Detailed Schedule | English Conversation and Discussion

Tentative Schedule
*Asterisks in front of an item indicates media clips for listening exercises in the course packet

Week 1	Aug. 12	No class (Mother's Day)
Week 1	Aug. 14	1: Representing Disabilities Reading Disability Emojis "Apple Proposes New Accessibility Emoji with Collaboration from ACB," American Council of the Blind (2018) "Apple Offers a Look at New Emoji Coming to iPhone This Fall," Apple (2019) Veroniiiica, "How Do People with Vision Impairments . . . Use Emoji?," Perkins (2018) Discussion: Etiquette, rules and practices in English conversation and discussion; the importance of nonverbal communication
Week 2	Aug. 19	1: Representing Disabilities Reading Course packet pp. 3–4 Arun Rath, "People with Disabilities, On Screen and Sans Clichés," All Things Considered, NPR* (2015; includes audio clip, 5:13 min. and transcript) ReelAbilities ReelAbilities Film Festival (official site) Isaac Zablocki, "ReelAbilities: The Force Awakens," Abilities (2017) Zero Project (official site) Yoocan (official site)
Week 2	Aug. 21	1: Representing Disabilities Reading Eden Spivak, "Disability as Creativity: Designers with Disabilities Share Their Stories," Wix (2019) Communication Strategies: Disability Pitch planning
Week 3	Aug. 26	2: Strength in Disabilities Reading Amy Purdy, "Living beyond Limits," TEDxOrangeCoast (2011; video clip, 9:45 min.) Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable, directed by Aaron Leiber (2019 documentary) "Official Trailer," Entertainment Studios (1:30 min.) Communication Strategies: Disability Pitch: Groups present their pitches.
Week 3	Aug. 28	2: Strength in Disabilities Reading Course packet 5–7 Ronit Ovadia-Mazzoni, "My Journey to Genetics: Changing What It Means to Be a Blind Genetic Counselor," National Federation of the Blind (2012) Josh Block, "Here's How Google's Blind Lawyer Does His Job," Bloomberg Law* (2016; includes video clip, 4:23 min.) Discussion:
Week 4	Sep. 2	3: Political Activism Reading Course packet pp. 8–10 Simone Webb, "Why Shouldn't Children Skip Lessons to Protest?," The Guardian (2011) *Julie McCarthy, "Hong Kong Activists Speak Out," NPR (2019; includes audio clip, 4:05 min. and transcript)
Week 4	Sep. 4	3: Political Activism Reading Zachary Jason, "Student Activism 2.0," Harvard Ed Magazine (2018) "Jameela Jamil on Banning Airbrushing, the Kardashians and Her Traumatic Teens," Channel 4 News (2018; 48:05 min.) Discussion: political activism past and present; types of activism
Week 5	Sep. 9	4: Online Safety Reading Course packet pp. 11–13 Sarah O'Brien, "Employers Check Your Social Media before Hiring. Many Then Find Reasons Not to Offer You a Job," CNBC, (2018) Laura Sydell, "Older Women and the Pitfalls of Looking for Love by Logging On," Morning Edition, NPR* (2015; includes audio clip, 5:39 min. and transcript) "Voting Machines," Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, HBO (2019; video clip, 19:21 min.) Discussion: digital literacy; cyber crime
Week 5	Sep. 11	4: Online Safety Reading "Cyber Safety: An Interactive Guide to Staying Safe on the Internet," Open Colleges "Top 10 Internet Safety Rules and What Not to Do Online," Kaspersky Sue Halpern, "The Terrifying Potential of the 5G Network," The New Yorker, 26 Apr. 2019. Do You Trust This Computer?, directed by Chris Paine (2018 documentary; video clip, 1 hr. 18:03 min.) Student-Led Discussion: Lalida and Worakarn Emily Dreyfuss, "Wanna Protect Your Online Privacy? Open a Tab and Make Some Noise," Wired (2017) Eric Lach, "Facebook’s User-Data Revelations and the Drumbeat of Calls for Regulation," The New Yorker (2018) Patrick Howell O'Neill, "Websites Have Been Quietly Hacking iPhones for Years, Says Google," MIT Technology Review (2019) "The Guardian View on Cybercrime: The Law Must Be Enforced," The Guardian (2019) Emily Tate, "When an Online Teaching Job Becomes a Window into Child Abuse," Wired (2019)
