First Foreign Language I (English)
Code: 103760Credits: 6
| Degree programme | Type | Course |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel Management | FB | 1 |
Contact lecturer
- Name :
- Roger Nicholson
- Email :
- roger.nicholson@uab.cat
Group languages
You can consult this information at the end of the document.
Prerequisites
There are no prerequisites.
Objectives
Students acquire linguistic knowledge and develop written and oral communication skills, so that at the end of this first year they are able to:
1. Express themselves both orally and in writing on issues of general interest.
2. Understand native speakers when they address them directly and hold a conversation on issues of mutual interest.
3. Understand the overall meaning of a conversation between native speakers and its most important points.
4. Understand both short and long written texts on various topics, especially on issues related to hospitality.
5. Know the components of a text (paragraphs, punctuation, deixis, connectors and anaphoric, cataphoric and exophoric reference).
6. Summarize texts, including the most significant points.
7. Understand and use different linguistic registers.
8. Express themselves orally in situations related to the hospitality sector using appropriate language and suitable register.
9. Express themselves effectively, both orally and in writing, on issues of general interest and tourism related issues.
10. Present a topic related to one aspect of their lives before an audience.
Skills-related objectives
By the end of the four-year programme, students must be able to:
- Develop a degree of accuracy (grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary use, registration, etc.) and fluency (speed in production, ability to express ideas and develop discourse), both written and oral expression, equivalent to level C1.1 level UAB Idiomes.
- Develop strategies and skills to understand authentic written and oral texts.
- Develop strategies to continue learning outside the classroom.
- Develop the ability to function efficiently and confidentlyin both everyday and tourism related situations
- Use reference materials necessary for learning languages: online dictionaries, textbooks or exercises,etc.
- Function orally in any situation related to the hospitality sector using appropriate language and a suitable register.
- Be able to apply for a job related to the hotel and catering sector in English (write CVs, cover emails, fill in application forms, and communicate effectively during the interview in English).
- Know whether to take further language courses in order to maintain or improve their current level.
- Develop strategies and skills to be able to explain food and catering services to overseas diners both orally and in writing.
Learning outcomes
- CM01 (Design projects and presentations related to the hotel, restaurant and events sector in a first and second foreign language that take into account principles of sustainability in the sector.) Design projects and presentations related to the hotel, restaurant and events sector in a first and second foreign language that take into account principles of sustainability in the sector.
- CM02 (Autonomously construct oral and written discourse adapted to the level required in the sector in a first and second foreign language.) Autonomously construct oral and written discourse adapted to the level required in the sector in a first and second foreign language.
- CM03 (Generate academic papers in formats matching the demands and style of tourism companies considering gender roles.) Generate academic papers in formats matching the demands and style of tourism companies considering gender roles.
- KM01 (Identify existing communication vocabulary of tourism companies in a first and second foreign language.) Identify existing communication vocabulary of tourism companies in a first and second foreign language.
- KM02 (Identify existing grammatical forms in the communication of tourism companies in a first and second foreign language.) Identify existing grammatical forms in the communication of tourism companies in a first and second foreign language.
- SM01 (Hold a conversation appropriate to the level of the interlocutor in the tourism and hotel sector.) Hold a conversation appropriate to the level of the interlocutor in the tourism and hotel sector.
- SM02 (Use the idiomatic particularities that the tourism sector requires in a first and second foreign language.) Use the idiomatic particularities that the tourism sector requires in a first and second foreign language.
- SM03 (Use the appropriate vocabulary and level in the sector to make presentations and oral debates.) Use the appropriate vocabulary and level in the sector to make presentations and oral debates.
Contents
Just as skills and abilities are related in the language learning process, the contents listed below will be interrelated during the course. Linguistic content is divided into functions as well as lexical and grammatical content.
Linguistic functions
1. Maintain a conversation with hotel guests and diners by using a formal register and avoiding the use of overly familiar expressions.
2. Understand both short and long written texts on various topics, especially on issues related to hospitality.
3. Provide information about the availability of accommodation and describe its facilities.
4. Understand and use lexis related to groups with special needs (culture and reduced mobility) in real work situations.
Lexical and grammatical content
1. Review of basic verb tenses (past, present, future) in the affirmative, negative and interrogative.
2. Modal verbs to express obligation, permission, prohibition, necessity, advice and requests.
3. Use of the future progressive to soften requests and questions.
4. The difference between adjectives ending in -ing or -ed.
5. Gender neutral expressions (room attendant, bellhop, bartender, manager, spokesperson, flight attendant, etc.).
6. There + be to express existence (there is, there are, there was, there were, there will be, etc.).
7. Use of auxiliary verbs be, do and have.
8. Be used to, get used to and used to + infinitive.
9. Frequency adverbs and expressions.
10. Combinations of adjectives and prepositions.
11. Introduction to the three basic conditionals, open conditionals and other types of "if clause".
12. Relative clauses.
13. Frequent phrasal verbs and prepositional verbs.
14. Narrative tenses (past simple, past continuous, past perfect continuous).
15. Conjunctions and other connecting words (reasoning and contrast).
16. Components of a text (paragraphs, punctuation, deixis, connectors and conjunctions, register and adaptation, anaphoric, cataphoric and exophoric reference).
