Student Information Sheet Instructor: Brett Thomas ESL 315 Reading & Writing

Transcription

1 Student Information Sheet Instructor: Brett Thomas ESL 315 Reading & Writing Sacramento City College Course Code: Spring 2017 Class Days/Time: TTh 8:30-11:40 a.m. Office: Rodda South 317 Classroom: RHS 221 Voic /Phone: Student Hours: MW 2:45-3:40, SCC ESL Website TTH 4:10-5:05 F 12:30-1:25 p.m. Our ESL 315 Website (not D2L) & by appt. D2L ESL 315 Course Page Prerequisites: To be in ESL 315, you must first: 1) have passed ALL 3: ESLR 50 AND ESLW 50 with grades of "C" or better AND ESLR 91 with a grade of "P" 2) have passed BOTH: ESL 55 with a grade of "C" or better AND ESLR 91 with a grade of "P" 3) have been placed into ESL Level 310 Reading by the district ESL assessment test & essay process. If you are trying to add the class, you must give me your prerequisite papers before asking for permission numbers. Give me a copy of either your grade report or assessment center placement today or by THURSDAY. If you cannot, I will drop you and give your place to a waitlist student who has the prerequisite. If you are planning to take the assessment test, tell me when you expect to get the results. Advisory Class / Prerequisite for the next level don't forget! 1. Students registered for ESL 315 should also register for ESLR 92 Lab. Register immediately TODAY for ESLR 92 (ESL Center: Intermediate-High Reading Skills in ESL), section #17215 or # Complete a minimum of 27 hours of work on ESLR 92 materials in the ESL Center to receive credit or you will not be able to enroll in ESL 325/ESLR 320. Get the lab done this semester! 2. Lab times are selected by lottery on the first Friday; results will be posted in lab on 1/23. If you are enrolled in 315 AND ESLR 92 (or 94) by this Thursday, you will be in the first lottery; if not, you ll have to choose your lab day/time next week, by going to the ESL Center (RS 328). Save time and get started quickly, right from the first day of school! 3. IF you have already taken and passed ESLR 92, you can still take a lab section to help you improve your reading skills! Sign up for ESL 94 Intermediate-High Skills Lab, section # Important Notes About This Class: This class is a "computer-assisted" AND "web-enhanced" class, taught in a regular classroom with occasional visits to a computer lab for in-class writing exams, but also using D2L and for submitting and returning essays. Therefore, you must be able to type well on a keyboard, and be able to use computers and the Internet well enough to do some basic searching and complete and submit an essay. You must also have an /gmail address and Internet access (anywhere). You must be able to access the D2L Class Site, download PDF files and submit all your essays via D2L, no exceptions. All essays, both in-class and out-of-class, must be typed and submitted via D2L's Dropbox. Some projects and homework assignments also have to be typed. You don't need to own a computer, but you need some free time in your schedule if you plan to use a friend's computer or the college's free computer labs and library. Required Materials and Textbooks: 1) Making Connections 3, Third Edition by Pakenham, ISBN: ) The Pearl, by John Steinbeck, 1994 Edition. Please try to buy this version: à ISBN ß We will use these two books every day, as well as other online and paper materials about writing. You MUST bring them to class daily, whether you buy, rent, borrow or copy the texts. 3) Longman Advanced American Dictionary, ISBN or any recent edition, or an equivalent all- English learner's dictionary is required. This will serve you through all your ESL courses and beyond. 4) A Student Access Card with current sticker! (Your student ID, library & printing card, & bus/rail pass in one!) 5) An active address & an SCC Gmail address that forwards to your personal . Last Day to Add or Drop w/ no record January 29 th SPRING BREAK April 10 th -14 th Last Day to Drop with "W" grade April 16 th READING FINAL (Last Day of Class) May 9 th in RHS 221 WRITING FINAL (Essay) May 16 th, 8:00 a.m. 10:00 a.m. in RHS 326 You are expected to be present at the final examinations on May 9 th & May 16 th. The day and time of the exam will not change, and early exams are not allowed, so do not purchase airplane tickets or make travel plans for dates on or before the day of your final.

