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 asked to respond to questions developed from the reading material in English, and after the discussion, students will have to write down their reflections in their writing assignments. As for listening practices, each week one video clip from CNN will be broadcast in class, to which students will have to answer questions prepared by the instructor.