GUJARAT UNIVERSITY
Syllabus for B. A., B. Com. and B. Sc. Programmes
Based on National Education Policy-2020
SEMESTER – V
Skill Enhancement Courses
SEC-ELC-356: English Language Comprehension
(With Effect from Academic Year 2025-2026)
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Andragogy: Classroom Lectures, Group Discussions, Listening and Reading
Comprehension Activities, Skill-based Practical Exercises etc.
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Learning Objectives: This syllabus is designed:
• To enable students to appreciate and interpret diverse prose texts, identifying
main themes, styles and implied meanings.
• To equip students with effective listening comprehension skills through
exposure to a variety of audio materials.
• To improve reading comprehension by analyzing various unseen passages to
understand overall meaning and details.
• To train students to recognize and correct common grammatical errors,
specifically focusing on subject-verb agreement, articles and prepositions.
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Learning Outcomes: On successful completion of the syllabus, the students
will be able to:
• Analyze prose texts to understand key themes, characters and moral insights,
focusing on narrative style, perspective and cultural significance.
• Understand spoken English by listening to conversations, interviews and
speeches, responding clearly and accurately.
• Develop the ability to answer comprehension questions on unseen passages,
showing both literal understanding and the ability to infer meaning.
• Identify and correct common grammatical errors in written English,
particularly those related to subject-verb agreement, the use of articles and
prepositions.
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Unit -I
Prose and Perspective
1. The Only American from our Village
Arun Joshi
2. Seventeen Oranges
Bill Naughton
3. Old Man at the Bridge
Ernest Hemingway
4. Don’t Pay Bad for Bad
Amos Tutuola
Unit - II
Comprehension and Correction
(A) Listening Comprehension:
Important Notes:
➢ This topic will not be tested in the written examination; however, it may
be included in the Oral Examination.
➢ Use a variety of audio materials such as conversations, speeches,
announcements, podcasts or interviews.
➢ Ensure that the listening materials are level-appropriate for both
Gujarati and English Medium students and relevant to the course
objectives.
➢ Encourage students to listen actively and take brief notes during the
audio playback.
➢ After listening, engage students in the follow-up activities such as:
• Answering comprehension questions
• Summarizing the content
• Discussing the key points in pairs or groups
• Completing fill-in-the-blank or multiple-choice exercises
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(B) Reading Comprehension of Unseen Passages:
Important Notes:
➢ Select appropriate passages that align with the students’ language
proficiency levels and are relevant to the course objectives.
➢ Incorporate a variety of passage types such as narrative, descriptive,
expository and argumentative to assess different comprehension skills.
➢ Include a mix of question types such as multiple-choice, short answer,
fill-in-the-blank and true/false to assess the understanding of students
comprehensively.
➢ The primary focus should be on the ability to understand the overall
meaning and specific details within the passage.
➢ Offer constructive feedback to students on their performance to help
them improve their reading comprehension skills.
(C) Identifying Common Errors:
Important Note: Questions in the examination will focus on common
grammatical errors related to subject-verb agreement, articles and prepositions.
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Modes of Evaluation
1. Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) - (25Marks)
(A) Attendance: 05 Marks
(B) Assignment: 05 Marks
(C) Mid-Term Evaluation: 15 Marks
After completion of the syllabus, the faculty member will conduct mid-term
evaluation. The concerned faculty member will decide the mode of mid-term
evaluation from the following:
❖ MCQ Based Examination (Online/Offline)
(15 MCQs of one mark each, Time Duration: 15 Minutes)
(OR)
❖ Any one from the following:
• Open Book Exam • Case Studies
• Practical Exam • Report Writing
• Essay/Article Writing • Interviews
• Quizzes (On/Offline) • Poster Presentation
• Objective Test • Seminar
• Class Assignment • Paper Presentation
• Research/Dissertation • Viva Voce/Oral
(OR)
❖ Descriptive Examination (Time Duration: 45 Minutes)
Note: Structure of the Question Paper for Descriptive Examination
(Time Duration: 45 Minutes, Marks: 15)
Q – 1. Answer any five questions in brief: (out of seven) 10
(OR)
Write a short note on any one of the following: (out of three)
(From Unit-I)
Q – 2. Identify the errors in the following sentences and rewrite them correctly: 05
(Five out of Seven)
(From Unit-II)
2. Semester End Evaluation (SEE) – (25 Marks)
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Modes of Evaluation Maximum Marks Minimum Passing Marks
CCE 25 09
SEE 25 09
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Total No. of Teaching Hours: 30 Hours
Unit – I: 15 Hours
Unit – II: 15 Hours
Credit Distribution:
Total Credits: 02 Credits
Lecture: 1 Credit (Lecture 1= One Hour)
Practical: 1 Credit (Practical 2= Two Hours)
Notes:
• One Hour of Lecture is equal to 1 Credit per week.
• Two Hours of Practical is equal to 1 Credit per week.
• Practical Classes may be conducted in the Classroom/Language Lab/ Business
Lab/Computer Lab depending on the requirement.
• For Practical Classes, one batch size of students (per teacher) will be as per the
rules of Gujarat University.
