COURSE DESCRIPTION

1. Course introduction
Course name: English B2.3 Credit:
Course code:
Duration: Sessions: 26 Each session: 1 hour 30 minutes
Scale: 10
Passing score: 4
Course prerequisites: Course code:

2. Course outcome
2.1. Knowledge
Students will develop a foundational knowledge of English language essentials at the A2 level
through the utilization of "Top Notch 2." This will include:
- Vocabulary: Acquiring a basic vocabulary related to topics such as greetings and social
interactions (Unit 1), movies (Unit 2), hotel accommodations (Unit 3), shopping (Unit
5), and food (Unit 6).
- Grammar: Understanding and applying fundamental grammatical structures presented in
the book within the context of these everyday topics.
- Reading Comprehension: Grasping the main ideas and details from texts within the A2
proficiency level, with a focus on texts related to greetings, movies, hotels, shopping,
and food.
- Listening Comprehension: Developing the ability to understand spoken English in
various contexts, with a specific focus on the listening exercises related to greetings,
movies, hotels, shopping, and food in each unit.
2.2. Skill
The course is designed to enhance various language skills essential for effective
communication, with a specific emphasis on:
- Speaking: Engaging in spoken interactions to express ideas and opinions related to
greetings, movies, hotels, shopping, and food.
 - Listening: Developing listening skills through exposure to authentic materials and
dialogues related to the specified topics in each unit, employing task types such as
Matching Pictures, Gap-fill, MCQs, and Matching.
- Reading: Improving reading skills with a focus on understanding texts related to
everyday life at the A2 level, particularly those centered around greetings, movies,
hotels, shopping, and food, utilizing task types like Gap-fill, MCQs, and TFNG.
- Writing: Acquiring the skill to compose clear and concise informal emails based on
the thematic content.
2.3. Attitude
- The course aims to foster positive attitudes and motivation towards language
learning and effective communication. Students will be encouraged to:
- Embrace Cultural Understanding: Cultivate a positive attitude towards understanding
cultural nuances related to greetings, movies, hotels, shopping, and food.
- Apply Learning to Real-World Scenarios: Develop the mindset of applying language
skills, especially in the context of informal email writing, listening comprehension,
and reading comprehension, to practical, everyday situations within the specified
topics.
- Collaborate and Share: Encourage a supportive and collaborative learning
environment where students can share ideas and experiences related to the specified
topics in each unit and task types.
- Reflect on Progress: Promote self-reflection on language development, celebrating
achievements and recognizing areas for improvement, particularly in informal email
writing, listening, and reading comprehension with specific task types.
3. Materials
Topnotch 2A & B

4. Course structure

● Self-study sessions on the LMS (E-learning) ( 13 sessions): Focused on grammar,

vocabulary, and reading/listening.

● Interactive classroom sessions (13 sessions): Concentrate on speaking and writing

activities, reinforcing the material learned in self-study.

5. Syllabus
Session Unit (In Part Content Notes
class/ E-
learning)
1 1 (In class) 1&2 - Course introduction
- Lesson 1: Speaking
- Lesson 2: Conversation model +
vocabulary

2 1 (E-learning) - Grammar lesson 1&2:

+ E-learning involves the
presentation of this tense in
Vietnamese and provides
extra practice. Teachers can
still cover this tense in the
class by using the textbook or
- Preview unit 1 workbook.
- Grammar lesson 1 & 2
+ E-learning this week also
- Pre-reading
includes the grammatical
- Pre-listening
point of "since/for" in Unit 2.

- Pre-reading and pre-

listening involve pre-teaching
vocabulary for the reading
and listening tasks in the
textbook.

3 1 (In class) 2&3&4 - Lesson 2: Grammar & Now you

can
- Lesson 3: Reading
- Lesson 4: Listening

4 1 (E-learning) - Reading practice

- Review Unit 1 & Preview
- Listening practice
Unit 2 & Vocabulary: E-
- Review Unit 1
learning uses the same tasks
- Preview Unit 2
as those presented in the
- Vocabulary: Explanations for being
textbook.
late

5 1&2 (In class) - Writing: informal email

Tasks in Unit 1 Writing: Teachers access this
link for writing tasks.
- Unit 2 - Lesson 1: Grammar +
Conversation model + Now you can
6 2 (E-learning) - Vocabulary Lesson 2: E-
learning uses the same tasks
as those presented in the
textbook.
- Grammar Lesson 2: E-
learning involves the
- Vocabulary Lesson 2 presentation of this
grammatical point in
- Grammar Lesson 2 Vietnamese and provides
- Pre-listening extra practice. Teachers can
- Pre-reading still cover this tense in the
- Writing practice class by using the textbook or
workbook.
- Pre-reading and pre-
listening involve pre-teaching
vocabulary for the reading
and listening tasks in the
textbook.

