Advanced English II

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Code: LM761
Credits: 2
Weekly Hours: 5 guided / 1 independent
Component: Disciplinary and Specific Knowledge
Prerequisite: Advanced English I (LM751)
Semester: 6th

Advanced English II is designed to strengthen students’ communicative competence at a high C1 level of the CEFR through the development of advanced listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. The course emphasizes the ability to understand and produce complex, coherent, and well-argued texts on both familiar and unfamiliar academic and social topics. It also fosters fluency in oral communication, critical thinking, and the ability to articulate and support opinions effectively in diverse contexts.

Students will engage with topics such as globalization and education, educational technologies, autonomous learning, and research in language education. Linguistic content includes advanced grammar structures (e.g., negative inversion, subjunctive forms, relative clauses with prepositions), vocabulary development, and argumentative writing. Listening and reading comprehension tasks focus on analyzing sophisticated spoken and written texts, while speaking and writing tasks encourage the production of detailed, logical, and audience-aware discourse.

Methodologically, the course integrates communicative and reflective approaches, encourages action research, and promotes metacognitive strategies for language learning. Classwork includes collaborative projects, audiovisual materials, and academic-cultural presentations based on student-led investigations.

By the end of the course, students will be able to communicate fluently and accurately in academic and professional English and reflect on their linguistic development through structured evaluation and self-assessment aligned with CEFR standards.

Learning Objectives

General Objective:
To deepen students’ communicative competence at an advanced level (C1.2) by developing integrated language skills—listening, speaking, reading, and writing—within academic and professional contexts, while fostering critical reflection and independent learning.

Specific Objectives:

1. Pedagogical Objective

   • To reflect on the development of language learning strategies and communicative skills acquired throughout the foreign language learning process.

   • To connect linguistic competencies with educational contexts and teaching practices.

2. Research Objective

   • To explore and investigate diverse perspectives related to language education, with a focus on educational issues, learning strategies, and emerging technologies.

   • To design and carry out small-scale classroom research or projects grounded in real academic contexts.

3. Pragmatic Objective

   • To present research findings and reflections through academic-cultural activities that consolidate students’ training as language educators.

   • To apply advanced language use in real-world, academic, and intercultural communication scenarios.

Evaluation Criteria

Evaluation in this course is continuous, process-oriented, and formative, in alignment with the curriculum of the Licenciatura en Lenguas Modernas. It focuses on the development of communicative competencies as well as the students’ ability to engage in critical thinking and academic discourse.

Assessment components include:

• Ongoing evaluation of skills: Listening and reading comprehension, oral interaction and production, and written expression.

• Active class participation: Reflective discussions, debates, group work, and engagement with readings.

• Project-based evaluation: Each student must complete and present a research or inquiry project related to language education topics.

• Final proficiency assessment: A comprehensive final exam based on C1-level descriptors from the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference), covering all four language skills and focused on argumentative and coherent language use.

• Self- and peer-assessment: Students reflect on their own progress and provide constructive feedback to peers to foster autonomy and metacognitive awareness.

Evaluation principles:

• Individual progress is prioritized over comparison.

• Reflection is a key component of learning and assessment.

• Multiple forms of evidence (e.g., oral presentations, written essays, research reports) are considered in the grading process.