Through a variety of reading materials, Pokhara University’s English I course for BBA Semester I seeks to give students interdisciplinary insights. It covers everything from critical thinking, media, humor, and themes of love, life, and death to ancient stories, education, and cross-cultural studies. The course places a strong emphasis on improving language proficiency, encouraging active reading habits, expanding one’s worldview, and developing critical and creative thinking.
Highlights of the content include writing workshops, critical reflections, and interaction with literary, philosophical, and cultural texts. Lectures, discussions, and hands-on activities are all used as teaching methods, and internal assessments and semester-end tests are equally valued. The goal of this course is to give students the thorough language and analytical abilities they will need for both their academic and professional careers.
Table of Contents
New Syllabus – 2024
Syllabus of English I (BBA Semester I)
Course code: ENG 110
Course title: English
Nature of the course: Theory & Practice
Year 1, Semester I
Level: BBA/BBA (Finance)/BBA (TT)
Full marks: 100
Pass marks: 45
Credit hours: 3.0
Total periods: 48
1. English I Course Description
This course provides interdisciplinary insights to students covering wide range of disciplines and field of experiences including ancient tales, education and intelligence, cross-cultural bridging, cultural anthropology, natural science, critical and creative thinking, media and technology, humor and satire, love, life and death and more. The selected reading materials aim at enhancing the language skills, inculcate a crave for active reading, sharpen the critical and creative thinking skills of the students, interact across diverse cultures, environments and realm around them and finally cultivate a broader worldview as well as an understanding of human condition, love, compassion, life and death.
2. English I General Objectives
The general objectives of this course are:
- To enable students, develop pragmatic approach of dealing with texts applying the four levels.
- To improve their basics of language skills.
- To equip students with series of readings and comprehension exercises to foster a love of extensive reading.
- To make students aware of interdisciplinary approach and worldview to understand and deal with the realms round students of management.
3. English I Contents in Details
| Specific Objectives | Contents |
| • Define and explain the concept of critically interpret the literary texts | Unit I: Introduction (1 Hour) Four levels of interacting with texts |
| • Critically assess some important philosophical, theological insights about religions focusing on righteousness • Practice language focusing on writing response/reflection paragraphs | Unit II: Ancient Tales (3 Hours) 2.1 Yudhishthira’a Wisdom (from Mahabharata) 2.2 The Brave little Parrot (from Buddhism) 2.3 If Not Higher (from Judaism) |
| • Critically assess the values regarding education and self-actualization | Unit III: Education (3 Hours) 3.1 Why Go to University (Nissani) |
| • Practice language focusing on writing response/reflection paragraphs | 3.2 The Library Card (Wright) 3.3 A 1996 Commencement Speech ( Rushdie) |
| • Examine and reflect on human actions and its repercussion upon environment and life • Practice language focusing on writing response/reflection paragraphs | Unit IV: Actions and Consequences, Environment and Human condition (5 Hours) 4.1 The Parrot in the Cage (Paudyal) 4.2 No Smoke from the Chimney (Shreshtha) 4.3 How Sane Are We (Chaudhary) 4.4 Don’t Cut Down the Tree… (Sama) 4.5 A Sound of Thunder (Bradbury) |
| • Discuss/debate/write on the impacts of television, media, show business, cyber culture (specially the use of smartphones and AI) upon current life patterns | Unit V: Television, Media/Mass Communication, Cyber Culture (3 Hours) 5.1 The Wretched Stone (Allsburg) 5.2 TV can be a good parent (Gore) |
| • Revisit cultural values and ethos from cross cultural, multi-cultural and indigenous perspectives • Practice language focusing on writing response/reflection paragraphs | Unit VI: Cross Cultural Bridges & Cultural Anthropology (4 Hours) 6.1 Marriage is a Private Affair (Achebe) 6.2 Then and Now: Finding My Voice (Kim) 6.3 Arranging a Marriage in India (Nanda) Life is Sweet at Kumansenu (Nicol) |
| • Exemplify some discrepancies, hypocrisies, and problems in existing education, social and political systems • Practice language focusing on writing response/reflection paragraphs | Unit VII: Humor Satire (4 Hours) 7.1 King John and The Abbot (Anonymous) 7.2 Third Thoughts (Lucas) 7.3 Who Was to Blame (Chekhov) 7.4 The Clock Tower (Shadchan) |
| • Critically assess some prevailing views on intelligence • Practice language focusing on writing response/reflection paragraphs | Unit VIII: Critical and Creative Thinking (4 Hours) 8.1 The Stub Book (de Alarcon) 8.2 Mr Know All (Maugham) 8.3 Keeping Errors at Bay (Russell) 8.4 What is Intelligence Anyway? (Asimov) |
| • Develop a deeper philosophical humanitarian perspective (focusing on emotional intelligence) on love life and death • Try with creative/ subjective writings on the mentioned themes | Unit IX: Love, Life and Death (11 Hours) 9.1 The Telegram on the Table (Pradhan) 9.2 Piano (Lawrence) 9.3 A Painful Case (Joyce) 9.4 The Great Answer (Oursler) 9.5 Stopping by Woods…(Frost) 9.6 A Tale (Koirala) 9.7 Ethics (Pastan) 9.8 New Year (Parijat) |
| • Enhance comprehensive writing skills with critical analysis | Unit X: Writing Workshop/Editing sessions (10 Hours) |
Note: The figures in the parentheses indicate the approximate periods for the respective units.
