ACADEMIC READING AND WRITING (ESL 140) 3 Credit Hours

Transcription

1 Semester: Time: Instructor: Office: Office Hours: ACADEMIC READING AND WRITING (ESL 140) 3 Credit Hours Room: Office Tel: Home Tel: Course Description This combined Reading and Writing course aims at providing international students with the writing and reading skills essential to their successful undertaking of academic work at a university in the United States. Strategies will be learned to improve reading and writing skills and a variety of activities will be completed to improve performance (extensive and intensive reading, journal writing, compositions in a variety of rhetorical styles, etc.). Required Textbook Title: A Writer s Workbook, 4th Ed: An Interactive Writing Text for ESL Students Author: Trudy Smoke Publisher: Cambridge University Press Course Objectives 1. to increase the students awareness of the academic expectations and performance requirements of a university in the United States 2. to develop, through intensive and regular practice, the academic reading skills needed by all undergraduate and graduate students. These skills include: improving reading speed using reading strategies to improve text comprehension recognizing the organization of different types of texts developing academic vocabulary knowledge and skills for guessing meaning 3. to engage in writing process activities to produce short compositions which exhibit logical development and clarity of thought. These processes include: using a variety of pre-writing activities to generate ideas developing an effective and focused introduction, detailed body, and conclusion of a two to three page essay practicing a variety of rhetorical styles learning constructive self-correction techniques becoming familiar with the process of peer editing improving grammatical, mechanical, and lexical control demonstrating facility in word-processing as a tool for the production, revision, and editing of a text 3. to develop the students ability to study independently in an effective and efficient manner, taking full advantage of available resources, including libraries and computer labs 4. to develop students critical thinking skills through the synthesis of information and ideas from a variety of different sources

2 Course Requirements include but are not limited to the following participating actively in all class meetings observing the attendance policy described below preparing and completing all written and non-written assignments ON TIME taking tests and quizzes as scheduled meeting with the instructor for consultation as necessary turning off cell phones during class time Attendance Policy Regular class attendance is required for the successful completion of the course. More than 3 absences will lower the final grade by half a grade point for each absence beyond three. (For example, a student with 4 unexcused absences will have a B grade lowered to a C+.) In the case of chronic illness or personal emergencies which require prolonged or frequent absences, the student should withdraw from this course and repeat it when circumstances allow for the fulfillment of course requirements. Work is accepted only on or before the due dates specified by the instructor. If a student is absent from class, he/she is responsible for making arrangements to have homework handed in on the due date, and for being informed of the information covered in class during the period of absence. If a regularly scheduled exam is missed due to illness, an authorized university activity, or another approved reason, an opportunity will be provided to make up the exam. No other make-up work will be assigned or accepted. Expectations This class aims to establish and maintain a positive learning environment based upon communication and mutual respect. It will be conducted in accordance with the University s commitment to social justice and academic honesty. Therefore, the policies and procedures of the WVU student handbook, The Mountie, are expected to apply throughout this course. Grading Course Grade Percentages Discussion questions (written in class) 20% Vocabulary quizzes 15% Essay #1 10% Essay #2 15% Essay #3 20% Final exam 20% WVU Final Grading System A = % (excellent) B = 80-89% (good, above average) C = 70-79% (fair, average for undergrads) D = 60-69% (poor but passing, cannot be counted for graduate credit) F = 59% and below (failure)

