ESL 082 Fall 2006
This course will meet on Thursdays from 5:00PM to 7:30PM.
Prerequisite: ESL Placement Test or ESL 081
Prof. Pat Ishill
Office: Room 405E Phone: (908) 659-5140
Office hours: Mondays and Wednesdays: 2:00 – 3:00,
Thursdays 4:00 – 5:00, or by appointment.
Email: Ishill@ucc.edu
Website: http://.faculty.ucc.edu/english-ishill
Course Description
Level 6 Reading (ESL 082) is a full semester advanced academic sequence for students whose native language is not English. This course meets once a week for 15 weeks including exam week. The general objective of ESL 082 is to continue to reinforce reading skills to prepare students to handle college level material. Accordingly, students will also be expected to keep reading journals and to do oral reports or a library project.
Students who are successful in passing this course are finished with ESL reading, but students may require Eng 088 or ENG 089 or no further reading course depending on their performance. Students who need more time at this level must repeat the entire course.
Course Objectives/Student Learning Outcomes
§ To comprehend authentic college-level fiction, non fiction and academic texts.
§ To apply reading strategies, such as skimming, scanning, finding main ideas, drawing conclusions, summarizing, paraphrasing, and using context clues
§ To make connections between texts and real-life experiences, and to understand the wider cultural, political and social implications
§ To respond to texts using various writing activities, such as freewriting, journals, note taking, and outlining
§ To summarize and paraphrase the significant ideas and/or events orally or in writing
§ To identify varied American cultural and historical themes to develop an awareness of multiculturalism through fiction and non-fiction
Information Literacy
By the conclusion of the semester, all students who pass this course will demonstrate an understanding of the research process in at least one graded project, oral or written. This will include attending a library orientation, doing basic research, evaluating sources, appropriately incorporating those sources into the project without plagiarism, and preparing a bibliography. Some of the sources used must be electronic, including a database and the internet.
Resources:
Text: Reader’s Choice, Book 2, Split Ed.
Novel: Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult
Notebook with Filler Paper
Memory Stick or Floppy Disk
All students must buy the required text and bring it to every class meeting.
Using cell phones in class is not permitted. Be courteous and respectful of your classmates and teacher.
Attendance:
Class will meet for 14 weeks. Attendance is an essential part of the class. Students are required to attend all classes and to participate in all class activities; a portion of your final grade will include class participation. In addition, tests are ONLY given on the scheduled dates, and there are no make-ups. When a student is absent, he misses instruction, group work, and assignments. If a student is absent during the semester, it is his responsibility to find out about missed assignments. Excessive absences will seriously hinder your ability to pass the class.
Assignments:
Homework will
be given for every class meeting. First, you will be given an assigned number
of pages from the novel to be read for the following class meeting. Second, a
journal or other writing activity will also be assigned. Please save all
journals and assignments and come to class prepared. All homework must be handed
in on time. No late journals will be accepted after the due date. In addition,
there will also be a final research project and/or a short presentation at the
end of the semester using the Internet and library. Completion of all
assignments will also be included in the final grade. All assignments must be
handed in on filler paper.
In-Class Reading Activities
When you get to class, you will be assigned a reading group. In this group you will review your journals and chapters, discuss them, and complete other activities. All students will participate. If I see that students are not completing their reading and journals, there will be a weekly quiz on the assigned chapters.
Exams:
During the
semester there will be both a final and a mid-term exam. In addition, there
will be class tests about the novel. If you are absent for a test, you can not
take it on another day. Any student who misses the final exam will not pass
the course.
The English Language Proficiency Test (ELPT) is required at the end of ESL
082. It is a 45-minute multiple choice test. Based on reading performance in
class, exams and ELPT, students’ future reading courses will be determined.
Final Grade:
For this course students will be given letter grades: A (100-94), B+ (93-88),
B (87-83), C+ (82-77), C (76-71), D+ (70-68), D (67-65), and F (64 and less).
The final grade will be calculated according to the following:
Final Exam 25%
Mid-term/Quizzes 35%
Assignments/Journals 20%
Research Project 10%
Class Participation 10%
I am available for additional assistance during my office hours or by appointment. In addition, you can visit the Academic Learning Center in Room 316 for additional computer practice and free tutoring.
Suggestions:
Please refer to the Student Handbook for the college’s policy on cheating and plagiarism.
Any student with a disability should contact the Disability Counselor in Cranford at: (908) 709-7164.
Good Luck! Have a successful semester!