This course is designed to introduce NTU students to university-level English listening and writing. It will train students to listen to and reflect on English news reports gleaned from leading American news publications. It will also familiarize students with the major features of academic writing with a focus on punctuation and mechanics and then turn to the essential skills of essay development including unity, support, coherence and sentence integrity. Students will have the chance to apply the language skills they have learned through five listening transcripts, five critical thinking exercises, two quizzes and four writing exercises. Students are expected to attend regularly, to contribute with passion and criticality, and to show commitment to course assignments and class discussions.