Week 6	Sep. 16	5: Education Reading Course packet pp. 14–17 Boarding School Beak, "Single-Sex versus Co-Ed: Why Neither Is Best," The Telegraph (2016) "Should the Internet Replace Universities," The Great Debate, University of Technology Sydney* (2013; video clip, 59:37 min.) Discussion: effectiveness of educational methods and systems Listening and Vocabulary Test 1 (10 points) Patti Neighmond, "Increased Hours Online Correlate with an Uptick in Teen Depression, Suicidal Thoughts," All Things Considered, NPR (2017; with audio clip, 3:53 min. and transcript)
Week 6	Sep. 18	5: Education Reading D'Arcy Coolican, Li Jin, and Frank Chen, "What's Next for Education Startups," a16z (2019; video clip, 42:21 min.) Bryan Caplan, Marc Andreessen, and Sonal Chokshi, "The Case Against Education, From Signaling to Rainbow’s End," a16z (audio clip, 44:54 min.) "Resolved: Debate Win for Inmates against Harvard Shows Benefits of Higher Education behind Bars," Democracy Now! (2015; video clip, 8:21 min.) Debate "Harvard Debate Team: A History of Success," Crimson Education (2017; video clip, 6:21 min.) "What Is Debating?," The Cambridge Union "Debating Terms," The Cambridge Union Logical Fallacies "Fallacies," University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Glen Whitman, "Logical Fallacies and the Art of Debate," California State University, Northridge (2001) "10 Common Logical Fallacies," The International Institute of Debate L. Kip Wheeler, "Logical Fallacies Handlist," Carson-Newman University (2018) Owen M. Williamson, "Master List of Logical Fallacies," University of Texas at El Paso "Fallacies," Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy "Social Media Corrupts Human Interactions," Oxford Union (2017 debate; video clips) Part 1 of 6: "Social Media Corrupts Human Interactions, Jack Symonds" (11:00 min.) Part 2 of 6: "Social Media Does NOT Corrupt Human Interactions, Laalithya Vadlamani" (11:51 min.) Part 3 of 6: "Social Media Corrupts Human Interactions, Emma Gannon" (9:33 min.) Part 4 of 6: "Social Media Does NOT Corrupt Human Interactions, Eric Hackett" (7:16 min.) Part 5 of 6: "Social Media Corrupts Human Interactions, Cherry Healey" (11:48 min.) Part 6 of 6: "Social Media Does NOT Corrupt Human Interactions, Dr. Jessica Carbino" (10:41 min.) "This House Believes Individual Apathy Is the Greatest Threat to Our Climate," Oxford Union (2017 debate; video clips) Part 1 of 8: "Rob Paver, Proposition" (14:16 min.) Part 2 of 8: "Chris Garner, Opposition" (12:51 min.) Part 3 of 8: "Barry Garner, MP, Proposition" (11:38 min.) Part 4 of 8: "Secretary Ernest Moniz, Opposition" (9:27 min.) Part 5 of 8: "Angela Smith, MP, Proposition" (9:42 min.) Part 6 of 8: "President Mohamed Nasheed, Opposition" (10:50 min.) Part 7 of 8: "Sir David King, Proposition" (11:25 min.) Part 8 of 8: "Natalie Bennett, Opposition" (10:31 min.) "This House Believes Religion Has No Place in the 21st Century," The Cambridge Union (2013; video clip, 1 hr. 36:50 min.) "The Catholic Church Is a Force for Good in the World," Intelligence Squared (2015 debate; video clip, 1 hr. 59:11 min.) "Has the American Dream Been Achieved at the Expense of the American Negro?," The Cambridge Union (1965 debate; video clip, 58:57 min.) Guides "Resources and Guides," South Australian Debating Association Ray D'Cruz, ed., "The Australia-Asia Debating Guide" (2003) Warwick Ambrose, Patrick McCaffrie, and Lloyd Wicks, "Guide to Adjudicating" (2012) "Resources," New Zealand Schools' Debating Council "How to Debate Guide" "How to Judge Debates" Workshop: debating conventions and practice
Week 7	Sep. 23	6: Is Addiction a Medical Issue? Reading Course packet pp. 18–21 Emma Yasinski, "Medications Can Help People Stop Abusing Alcohol, But Many Don't Know That," NPR (2016) Allison Aubrey, "A Medicine That Blunts the Buzz of Alcohol Can Help Drinkers Cut Back," NPR* (2017; includes audio clip, 4:18 min. and transcript) Discussion: What is addiction? What creates addiction? What are the drivers of addiction? What roles do people in the medical profession play in addiction?