7 2 (In class) - Lesson 2: Grammar + Conversation

model + Now you can
2&3&4
- Lesson 3: Listening
- Lesson 4: Reading

8 2 (E-learning) - Review Unit 2 & Preview

Unit 3: E-learning uses the
same tasks as those presented
in the textbook.
- Reading practice
- Listening practice - Grammar: E-learning
- REVIEW Unit 2 involves the presentation of
- Preview Unit 3 this grammatical point in
- Grammar: WILL Vietnamese and provides
extra practice. Teachers can
still cover this tense in the
class by using the textbook or
workbook.

9 2 & 3 (In - Writing: informal email

class) - Writing: Teachers access
Tasks in Unit 2
this link for writing tasks.
- Unit 3 - Lesson 1: Speaking

10 3 (E-learning) - Grammar: The real conditional - Grammar: E-learning

- Pre-listening involves the presentation of
- Pre-reading this grammatical point in
- Writing practice Vietnamese and provides
 extra practice. Teachers can
still cover this tense in the
class by using the textbook or
workbook.
- Pre-reading and pre-
listening involve pre-teaching
vocabulary for the reading
and listening tasks in the
textbook.

11 3 (In class) - Lesson 2: Grammar + Conversation

model + Now you can
2&3&4
- Lesson 3: Listening
- Lesson 4: Reading

12 3 (E-learning) - Reading practice - Review Unit 3 & Preview

- Listening practice Unit 5 & Vocabulary: E-
- REVIEW Unit 3 learning uses the same tasks
- Preview Unit 5 as those presented in the
- Vocabulary Lesson 1 textbook.

13 3 & 5 (In - Writing: informal email

class) - Writing: Teachers access
Tasks in Unit 3
this link for writing tasks.
- Unit 5 - Lesson 1: Speaking

14 5 (E-learning) - Grammar: E-learning

- Grammar 1: quantifiers for
indefinite quantities and amounts
- Grammar 2: indefinite pronouns
- Pre-listening
- Pre-reading
- Writing practice
involves the presentation of
this grammatical point in
Vietnamese and provides
extra practice. Teachers can
still cover this tense in the
class by using the textbook or
workbook.
- Pre-reading and pre-
listening involve pre-teaching
vocabulary for the reading
and listening tasks in the
textbook.

15 5 (In class) - Lesson 2: Speaking

2&3&4 - Lesson 3: Listening
- Lesson 4: Reading

16 5 (E-learning) - Reading practice - Review Unit 5 & Preview

- Listening practice Unit 6 & Vocabulary: E-
- REVIEW Unit 5 learning uses the same tasks
- Preview Unit 6 as those presented in the
 textbook.
- Vocabulary Unit 6

17 5 & 6 (In - Writing: informal email

class)
Tasks in Unit 5 - Writing: Teachers access
this link for writing tasks.
- Unit 6 - Lesson 1: Speaking

18 6 (E-learning) - Grammar: E-learning

- Grammar 1: used to
- Vocabulary Lesson 2
- Pre-listening
- Pre-reading
- Writing practice
involves the presentation of
this grammatical point in
Vietnamese and provides
extra practice. Teachers can
still cover this tense in the
class by using the textbook or
workbook.
- Pre-reading and pre-
listening involve pre-teaching
vocabulary for the reading
and listening tasks in the
textbook.
- Vocabulary: E-learning uses
the same tasks as those
presented in the textbook.

19 6 (In class) - Lesson 2: Speaking

2&3&4 - Lesson 3: Listening
- Lesson 4: Reading

20 6 (E-learning) - Grammar: E-learning

- Reading practice
-. Listening practice
- REVIEW Unit 6
- Gerunds & infinitives
involves the presentation of
this grammatical point in
Vietnamese and provides
extra practice. Teachers can
still cover this tense in the
class by using the textbook or
workbook.
- Review: E-learning uses the
same tasks as those presented
in the textbook.

