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Diploma in English

The Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka (SUSL) is located 160 km away from Colombo in an interior place – Pambahinna.  The residents of the vicinity and those in and around Balangoda, Ratnapura, Haputale, Bandarawala etc. have inadequate educational opportunities, especially, for English education, from a recognized institution equipped with qualified personnel and physical resources.  Further, their economic condition does not permit them to seek such knowledge at places like Colombo or Kandy, where the main universities are located.  Thus, the SUSL, with its resources and facilities, becomes a fully equipped academic institution to get their needs of English education fulfilled.

The Diploma in English course – conducted by the Centre for Open and Distanse (CODL) of SUSL – aims at equipping professionals, students including the undergraduates with English knowledge required in fulfilling their needs: the professionals with their career improvement, students seeking higher education both locally and abroad and the university students to broaden their knowledge through reading the prescribed English textbooks with an elevated confidence.

The syllabus of the course contains all the main four language skills – Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing with Language Structure – along with the Introduction to English Literature and Business Communication.  These components, while making followers able to perform their duties in any field of employment that requires a high degree of English proficiency, help them both to achieve proficiency in the language, and to lay a firm foundation for heir further education. 

Duration

The course runs for one year in two semesters. At the end of the each semester, there will be an examination. Classes are scheduled to be held at weekends only. There will be 7 tuition hours a week.

Aims/objectives

This course has been designed to equip students with English language proficiency to fulfill their day-to-day professional and higher educational requirements.

The language skills taught broaden the students, advanced proficiency in English language structure, technical writing, advanced reading skill, business communication and presentation skills to perform confidently in any practical situations that require a higher degree of fluency, accuracy,efficiency and effectiveness.

 

Eligibility

The applicants, having passed GCE O/L, should have, at the minimum, one of the following to be eligible to apply for the course:

  • a 'A' or ‘B’ pass in English at the GCE (O/L) or
  • a ‘C’ pass or above in English Literature at the GCE (O/L ) or
  • an ‘S’ pass or above in General English at the GCE (A/L) or
  • She/he should have obtained a “C” pass at the ‘Certificate in English’ course conducted by the CODL of the Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka.

Course Fee

Application Fee                                    Rs.          1000.00
Course Fee                                          Rs.       23,000.00

The candidates are allowed to pay the course fee in two installments. (First installment Rs. 12,000.00 and Second installment Rs. 6,000.00) The first has to be paid at the registration, and the second before the end of 1st semester

Course Coordinator

Dr. K.S.N. Prasangani

Telephone: 0718145141
E-Mail: prasangani@ddl.dsb.ac.lk

 

   

DE/01/01-Language Structure

AIM

This course is designed to refresh and reinforce the knowledge of a variety of structures of English and further the complex structures needed to cope with any situation that demands advanced language.

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the course the students will be: familiar with different word classes, basic sentence patterns and use all tenses effectively. able to use all structural components of English with a high degree of understanding.

 

DE/ 01/02-Advanced Reading- I -------- DE/ 02/ 02-Advanced Reading  II

AIM

Advanced reading has been designed to widen the students� ability to deal with any advanced texts of different genres, and extract information required for any purposes; of pleasure, academic and professional in particular.

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

The students will be able to: read and extract information from advanced texts through skimming and scanning, and answer any questions on the text correctly. read texts and get the gist. refer & infer meanings of any text skillfully using contextual, structural and morphological clues. enhance short term memory to transfer information. seek and gather information on their own from reference materials. understand, and distinguish among, the writers purposes, views, opinions, suggestions and different discourse.

 

DE/01/03- Advanced Writing I --------- DE/02/03- Advanced Writing II

AIM

Students should be able to produce substantially advanced, coherent and cohesive pieces of writing of different styles.

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

To enable students to, write simple and complex, descriptive, expository, narrative, analytical and persuasive texts and well-organized essays use simple, compound and complex sentences accurately with appropriate cohesive devices. possess good knowledge of expanding, paraphrasing and summarizing sentences, paragraphs and passages; and knowledge of editing different texts for redundancy. be able to express notions of cause and effect, comparison and contrast, definitions with minimum errors convey value judgment and critically comment on different discourse, and facilitate students� awareness of text organization, sequencing of information and providing logical argument

 

DE/01/04-Speech and Listening

AIM

Improve oral and aural skills to engage in different social, professional and academic domains effectively, appropriately and fluently with a higher degree of accuracy.

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

The students should be able to: engage in dialogues and conversations effectively, face interviews, participate in panel discussions, debates, and prepared and unprepared speeches effectively, speak with brevity and to the point, identify and understand discourse markers with signpost and rhetorical structures, perform eloquently and effectively in any context with confidence, use fillers, hedges, pauses, hesitation markers etc. in authentic contexts of communication, recognize speaker�s mood, attitude, literal and intended meanings, recognize signposts to identify the organizational structure of a speech, use correct pronunciation and familiarize with varieties of English, comprehend reciprocal and non- reciprocal listening, listen and recognize the implied meanings of texts.