Acronyms Expanded:
• L+P: Lecture +Practical
• SEC: Skill Enhancement Courses
• CCE: Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation
• SEE: Semester End Evaluation
➢ Recommended Reading:
• Arun Joshi – The Only American from Our Village. Available in Vignettes of
Life (Macmillan)
• Bill Naughton – Seventeen Oranges. Available on Google Books
• Ernest Hemingway – Old Man at the Bridge. Available in Pleasant Prose
Selections (Oxford University Press)
• Amos Tutuola – Don’t Pay Bad for Bad. Available in the collection The
Village Witch Doctor and Other Stories as an eBook
o Tara Chand Sharma – Developing Listening Skills (Ramesh Publishing House)
o Pushp Lata & Sanjay Kumar – Communicate: Listening and Speaking Skills
(Oxford University Press)
o Dr. Shalini Verma – Enhancing Reading Skills (Pearson Education India)
o Anjani A Gupta – Common Errors in English (Arihant Publications)
➢ Recommended E-Content: English GUETA Website/English GUETA
App/ English GUETA YouTube channel
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Page 5 of 9
GUJARAT UNIVERSITY
Paper Style for Semester End Evaluation
B. A., B. Com. and B. Sc., Semester -V (NEP)
Skill Enhancement Courses
SEC-ELC-356: English Language Comprehension
(With Effect from Academic Year 2025-2026)
Time: 1 Hour Marks: 25
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Q – 1. Answer any five questions in brief: (out of seven) 10
(OR)
Write a short note on any one of the following: (out of three)
(From Unit-I)
Q – 2. (A) Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given
below it: 05
(From Unit-II-B: Reading Comprehension of Unseen Passages)
(B) Identify the errors in the following sentences and rewrite them correctly: 05
(Five out of Seven)
(From Unit-II-C: Identifying Common Errors)
Q – 3. Choose the correct options: (Any five out of eight) 05
(MCQs from Unit-I)
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Page 6 of 9
GUJARAT UNIVERSITY
Model Question Paper for Semester End Evaluation
B. A., B. Com. and B. Sc., Semester –V (NEP)
Skill Enhancement Courses
SEC-ELC-356: English Language Comprehension
(With Effect from Academic Year 2025-2026)
Time: 1 Hour Marks: 25
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Q – 1. Answer any five questions in brief: 10
1. Who was Dr. Khanna and where did he live?
2. Briefly describe Radhe Mohan’s appearance and profession.
3. What small thefts did the narrator commit and how did he justify them?
4. What did Clem Jones tell the narrator in the end?
5. What does the narrator learn about the old man's life and family?
6. What is the symbolic significance of the old man's animals?
7. How did Dola and Babi’s friendship begin and develop over time?
(OR)
Write a short note on any one of the following:
1. The Title of the Story - The Only American from our Village
2. Pongo, the Policeman
3. The Moral of the Story- Don't Pay Bad for Bad
Q – 2. (A) Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given
below it: 05
On a rainy Saturday, Maya decided to explore the attic of her
grandparents’ old countryside house because she had always been curious about
the dusty wooden door at the top of the stairs, but no one had ever really talked
about what was inside. Flashlight in hand, and her cat Ginger following, she
climbed the creaky stairs. The attic smelled musty, filled with boxes and sheet-
covered furniture. While exploring, Maya found a shiny wooden box under
newspapers. Inside were photos, letters, and a silver locket with a picture of a
woman who looked like her. Excited, she showed it to her grandmother, who
tearfully identified the woman as Maya’s great-aunt Lily, who vanished during
the war. The attic, once a mystery, became a link to a hidden family story.
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Questions: (Any five)
1. Why did Maya decide to explore the attic?
2. Describe the attic as Maya first saw it.
3. What did Maya find beneath the newspapers?
4. How did Maya’s grandmother react when she saw the locket?
5. What was the name of Maya’s cat?
6. Which word best describes Maya’s attitude during her exploration of the
attic?
(a) Fearful
(b) Curious
(c) Careless
(d) Bored
(B) Identify the errors in the following sentences and rewrite them correctly: 05
(Any five)
1. She go to the gym every morning.
2. He is good in playing the guitar.
3. There is a apple on the table.
4. The books on the shelf needs to be dusted.
5. Her father died at 1996.
6. He gave me an useful advice.
7. Neither of the boys have done their homework.
Q – 3. Choose the correct options: (Any five) 05
1. Where did Dr. Khanna work in America?
(a) Harvard University
(b) University of Wisconsin
(c) University of Chicago
(d) Stanford University
2. Who was Radhey Mohan?
(a) A former classmate of Dr. Khanna
(b) A college principal
(c) Dr. Khanna’s father’s friend
(d) Dr. Khanna’s uncle
3. What fruit did the narrator love the most?
(a) Apples
(b) Oranges
(c) Bananas
(d) Grapes
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4. What company did the narrator work for?
(a) Fast Express
(b) Swift Delivery
(c) Dock Movers
(d) Orange Carriers
5. What is the old man's main concern in the story?
(a) His family
(b) His health
(c) His animals
(d) His home
6. Why is the old man sitting at the bridge?
(a) He is resting after a long journey
(b) He is waiting for a rescue
(c) He is too tired to continue
(d) He is waiting for his family
7. Who gave Dola a broken water pot to protect the kola-nut tree?
(a) Her husband
(b) Her servant
(c) Babi
(d) The chief
8. What gift did Dola give to Babi’s daughter?
(a) Necklace
(b) Golden bangle
(c) Brass ring
(d) Kola-nuts
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