Course Description 

This class is the third in Skyline’s ESOL sequence of classes. This course will incorporate all the English skills: reading, writing, speaking, and grammar. Students will encounter similar grammar and vocabulary in different skill areas.

Syllabus

Course: ESOL 830 English For Speakers of Other Languages III Section: AA Room: 8216 Time: 8:10-9:50 MWF 8:10-9:25 TTH Units: 6.0 ( non-transferable and not applicable to AA degree)

Teacher: Daniel O’Connell Office: 8112 Office Hours: 9:25-10:00 TTH or by appt. E-Mail: oconnelld@smccd.net Telephone: 358-6899 ext. 9179 or 647-4202 (LALR Office)

Placement: Appropriate scores on SLEP placement test 9 score 98-114) are required for students testing into 830. This course is designed for students who have completed ESOL 820 or 821/822 with a C or better. Proof of eligibility must be shown before beginning course.

Materials:

Text: Mosaic I: A Reading Skills Book. (4th ed.) by Wegmann, B., and Knezevic,
Mosaic I: A Communicative Grammar (4th ed) by Wegmann et.al.

One subscription to a newspaper for ESL students
2 folders to collect handouts and finished essays
2 steno notebooks
2 computer floppy disks, one formatted for PC and one for Mac
Recommended: American Heritage ESL Dictionary
Cassette tapes for copying Mosaic I: Listening Speaking (can be copied in the Learning Center behind counter)

In-Class Writing Final Exam. The final exam will be given early, during the last week of regular classes. This semester the exam will be given on Thursday, Dec. 11.

Course work. Be prepared to spend time during the week completing course work. Students will read articles from the textbook and understand the content, completing comprehension questions and responses.

In addition to work from the textbooks, book reports will also be assigned. These books, about 60-80 pages long, will be from the library’s special reserve section, and are coded yellow for this course. You will need a library card and will need to follow the library’s guidelines.

Newspaper reading will also be an area of focus in this course. All students will begin this study with a biweekly newspaper, specially edited for the ESL learner. In the last month of the semester, articles from newspapers for native speakers will be assigned. Students will keep a newspaper journal, an ongoing collection of articles, summaries, and commentary. As many as three articles a week will be assigned.

Based upon current issues of today, we will create an ESL newsletter. This will be an editorial of events you’re interested in which we have read about in the text and articles.

Of the two steno notebooks, one will be for class notes, and the other will be your writer’s journal, where you can write quick entries, in class, without focusing on whether it is correct or not. This will be an interesting way for you to get your ideas on paper and communicate them to me.

Grades: Grading will be: A (89.5-100%), B (79.5-89.5%), C (69.5-79.49), or D (below 69.5%), which is not passing, based on attendance, in-class work, quizzes, writing assignments, and other graded assignments such as homework. 20% of the final grade will be based on the in-class final. A special grade sheet (a blue sheet), will be provided on which the instructor will write all course work grades, and will usually be in each student’s possession. Please use it to keep track of your progress, but don’t write on it or lose it.
Students are expected to take all tests and hand in all the homework for the class. Contacting the teacher about missing class work is each student’s responsibility. Please contact me in class, through e-mail, or call a classmate if you miss something so that a makeup date can be arranged. Missing class work without notifying the teacher will result in a zero grade for the assignment.

Attendance: Attendance is critical to doing well in this course. Coming to class everyday and on time is necessary for this class. If you miss more than 10 classes, it will affect your grade and you can be withdrawn from the roster. If you choose to withdraw from the course, it is your responsibility to drop from the class, either using WebSMART/SMART or by going to the Student Services Office. Two late arrivals will be counted as an absence. Our time together every morning is valuable, so let’s make the most of it.

Extra credit: Students can make-up points for missed class work and poor scores by attending workshops, lectures, and special writing and field assignments, arranged through the instructor.

Students with Special Needs are welcomed to this class and may want to contact the Disabled Student Services office (738-4280), who will suggest accommodations that can be arranged through the instructor. There are extra resources available in the Learning Center, on the main floor of building 5, including tutoring, listening tapes--Mosaic I, interactive CDs-- Grammar in Focus, and extra classes-- ENGL 650 (for TRIO participants only). They can provide an accommodation letter which will help insure you success in this class. Please contact the DSPS office.
A complete course schedule will be provided in the first week of class.