Week 7	Sep. 25	6: Is Addiction a Medical Issue? Reading "Howard J. Shaffer, "What Is Addiction?," Harvard Medical School (2017) "How Addiction Hijacks the Brain," Harvard Medical School (2011) Marc Grifell and Carl L. Hart, "Is Drug Addiction a Brain Disease?," American Scientist (2018) "Opioid America," hosted by Conor Duffy, Foreign Correspondent, ABC (2019; video clip, 29:30 min.) Nellie Bowles, "A Dark Consensus about Screens and Kids Begins to Emerge in Silicon Valley," The New York Times (2018) National Institute on Drug Abuse European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction Student-Led Discussion: Chollapas and Supriya "Addiction as a Disease," Center on Addiction Roisin Kiberd, "Social Media Addiction Is Not Natural or Normal, but Is It Really a Disease?," The Guardian (2019) Lauren Weiler, "Completely Bizarre Things People Are Addicted To," Showbiz Cheat Sheet (2018)
Week 8	Sep. 30	7: Is Addiction a Social Issue? Reading Course packet pp. 22–25 Steven Brocklehurst, "What Can Be Done about Scotland's Drugs Crisis?," BBC (2019) Julia Simon, "Why an Indonesian Rehab Center Doesn't Insist on Abstinence," Morning Edition, NPR* (2019; includes audio clip, 7:09 min. and transcript) "The Doctor Who Gave Up Drugs," BBC (2016 documentary) Episode 1 (57:51 min.) Episode 2 (57:55 min.) Johann Hari Johann Hari, "Everything You Think You Know about Addiction Is Wrong," TED (2015; video clip, 14:42 min., with interactive transcript) John Harris, "Chasing the Scream by Johann Hari Review—Taking on the War on Drugs," The Guardian (2015) Discussion: Social players and solutions to addiction, beyond the social factors and policies regarding addiction Quiz on the two episodes of "The Doctor Who Gave Up Drugs"
Week 8	Oct. 2	7: Is Addiction a Social Issue? Reading Clément Bürge, "Carl Hart: 'Swiss Policy on Drugs Is Inspiring,'" In Vivo Magazine (interview) "Drugged Up Pakistan: A Billion-Dollar Narcotics Trade," 101 East, Al Jazeera English (2014; video clip, 25:10 min.) European Science-Media Hub Vedrana Simičević, "The Growing Threat of Internet Addiction" (2019) Elisabetta Tola, "Media Literacy to Counteract Misinformation and Disinformation: A Challenge We Should Be Taking On" (2019) Student-Led Discussion: Suebsak and Nutcha Howard J. Shaffer, "What Is Addiction?," Harvard Medical School (2017) Alex Wodak, "Drugs Are a Health and Social Issue. Why Do We Make It a Law Enforcement Battle?," The Guardian (2017) Sarah Berry, "Selfie-Obsessed: Teen Attempts Suicide over 'Perfect' Selfie," The Sydney Morning Herald (2014)
Week 9	Oct. 7	Debates Schedule 1: Survival skills are more important than digital skills. Chair: Chollapas Proposition: Chotirot Sunicha Opposition: Sirikorn Supichaya Adjudicators: Wirakarn Saruttaya Nutcha 2: Lab food is a desirable solution to our current food problems. Chair: Suebsak Proposition: Lalida Worakran Opposition: Sapassorn Sudsita Adjudicators: Phattarawadee Patcharawalai Supriya
Week 9	Oct. 9	Debates Schedule 3: Dating apps benefits outweigh their abuse. Chair: Sudsita Proposition: Suebsak Nutcha Opposition: Phattarawadee Saruttaya Adjudicators: Suphichaya Worakran Chotirot 4: The climate emergency is a matter for adults to solve. Chair: Sunicha Proposition: S Supriya Chollapas Opposition: Wirakarn Patcharawalai Adjudicators: Sapassorn Lalida Sirikorn
Week 10	Oct. 14	No class (Bhumibol Memorial Day observed)
