation errors

6-8 Grammar & Usage

• Tenses
• Subject-verb agreement
• Articles
• Prepositions
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9 Effective Sentences
• Complex and compound sentences
• Coordination and subordination

10-12 Interpreting Visual Information

• Charts
• Graphs
• Tables
• Diagrams

13-16 Paragraph Writing

• Topic sentences
• Paragraph transitions
• Punctuation

17-19 From Paragraph to Essay

20-22 Speaking Skills

• Formal v/s informal
• Techniques for reducing speaker anxiety
• Verbal and nonverbal aspects of delivery
• Audience analysis
• Use of visual aid

23-24 Extempore Speeches

25-27 Rehearsed Speeches

28 Review

Reference Books:
1. The St. Martin’s Guide to Writing by Rise B. Axelrod and Charles R. Cooper. 9th Edition
2010

2. Academic Writing: A Handbook for International Students by Stephen Bailey. 2007

3. Oxford Practice Grammar by John Eastwood

4. A Practical English Grammar Exercises 1 and 2 by A. J. Thomson and A. V. Martinet

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 5. Practical English Usage by Michael Swan, Oxford University Press

6. The Good Grammar Book by M. Swan and C. Walters, Oxford University Press

Dictionary:
Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary latest edition

Grading Plan:
Assignments 20 Marks
Class Participation 10 Marks
Rehearsed Speeches 10 Marks
Term Examinations (15 marks each) 30 Marks
Final Examination 30 Marks
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Total 100 Marks

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