English Language Transition Program at UWRF

Oral Communications 814 - Narva College Autumn 2018 Hotspot Cities Research one of these  “hotspot” cities: Auckland, Sydney, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Hanoi, Seoul, Tokyo, Riyadh, Dubai, Paris, Amsterdam, London, Sao Paulo, Lima, Toronto, New York City, Houston, Los Angeles, or San Francisco. Learn about 1) major tourist attractions and 2) problems facing the city. Share at least three of the city’s tourist attractions and a problem facing the city. Post (enter your comment) your research on the blog by 22:00 on Tuesday, October 30th. State your name in your blog, as in "This is Rhonda." Read and respond to at least two classmates’ postings by 11:45 on Thursday, October 25th .

What makes writing interesting and fun? Often incorporating popular culture, or known characters into our teaching can help motivate students as well as teachers. In order to think more about this topic, please 1) read the article titled, " Increasing English Language Writing Fluency with Fanfiction ," in TESOL Connections and then respond to the questions below. What is the "gist" or the main take-away from this article? What are your general thoughts about using Fanfiction when teaching? Is this a technique you could or would incorporate into your teaching? Why or why not? List 3-5 novels, movies, TV shows, or short stories that would be interesting to your students (or you!). Post your responses (answers to the questions) by Tuesday, October 2nd at 22:00. Read and respond to at least two students’ posts by Thursday, October 4th at 22:00. You can "post" below in the "enter a comment" area. Please write yo...

 In order to practice your listening skills, please watch a BBC News report . Think about what you learned and what new phrases you heard. 1) Post a comment below by 22.00 on Monday, September 24th where you write 5-8 sentences about the new information and phrases you learned. 2) Read your classmates comments and post a response to at least two peoples' posts by 22.00 on Wednesday, September 26th. 

The E conomies of your Countries How would you describe the economy of your country?   Consider the questions below. If you don't know the answers to the questions, conduct online research to find information.  Respond to each question below in the "Enter a Comment" area. Please respond to the questions by Wednesday, April 4th at 11:59 pm . Please r ead other people's comments and respond to at least TWO other people's comments by Thursday, April 5th at 11:59 pm . 1. Is there a large disparity between rich and poor in your country? 2. Do you think the disparity between rich and poor countries can be controlled? Should it be controlled? 3. What are some of the biggest charities in your country? Do they have much influence over your government and businesses? 4. What are the most important product and services for your country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP)?

LRK - Task 8: Understanding the U.S Classroom Learning Environment  In order to better understand U.S. classroom culture: 1)  Watch  the 4 minute video  Living in the U.S.- Formal Classroom Culture 2)  Read  the webpages,  U.S. Academic Culture  and US Classroom Culture in Higher Education ( insert  the webpage addresses into  Lingro   first for vocabulary development) 3)  Answer  the questions below by leaving a comment in the box by Monday, November 13th at  11:59 pm 4)  Respond  to three other student's comments by Thursday, November 16th at 11:59 pm 1. Do you agree with the webpage author's and the video's characterization of U.S. classroom culture and values? What experiences have you had that  confirm  or  contradict  the writers'  claim s? 2. What values do you think are most important in your country's classroom learning environment? Explain. Your ans...

Extra credit opportunity Earn 3 points by attending the Winter 101 presentation today at 4:00 in the Trimbelle Room in the UC and by completing the tasks. Post your answers to the following questions by clicking on "Leave a Comment:" List at least two pieces of information learned about winter in Wisconsin? What will you do now that you have attended this presentation? Will you buy certain items? Will you do specific activities? What questions do you still have about winter in Wisconsin? After you post your answers, read through the other students' responses. Respond to at least one other student's response. Deadline : Monday, October 23rd at 11:59 pm Have fun!! Learn a lot!!!

Extra Credit Opportunity Earn three points of extra credit by attending the Language Matters / Year of Korea Discussion and completing the following tasks Language, Culture, and Identity Panel Discussion October 9, 2017 at 6:00 pm in the North Hall Auditorium . Junghyo Ahn, SooJin Pate, Byong Moon Kim with moderator UWRF Geography professor John Heppen. Traditional Korean drummers will perform before and after the panel discussion. Tasks: 1. Read about Language Matters and the Year of South Korea from the websites. 2. Attend the Panel Discussion at 6:00 in North Hall. Take notes. 3. Answer the following questions by posting to the blog (click "Enter a Comment" below). What are some new words you learned from the event? You should list two - three. What did you learn from the event or what was your impression of the event?  4. Read the other blog postings and reply to at least one other person's post. DUE DATE: All tasks must be complet...

