LRNC 505: ESL Writing Express

LRNC 505: ESL Writing Express ENSL B70/ENSL B60 Course Syllabus

Instructor: Jeannie Parent Class time: MTWR 8:00-10:10am Email: [email protected] Classroom: LA 222 Office: Fine Arts 70 Office Hours: MW 10:30-12:00 and TR 3-4 Office phone: 395-4543 Course Description: This is a compressed course that gives you the unique opportunity to complete two composition courses (ENSL B70, Grammar and Writing and ENSL B60, Basic Writing) in one semester. However, as a result, the class meets four times a week, and the course work is intense. Therefore, please be prepared to work hard in order to benefit. You will be glad you did! The following includes the syllabus to each course, ENSL B70 and ENSL B60.

ENSL B70 Grammar and Composition CRN: 31311 Course Description ENSL B70 is a writing course for international and multi-lingual students (whose first language is NOT English) at the high-intermediate level of English who require grammar and composition skills necessary to take essay exams, improve personal written communication, or prepare for ENSL B60 or ENGL B60. Prerequisites: Placement based on the Bakersfield College English as a Second Language Placement Test, or a minimum grade of “C” in ENSL 80. Hours: (72) 4 lecture.

Students with disabilities who believe they may need accommodations in this class are encouraged to contact Disabled Student Programs & Services located at Student Services Building, 1st Floor, Counseling Center (661-395-4334), as soon as possible to better ensure such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion.

Student Learning Outcomes for ENSL B70 Upon completion of ESL 70, students will be able to:  Respond to a given topic to write a well-organized paragraph using a topic sentence, relevant details, and a concluding sentence.  Write grammatically accurate simple, compound, and complex sentences.  Use verb forms and past and present verb tenses correctly  Use cohesive devices and sequence ideas logically in a paragraph.

Required Texts: Focus on Grammar 3, by Fuchs, Bonner, and Westheimer Chew on This (paperback version), by Eric Schlosser Oxford American Dictionary for Learners of English (or another college-level ESL dictionary)

Required Online Writing Supplement:  MyFoundationsLab You will be required to successfully complete (70%) grammar and writing modules assigned to you in MyFoundationsLab as 10% of your grade. The program will be demonstrated in the language lab, but then you will be able to work on the modules on your own at home or in the Writing Center. You do not need to buy anything.

Required Materials ***** Thumb drive in order to save your work on the computer Stapler – work must be stapled! Blue or black ballpoint pens for in-class paragraph writing Notebook for vocabulary (unless you use a computer and printer)

Class policies Homework is due at the beginning of the class period, and will not be accepted late. If you are going to miss a test or quiz, you must notify me the day of the test by phone or email, and the test must be made up within a week. All work due during absences is your responsibility. Find out what is due by emailing me or asking a classmate.

Classmate #1: ______Phone number: ______

Keep all homework, tests, quizzes, and papers until the semester is over. That way, if there is a grade discrepancy, you have a record. Lost assignments are the students’ responsibility.

Cheating and plagiarism are not allowed and will result in automatic failure of that assignment. This includes cutting and pasting from the internet without quoting and citing the source. It also includes copying words from the book we are using. Plagiarism has become a problem recently with the widespread use of the internet, and I have had to fail more students on assignments than ever before. Don’t become one of those students. Do your own work.

Children are not allowed to be in the classroom during class; therefore, make daycare accommodations when they have holidays when you are in class. Also, cell phones are very disruptive and must be set to vibrate or turned off during class. Disruptions from ringing phones will not be tolerated. Texting will also not be tolerated. If you persist on texting instead of participating in class, I will ask you to leave and you will be marked absent for the remainder of that class period, just as with any other unacceptable behavior. No ear buds are allowed during class (whether the iPod or iPhone is turned on or off). This is not high school. No one is forcing you to be here. You have enrolled in this class; now bring your mind where your body is. Turn the iPod and cell phone off and leave them in your backpack.

You will be required to log on to the computer as soon as possible so that you can use the Language Lab when we go as a class. Do this day one by going online or to the library commons; otherwise you will not be able to log on and participate in class when we are in the language lab, nor will you be able to do your online homework, and you will fall behind. Know your BC email logon and password – and don’t forget them! Store them in your phone! Attendance Adding or dropping this class is your responsibility. The date for this is published online. Your success in this class depends greatly on your attendance and participation in this class. If you miss more than eight (8) hours of class, you may be dropped. In fact, you will be dropped with the 9th hour (the fifth day absent). It is inconsiderate and disruptive to arrive late or leave early, so please be punctual. Also, do not make counseling or tutoring appointments during class. If tardiness becomes a problem, I will lock the door, and you will not be allowed in the class; your absence will be unexcused.

