科學英文

This course provides students with an opportunity to practice and improve English language skills that are relevant for scientific research. Our course meetings will be similar to a journal club in which the participants of the club discuss a different scientific journal article each week. More specifically, for each class meeting, students will read about a particular research finding, raise and answer questions about it, and discuss it with their classmates and the instructor. By the end of this course, students will be able to: - Understand and use discipline-specific vocabulary and terminology accurately in context. - Read and comprehend scientific journal articles. - Communicate effectively in spoken English in professional settings relevant to scientific research. - Participate confidently in discussions of scientific research, using appropriate language for formal and semi-formal situations. Course level: CEFR B2-C1

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Teaching Methods - Weekly reading comprehension exercises - Class discussions based on students’ answers to the weekly reading comprehension exercises Policy on the Use of Smart Devices in Class - You are not permitted to use smart devices (e.g., smartphones, laptops, and tablets) during class time. - The main goal of this course is to improve your English skills, and our class meetings will give you two hours per week during which you will practice using those skills without the help of smart devices. - There are many ways in which using smart devices can help you to improve your English skills, and you are welcome to use any of the remaining 166 hours per week to improve your English skills with the help of smart devices. - If I see you using a smart device in class, I will give you a warning. If I see you using a smart device again, you will lose your attendance and participation credit for that class meeting. Policy on the Use of Generative AI - Generative AI (for example, ChatGPT) is an important tool; but if you use it in the context of this course, you need to use it in an appropriate way. In general, the appropriate way to use generative AI for the purposes of this course is to use it outside of class to improve your English skills and your understanding of the weekly readings. - Class meetings and exams: You are not permitted to use generative AI during class meetings and exams. Please see the Policy on the Use of Smart Devices in Class. - Outside of class: If you use generative AI in the course of completing an assignment outside of class, your assignment must include a brief statement that describes how you used generative AI and how that use of generative AI helped you to improve your English skills. Policy on Plagiarism - When you take words or ideas that are not your own, and you present those words and ideas as your own, you commit plagiarism. - Words or ideas that are not your own include words or ideas spoken or written by another person and also words or ideas generated by AI. - If I discover that you plagiarized on an assignment, you will receive a zero for that assignment. - If you have any questions regarding what counts as plagiarism, please ask me before you submit your assignments.

Attendance and participation: 15% - Each week, students will work in groups to complete the reading comprehension exercises based on that week’s readings. This component of the grade is graded pass-fail. - In order to receive full credit each week, students must attend the class meeting for the entire two hours and submit the reading comprehension exercises at the end of the class meeting. Otherwise, no credit will be given. Students who are more than 10 minutes late to class, or who leave class before the end of class, will be counted as absent, and will not receive their attendance and participation credit for that week. - In order to receive an excused absence, students must submit their request for leave via NYCU’s Student Leave System (學生請假系統) and have their request approved. Students who have an excused absence must submit the reading comprehension exercises by the beginning of the next class meeting, in which case they will receive full credit for the class meeting for which they were absent. No credit will be given for students with excused absences who do not submit the reading comprehension exercises by the deadline. No credit will be given for students with unexcused absences. - Students who are absent for more than six course meetings (whether excused or unexcused) will receive a failing grade for the course. Lead one class meeting: 25% - Students will work in small groups to lead one class meeting. - More specifically, each group will work closely with the instructor to choose a short article from the Research Analysis page of the website of the journal Nature (https://www.nature.com/research-analysis), prepare the weekly reading comprehension exercise, and lead the class discussion. - The instructor will be a member of each small group, and will work closely with the students so that they can achieve these goals. Midterm and final exams: 60% (30% each) - The midterm exam will cover all of the readings from the first part of the course, and the final exam will cover all of the readings from the second part of the course. The exams will focus on vocabulary and terminology in context.

There is no required textbook. Course materials are short articles from the journal Nature (https://www.nature.com/research-analysis) and handouts from the instructor.

地點

知行樓前棟, Room 311

時間

By appointment

聯絡方式

email: jhricko@nycu.edu.tw