The primary purpose of this course is to improve students’ proficiency of English through reading, writing, listening, and oral practices. In order to prepare students for further academic pursuits or advanced English studies, various types of reading materials will be included in the course, especially articles related to major cultural practices and issues, such as race, gender, class, and pop culture. In other words, this is a course which not only purports to improve students’ English capability but also aims to achieve that objective by cultivating their sensitivity to important cultural issues. Students of the class will be divided into groups and discuss questions developed from the reading material in English, and after the discussion, one member of the group has to present the conclusion to the whole class in English. As for listening practices, each week one or two latest video clips from CNN will be broadcast in class to which students will have to answer questions prepared by the instructor. In addition, 3 short summaries of the reading materials are required.