English for Diplomacy

February 22, 2013

Course Information Contact Information: Office: 271305 [email protected]

[email protected]

2939-3091 x51305 Website: http://www3.nccu.edu.tw/~lorenzo/

Office

I am not available on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday mornings due to classes.

I will always be in my office (with a few rare exceptions) on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons.

I may also (but also may not) be on campus on Mondays and Thursdays.

You can either drop by during one of these times or send me an email to arrange a specific time to meet if you wish.

Course Information

Course Description: This course is designed for students in Diplomacy to improve their overall English ability in terms of writing, reading comprehension, and speaking. Readings focus on international affairs, current events and technical documents such as reports, regulations and legislation. Students will read, assess and speak about different kinds of materials in English to grasp how English materials operate in different contexts relevant to diplomacy. They will also study terms and concepts associated with diplomacy.

Course Information

Course Objectives: Improvement in English writing, reading, comprehension and speaking; improved ability to summarize English texts in English; improved ability to understand different types of English texts; improved ability to write different types of English documents; improved familiarity with important English terms and concepts associated with diplomacy.

Course Information

Texts: G.R. Berridge , Alan James , Lorna Lloyd edition, ISBN 978-0230302990 , The Palgrave Macmillan Dictionary of Diplomacy. Palgrave Macmillan, 3rd (available as an electronic book through the NCCU library) Grades: Midterm: 30% Final: 25% In-class participation: 25% Vocabulary quizzes: 20%

Vocabulary

Every week I will provide the class with a list of 10-12 vocabulary words from the Dictionary of Diplomacy.

Students are to look up these words in the Dictionary of Diplomacy and memorize their definitions (i.e., generally the first sentence of the entry and then any other very important information. You do not need to memorize all the material in the entry, particularly background material) The following week, I will give a quiz on the words provided in the prior week. Questions regarding vocabulary words will also be on the midterm and final examinations.

Example

The entry for “amendment” in the Dictionary is as follows: Amendment. A formal change to a provision in a treaty or other document. Some multi-lateral treaties contain special procedures for making amendments; in their absence, those stipulated in Article 40 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (1969) must be followed What you need to memorize: Amendment: A formal change to a provision in a treaty or other document, generally governed by the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties

Vocabulary List (quiz on these next week)

          Accredited diplomatic representative.

Activities incompatible with diplomatic status.

Adjudication Adoption Aggression Air Force One Air space Alliance All necessary means Amendment

Some English Grammar Review

Some important things to remember: Unlike Chinese dialects, tonality in English is not used to differentiate different words, but to indicate the meaning of sentences: Rising tones generally indicate a question Sometimes, however, questions can also be asked orally without rising tones; context here is important.

A question in written form is indicated by a question mark (?) and also sometimes written through the use of particular interrogatory words (Who, what, when, why) A sentence without a question mark is not a question.

English

Different tones or stresses in a sentence usually indicate that particular words are being stressed, thus changing the meaning of the sentence: I didn’t know he wanted to buy that.

Note that such changes generally are not indicated in written form, though they occasionally are so indicated by the use of bolding, italics or underlining: I didn’t know he wanted to buy that.

English

The use of bolding, italics or underlining in formal writing is quite rare and only used to strongly emphasize some word, phrase or concept.

You don’t want to write sentences that look like this: Please let me know as soon as possible regarding the STATUS of the contract!!!

Doing so makes you look like an old lady from the 19 th or someone who learned how to write from Facebook.

century, (Note also the use of exclamation points, which again should only very rarely used and never in multiple form).

Gender and Number

Unlike Chinese dialects, pronouns indicate gender (male, female and neuter). Be sure to match the correct gender of the pronoun to prior nouns and names; otherwise confusion will result: John generally doesn’t like to read. She has great difficulty in seeing the word on the page.

Fortunately, unlike languages such as Russian, gender only applies to names and pronouns and does not affect the formation of verbs or adjectives.

Number

While number does not affect the formation of adjectives, it does affect the formation of verbs, so you must be careful to match nouns and pronouns with auxiliary verbs: They was reading a book.

He were riding his bike.

Note also that I takes a particular type of auxiliary in the present tense: We are going to the lake.

He is going to the lake.

I am going to the lake.

Contractions

While contractions are acceptable forms of speech, they generally are not often used in formal writing.

Therefore, you should avoid most of the common contractions when writing formal letters, reports, invitations, etc.: Don’t, won’t, couldn’t, shouldn’t (“not” contractions” He’s, she’s (i.e., short for he is, she is, etc.) They’re, we’re (“are” contractions) These should also generally be avoided in most formal speaking situations (speeches, conversations with high officials).

Informal Language, Slang

Consider this sentence: I ain’t got no cigarettes.

What, if anything, is wrong with it?

Would you ever use it in formal speech or writing?

Would you ever hear it used?

Correct these sentences

She likes to hunt and fishing.

Last night I read for hours, and then several pages were written by me.

This book is interesting, instructive, and it is also important.

Father does not approve of Jack and me joining a labor union.

Bill and me are going to the movies.

The manager called Tom and I into the board room.

Who are you planning to fire?

Each one of the Utopian Socialists are insane Neither Malthus nor Ricardo are in favor of birth control.

Bound in beautiful red leather, Pierre received a volume of Marx's Das Kapital for his birthday.

Useful websites

  

http://www.umsl.edu/~keelr/rok/grammar.html

http://www.copyblogger.com/grammar-goofs/ http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice/style and-editing/hit-parade-of-errors