Week 10	Oct. 16	8: Sex Education Reading Course packet pp. 26–29 "Sex Education," Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (2015; video clip, 21:04 min.) Richard V. Lee, "What about the Right to Say 'No'?," Parent and Child, The New York Times (1973) Bonnie Rochman, "Let's Talk (Frankly) about Sex," The New York Times Magazine (2015) Student-Led Discussion: Sirikorn, Suphichaya and Patcharawalai Lily Altavena, "Sex Ed in Arizona: How Does It Work? What Are Schools Allowed to Teach?," Arizona Republic (2019) Rebecca Ratcliffe, "Condom Handouts in Schools Prevent Disease without Encouraging Sex," The Guardian (2019) Nazia Parveen, "Birmingham School Stops LGBT Lessons after Parents Protest," The Guardian (2019)
Week 11	Oct. 21	8: Sex Education Reading Course packet pp. 26–29 Teirra Kamolvattanavith, "Thai Political Party Files Complaint against Netflix's 'Sex Education,' Fearing It Will Corrupt Youth," Coconuts (2019) Lee V. Gaines, "Illinois Sex Ed Law Requires 'Honor and Respect for Monogamous Heterosexual Marriage,'" NPR* (2018; with audio clip, 5:05 min.) Eve Ensler, The Vagina Monologues, HBO (2001; video clip, 1 hr. 16:14 min.) Sunitha Krishnan "The Fight Against Sex Slavery," TEDIndia (2009; video clip, 9:13 min., with interactive transcript) "A Year after TEDIndia," INKtalks (2011; video clip, 15:08 min.) Information "LGBTQIA Resource Center Glossary," University of California, Davis (2019) Henry A. Holmes, "Glossary of Terms Relating to Sexuality and Gender," Columbia Foundation (2003) "Glossary," Planned Parenthood (2019) The Future of Sex Education, Advocates for Youth (facts about sex education, tools and resources) "Glossary of Sex Education Terms" "Addressing Sexual Health in Schools: Policy Considerations"
Week 11	Oct. 23	No class (Chulalongkorn Memorial Day)
Week 12	Oct. 28	9: Zero Waste? Reading Course packet pp. 30–33 "Ever More Countries Are Banning Plastic Bags," The Economist (2019) Asaree Thaitrakulpanich, "Plastic Here to Stay, Vendors at 'Model' Market Say," Khaosod English (2018) Sonia Narang, "'Zero Waste' Town in Japan Recycles Most of Its Trash," The Pulse, WHYY* (2018; with audio clip, 6:28 min.) Listening and Vocabulary Test 2 (10 points) Michael Sullivan, "South Korea Says about 20% of Its Population Is at Risk for Internet Addiction," All Things Considered, NPR (2019; with audio clip and transcript)
Week 12	Oct. 30	9: Zero Waste? Reading "Zero Waste Definition," Zero Waste International Alliance (2018) "To Burn or Not to Burn?," hosted by Craig Reucassel, Foreign Correspondent, ABC (2018; video clip, 26:07 min.) Student-Led Discussion: Sunicha, Sapassorn and Sudsita Rebecca Jennings, "The Zero-Waste Movement Is Coming for Your Garbage," Vox (2019) Asaree Thaitrakulpanich, "The 'Sabai Sabai' Way to Go Zero Waste in Thailand," Khaosod English (2019) Renee Peters, "The Truth Behind Zero Waste: The Good, the Bad, and the Privilege," Model4greenliving (2018)
Week 13	Nov. 4	10: Patient Autonomy Reading Course packet pp. 34–37 Simon Mills, "Parents May Not Know Best," The Irish Times (2004) Lucy Nalpathanchil, "Can Connecticut Force a Teenage Girl to Undergo Chemotherapy?," Morning Edition, NPR* (2015; with audio clip, 3:49 min. and transcript) Discussion: patient rights and resources;