3 WEEKLY SCHEDULE Tues./Thurs. 75 minutes The following schedule of assignments is tentative; the class may spend more time on an area in which students experience difficulty or in which students express a particular interest. For these reasons, the instructor reserves the right to add to, delete from, or in any other way amend this syllabus. Week 1: Chapter One: Destination College, USA Destination: College USA Writing: Discussion Question #1 Vocabulary Word list review Assignments: Vocabulary quiz #1, exercises to be arranged Week 2: Chapter Two: Learning a Language How to be a Successful Language Learner by Anita Wenden Writing: Discussion Question #2 Forms of the present tense Assignments: Vocabulary Quiz #2, exercises to be arranged Week 3: Chapter Three: Succeeding in School The Education of Berenice Belizaire, by Joe Klein Writing: Discussion Question #3 Review of past tenses Assignments: Vocabulary Quiz #3, exercises to be arranged Week 4: Chapter Four: Cultural Identity vs. Ethnic Fashions Cultural Identity vs. Ethnic Fashions by Sunita Puri Writing: Discussion Question #4 Articles Assignments: First essay due, vocabulary Quiz #4, exercises to be arranged Week 5: Chapter Five: A Global Analysis of Culture A Global Analysis of Culture by Alex Thio Writing: Discussion Question #5 The Passive Voice Assignments: Vocabulary Quiz #5, exercises to be arranged Week 6: Chapter Six: Learning From One Another The All-American Slurp by Leslie Namioka Writing: Discussion Question #6 Sentence Variety Assignments: Vocabulary Quiz #6, exercises to be arranged Week 7: Chapter Seven: Dating Practices Will You Go Out With Me? by Laura Ullman Writing: Discussion Question #7 Modals Assignments: Vocabulary Quiz #7, exercises to be arranged

4 Week 8: Chapter Eight: Village is More Global Village is More Global, Language is More Vital Writing: Discussion Question #8 Modals Assignments: Second Essay Due, vocabulary quiz #8, exercises to be arranged Week 9: Chapter Nine: Aging and Living Age and Youth by Pablo Casals Writing: Discussion Question #9 Prepositions Assignments: Vocabulary Quiz #9, exercises to be arranged Week 10: Chapter Ten: Returning Home Back, but Not Home by Maria Muniz Writing: Discussion Question #10 Gerunds/Infinitives Assignments: Vocabulary Quiz #10, exercises to be arranged Week 11: Chapter Eleven: Enjoying Your Work Job Satisfaction by Stephen Robbins Writing: Discussion Question #11 Relative Clauses Assignments: Vocabulary Quiz #11, exercises to be arranged Week 12: Chapter Twelve: Legacies Legacies by Alejandro Portes and Ruben G. Rumbaut Writing: Discussion Question #12 Participle Forms Assignments: Vocabulary Quiz #12, exercises to be arranged Week 13: Chapter Thirteen: The Man to Send Rain Clouds The Man to Send Rain Clouds Writing: Discussion Question #13 Direct/Indirect Speech Assignments: Vocabulary Quiz #13, exercises to be arranged Week 14: Chapter Fourteen: Focusing on Behavior Cross-Cultural Research by Patrica Miller Writing: Discussion Question #14 Passive Verbs Assignments: Vocabulary Quiz #14, exercises to be arranged \Week 15: Chapter Fifteen: Responding to Change Foreigner by Nahid Rachlin Writing: Discussion Question #15 Conditionals Assignments: Vocabulary Quiz #15, exercises to be arranged Week 16: FINAL EXAM AND 3 rd ESSAY DUE

5 ESL Academic Reading/Writing (ESL 140) Teaching Goals and Objectives Course Description This course for undergraduate and graduate international students develops the skills necessary to improve academic reading skills and to write well-organized and self-edited essays in a variety of rhetorical modes. Students will improve their reading speed and comprehension, write a welldeveloped essay, utilize self-editing strategies, develop their academic vocabulary, and be familiar with a variety of rhetorical modes. The course is required for all undergraduate international students whose TOEFL score is between 500 and 525, but is open to all international students who seek additional study in reading and writing. This course is designed to help them remedy gaps in their knowledge of English in order to better prepare them for successful study in their major General Language Goals The overall aims of the course in terms of developing language proficiency are: to equip students with the English language skills required for the successful undertaking of college-level studies at a North American university, with a primary emphasis on academic reading and writing to provide students with a realistic assessment of the language demands which will be made on them and a rationale for these demands to strengthen students abilities to monitor and evaluate their own English language progress, initiate self-improvement, and develop compensatory language skills as needed to foster self-confidence and a positive attitude toward language learning generally to develop students critical thinking skills through the synthesis of information and ideas from a variety of different sources A. Reading Objectives Text Length Specifications and Reading Rates Students will engage in and practice activities designed to enable them: 1. to comprehend and relate the main ideas of authentic reading passages of up to 20 pages in length 2. to read authentic university level textbook selections at a minimum rate of 125 wpm with a comprehension level of 75% 3. to develop awareness of the need to increase reading speed 4. to practice reading faster while maintaining comprehension Knowledge of the General Reading Process 5. to determine the writer s purpose and effectiveness in communicating information in statements, paragraphs, and longer chunks of text 6. to recognize, understand, and exploit lexical, grammatical, developmental, and organizational markers of cohesion and coherence 7. to identify references in a text (pronouns/nouns) 8. to predict development and anticipate ideas as part of an active reading process 9. to skim authentic discourse in order to understand general meaning and to activate their background knowledge

