General English Curriculum
How it Works?
The General English Curriculum (GEC) is an undergraduate, university-wide, two-year English language curriculum led by the Department of English. The GEC consists of a series of courses that are designed to help students improve their English skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing and prepare them for their graduation English requirement. The GEC is required of all undergraduate students in their freshman and sophomore years unless the student has successfully waived it.
Typically, students are enrolled in GEC classes based on their English proficiency, determined by taking the joint exam when they first enter Taipei Tech and during the semester. Transfer students and students who do not have the necessary GEC credits have different ways of enrolling in the GEC classes.
| Category | Target Audience | Courses & Semesters | Course Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Required Course | Students entering in/after the 114 academic year (Freshmen) | College-Specific ESP 2 credits / 3 hours per week Course Code: 1400040 (Phase 1/2, 2/2) 114 |
This course equips first-year students with essential English language skills, focusing on developing their communication abilities in specific professional fields. The content is customized to each college's discipline and integrates the four language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing), thereby enhancing the application of English in professional contexts. |
| Required Course | Students entering in/after the 114 academic year (Sophomores) | Interdisciplinary ESP 2 credits / 2 hours per week Course Code: 1400041 (Phase 1/2, 2/2) 114 |
TThe interdisciplinary ESP courses aim to strengthen students’ ability to communicate effectively in cross-disciplinary contexts. The curriculum integrates language learning with subject-specific knowledge, enhancing students’ proficiency in reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Through these courses, students will develop the confidence and competence to engage successfully in both academic and professional interdisciplinary environments. |
| Required Course | Students entering between the 111 and 113 academic years (Freshmen) | English Communication and Application I (ECA Courses) 2 credits / 3 hours per week Course Code: 1400038 / 1400039 |
The ECA courses are designed for the first-year (freshman), non-native English speaking students to strengthen their English language skills, with particular emphasis on communicative competence and practical application in social, cultural and professional contexts. By integrating the four skills (reading, listening, speaking and writing), the primary objective is to connect the classroom ELT with the real-life communicative situations. To that end, the courses adopt the following approaches: communicative language teaching (CLT), task-based learning (TBL), and content-based instruction (CBI), building a holistic pedagogy to English instruction and developing students’ English language proficiency for the next level ESP courses. |
| Required Course | Students entering between the 111 and 113 academic years (Sophomores) | English for Specific Purposes (ESP Course) 2 credits / 2 hours per week Course Code: 14E0003 (Phase 1/2, 2/2) 111 / 112 / 113 |
Drawing upon the English language, pedagogy, students’ needs for English in specialized domains, the ESP series encompass the following key dimensions: English for general academic purposes, English for professional practice / application, content and language integrated learning, issues and trends, and integrative language skills for testing and communication. The courses are designed for the second year (sophomore), non-native English speaking students to strengthen their English competence and become more proficient in their fields of study. |
| Required Course | Students entering in/before the 110 academic year (Freshmen) | English in Practice 2 credits / 3 hours per week Course Code: 1400027 (Phase 1/2, 2/2) |
This course is designed (1) to strengthen students' previously required knowledge in English with basic grammatical ideas and sentence patterns reviewed through reading materials appropriate to their levels; (2) to develop reading skill by giving explanation of difficult words, phrases, and syntax, as well as analysis of basic writing skill; (3)to familiarize students with useful expressions in conversation and build up their confidence in cross-cultural communication; (4)to reinforce the competence and performance of listening, speaking, reading and writing by practice. |
| Required Course | Students entering in/before the 110 academic year (Sophomores) | Diversified English 2 credits / 2 hours per week Course Code: 14E0002 110 |
The Diversified English Series aims to develop students’ English communication competence through a variety of English courses. These courses integrate training of language skills, content-driven instruction and pragmatic use of English by tasks. The design of the series of courses incorporates the following syllabi: the collaborative task-based syllabus, content-based syllabus, and interactive skill-based syllabus, encompassing a wide range of topics. Selecting the best possible course is a key decision to guarantee the success of English learning. It is thus recommended that students evaluate their needs and wants and discuss the course options available with their English instructors. |
| Common Elective | Juniors (Third-year students) | Course in English language Proficiency Tests 2 credits / 2 hours per week University/College Level Course 110 / 111 / 112 / 113 / 114 |
(This course is primarily designed for third-year students to bridge into professional workplace English.) |
Enrollment & Placement
To determine student's English proficiency, freshman students take an English placement test during their orientation. The class placement for sophomore students is determined by the joint final exam grade in the second semester of their freshman year. The class placement remains the same throughout the academic year (i.e. two semesters). Students therefore are recommended against guessing answers on their tests as it might cause them to be placed in a higher level class that they can't handle.
Regulations:
• National Taipei University of Technology Policy on Student Course Selection (OAA E1)
• Taipei Tech Placement and Joint Examination Guidelines for Required General English (OAA H3)
Joint Exam
Students who are enrolled in a GEC course need to take the joint midterm exam as it accounts for 20% of the final grade. The joint midterm exam is normally scheduled at 10:00am on the Tuesday of the midterm exam week (9th week of a semester).
Waiving Policy
Please refer to the Office of Academic Affairs website and look for the full regulation and application form on waiving general English curriculum courses.
Regulations: National Taipei University of Technology Guidelines for Applying for Credit Substitution and Waiver for English Courses (OAA D2)
Forms: Application for Credit Waiver of English Program (OAA D2)
Graduation Requirement
The General English Curriculum (GEC) is a university-wide, two-year English language curriculum led by the Department of English. The GEC consists of a series of courses that are designed to help students improve their English skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing and prepare them for their graduation English requirement.
Regulated by the Office of Academic Affairs, all undergraduate students must have either passed one of the standardized English exam requirements or passed the Career English course before being qualified for graduation. Department of English students adapt another set of English skill requirements for graduation.
Regulations:
• National Taipei University of Technology Guidelines for Minimum English Proficiency Requirements for Graduation Guidelines (OAA I3) (Applicable to Day Division Four-Year Undergraduate Students)
• National Taipei University of Technology Guidelines for Minimum English Proficiency Requirements for Graduation for Graduate Students of Day Division (OAA I4)
• Regulations for the English Proficiency Test for Graduation Threshold (OAA I5)
Forms: Application Form for Registering English Proficiency Test Result(OAA I4)
Upon receiving your English proficiency test score report, please submit the original score report along with a photocopy to the Office of Academic Affairs to complete the application process.