Course Goal Your goal and mine is to help you write more proficiently in standard American English so that you can take ENSL B60, ENGL B60, or pass various writing competency tests. All of your assignments will be designed to help you do this. You will improve your vocabulary, reading fluency, your ability to use English grammar to compose sentences and paragraphs, and your skill at revising and proofreading your own writing. By improving these skills, you will become a more independent writer – and reader.

Grading All assignments, whether at-home or in-class assignments will be graded on a point scale, from 10 point quizzes to 50 point essays and tests. These points will be totaled at the end of the course and a percentage value will be assigned a grade. 90% and above = A 80% - 89% = B 70% - 79% = C

60% - 69% = D below 60% = F

You MUST ALSO pass the Final Paragraph at the end of ENSL B70 in order to pass the class. It is part of the class. However, passing the Final Paragraph does NOT guarantee your passing the class.

The Final Paragraph exam consists of writing two paragraphs on two separate days: one paragraph on a topic in the present tense, and one paragraph on a topic in the past tense. The paragraphs are read by instructors in the ESL department (other than your own). The scores from the two paragraphs are then combined into one score that is given either a passing or failing grade.

Writing Your main writing assignments will consist of paragraphs, summaries, and responses to various topics in the textbook and to the book, Chew on This. The paragraphs are very important because they will prepare you for your final written test for this class as well as for other writing competency tests. You will write these both in class and at home, a first draft and a final copy. You will also be required to make grammar corrections on the paragraphs once they are graded and handed back. You will also learn how to write a short essay by the end of the semester. Everything is given a point value; therefore EVERYTHING counts. Do your homework.

Grammar You will have regular assignments, quizzes, and tests from various chapters in Focus on Grammar 3. Although we will not go over every assignment in the book, you will also be able to use this book as a reference. You will also have regular assignments and quizzes online from the grammar text. You will also be required to complete MyFoundationsLab grammar modules.

Homework and in-class assignments Homework and in-class assignments will help you practice and learn concepts. I will collect homework assignments randomly (not every day), so it pays to do your homework consistently. You’ll never know if I’m going to collect it or not. Failure to complete these will affect your learning and your grade.

You will also do in-class writing assignments, or Practice Final Paragraphs (PFPs). After they are graded, you will need to correct the grammar errors and revise them for a second grade. Your first grade will not be changed, but you will learn how to correct grammar and they are graded; however, if you do not make the corrections, you will not get the points available for the revision.

You will also participate in a group project regarding what you have learned in Chew on This, which consists of a group presentation and an individual essay. You will receive a group as well as an individual grade for this project.

All paragraph and essay writing assignments done at home MUST be typed and double spaced. No at home writing assignments written by hand will be accepted. (This does not apply to grammar exercises in the book.)

Tutoring I highly recommend that you seek help from one of the ESL Writing Consultants at the Writing Center (SS 133). By going twice in the first month, you will know how helpful the service is and will know which tutor you want to work with the rest of the semester. If you wait until the last few weeks, when you realize you are failing, it will be too late.

Please also use the Student Success Lab, where you can practice grammar points on the computer program Plato, and attend Critical Academic Skills (CAS) workshops. All of these services are free and available in the Student Services building.

Conclusion Please realize that even though you may be verbally fluent, talk like a native speaker, perhaps even wonder why you’re in this class, you will need to study your grammar carefully, learn and apply the rules, and put in a lot of time and effort thinking and paying close attention to your writing. The main reason many people (30-40% of the class) often fail ENSL B70 is because they think they know more than they do, and they are very careless in their writing. Pay attention in class and carefully proofread everything you write before you turn it in.

Finally, KEEP THIS SYLLABUS! It is your contract if you decide to stay in the class. ENSL B60: Basic Writing/Parent CRN: 31304 Course Description:

This is an advanced writing course for international/bilingual students (whose first language is NOT English) who require grammar and composition skills necessary to take essay exams and improve academic writing for ENSL B50 or ENGL B50. In order to pass this class, you must achieve a minimum of “C” in the assignments, tests, and participation AND pass the Final Essay Exam (FEE) at the end of the semester. Prerequisite: a minimum grade of “C”” in ENSL B70 or ACDV 68, or placement based on the BC ESL Placement Test.

Students with disabilities who believe they may need accommodations in this class are encouraged to contact Supportive Services (FACE 16, 395-4334), as soon as possible. Please make an appointment with me if you wish to discuss any difficulties you have with this class and any assistance I can give you.