21 6 & 7 (In - Writing: informal email - Writing: Teachers access

class) this link for writing tasks.
Tasks in Unit 6
 - Unit 7 - Lesson 1: Speaking

22 7 (E-learning) - Grammar: E-learning

- Writing practice
- Grammar lesson 2 (gerunds as
objects of prepositions)
- Speaking practice
involves the presentation of
this grammatical point in
Vietnamese and provides
extra practice. Teachers can
still cover this tense in the
class by using the textbook or
workbook.

23 7 (In class) - Lesson 2: Speaking

- Revision

24 7 (E-learning) - Reading practice

- Listening practice
- Revision

25 7 (In class) Revision

26 Final tests

6. Assessment and Grading

Progre Elearnin ● Students are required to study by themselves with the provided

ss g supplementary materials and do the quizzes on the university

(50%) (20%) LMS.

● The lecturer controls students’ progress every week.

● With regard to Listening/Reading exercises, the lecturer can

either use ones in the main text book or any other materials that

suits the theme/topic of the unit and the level of the course

(CERF A2).

● The lecturer also has to require students to retake the test if their
 scores are not satisfying enough. In case students do not do so,

they will receive no point for this score component.

● This score component is marked based on how well students

complete the E-learning sessions.

Speaking + Speaking Video 1 (15%): Group work (Students record videos in

pairs, engaging in a conversation about topics learned throughout the

(30%)
course.)

+ Speaking Video 2 (15%): Individual work (Students record their own

videos.)

Final ● Vocabulary & Grammar: Teachers can create vocabulary and

test
grammatical items and include these in the Reading or Listening tests.

(50%)
● Listening: Students need to complete a listening test with 15-20 questions

based on Matching Pictures, Gap-fill, MCQs, and Matching task types.

● Reading: Students need to complete a reading test with 15-20 questions

based on Gap-fill, MCQs, and TFNG task types.

● Writing: Students need to compose a brief email on specific topics within

the range of 30-70 words.

 7. Marking scheme

7.1. Writing (10 maximum)

Points Content & Organisation Language

- Uses everyday vocabulary
- All content is relevant to the generally appropriately, while
task. occasionally overusing certain
lexis.
- Target reader is fully
informed. - Uses simple grammatical
5
forms with a good degree of
- Text is connected and
control.
coherent, using basic linking
words and a limited number of - While errors are noticeable,
cohesive devices. meaning can still be
determined.
4 Performance shares features of Bands 3 and 5
- Uses basic vocabulary
- Minor irrelevances and/or
reasonably appropriately.
omissions may be present.
- Uses simple grammatical
- Target reader is on the whole
3 forms with some degree of
informed.
control.
- Text is connected using basic,
- Errors may impede meaning
high-frequency linking words.
at times
2 Performance shares features of Bands 1 and 3
1 - Irrelevances and - Produces basic vocabulary of
misinterpretation of task may isolated words and phrases.
be present.
- Produces few simple
- Target reader is minimally grammatical forms with only
informed. limited control.
- Production unlikely to be
connected, though punctuation
and simple connectors (i.e.
 ‘and’) may on occasion be
used.
0 Performance below Band 1

7.2. Speaking (10 maximum)

Pronunciation & Interactive

Points Grammar and Vocabulary
- Shows a good degree of
controlof simple grammatical
forms. Uses a range of
5
appropriate vocabulary when
talking about everyday
situations.
4 Performance shares features of Bands 3 and 5
- Shows sufficient control of
simple grammatical forms.
3 - Maintains simple exchanges,
Uses appropriate vocabulary to
talk about everyday situations.
2 Performance shares features of Bands 1 and 3
1 - Shows only limited control of
a few grammatical forms. Uses
a vocabulary of isolated words
and phrases.
Communication
- Is mostly intelligible, and
has some control of
phonological features at both
utterance and word levels.
- Maintains simple exchanges.
Requires very little prompting
and support.
- Is mostly intelligible, despite
limited control of
phonological features.
despite some difficulty.
Requires prompting and
support.
- Has very limited control of
phonological features and is
often unintelligible.
- Has considerable difficulty
maintaining simple
exchanges. Requires
additional prompting and
 support.
0 Performance below Band 1

8. Learning method

Learning methods include:

- Listening to lecturer;
- Reading materials and doing homework before class;
- Studying on Elearning
- Engaging in discussion/ activities in class;
- Participating in presentation.