 

DE/02/01-Introduction to Literature

AIM

Students are expected to read, enjoy and appropriately respond to different genres of English literature with a sound understanding of their characteristics. Further, it is expected that the discussions and understanding of the prescribed materials would lead to the improvement of students� language skills facilitating further reading and enjoyment of literary materials of their choice.

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

The students will be able to: read and respond to selected Sri Lankan and Western poems, understanding their characteristics, compare and contrast different poems, their themes, styles, techniques and poetic devices, read any prose closely, and study the theme, development of plot and characterization, deal with the selected Sri Lankan dramas for enjoyment and to develop aesthetic sense and understand plot ,theme, characterization and dramatic elements.

CONTENT

Poetry:- Selected poems of : John Donne , John Keats, Robert Frost, Patrick Fernando, Richard de Soyza

Short Stories : Mudaliyar�s Wife - Nirmali Hettiarachchi. Circle of Powder - Vijitha Fernando

Drama : Manniquin - Regi Siriwardena Alms Giving - Regi Siriwardena

Novels : Amulet - Punyakante Wijenayake

 

DE/02/04-Business communication

AIM

Business Communication deals with improving the oral communication skills of the students, exposing them to a variety of oral activities starting from a dialogue to a well structured formal speech while written communication deals with writing notes, different types of business letters, memos, minutes of meetings, agendas, advertisements, tender notices, circulars, reports, etc & interpreting graphical information in written forms and achieving competency in writing reports and the preparation of various business related documents. At the end of the course, the students are expected to perform the following activities with a higher degree of fluency, accuracy, organization and confidence.

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

� The student should have an awareness of the theory and practice of communication/ Business Communication, Communication process and network and elements of communication and the role played by listening in the process of oral communication.

� Preparation and delivering of presentations and public speeches.

� Engage in business meetings, telephone conversations and interviews effectively.

� The students should achieve written fluency in various spheres of writing.

� They should be able to write different types of formal/informal business letters, memos, agendas and minutes of meetings. Develop competency in simple report writing, preparation of newspaper advertisements, tender notices, commercial advertisements, etc. correctly and accurately.

Evaluation Criteria

Mid examination will be conducted at the end of the first semester. It consists of four written papers:

ES/DE/01/01-Language Structure (03 hours)
ES/DE/01/02-Advanced Reading-I (03 hours)
ES/DE/01/03-Advanced Writing-I (03 hours)
ES/DE/01/04-Speech and Listening (03 hours)

(Speech and Listening consists of two parts: Listening Test and Oral Test.)

Final examination will be conducted at the end of the second semester. It consists of four written papers:

ES/DE/02/01-Introduction to Literature (03 hours)
ES/DE/02/02-Advanced Reading-II (03 hours)
ES/DE/02/03- Advanced Writing-II (03 hours)
ES/DE/02/04-Business Communication (03 hours)

(Business Communication consists of a Presentation.)

All eight papers should be completed with at least ‘C’ passes to pass the exam.  All ‘D’ and ‘E’ grades should be upgraded in 3 attempts. All the papers should be completed in the first attempt in order to secure a Credit, Merit, or a Distinction.

 

Grading Procedure

75   -  100      - A
60   -   74       - B
40   -   59       - C
30   -   39       - D
00   -   29       - E

 

Awarding Final Grades

 

75  - 100       - Distinction
65  -   74       - Merit
55  -   64       - Credit
40  -   54       - Pass

 

 

 Dr. K.S.N. Prasangani (Coordinator)  Research Interests
 BA Hons in Languages (SUSL), MA in Linguistics (Kelaniya), PhD in Applied Linguistics (UNIMAS, Malaysia)  Teaching English as a Second  Language
 Senior Lecturer  Syntax , Business Communication
 E-Mail : prasangani@ddl.dsb.ac.lk  
 Phone : +94(0)718145141  
 Mr. J.S.Senadeera    Research Interests
 MA Linguistics (Kelaniya) BA English (USJ), National  Diploma in Teaching  English –  NIE   Teaching English as a Second Language
 Instructor in English Grade I  Oral Skills
  E-Mail : sudantha@sab.ac.lk  
 Phone : +9 4(0)71-4453484  
 Mr K.S. Sivayesunesan  Reserch Interests
 MA Linguistics (Kelaniya) Special Trained Teacher,
 BA (Peradeniya)
 Poetry
 Instructor in English Grade I  Teaching English as a Second/Foreign Language
 E-Mail : spkr@sab.ac.lk  
  Phone : +94(0)45-2280310