Academic English Program

Advanced English Speaking

Level 1 – Spring 2021

This online course focuses on spoken English with an emphasis on presenting and discussing topics and ideas that interest you in order to improve your listening comprehension, pronunciation, intonation, and word stress. You will choose your own topics, which can be professional, cultural, and/or academic. You will pursue these interests through research, group discussion, and two presentations with the goal of gaining a deeper understanding of the material and the ability to speak about it clearly. This class will also provide opportunities for practicing accent-removal exercises, analyzing aspects of speech found in authentic source materials, and learning new expressions and idioms.

For our textbook, we will be using Keynote Advanced, which offers language instruction based around TED Talks. The book and the included TED Talks offer a leaping-off point into conversation topics, grammar points, public speaking skills, and presentation tips. You will be required to give two presentations of your own, one in the middle of the course, and one at the end of the course. You can choose a different topic for each presentation or you may expand on your first topic for your final presentation. While this course has a general framework, it is responsive to your suggestions. Students are encouraged to ask questions throughout the class.

Reading Texts:

Advanced English Speaking

Instructor: Damian Harris-Hernandez

Where: Online

Schedule: Coming Spring 2021

Days: Every Monday and Wednesday

Times: 9:00 – 11:00 AM EST

Cost: $500

About the Instructor:

Damian Hoca graduated from Columbia University’s Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies department, where he learned Turkish. He began teaching English in 2014 while living in Turkey. He has been giving online English classes to refugees for two years. He also works as a translator. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, he has been residing in New York for eleven years. He lives with his wife and two children.

 

Damian Hoca, Türkçe öğrendiği Columbia Üniversitesi Ortadoğu, Güney Asya, ve Afrika Çalışmaları (MESAAS) bölümünden mezun olmuştur. Türkiye’de otururken 2014 yılında İngilizce öğretmeye başlamıştır. İki yıldır Türk mültecilere online İngilizce derslerini vermektedir. Çevirmen olarak da çalışmaktadır. Amerika’nın küzeybatısında doğup yetiştiği halde on bir yıldır New York’ta oturmaktadır. Eşi ve iki çocuğuyla yaşamaktadır.

 

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To Apply:

To apply for admission to Advanced English Speaking, please complete the form bellow. After Completing the application form, students will be contacted by an RGS teacher to schedule an assessment test. This assessment is designed to evaluate the student’s current level of English speaking and writing ability, to answer any questions the student may have, and to help guide them to the course that will be best suited to their ability and goals.