2 CLASS POLICIES - These are the rules for ESL 315. Be sure you understand them. You will not cheat in this class. That's it. Cheating means: If you share test information before, during, or after a test; if you talk, text, take photos or use your phone during a test; if you and a classmate turn in identical homework; if you turn in an assignment that was written or fixed for you by someone else. If you use other writers' words and ideas in your papers, you MUST mark them in quotes and say where they came from; if you paraphrase, you must still cite your source; if not, it is plagiarism. According to school policy, if I suspect you have cheated or plagiarized, you will receive zero points for the assignment, and you may fail the course. Attendance and Lateness: Being late is as bad as being absent. You miss important information and you interrupt and slow down the class. Three lates count as one absence and being more than 10 minutes late / leaving early counts as being half-absent. You can miss only two (2) classes or four hours total (two days) in the semester for any reason, excused or not. You will either be dropped or you will lose 5 points for each extra absence. Attendance and lateness in class can strongly affect your grade, by reducing your total points. Please do not make appointments during your class times! If you know you will be absent, or if you are sick, please call my office or me and let me know why you are absent and when you will be back. Get the number of a classmate TODAY who can bring you handouts and share notes with you. You are responsible for all material covered in class and assigned as homework, even if you are absent. Be sure to take notes during class lectures and discussions! Grading and Late Homework: All grades will be given in points/percents or letter grades. I will give you a grade report at midterm and before the last drop day. If there is anything you don't understand, always feel free to talk to me. If you find a mistake or think I graded something incorrectly, tell me immediately. I will not change grades after the end of the semester. If you are absent, all homework you miss is still due on the day I requested it. You must send it via a friend or BY . Generally, % = A, 89-80% = B, 79-70% = C, 69-60% = D, <60 = F. All assignments must be turned in on time. The homework assignments in this class are frequent, and you may rewrite some of them to improve your grade if you do not have a passing score. NOTE: Rewriting will get you the minimum passing score (C-) IF you redo them by the next class; this means you have to keep up with all work. Not turning them in can seriously affect your class grade! Homework more than two class days late will not be accepted for a grade. (I may correct it for you, but you'll get zero points.) There is no excuse for late work - you can it to me at any time. Typical Assignments: (See the 315 Schedule for actual assignments.) Schedules, grading plans and other information may change at any time; if they do, the instructor will inform you. In-Class Tests & Quizzes ~65% *must have C- average to pass* Three in-class reading tests, vocabulary quizzes and one final exam. 3 and 3 points ~400 These will be tests on 1-2 readings from each textbook plus other skills we have studied in class and new readings. Tests will be about 90 minutes and the final exam will be 120 minutes. There will be other short in-class practices and quizzes that will be graded. Four in-class writing assignments (essays) and one final exam points and points ~500 One exam may be dropped (not the final). All in-class essays are written in two hours, in the computer lab. à Each essay will be revised and rewritten as an at-home essay for additional points. ~500 Reading Projects ~25% One out-of-class project, possibly with a presentation and/or in-class discusssions 1 project / 4 disc. = 50 points ~50 Daily Homework & Reading Assignments ~25% Daily from the textbook & handouts including textbook exercises, paraphrases & summaries, etc. ~100 These will be done on paper to turn in, usually the next class day. Participation Includes being on time, asking and answering questions, participating in group work and discussion, and completing all work before class so you are ready to talk about it. Points may also be given for lab hours completed, and for extra credit assignments if the teacher gives any. TOTAL points =~1500+!! NOTE: To receive a "C" or better in ESL 315, students must have an average 70% success (C-) on all in-class READING quizzes and examinations AND an average of 70% or greater success on all in-class WRITING quizzes and examinations and then a 70% average on all other work! If you do not pass either R or W, you will have serious problems in the next level. ESLR 92 lab must be completed before you can take ESLR 320 / ESL 325!

