Students

Your New Class 

Fresh Start

You have a new classroom, new classmates and a new teacher, so it is an opportunity for a fresh start and for you to adopt new positive habits.

 
Groups
Students will work in groups. Ss will develop teamworking skills (like making suggestions, specializing, negotiating, clarifying,challenging and leading) by working in groups. Ss will benefit from the knowledge, skills, ideas, personality, style, approach, enthusiasm, energy, experience and wisdom of other students. Groups will be rotated after each major project.
 

Homework policy

Homework will be set often by the teacher, since there is not enough time to do all scheduled exercises in class. This is because of very the few hours studying in class compared to the pages that must be covered. Some important points:

  • Homework is optional, it is OK not do homework.  Ss can still get something out of following lesson even if homework / preparation not done.
  • There are no marks for doing homework. However, doing homework helps self-development.
  • Only important homework will be set
  • Ss are fully prepared for the homework in class, so it can done quite easily and quite quickly outside class
  • If the homework seems difficult, or too much, do not strain to do homework
  • Students can simply do one or two questions only from each exercise
  • Students can ask for extra time to do the homework. Extra time might be available.
  • The policy caters for more active students and less active ones and students that do not have the time and energy to do the recommend homework
Recommendations: work with a study buddy, overview the next two pages and review page done and your notes after class
 
Writing Focus
Students’ weakest skill is writing, so there is strong focus on writing. The KSU main campus complain Ss there can’t write well. The teacher’s experience is that Students’ speaking,  listening, grammar and reading is stronger than their writing.
The writing tasks are designed to challenge and stretch students and develop very strong writing skills, more than is strictly necessary to pass KSU final exams. Therefore, students can ask for a easier task if they so wish.
 

Reading and vocabulary

Reading is very important for students of academic English. Most Ss do not read enough. Most Ss need to improve their reading proficiency and expand their vocabulary (though reading). Practice makes perfect,  so it is recommended students regularly read novels, articles or movies with sub-titles.

Weaknesses
Use Help Yourself English and other websites to help compose a three point plan to address your English learning weaknesses this semester. The teacher will comment on your plan and help you with your English learning weaknesses.
Etiquette
Consider other students. Don’t distract them from learning. Be postive and adpot a “just do it” attiude”. Help other students. Avoid: being negative, trying to “beat” the teacher, calling for games or chatting or using a smartpone or Ipad while the teacher is speaking.
 
Complaints: see the teacher after class. He will listen and try to resolve the issue. It shows politeness and respect and positivity not to run straight to KSU management.

 

Why learn English?

You need English to communicate well with the world.

You will need good English to get a good job (high position) competing in the global knowledge society.

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General study tips 

Use these tips to help yourself learn English and pass your exams.

  1. Take control of your learning. Work by yourself. Compare with your partner. Answer in complete sentences. Ask another student or the teacher if you don’t understand something or you need more help with your  grammar, vocabulary.listening, speaking, reading or  writing. Don’t copy other student’s work.
  2. Check your progress. Do quizzes and  on this website. Also do the class tests.
  3. Be ready for the lessons. Get plenty of sleep. Read ahead two pages in the course book.
  4. Control your behaviour. Pay attention in class. Speak only English. Don’t use your phone or tablet, unless you ask the teacher first. Don’t sleep in class. You will need to get plenty of rest at home and not stay up too late. Wash you face and drink coffee if you are tired in class. Don’t miss too many classes.
  5. Be active in class. Try your best. Speak or write in class as much as possible. Help other students, but don’t feed them answers.
  6. “Just do it.”  Doing is learning. If you know what to do, but you are unsure of the correct answer, just try. Your answer does not need to be perfect, and you will learn if you give the wrong answer!
  7. Study online: go to For general help with your English go to ELSD (KSU) Online  https://epy.ksu.edu.sa/ELSDOnline/?page_id=2726 . You can also go to: OxfordLearn or do the general online grammar quizzes and general online writing quizzes.
  8. Take notes. Write your own notes or take pictures of the boards. Create an English Study folder with What’s App and store the pictures there.
  9. Get a study-buddy. Help each other, test each other and learn from each other.
  10. Catch up. Complete the Student book (Units 1 -8) and the Workbook. If you miss or you don’t finish an exercise during the class time complete the exercise for homework. You might need to ask a classmate for help, but don’t copy any answers, do them yourself. Check your answers with a classmate. Never copy ( e.g.from your friend or the Internet).

Above all take your golden chance at KSU to learn English for yourself, not just to pass the KSU exams.

Focusing in the lesson

These strategies (ideas) can help you focus in the lesson:

  1. Sit near the teacher.
  2. Breathe slowly focus on breath going in and out for 2 minutes.
  3. Look at the headings and pictures in the book. Ask yourself questions:
    • What is this about?
    • What do I do?
  4. Do as the teacher asks.
  5. Watch and listen to the other students.
  6. Take break from thinking about your issues and concerns and family issues. Deal with these issues after the lesson is over. Only think of classwork in class.
  7. Don’t allow other students to distract you. Ask the teacher to intervene if other students continue to distract you.
  8. Ask the teach for help and support.

 

How to raise your grade (or keep your grade high)

Do more English:

  1. Do all the homework the teacher sets.
  2. If you score less than 8/10, on any OxfordLearn exercise or class test repeat it.  You will be given extra studies to do before you can repeat a class test. Please note you will not be able to repeat KSU projects, or exams.
  3. Do any extra grammar, reading, listening and writing exercises on this website.
  4. In class, when you have finished the textbook examples continue with your own examples. Continue speaking and writing activities until the teacher asks you to stop.
  5. Study 10- 15 minutes every day out of class.
  6. At home, use the workbook CD (do the exercise and listen to the audio).
  7. Correct all your mistakes you make in your homework,  class writing and class tests. and give your corrected work to the teacher.
  8. Ask if you can help the teacher do some ‘teaching’ in class.
  9. Take every chance to speak English outside class, for example in shops restaurants.
  10. Take every chance to read English. Read the Quran in English.
  11. Watch English/American movies and play English/ American video games.

How to take and use notes

Take photos of the Smart-board and white-board (ask the teacher first) or see the photos on Whats App class group. Create a Whats App folder for you class board photos. Look at your notes or photos once a week.

(more coming soon)

How to work with a study buddy

(Coming soon)