6 10. to scan authentic discourse for specific information 11. to identify details which support or develop main ideas 12. to identify the types of support which an author uses to develop ideas (e.g., facts, statistics, description, reasons, explanations, examples, anecdotes, cause/effect, process) 13. to refer to textual evidence as a means of verifying comprehension and supporting positions upon completion of a reading 14. to recognize, select, and manipulate detailed information for various classroom activities 15. to relate their own knowledge and experience with reference to the text as both an aid to understanding and a stimulus to critical thinking 16. to infer conceptual meaning 17. to distinguish between the presentation of fact and opinion 18. to detect point-of-view, bias, and tone 19. to identify humor, sarcasm, and satire in written texts 20. to be familiar with English printing conventions and layout, including methods of highlighting, roman numerals, pagination, etc. Academic Reading Skills 21. to recognize the various rhetorical modes and expository types normally used in academic discourse 22. to understand graphs, charts, and other pictorial information and relate academic text to diagrams 23. to create a written framework, chart, diagram, outline, or summary to organize the major points in a text 24. to recognize accurate paraphrases of information from a text 25. to recognize references, acknowledgements, and bibliographical citations 26. to preview a textbook as a means of ascertaining its overall content, organization, and appropriateness for use; to locate its bibliographical data, references, and other information useful for academic purposes 27. to survey a chapter or long passage from a textbook in order to activate background knowledge and/or curiosity about the subject, become familiar with the organization of the text, and identify highlighted information 28. to increase understanding of academic journal articles through an examination of conventional format, abstracts, and layout 29. to understand relationships between ideas, including comparisons and contrasts, cause and effect, persuasion, sequence, and opinion. 30. to identify compare, and analyze information from a number of textual sources 31. to synthesize information from various sources to solve problems and perform tasks B. Vocabulary Development 32. to build vocabulary through a systematic approach which utilizes word analysis, word lists, English-English dictionary practice and context-clue activities 33. to use context clues (grammatical, semantic, organizational) to deduce the meaning of new lexical items in order to facilitate comprehension 34. to recognize implicit and explicit definition 35. to recognize technical and scientific names and terms (italics, Latin names, boldface) 36. to distinguish different definitions of a word according to the context

7 To comprehend the judgmental connotations of words C. General Writing Objectives 37. to use pre-writing activities for generating background knowledge and creating ideas 38. to develop techniques for organizing information and ideas 39. to produce short essays which: demonstrate proficiency in writing at the paragraph level, including strong topic sentences and appropriate support demonstrate proficiency in writing mechanics, including punctuation, spelling, and grammatical control demonstrate a range of vocabulary a grammar for effective expression demonstrate control of a variety of complex grammatical structures with few errors 40. to exhibit facility in incorporating logical development, clarity of thought, and critical thinking into a composition, including the ability to: limit the focus of the essay formulate a thesis statement write an title appropriate to the thesis of the essay apply the standard format of an essay write an effective introduction develop the body of the essay with appropriate support produce cohesive text through culturally logical development of ideas and the use of appropriate connectors use appropriate rhetorical styles (analysis, description, chronology, process, argument, cause/effect, classification, definition, comparison/contrast, evaluation, opinion) provide closure to an essay with a suitable conclusion, summary, prediction, or recommendation 41. to revise and edit written work as an essential component of the writing process, including the ability to: refine their texts through initial, intermediate, and final drafts understand and use a writing correction code develop the skills of self-correction, proofreading, and editing to give and seek constructive feedback through peer review 42. to express and justify an opinion about an important issue or personal preference, with support from personal knowledge or experience or from other sources 43. to consider audience by taking into account the (lack of) knowledge of the intended reader