Week 13	Nov. 6	10: Patient Autonomy Reading Patients Rights "Patient Rights," Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University "European Charter of Patients' Rights," Public Health, European Commission (2002) "Patients' Rights," Genomic Resource Centre, WHO The Children Act, directed by Richard Eyre, BBC (2017 film; 105 min.) Student-Led Discussion: Saruttaya and Phattarawadee Kristie Jones, "Are There Limits to a Patient's Autonomy in Making Health Care Decisions?," Hospital News (2013) Brooke W. McKeever and Robert McKeever, "Anti-Vaccination Mothers Have Outsized Voice on Social Media—Pro-Vaccination Parents Could Make a Difference," The Conversation (2019) Samuel Blouin, "'Suicide Tourism' and Understanding the Swiss Model of the Right to Die," The Conversation (2018)
Week 14	Nov. 11	11: Church and State Reading Course packet pp. 38–42 Susan Jacoby, "The White House Is Tearing Down the Wall between Church and State," The New York Times (2018) Frank Browning, "Chirac Emphasizes Separation of Church and State," Day to Day, NPR* (2003; with downloadable audio clip, 5:04 min.) Sumit Paul-Choudhury, "Tomorrow's Gods: What Is the Future of Religion?," BBC (2019) Church and State "Establishment Clause," Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School Hana M. Ryman and J. Mark Alcorn, "Establishment Clause (Separation of Church and State)," The First Amendment Encyclopedia, Middle Tennessee State University Luise Hemmer Pihl, "Church and State Connected in Most European Countries," EUobserver (2003) Dahlia Fahmy, "In Western Europe, Most People Back Church-State Separation Even While Many Willingly Pay Church Tax," Pew Research Center (2019) Freedom of Religion "Your Right to Religious Freedom," American Civil Liberties Union "Freedom of Religion or Belief," University of Minnesota Human Rights Center (2016) "Freedom of Religion," Council of Europe Discussion: the relationship between church and state; separation of church and state; religious symbols; freedom of religion; identity politics
Week 14	Nov. 13	11: Church and State Reading Dan Turello, "Law, Religion, and Liberty: A Conversation with John Witte, Jr.," Library of Congress (2016) Sarah Barringer Gordon, "The Spirit of the Law: Separation of Church and State from 1945–1990," University of Chicago (2010 Fulton Lecture; video clip, 67:34 min.) Student-Led Discussion: Wirakarn and Chotirot Mary Papenfuss, "William Barr: Our Less Christian Society Is to Blame for Mental Illness and Drug Abuse," HuffPost (2019) "Religion and Euthanasia," BBC (2014) Michael Lipka and Samirah Majumdar, "How Religious Restrictions around the World Have Changed over a Decade," Pew Research Center (2019)
Week 15	Nov. 18	12: Mental Health Reading Course packet pp. 43–46 Charmaine Ng, "Many in Singapore Unwilling to Live or Work with People with Mental Health Conditions: Survey," The Straits Times (2018) Kirk Ziegler, "How One Colorado Town Is Tackling Suicide Prevention—Starting with the Kids," All Things Considered, NPR* (2018; with audio, 7:35 min. and transcript) Discussion: understanding our brain
Week 15	Nov. 20	12: Mental Health Reading The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive, hosted by Stephen Fry, BBC (2006 documentary) Part 1 (58:53 min.) Part 2 (59:01 min.) Listening and Vocabulary Test 3 (10 points)
Week 16	Nov. 25	Final Conversation Tests Pairs of students converse on given prompts. Grading rubric
Week 16	Nov. 27	Final Conversation Tests Pairs of students converse on given prompts.