READING Level 2

Saigon Institute of Technology Houston Community College http://www.saigontech.edu.vn http://csci.hccs.edu

 READING – Level 2 SYLLABUS

Semester: Spring 2009 Class: Campus and Room: Days & Times: Instructor: Telephone: Office Hours: By appointment Email Address: 1. Course Overview:

The course helps to develop student reading skills such as scanning for details, skimming for main ideas, predicting content by using subtitles, identifying supporting details, main ideas, cause and effect, and transition words, distinguishing main idea and supporting details, making inferences, etc. through topic selections that are relevant to students’ lives and interests. Students will also be assigned tasks that are relevant to reading skills. In addition, students can improve their ability in thinking and giving personal opinions.

2. Course Objectives:

At the end of the course, students should be able to  become actively involved in their own reading development;  develop their reading comprehension skills through a variety of tasks;  get them motivated to read in English;  improve their communication skills through reading selections;  enlarge their vocabulary;  build their reading fluency.

3. Textbook:

Active Skills for Reading, Book 2, by Neil J. Anderson, Thomson Heinle, 2008. 2nd Edition

4. Course Evaluation:

Percent Item 35% Mid-term Test 40% Final Test Ongoing assessment 10% Student participation in classroom activities 25% 15% Quizzes, Mini-tests or Assignments (at least 2) 100% Total

5. Grade Equivalents:

Grade Score A 90-100 % B 80-89 % C 70-79 % F 0-69 %

6. Ongoing Assessment & Examinations Page 1 of 5

6.1 Ongoing Assessment

The ‘ongoing assessment’ process provides students with regular feedback on their language skills in a positive environment. Oral presentations, quizzes, role plays, classroom discussions, journal entries, peer assessment, self-assessment, student participation and countless other means of ‘ongoing assessment’ can be used to gauge how students are progressing.

6.2 Examinations

An examination will be held mid-semester and at the end of the semester. Students should familiarize themselves with SaigonTech’s GE Examination Policy which outlines issues related to the conduct of Exams.

7. Make-up - ‘Ongoing Assessment’ Tasks & Exams

Make-up ‘ongoing assessment’ tasks and exams will only be facilitated for individual students in cases of absolute emergency, supported by verifiable written proof - a letter from a medical practitioner, for example - attesting to the student’s inability to fulfill a commitment. In circumstances like this, the student must contact the General English Department at the earliest opportunity, generally NO LATER THAN ONE DAY, after the missed assessment task or exam. Without verifiable documentation supporting the existence of an absolute emergency, students who fail to complete an ongoing assessment task or attend their scheduled exam will receive a zero score.

8. Make-up Classes

Make-up classes are not permitted without prior consent from the Chair of SaigonTech’s GE Department. In instances where an Instructor is absent, due to illness for example, every effort is made to provide a substitute Instructor in order to avoid students being inconvenienced through having to attend a make-up class at a later date.

9. Cell Phones, Pagers, Tape Recorders:

Please turn cell phones and pagers off before entering class. Tape recorders may be used with instructor’s permission.

10. Scholastic Dishonesty:

According to the Student Handbook for the Houston Community College System, scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating on a test, plagiarism, and collusion. a. Cheating on a test includes:  Copying from another student’s test paper and using materials not authorized by the person giving the test.  Collaborating with another student during a test without authority.  Knowingly using, buying, selling, stealing, transporting, or soliciting in whole or part of the contents of an unadministered test.  Bribing another person to obtain a test that is to be administered. b. Plagiarism means the presentation of another’s words or ideas as one’s own new ideas or words without crediting the source of that work in one’s own written work offered for credit. c. Collusion means the unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing written work offered for credit. Possible punishments for scholastic dishonesty may include a grade of 0 or F for the particular assignment, failure in the course, and/or recommendation for probation or dismissal from this institution.

11. Student Grievances:

Students who wish to complain about any aspect of their education should first speak with their instructor. If the situation remains unresolved, then the student has the right to file a student grievance with the administration.

Read your Student Handbook paying particular attention to the section on Student Policies. Within this section is a segment on Grievance Procedure as well as one on Academic Dishonesty. It is important

of 5 that you familiarize yourself with both your rights and responsibilities as a student. The Student Handbook is available from the main office.

This class aims to establish and maintain a positive learning environment based upon communication and mutual respect. It will be conducted in accordance with Saigon Tech's commitment to social justice and academic honesty. Therefore, the above procedures will be applied throughout the course.