17. Basic vocabulary of special purposes (types of accommodation, facilities, equipment and furniture, hotel departments and their organisational structure, job titles, etc.).
Learning activities and methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tutorials | 2.5 | 0.1 | |
| Projects and portfolio | 81 | 3.24 | |
| Classes | 60 | 2.4 |
Classroom language: English
A modified version of the communicative approach is used: small groups performing communicative tasks, with a balance between learning grammatical structures and linguistic functions while paying equal attention to the four language skills but without forgetting the peculiarities of a language course designed for hotel management students.
Classroom activities include debates, reading articles on the hospitality sector and of general interest, grammar exercises and vocabulary, listening comprehension exercises, reading concordance sheets (data-driven learning), writing assignments, cooperative learning, work in closed pairs, discovery learning and role playing. Prior to each class, participants should consult the Virtual Campus (\"Notícies\" followed by \"Links\" o \"Materials\") for reading material about the hospitality sector or general issues with a view to contributing to debate in class.
Assessment
Continuous assessment activities
| Title | Weight | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portfolio | 20% | 0 | 0 | CM02, CM03, KM01, KM02, SM02 |
| Projects | 20% | 1 | 0.04 | CM01, CM02, CM03, KM01, KM02, SM02, SM03 |
| Second semester test | 40% | 3 | 0.12 | CM02, KM01, KM02, SM01, SM02, SM03 |
| First semester test | 20% | 2.5 | 0.1 | CM02, KM01, KM02, SM01, SM02, SM03 |
Continuous assessment
1. Projects. They are prepared during the course under the supervision of teachers and presented to the class.
2. Portfolio. It assesses the four language skills. Activities may be done at home or in class.
Examples of such activities are listed below:
Written assignments
Short reading activities
Short tests
Self-assessment forms
Finding information
Document production
The days scheduled by the school for mid-term exams may be used to carry out dossier work; for example short reading or listening tests.
3. Mid-year exams. A mid-term exam is held during the periods scheduled by the school for exams, one of which will be a written test (two tasks) while the other one will be a listening test. The format should be similar to the final exam.
4. Final test.
A minimum class attendance of 80% is required to be able to participate in continuous assessment.
Final exam.
Students who have not passed the continuous assessment are entitled to take a final exam that tests the four language skills. In order to pass the exam, and therefore the course itself, a minimum mark of 50% must be obtained in each skill (each part of the exam) and a minimum 60% overall.
Single-assessment option.
The single assessment option to pass the course is based on the completion of a final exam, which assesses the four language skills. This exam is held on the same day as the final exam.
To pass the final exam, and therefore the course itself, a minimum mark of 50% must be obtained in each skill (each part of the exam): oral expression, written expression, reading and listening. Each of the four parts will have the same weight in the final grade.
An overall average grade of 60% is required.
Reassessment for the single-assessment option
When students are evaluated by means of single assessment, the examination will be the same as that of the rest of the students.
Changing the exam date.
Students who cannot take the exam on the set dates due to health, work (trips or other similar obligations) or on compassionate grounds may ask their teacher for a change of date, supplying any necessary documents, and giving notice of at least seven calendar days except in extreme cases such as accidents. If the request is accepted, the exams must still be taken within the period set by the School of Tourism and Hotel Management.
Other features of assessment.
Students who have passed continuous assessment are not allowed to sit the final exam in order to obtain a higher mark.
Levels are not officially certified.
The grade for the subject will be NOT EVALUABLE when the student attends less than half of the assessment activities and/or does not attend the final exam.
Academic misconduct.
In the event of a student committing any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade awarded to an assessment activity, the student will be given a zero for this activity, regardless of any disciplinary process that may take place. In the event of several irregularities in assessment activities of the same subject, the student will be given a zero as the final grade for this subject.
Use of artificial intelligence programmes.
This subject entirely prohibits the use of AI technologies in all its activities. Any submitted work that contains content generated using AI will be considered academic dishonesty; the corresponding grade will be awarded a zero, without the possibility of reassessment. In cases of greater infringement, more serious action may be taken.
Bibliography
Books:
Redston, Chris. and Cunningham, Gillie. (2013). Face2Face (Upper Intermediate Student Book Second Edition), Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Stott, Trish. Pohl, Alison. (2010). Highly Recommended 2 (Student Book), Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Strutt, Peter. (2003). Inglés For International Tourism (Intermediate Students' Book), Harlow: Longman.
Wood, Neil. (2003). Tourism and Catering Workshop, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Harding, Keith. Henderson, Peter. (1992). High Season (English for the Hotel and Tourist Industry), Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Note: it will be compulsory to purchase the first book on the list.
Websites:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/
http://wikitravel.org/en
www.thefreedictionary.com
http://diccionario.reverso.net/
www.tripadvisor.com
www.breakingnewsenglish.com
Software
There isn't any.
Course groups and languages
The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE
| Type of teaching | Group | Language | Semester | Shift |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (TE) Theory | 1 | English | annual | morning-mixed |