3 Skills you need for ESL 315: The following ESLR 50 and ESLW 50 prerequisite skills are necessary for you to be successful in this course, so you must be able to: read longer and more complex readings than at the beginning of the course. employ a variety of reading strategies to understand, analyze, and respond to medium-length fiction and non-fiction readings. use vocabulary acquired in the course in discussions and written work with accurate spelling. summarize and paraphrase basic concepts from short readings. AND write well-developed, unified paragraphs in class of at least 200 words each with clear topic sentences and supporting details. analyze readings to get background information and vocabulary and generate ideas for writing. write essays in class of at least 400 words each with introductions, body paragraph support, and conclusions. write essays out of class of at least 500 words each with introductions, body paragraph support, and conclusions. interpret and appropriately respond to writing prompts. write compositions using selected rhetorical modes, including at least one opinion paragraph or essay. use the writing process, including prewriting, writing, revising, and editing. apply level-appropriate grammar and usage patterns in writing, including verb-tense consistency and basic sentence syntax. demonstrate general control of punctuation and capitalization in a variety of sentence types. identify and correct grammatical errors through editing. (ESL 55 SKILLS) employ a variety of reading strategies to read, understand, analyze, and respond to medium-length fiction and nonfiction readings. use vocabulary acquired in the course in discussions and written work with accurate spelling. analyze, summarize, and paraphrase basic concepts from readings; use these concepts to generate ideas for writing. interpret writing prompts and respond to them using the writing process (prewriting, writing, revising, and editing). write well-developed compositions in and out of class using selected rhetorical modes, including at least one opinion paragraph or essay. apply level-appropriate grammar and usage patterns in writing and identify and correct grammatical errors through editing. About this class, ESL 315: This integrated-skills course focuses on strengthening academic reading and writing skills at the Intermediate-High level. The emphasis is on vocabulary expansion, comprehension, inference and analysis, and developing the ability to respond to readings through a variety of essay assignments. Students will use critical thinking skills to understand, paraphrase, summarize, and respond orally and in writing to ideas expressed in fiction and non-fiction readings. They will refine their ability to control a range of grammatical structures. Students will also learn to use the library. Students will be assigned a minimum of 4,000 words including in-class essays and a final exam. When you successfully complete this class, you will be able to: distinguish main ideas from supporting details and fact from opinion and infer and predict ideas in short and long fiction and non-fiction readings. analyze, summarize, and paraphrase important concepts from readings and respond to short and long writings. use an expanded variety of academic and idiomatic vocabulary in discussions and in reading and writing assignments. compose well-developed, organized, unified multi-paragraph essays in a variety of rhetorical modes, including persuasion, in response to readings. apply level-appropriate grammar knowledge and usage to both reading and writing assignments to read longer and more complex passages and detect and correct grammatical errors through editing. complete basic library research. Upon completing ESL ESLR 92, you may take ESLR 320, Advanced-Low Reading, or take ESL 325.

