METU/SFL Spring 2023

DBE
UPPER-INTERMEDIATE GROUP
TENTATIVE SYLLABUS FOR SPAN 1
RECEPTIVE SKILLS
Reading
Types of texts: newspaper or magazine articles, encyclopedia entries, webpages, and newspaper reports
Topics: opinion essays or semi-academic/impersonal texts about the development of thought, emotional
thinking, social identity, whether personality is permanent or not, art of using broken items,
community development, causes of wild fires, a fire incident, the history of a canal, the Arctic Circle,
cholera, economic impact of diseases, the gender difference myth, butterfly effect, and teenage
courts, as well as articles about a wide variety of topics assigned as outside reading
Task types/questions:
 discuss statements about the topic of a text
 make notes on the main points in the text
 answer open-ended questions
 answer multiple choice questions
 match subheadings with parts of a text
 match topics or main ideas to paragraphs
 match items using the information in the text
 answer True/False questions and True/False/Not given questions
 fill in the blanks or complete statements with information from the text to complete a summary or
paraphrased statements without changing the form of the words
 fill in the blanks or complete statements with information from the text to complete a summary or
paraphrased statements by making the necessary changes in grammar and word forms (paraphrasing
information)
 fill in statements with words given in a box
 respond to the ideas in the text

Skills/strategies:
 scan a text to find specific information
 understand ellipsis through reference words
 skim a text to identify its purpose, audience, and tone (see the “tone” adjectives listed in Skillful 3
R&W Supplementary Material)
 recognize the function of questions in a text: to increase interest or to highlight important
information
 recognize classification of a topic in a text by noticing classification language
 skim a text divided into sections to identify the topic of each section
 recognize and understand references / identify what reference words refer to in texts
 understand the organization of a text by recognizing definitions and examples
 recognize paraphrasing in a text
 paraphrase parts of a text (to complete gaps in statements)
 understand exemplification through exemplification language
 use word parts, i.e., roots, prefixes, and suffixes, to understand meaning of a word in a text
 identify the author’s point of view through adverbs
 annotate a text by highlighting, circling, and underlining key information, writing notes in the margin,
writing questions in the margin
 read for detailed information to locate ideas in a text
 identify the main idea/topic/purpose of paragraphs of a text
 recognize functions of paragraphs: to describe, explain, define
 identify functions of sentences: to define, speculate, classify, report, name
 recognize the language that signals the organization of a text: cause-effect, comparison, contrast,
definition, classification, problems, and solutions

1
  predict content of a text by looking at accompanying images and/or the title before reading a text
and skimming the text to check the predictions
 distinguish the main idea from supporting details
 establish relationship between words, phrases, or clauses connected by linkers
 make inferences based on the information given in a text
 evaluate information presented in the text
 guess the meaning of unknown words in texts using clues and explanations provided in the text
 identify words in the text with the given meaning/synonym/antonym using the parts of speech and
meaning as a clue
 recognize derivatives (understand and use the prefixes and suffixes listed in Skillful 3 R&W
Supplementary Material 3)
 recognize collocations and make use of the knowledge of collocations while paraphrasing parts of a
text
 paraphrase by changing the word order, combining two or more sentences, using synonyms and
antonyms, different forms of language and nominalization
 paraphrase sentences using prepositional phrases (because of, due to and owing to)
 paraphrase sentences using adverb clauses of concession (despite and in spite of)
 nominalize words by making a noun or noun phrase from a clause, verb, or adjective
 read instructions carefully and follow them (in exams, handouts, and textbooks)

Listening
Types of texts: brief talks, (longer) talks, conversations, mini lectures, (longer) lectures, interviews,
discussions, and a weather forecast
Topics: a wide variety of topics that could be of interest to the general audience, such as homeschooling,
immigrant women, drug addiction, child labor, etc.
Task types/questions:
 answer multiple choice questions while listening
 match items while listening
 fill in the blanks in statements or in tables while listening
 take notes using short forms and symbols
 answer open-ended questions using their notes
Skills/strategies:
 listen for gist
 identify the topic/main idea/main point/purpose of a conversation/(brief) talk
 identify the purpose of the speaker
 follow the main point of a talk
 identify the details of a talk
 follow lines of argument in a conversation
 identify the relationship between the speakers
 infer where the speakers are (talking)/where the conversation takes place
 understand the main reasons for and against an idea
 follow topic development in a talk/lecture, etc.
 listen for specific information
 make inferences from the information given in a listening text
 take effective notes while listening to answer an open-ended question
 identify signposts and listing signals to follow the content
 infer the attitude of the speaker based on the words chosen by the speaker