ESL 301 Beyond the Reading Unit 4 Analyzing Information - Critical thinking involves thinking carefully about important topics that the writer has not completely explained.  Critical Thinking In Reading 4 you read that two respected publications, The World Malaria Report (WMR) and The Lancet, the British medical journal, have given very different estimates of the number of deaths worldwide from malaria in 2010. The Lancet estimate is almost twice as high as the WMR estimate. With a partner, group, or alone, make a list of factors that might explain why the two publications came to different conclusions. Use the questions below to guide you. Where do most of the deaths occur? How easy t is it to get accurate information about malaria deaths? Who are the people who most frequently die from malaria? How are deaths from malaria reported? Who reports them? From whom are these figures important? Online reading/ research Choose another infectious disease to ...

UWRF Football team Football / Homecoming 101 What did you learn about American Football and Homecoming? In order to earn three extra credit points, please complete the following tasks by Monday, October 9th at 11:59 pm: 1) Post your answer to this question: What is one detail you learned about American Football or the tradition of Homecoming? 2) Post your answer to this question: Does your culture have anything similar to Homecoming? 3) Read other students' posts. Respond to at least one other student's post. You must write in complete sentences , use specific vocabulary, and be respectful .  You can post your answers by going to "Enter your comment."   Picture from https://www.uwrf.edu/UWRiverFallsSportsArchives/ 

ENGL 140  Understanding University Structure and Academic Jargon Student Interviews Post your paragraph (by adding a comment) from your student interview by Wednesday, September 27th at 11:59 pm and then comment on at least two other students' paragraphs by Thursday, September 28th at 11:59 pm . Remember that you need to use words from the Word Combination Cards in your paragraph and that you should only have minor grammar errors. The responses need to be thoughtful and articulate. 

Gene Therapy: How it works ESL 301 Beyond the Reading - Unit 3 In Reading 3, you learned about research in and therapy for genetic diseases. You also learned that genetic testing introduces complex ethical questions. Applying Information You use critical thinking skills  when you apply information  you have just learned to new situations. Critical Thinking Imagine a new test has become available for a genetic disease that causes muscles to weaken . People with the disease lose many physical abilities. A positive result on the test predicts that a person is likely, but not certain to develop the disease. There is also evidence that people with the disease usually pass it on to their children. The disease is not fatal but there is no cure for it.  Work in a small group and discuss why or why not it would be a good idea for the following people to be tested to see if they carry the gene. 1. A 25-year-old unmarried man: No one in h...

ESL 301 Beyond the Reading - Unit 2 Reading 2 emphasizes the importance of lifestyle choices and how these choices affect our health. One important lifestyle choice for good health is our diet - what we eat each day. Read about and reflect on dietary recommendations  and analyze your own habits. Reading Strategy: Personalizing Thinking about how new information applies to your own life can help you better understand the reading. 1. Read about the USDA Dietary Guidelines  for Americans and think about your own diet. 2.   Answer the following questions in the blog post by Tuesday, September 19th at 11:59 pm. Click "Enter your commentt" and then type your answers. Use at least two vocabulary word s from this unit in your responses. a) How often do you eat fruit, vegetables, and dairy products? b) Do you drink the recommended amount of water? What else do you drink when you are thirsty? c) What changes could you make in order to improve your diet? 3. Af...

ENGL 140 - Academic Honesty Unit After you have read the article title, " For Some International Students, 'Plagiarism' is a Foreign Word ,"   answer the questions. You can enter the URL into Lingro and choose a language to use an online dictionary.      Read the article and post your answers by Monday, December 11 th at 11:59 pm ·          Read other students’ answers and respond to two other students' answers by Wednesday, December 13th   at 11:59 pm. 1. Do you feel what Amro did was wrong? Explain. 2. Was plagiarism a word you knew before coming to the U.S.? Explain. 3. What do you think about the punishments for plagiarism ? Do they seem appropriate ? Explain. 4. How is plagiarism regarded in your country's education system? Explain. 5. What reasons might compel a student to plagiarize? Have you experienced the pressures ? Explain. 6. What more can a university do to help students understand the ex...

Writing in another language is a skill that requires  A LOT of practice. Check out this Voice of America posting for useful information and practice activities:

In order to better understand U.S. classroom culture: 1) Watch the 4 minute video Living in the U.S.- Formal Classroom Culture 2) Read the webpages, U.S. Academic Culture   ( insert the webpage addresses into Lingro  first for vocabulary development) 3) Answer the questions below by leaving comment in the box 4) Respond to three other student's comments 1. Do you agree with the webpage author's and the video's characterization of U.S. classroom culture and values? What experiences have you had that  confirm  or  contradict  the writers'  claim s? 2. What values do you think are most important in your country's classroom learning environment? Explain.