Course Student Learning Outcomes:  Compose multiple-paragraph essays of at least 250 words that logically respond to specific topics  Demonstrate clear organization with a thesis statement, supporting details, transitions, and a conclusion.  Improve sentence structure and variety  Reduce sentence-level errors in grammar, vocabulary, and punctuation  Increase vocabulary for academic writing usage  Build comprehension of college-level reading material

Required Texts:  Eye on Editing 1, by Joyce Cain, Longman/Pearson Education  Enrique’s Journey, by Sonia Nazario, Random House, paperback version  Great Essays 4, by Keith Folse, April Muchmore-Vokoun, and April Vestri Solomon, Heinle Cengage Learning, Third Edition  Oxford American Dictionary for Learners of English (or another college-level ESL dictionary)

Required Online Writing Supplement:  MyFoundationsLab You will be required to successfully complete (70%) grammar and writing modules assigned to you in MyFoundationsLab as 10% of your grade. The program will be demonstrated in the language lab, but then you will be able to work on the modules on your own at home or in the Writing Center. You do not need to buy anything.

Required Materials:  6 blue books for 5 in-class PFEE essays and the Final Essay Exam (FEE).  an 8 ½ x 11 notebook for vocabulary (or you may keep your vocabulary words on your computer and print them out yourself instead)  blue or black pens (for writing in blue books) and highlighters  1 stapler – required.  thumb drive to save your work when we are using the lab

Assignments/Testing policy: You are responsible for completing all assignments/essays by the due date and ready to hand in at the beginning of class. All written work at home must be typed and double spaced. Any work of more than 1 page must be stapled. If you miss a class, you must find out from the teacher (by email) or another student about the assignment and complete it by the next class meeting. Essays turned in late will receive a lower grade. Essays will not be accepted for grading or review after 7 days following the due date. Daily homework will NOT be accepted late. If you miss the day of a test, you will have ONE week to make it up. It is YOUR responsibility to notify me if you have missed a class and therefore a test You must stay in contact and keep up with the work. Be aware that missing class is no excuse for falling behind in the assignments. Find two reliable classmates (and get their phone numbers) for asking questions about our class discussions or getting notes from a day that you are absent. Better yet, don’t be absent!

Attendance and participation: Regular, punctual attendance and active participation are very important in this class and represent part of your final grade. You will be dropped from the class roll if you do not attend the first or second day. After eight (8) hours of absence (=4 class meetings), you may be officially dropped from the roll without notification. You are expected to arrive on time, bring the necessary books and materials, completed assignments, be ready to participate, and stay for the entire class time. Please call my office telephone to leave a message, or send an email if you cannot come to class. This is a courtesy. However, it does not excuse the absence; it still counts as one of the four missed class meetings.

Coming late to class: Being late to class is rude to your instructor and to your classmates as well as disruptive. If you come in extremely late – after 20 or 30 minutes – I will consider that an hour’s absence. Also, if you come in late, it is your responsibility to make sure I record your attendance. Otherwise that day could be recorded as an absence. If absences become a problem in the class, I will start locking the door 5 minutes after class starts, and no one will be allowed in late. If you are locked out, you will be marked absent for the day.

Cell phones: Cell phones must be turned off or turned to silent during class. Taking calls or texting during class will not be tolerated. If cell phones become a problem, I will ask you to leave for the day, just as with any other unacceptable classroom behavior. Grading: All tests, quizzes, homework, essays, presentations, and other written assignments will be assigned a point value, from 10-100 points. Those points will be added up at the end of the semester and the percentage taken. Every assignment counts towards the final grade, so don’t dismiss a quiz or ten- point assignment as being unworthy of completion. They all add up, and when you don’t do them the zeros start adding up, as well.

Tests/Essays/Homework FEE Score equivalent: (FEE = Final Essay Exam)

90-100% = A 6 80-89% = B 5 70-79% = C 4 ______Passing______60-69% = D Failing 3 Below 60% = F 2 1 (probably doesn’t belong in this class)

Writing Center: It is highly recommended that you see one of the two ESL Writing Consultants early in the semester (before it gets crowded). Then you will know just how valuable it is, and which consultant you would like to see in the future. You can get help with brainstorming ideas, outlining, paragraph development, sentence structure, grammar, mechanics, and even punctuation! This is a free and extremely helpful service.

Extra Credit:

Critical Academic Skills Workshops:

During the semester, the Academic Development Department offers Critical Academic Skills (CAS) workshops. These workshops cover various writing skills as well, such as fragments, run-ons, verb tenses, and apostrophes. You can receive extra credit for attending these workshops.

You may also go to the Student Success Lab and work on various grammar points with the Plato program. You can ask the lab assistant for help in signing up to make sure you get credit for this option.