12. Course calendar (42 instruction hours + 3 hours for mid-term and final exams):

DATE WEEK SESSION UNIT CHAPTER READING SKILLS VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT 1  Course introduction  Reading Skill Briefing 02 - 07 1 2 Chapter 2. For Better Grades- Feb Unit 1. Exam Time  Understanding Cause and Effect  Word Webs Use Your Brain!  Critical thinking skills  Reading Test Instructions

1 Chapter 1. Safe Travel  Scanning  The prefixes ‘pre-’ 09 - 14  Scanning for Details  Adjective Endings ‘–ed’ and ‘–ing’ 2 Unit 2. Going Abroad Feb 2 Chapter 2. A Trip to Vietnam  Critical thinking skills  Reading and Understanding Immigration Forms 1 Chapter 1. Moviemaking Behind  Using Titles to Understand Main  The Prefix ‘dis-’ 16 -21 the Scenes Ideas  Organizing Vocabulary 3 Unit 3. Movie Makers Feb 2 Chapter 2. Great Film Directors :  Recognizing Sequence of Events  Understanding the Use of Italics Ang Lee  Critical thinking skills 1  Fluency Strategy: PRO; Are Human Beings Getting Smarter? 23 - 28 Review 1 4  Fluency Practice: Fair Trade Chocolate ; A different Kind of Spring Break Feb (page 41-48) 2  Critical thinking skills 1 Chapter 1. You Are Amazing:  Skimming for the Main Idea  Root Words Related to Life Unit 5. The Amazing You Are Human!  Critical thinking skills  Nouns Ending in ‘-logy’/ ‘-ology’ 02-07 Body 5  Finding the Right Doctor Mar 2 Chapter 1. Scrapbooking  Finding Definition  The Suffix ‘-ment’ Unit 6. Leisure and  Identifying Main Ideas within  Word Associations 6 1 Hobbies Chapter 2. Work Hard, Play Paragraphs  Using Key Words for Internet Hard?  Critical thinking skills 09 -14 Searchers Mar Chapter 1. Where’s That Music  The Prefix ‘ex-’ 2  Predicting Coming from?  Easily Confused Words Unit 7. A World of Music  Scanning  Dictionary Usage: Choosing the Chapter 2. The Hot World of  Critical thinking skills 16-21 1 Right Word 7 Salsa Mar 2 Review for Midterm Test Sunday, 22 Mar, 2009 ONLINE MIDTERM TEST 1 NO CLASS 23-28 8 Chapter 1. Be Your Own Boss  Identifying Main Ideas within  Compound Nouns Mar 2 Unit 8. Career Paths Paragraphs  Critical thinking skills

Chapter 2. The Right Job for  Skimming for general ideas  Adjective Endings 30 Mar- 1 Unit 8. Career Paths Your Personality  Critical thinking skills  Searching for a Job Online 04 Apr 9 (Holiday Chapter 1. The History of  Skimming to Assess a Passage  Identifying Part of Speech 04 Apr) 2 Unit 9. The Story of Chocolate  Understanding Main Ideas within  Synonyms Chocolate Chapter 2. Addicted to Chocolate Paragraphs  Dictionary Usage: Choosing the 06-11 1 10  Critical thinking skills Right Definition Apr  Fluency Strategy: KWL; Geocaching 2 Review 3  Fluency Practice: The People Behind the Music; Is It Time to Change Jobs? (page 117-124) 13 -18 1  Critical thinking skills 11 Apr 2 Chapter 1. Ads Are Everywhere!  Skimming for the Main Idea  The Prefixes ‘in-’, ‘im-’ and ‘un-’ Unit 10. The Secrets of  Distinguishing Between Main and  The Sufix ‘-ist-’ Chapter 2. How Advertising Uses Advertising Supporting Ideas  Reading Numbers in Text 1 Psychology 20-25  Critical thinking skills 12 Apr Unit 11. Eating for Chapter 1. Breakfast Like a  Making Inferences  Word Families 2 Health King?  Understanding Cause and  The Root Word vit/viv Chapter 2. Is Your Diet Effect  Understanding Units of 1 27 Apr Destroying the Environment?  Critical thinking skills Measure -02 May Unit 12. Saving the Chapter 2. Resources for the  Skimming to Assess a  The Prefix re- (Holiday 13 Environment Future Passage  The Root Word ‘duc’ with 30 April/ 2  Critical thinking skills prefixes 01May)  Recognizing Common Acronyms Review 4  Fluency Strategy: Reading ACTIVEly; Billboards: Past and present 04-09 1 14 (page 155-162)  Fluency Practice: The Life of a Food Critic; Bringing back the Aral Sea May 2  Critical thinking skills 11-16 1 Review for Final Test & Instructor’s feedback on Ongoing assessment 15 May 2 NO CLASS Sunday, 17 May, 2009 ONLINE FINAL TEST

N.B. - The other parts and chapters are for reference. - Test Schedules will be informed to the students and instructors one week before the exam. - Make-up classes for King Hung’s Anniversary, Re-unification Day & Labor Day must be arranged before Session 1 of the 15th week upon the agreement between the instructor & the students, and informed GE Faculty 3 days in advance.