4. English I Methods of Instruction
The principal methods of instruction for this course will be lectures, presentations, classroom discussions, group works, extended writing workshops, quizzes etc. The class instructor is free to customize the methods as per the classroom requirements, contexts and objectives of the concerned units. The instructor is expected to use the mentioned topics as prompts to invite broad discussion of extra reading materials. For instance, the discussion on television culture (Unit 4) could go upto media, IT, smart gadgets and AI.
5. Evaluation System and Students’ Responsibilities
5.1 Evaluation System
The performance of a student in a course is evaluated on the basis of internal evaluation and semester-end examination. Fifty percent weight is given to the internal evaluation and fifty percent weight to the Semester-end examination conducted by the Office of the Controller of Examinations, Pokhara University.
5.1.1 Internal Evaluation
The internal evaluation is based on continuous evaluation process. The internal evaluation components and their respective weights may vary according to the nature and objectives of the course. An evaluation plan should be prepared by the faculty and should share with the students in the beginning of the course.
The internal evaluation components may consist of any combination of written test, quizzes and oral test, workshop, assignments, term paper, project work, case study analysis and discussion, open book test, class participation and any other test deemed to be suitable by the faculty.
5.1.2 Semester End Examinations
There will be semester end examination at the end of the semester conducted by the Office of the Controller of Examinations, Pokhara University. It carries 50 percent weight of total evaluation.
5.2 Students’ Responsibilities
Each student must secure at least 45 percent marks in the internal evaluation with 80 percent attendance in the class to appear in the Semester End Examination. Failing to obtain such score will be given NOT QUALIFIED (NQ) and the student will not be eligible to appear in the Semester End Examination. Students are advised to attend all the classes and complete all the assignments within the specified time period. If a student does not attend the class(es), it is his/her sole responsibility to cover the topic(s) taught during the period. If a student fails to attend a formal exam, quiz, test, etc. and there is not any provision for a re-exam.
6. Prescribed Books and References Text Book
Nisani, M., and Lohani S. Flax Golden Tales. (Shorter Edition) Kathmandu: Ekta 2013/latest edition.
References
Nisani, M., and S. Lohani. Adventures in English Vol I. Third Edition. Kathmandu: Ekta (including Sounds of English and Stories and Poems cassettes)
-Adventures in English Vol II. Third Edition. Kathmandu: Ekta 2013. (Including Sounds of English and Stories and Poems cassettes)
(Note: The reference books cover the missing reading texts in the prescribed textbooks.)
Old Syllabus – 2024
Syllabus of English I (BBA Semester I)
Course Title: English I
Course code: ENG 101
Credit hours: 3
Course Description
This course comprises all aspects of the English language including speaking, pronunciation, listening, reading and writing. The focus is on improving the students to communicate clearly and effectively. The syllabus for the lessons is based on the course books, but the teacher will also use lots of other materials, including suggestions from students so the content of the class can be more useful and interesting. Students are expected to participate as much as possible, but they will work individually, in pairs and groups as well as the whole class. The teacher will correct their spoken and written errors so that they become more accurate and they will progress quickly.
General Course Objectives
The general objectives of the course will be to enable students to
- extend their vocabulary
- increase their fluency
- become more accurate
- communicate in English more easily
- understand more of the world around them
Specific Course Objectives
The specific objectives of the course will be to enable students to
- understand and use basic everyday phrases
- introduce themselves and ask and answer questions about personal details
- interact with a co-operative partner
- acquire a basic repertoire of words and phrases
- demonstrate limited grammatical control
- mange short utterances
- understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to immediately relevant areas
- communicate in simple and routine tasks
- describe in simple terms aspects of their background, immediate environment and matters of personal interest
- use basic sentence patterns
- use simple structures correctly
- read and write on general topics on different themes
Course Content Areas
The content will include a selection of rich interdisciplinary texts of general academic interest and business texts of various genres. The key areas are as follows: personal identification; house and home, environment; daily life; free time, entertainment; weather; travel; relations with other people; health and body care; education; shopping; food and drink; services; places; cultures; science; environment; language; ancient tales, animals, television, cross-cultural bridges, anthropology, and literature.
Teaching Methods
The suggested teaching method is an eclectic mix of lectures, demonstrations, presentations, activities, and seminars. The specific methods for specific units are as suggested for teachers in the course books. Question models will be developed during the teacher orientation program and made available to the campuses.
Basic Texts
- Grant, D., Hughes, J., & Turner, R. Business Result: Elementary Student’s Book. Oxford: OUP. (including Elementary Interactive Workbook with video)
- Nisani, M., & Lohani, S. Adventures in English Vol I (3rd ed.). Kathmandu: Ekta. (including Sounds of English and Stories and Poems cassettes)
References
- Hughes, J. Business Result: Elementary. Teacher’s Book. Oxford: OUP (including Elementary Class DVD and Elementary Teacher Training DVD).
- Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English. Eighth Edition. Oxford: OUP.
- Carter, R., & McCarthy, M. Cambridge Grammar of English. Cambridge: CUP.
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