4 How Much Time Will This Class Take? à ESL 315 requires an above-average time commitment from students. Because it combines two skills into a 6-unit class, we'll meet six hours per week in the classroom. Your total time working outside of class at home will be about 12 hours a week. Each class unit represents 1 hour of instruction and 2 hours of preparation/study/review/homework many students require more time to write essays and get tutoring support as well. You will do regular reading AND writing assignments from both books and in additional handouts before every class, and also homework to improve your reading and writing skills, as well as a simple library project during the semester. In-class writing must be at least 500 words per essay in class, and at least 600 words when revised at home. Summary/response writing will be shorter but the overall semester total is 4000 words minimum. FYI: v Grade reports will be provided when requested and two times during the semester so you know how you re doing. v The instructor retains the right to edit the syllabus as needed. Changes will be shared with students. v Papers and files will be kept for one year from the end of the semester; after that, they will be thrown out. Special Needs: If you have a special need or accommodation (learning or other disability, extra time needed) and this has been identified by the Learning Disability or Disability Resource Centers, please discuss it with me as soon as possible. If your accommodation is not documented and you do not present me a DRC form, I cannot help you. All conversations will be confidential. The college has many resources to help you succeed, as well as counseling and financial aid if you have problems that are keeping you from coming to class or being as successful as possible. Please! v No personal cell phone calls during class. Turn phones off before class starts, or if you have an emergency, set them to silent or vibrate. Take care of business before class, during break, or after class do NOT get up and leave during the class. You may only use your phone when the teacher includes it in a class activity; otherwise, phones OFF. v I expect you to speak in English at all times, and to be quiet when the teacher or classmates are speaking. Take notes when the teacher is explaining something or writing information on the board. Notes help you remember and study. v Read ahead of schedule so that you can always read things twice. Do all homework and do it on time so that it can be returned to you before exams. Talk about the work and the lessons with your classmates outside of class. Ask many specific questions in class. Let the teacher know when you don t understand. v Bring your textbooks and all handouts I give you to class every day in your notebook. If you lose things, get a copy from your classmate as soon as possible. You must have the textbook with you in class, so plan to rent/buy/borrow/copy it as you choose. v Regular, punctual attendance is necessary. If you arrive late or leave early, please do it quickly and quietly. Notify the instructor if you need to come late or leave early, to be sure you have all the handouts and materials from the lesson. v Visit the teacher s office hours with any questions, and come speak to him at least once or twice during the semester! Professor Thomas

5 Tell Me About Yourself! ESL 315 Name: FIRST LAST In class, please call me: Phone number: You will need an address for this class. You already have free campus and free use of campus computers. Ù How are you prepared for this class? Check R one box which shows your prerequisite has been done. You must give the teacher a copy of one of these prerequisites this week. o I have passed the prerequisite classes, ESLR 50 + ESLW 50 + ESLR 91 The teacher already checked this on his computer. and received in ESLR 50 (check one) an A, B, or C and received in ESLW 50 an A, B, or C o I have passed the prerequisite classes, ESL 55 + ESLR 91 The teacher already checked this on his computer. and received in ESL 55 (check one) an A, B, or C o I took the ESL assessment test and essay in the past 2 years. Copy your Level 310 placement report for me. and received a placement in Level 310. o I'm repeating this class [ESL 315 only] (previous W/D/F only). Copy your 310 placement or grade reports. o I'm already on the waiting list (fill in top box too) o I'm not registered for this class at all! (fill in top box too) Write your Student ID# & give me a copy of your prerequisite. The class is already full. Wait and see. Write your Student ID# here: Permission numbers to add the class will be given AFTER your prerequisite is confirmed and only if there is space to accept you as a student. Maximum number of students per section is 27. Ù Please answer these questions: 1. Which languages do you know? 2. Where were you born? 3. How long have you lived in the U.S.? 4. Did you go to high school in this country? 5. Did you go to a university in any country? 6. How many units are you taking this semester, total? 7. How many hours a week do you work (no job = 0)? 8. Are you a good reader? writer? 9. Are you comfortable using computers? 10. How old are you? o Under 18 o o o o o o Over 60 Ù Please read and sign this agreement. I,, agree that I will not cheat in any way in this class. I understand the WRITE YOUR FULL NAME rules in this class and the results of cheating (zero points) as the teacher explained them. I know that honesty is the most important thing and I know that I will get a grade only for my own work. By signing this, I promise to uphold the honor code for students at Sacramento City College. SIGN YOUR NAME HERE DATE STOP! STOP! STOP! Ù The teacher will do this section. Prerequisite Completed (Semester/Grade): Repeating Previous Classes (Semester/Grade): Other Verified (Name/Reason): Waitlisted Added from Wait List (Date):