Tutorial 1.1 Getting to know you

Unit 1.
1 Introduction
Learning Culture: Getting to know you
Learning outcomes
This lesson will support the achievement of Course Learning Outcomes: 4, 5, and 7.
 Engage proactively in tutorial style group discussions and deliver formal oral presentations
on topics of a discipline-specific nature suitable for an academic audience.
 Communicate effectively with peers and university staff on subjects of an academic and non-
academic nature.
 Demonstrate critical thinking skills by analysing ideas, evaluating alternative views, making
criterion-based judgments, and searching for well-informed answers to self-generated
questions.
In this lesson learners will:

 practise strategies for meeting new classmates and acknowledging a speaker;
 learn about study culture and communicative activities.
Learners should be able to:

 initiate and sustain a topical group discussion;
 reformulate responses and ask for clarification;
 show awareness of appropriacy, intercultural competence, and discourse management

strategies.
Unit 1.1 | FSAE

WELCOME!
You are in the Foundation Studies Academic English (FSAE) course. It is important to know those
you are working with while you are studying this course especially because all lessons will
involve communicating with other students.
Task 1: Communicating face-to-face and online

Discuss the following questions with regards to some basic classroom etiquette.
1. What gestures or language phrases are used to greet people in your country? Consider the
different levels of formality.
2. What do people in Australia do and say as a form of greeting?
3. How can you show others you are listening to what they are saying while they are speaking?
How are these similar or different when learning online?
4. Why is it important to turn your camera on during an online class?
5. Should you only speak in English during your classes? When can you speak in your native or
first language? When should you not?
Task 2a: Small talk

Discuss the following questions on how to engage in small talk.
1. What is small talk?
2. What types of things might you talk about with someone you are meeting for the first time
or with someone you do not know very well?
3. When might you be required to make small talk? Give examples of situations.
Task 2b: Making introductions and engaging in small talk

Practise small talk with a classmate by discussing where you are from and what your special
interests are. Use some of the language from the box and the planning table provided.
Useful Language:
Acknowledging the speaker
To show others you are listening to them you can use the following:
 Non-verbal: nod, maintain eye contact, smile
 Short words: Yes, Right, Okay, Exactly, I see, Really?
Extending the conversation
 Ask follow up questions: Why? Where? How? Which one?
 Connect your response to what the speaker was saying.
Example:
You said you’ve just changed your major to IT. What were you studying before?
Asking for clarification:
 What do you mean..?
 So do you mean that…?
Page 1
Student
Name:
Country/City:
Special interests
Academic culture
Academic culture refers to the beliefs, opinions and ways of behaving shared by people
working or studying in a higher education institution. If you go abroad to study, you may
find that the academic culture is different from that in educational institutions in your own
country.
Task 3a: Understanding academic culture

In your group, discuss whether the following statements about academic culture are True
(T) or False (F) in your own country compared with Australia.
Statements Your country Australia
1. You should always arrive to classes on time.

2. You should call the teacher by their first name (given name).
3. Your teacher will provide everything you need to pass the course.
4. Your teacher encourages speaking and discussion in class.
5. You should do extra, independent study before and after class.
6. Using your mobile devices for non-academic purposes during class
is acceptable.
7. You should collaborate with other students in class.
8. You should always wait to the end of the lesson to ask questions.
Tip: Active, effective and efficient collaboration in

the course is important because there are also a
number of assessments that will require you to
collaborate with your classmates.
Page 2
Task 3b: Establishing class guidelines
1. In your group, think of a few guidelines for active, effective and efficient participation
and collaboration in the classroom.
2. Compare your ideas with the guidelines in the Appendix
3. Share your ideas with the class and together with your teacher agree on a set of class
‘rules’ for participation and collaboration to facilitate everyone’s learning.
Page 3
Appendix: Active participation & collaborative learning
For active, effective and efficient participation and collaboration, it is essential to:
 be punctual
 contribute regularly during class discussions
 work cooperatively with fellow students
 participate pro-actively in learning activities
 refrain from using mobile devices for non-academic purposes during class time
 make the most of this opportunity to improve your spoken English in the classroom.
Communicative activities
Activity Objective Steps

Create a list of ideas 1. Brainstorm ideas, with an emphasis on quantity,
related to a given topic or NOT quality.
issue. Do not attempt to 2. Identify the key ideas from your group list.
Brainstorm
evaluate the ideas at this 3. Share your ideas with the class.
stage – just think of as
many as you can.
Evaluate ideas to arrive at a 1. Assign roles (e.g. leader, scribe, participants).
well-reasoned conclusion. 2. Analyse the discussion question.
Judge options on the basis 3. Think critically about and discuss ideas/issues to
Discussion of their strengths and arrive at a conclusion.
weaknesses. 4. Summarise your group findings.
5. Share group findings with the class.
Work collaboratively 1. Clarify task outcomes.
towards a common goal. 2. Assign roles, e.g.
Assign a particular area of  Leader
responsibility to each group o Check all group members understand the
member. topic or question.
o Make sure all group members contribute
ideas.
o Keep group members ‘on topic’/’on task’.
Group work  Scribe
o Record ideas by making notes
 Representative
o Use notes to provide a brief verbal summary
to the class.
3. Complete individual work.
4. Synthesise work.
5. Share the final group product with the class.
Draw on shared knowledge 1. Think about the task individually at first.
Partners to answer a question or 2. Partner with another student to discuss it.
complete a task. 3. Share your thoughts with other class members and
give feedback to the class.
Page 4

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Unit 1.

In this lesson learners will:

Learners should be able to:

 reformulate responses and ask for clarification;

 show awareness of appropriacy, intercultural competence, and discourse management

Unit 1.1 | FSAE

Task 1: Communicating face-to-face and online

Task 2a: Small talk

Task 2b: Making introductions and engaging in small talk

Task 3a: Understanding academic culture

Statements Your country Australia

1. You should always arrive to classes on time.

Tip: Active, effective and efficient collaboration in

2. Compare your ideas with the guidelines in the Appendix

 contribute regularly during class discussions

 work cooperatively with fellow students

 participate pro-actively in learning activities

Activity Objective Steps

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