2
PRODUCTIVE SKILLS
Writing
Types of texts: essays

Task types and topics:

 In Skillful 3 R&W Unit 3 Writing Task, students write an essay of about 250 words comparing and
contrasting the importance of emotional and intellectual intelligence in the workplace.
 in Skillful 3 R&W Unit 4 Writing Task , students write an essay of about 250 words on the problem of
campfires and solutions to this problem.
 in Skillful 3 R&W Unit 6 Writing Task, students write an essay of about 250 words on the importance of
funding research into disease by building cause and effect relationships.
By the end of this span, students will have practiced:
 brainstorming by using different methods, e.g., making charts, free writing, and making word maps; to
generate ideas at the pre-writing stage
 organizing the ideas that are created during brainstorming by deleting some of the ideas, adding new
ideas, and ordering the ideas
 planning and outlining; forming a thesis and organizing their ideas to support it
 writing essay introductions by introducing the topic, getting the reader’s interest, answering the
question posed in the “Writing Task” clearly and directly with a thesis statement, and signposting
what the essay will cover
 writing the body paragraphs of an essay in which they develop their arguments with supporting
information by giving reasons, examples, etc.
 writing the conclusion of an essay by restating the main idea or summarizing the most important
arguments, and describing what might happen in the future if the topic is suitable for it
 editing their own essays
 organizing and writing an essay that makes use of points to compare and contrast in two possible
ways: point-by-point or block
 comparison language: similarly, likewise, in the same way, like, similar to, similar/alike in terms of / in
that, similar to X in that, both X and Y, X and Y both, not only X but also Y, neither X nor Y; unlike, in
contrast to/with, as opposed to, X is different from Y in many/two/several ways…in terms of/in that,
while, whereas, (much) + comparative adjective + than (as taught in WHO 1)
 organizing and writing an essay that includes the analysis of a problem and solutions to it
 useful language to introduce solutions: can, may, should, need to; useful language to mention
consequences: when, if, unless (as taught in WHO 2)
 organizing and writing an essay that is based on cause-and-effect relationships
 useful language for cause-and-effect relationships: cause (v), is caused by, two/three (main) causes,
result from, therefore, help sb (to) do sth, enable sb to do sth, facilitate, improve, make sth
possible/easy/fast, increase (v), decrease (v), reduce, harm, damage, prevent sb from, be less/more
likely to do sth, have difficulty in (as taught in WHO 3)
 writing definitions to include in an essay
 linking ideas using linkers/connectors
 paying attention to unity, cohesion, and coherence
 using a variety of vocabulary items to convey meaning
 using a variety of grammar structures to convey meaning

3
Speaking
Tasks: discuss specific questions on specific topics in pairs/groups or as a whole class, ask and answer
questions to elicit personal opinions, have discussions about an aspect of the topic that they read or
hear about, agree or disagree on a subject, and hold a class debate

Skills/strategies:
 express opinions
 give short and long answers to questions
 speak clearly to be heard and understood
 talk about facts about the topic of a reading or listening text
 develop arguments and support them
 pronounce English sounds correctly; pronounce words in a comprehensible way
 read a text aloud properly by paying attention to pronunciation and intonation
 contribute to a class debate

Vocabulary
 understand and use the vocabulary items indicated in the Active Vocabulary List for Span 1.

GRAMMAR / STRUCTURES

ADVERBS FOR HEDGING: SKILLFUL 3 R&W

 adverbs such as “probably, maybe, perhaps, likely”
UNIT 3 p.58
 adverbs such as “some, most, a few, about, approximately, somewhat,
predominantly”
 adverbial phrases such as “in some cases, for some people, most of the time,
for the most part”
REFLEXIVE PRONOUNS: SKILLFUL 3 R&W
myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves
UNIT 1 p.22
 used when the object of a sentence is the same person, thing, or idea as the
subject
 used to add emphasis (e.g., Jane criticized her employees for being late, yet
she herself was frequently late.)
“CAN” FOR UNIVERSAL TRUTHS SKILLFUL 3 R&W
“Can” to talk about things that are often true or that are possible. (“Be able to”
UNIT 2 p.40
cannot be used as a synonym for “can” in this sense.)

Writers often hedge their use of “can” with adverbs such as “sometimes, often,
and usually,” and phrases such as “in some cases, in some circumstances, and
in some situations.”
“UNLESS” AND “PROVIDED” SKILLFUL 3 R&W
Unless meaning “except if” or “only if”
UNIT 6 p.112
Provided meaning “if” or “on condition that”