Academic Honesty:

Your progress and final grade are based on what YOU can accomplish – not by using the ideas/words of another person. This includes having a family member or friend revise or correct the essays you write at home. Ask for help, but do NOT let another person do your work. It also includes cutting and pasting information from the internet or copying words directly from the book we are using in class. To plagiarize is to present another person’s words or ideas as if they were your own. Plagiarism = cheating and is never acceptable; therefore, you will fail any assignment (with an ‘F’) if you plagiarize. Please refer to pages 31-32 of the BC catalog to review this campus-wide policy. This is considered extremely serious in this country, and is one way to get expelled from some colleges. It has become a huge problem with the wide use of the internet, so if you have any questions, please ask me. I don’t want to give any more Fs than I already have because of plagiarism.

*Note: In order to improve your writing and grammar skills in English, you must take an active role in your own language learning. This means learning to assess and correct your own writing. Progress is more important than perfection in this course, and the progress you make includes development of vocabulary (by reading everyday in English, studying your vocabulary notebook, and practicing by using the vocabulary words in your writing assignments), grammar (by taking notes during class, doing all assigned exercises, asking questions whenever you are confused, and seeing a tutor), and especially reducing your most common writing errors (by carefully reading the comments on your paper from your teacher, revising to the correct form in a final draft, and keeping track of common errors you make). If you need extra help, make an appointment with me, come to my office hours, or see a tutor. Your success is based on your effort!

Important Dates:  Jan. 17 Instruction Begins  Jan.TBA Last day for refunds for semester length sessions  Jan. TBA Last day to add a semester length class with approved enrollment exception form  Feb. 17 Lincoln's Birthday Holiday  Feb. 18 Saturday Holiday (Presidents’ Birthdays)  Feb. 20 Washington's Birthday Holiday  Apr. 2 - Apr. 6 Spring Break  May TBA FEE  May 7-10 Final Exams LRNC 505 (ENSL B70/60) Schedule of Assignments Spring 2012 This is subject to change and does NOT include vocabulary quizzes or all writing and homework assignments.

Week TextBooks Readers Homework/ Tests/ PFEE Assignments Schedule Week 1 FOG Unit 1 Chew on This Diagnostic Essay (ESL 70) Intro/Pioneers Jan 17-19

Week 2 FOG Unit 3 Chew Youngster Chew Verb Quiz # 1 Jan 23-26 Business Discussion Group (DG), Response due Week 3 FOG Unit 4 Chew McJobs Chew DG, Verb Quiz # 2 Jan 30- Response PFEE 1 Feb 3

Week 4 FOG Units 6/7 Chew Secret of the Chew DG Verb Quiz #3 Feb 6-9 Fries Summary/ PFEE 2 Response (S/R) Week 5 FOG Units Chew Stop the Pop Chew DG Verb Quiz #4 Feb 13-16 16/17 S/R PFEE 3 Week 6 FOG Units 18- Chew Meat Chew DG Gerund Quiz Feb 21-23 20 S/R PFEE 4 (20 = holiday) Week 7 FOG Units 27, Chew Your Fast Food Infinitive Quiz Feb 27- 28 Way/Afterword Community PFEE 5 Mar 1 Project Week 8 FOG Units 29- Project Essays FEE: Mar. 7, 8 Mar 5- 8 32 & Presentations due Monday Week Eye Ch. 1 Enrique’s Journey Enrique Diagnostic Essay 9(ESL 60) Great Essays Prologue pp ix-xxvi Discussion Mar 12-15 Unit 1 & Ch1 pp 3-44 Group, S/R Week 10 Eye Ch. 2 Enrique’s Journey Enrique PFEE 1 Mar 20/22 GE Unit 1 Ch 2 pp 45-60 Discussion Take home Essay Group, S/R #1 Week 11 Eye Ch. 3 Enrique’s Journey Enrique PFEE 2 Mar 27/29 GE Unit 2 Ch 3 pp 61-100 Discussion Essay #2 Group, S/R Apr 2-6 Week 12 Eye Ch. 5 Enrique’s Journey Enrique PFEE 3 Apr 10/12 GE Unit 2 Ch 4 pp 101-135 Discussion Essay #3 Group, S/R Week 13 Eye Ch. 8 Enrique’s Journey Enrique PFEE 4 Apr 17/19 GE Unit 5 Ch 5 137-178 Discussion Group, S/R Week 14 Eye Ch. 9 Enrique’s Journey Enrique PFEE 5 Apr 24/26 GE Unit 5 Ch 7 pp 179-196 Discussion Essay #4 and Ch 7 pp 197- Group, S/R 240 Immigration Community Project Week 15 Eye Ch. 10 Enrique’s Journey Project ENSL B60 FEE May 1/3 Afterword/Epilogue pp 241-267 Week 16 Project Final Exam week May 7-10 Presentations TBA