18-ESL608 (002) Editing Skills for ESL Writers
English as a Second Language (ESL) Program
College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services
University of Cincinnati
3 credit hours
Winter 11-12
M&W 2:00 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.
Location: 423C Rieveschl
Instructor: Rebecca Hale
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 513-518-0830
Office: 610T Teachers College
Office hours: Mondays, 12:45-1:45 p.m.
REQUIRED TEXTBOOK
English, A. K., & English, L. M. (2009). NorthStar 4: Reading and Writing, 3rd ed. White
Plains, NY: Pearson Longman (ISBN 0136067913)
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course is designed to provide non-native speakers of English an opportunity to develop and
practice basic academic reading, writing, and vocabulary skills. Placement into the course will be
made on the basis of TOEFL, IELTS, or Writing Placement Test score.
STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. Utilize basic academic reading, writing and analyzing skills.
2. Explain the connection between academic reading and writing.
3. Utilize vocabulary in context of academic reading and writing.
4. Utilize the basic English language appropriate for academic class discussion.
5. Utilize revising and editing skills for basic written communication.
6. Comprehend and use basic rhetorical forms of academic English with an emphasis on
summarizing, writing from experience, and responding to academic texts.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
1. Attendance with preparation and active participation in all classes.
2. Successful completion of all assignments by the due dates
You can expect to spend three hours outside of class for each in-class hour.
COURSE COMPONENTS
This course will be based on the following requirements. Notice that successful completion of
this course requires both your attendance and participation and completion of the assignments.
Attendance, Participation and Homework: (20% of Final Grade)
Since this course meets only twice a week, attendance is essential to your success in this class
(see attendance policies below). You are expected to be an active member in class and to come
prepared for each class period.
Essays and Summary: (80% of Final Grade)
1.
2.
3.
4.
Summary #2, due Monday, 1/30 (20%)
Descriptive Essay, due Saturday, 2/11 (20%)
Persuasive Essay, due Monday, 2/20 (20%)
Narrative Essay, due Saturday, 3/3 (20%)
Portfolio: (Pass or IP/Incomplete), due in class on Wednesday, 3/7
Students will create an evolving portfolio of essays and other work from the course.
The portfolio should be organized to include the following components:
1. Summary
2. One of 3 essays written and assigned for the class
3. The final in-class self-evaluation of the portfolio
Late Assignments: Late work will not be accepted unless you have an excused reason. If you
are unable to attend class on a day an assignment is due, you are expected submit it before the
beginning of the next class. In-class work cannot be made up.
GRADING POLICY
Your final grade will be calculated as follows:
Attendance, Participation and Homework
20%
Essays and Summary (20% each)
80%
Portfolio
Pass or IP (Incomplete)
100%
Students who do not pass the portfolio will not pass the course.
Your final grade will be computed based on the component percentages above, according to the
following scale:
A = 90-100%
B = 80-89%
C = 70-79%
F = 69% or below
REGISTRATION GUIDELINES:
1. Audits. Students are not permitted to audit this or any other ESL course.
2. Students should complete all assignments. No I (Incomplete) grades will be given.
3. Please visit http://www.onestop.uc.edu to find the important dates and deadlines for
adding, dropping and withdrawal deadlines.
ATTENDANCE POLICY
Absences: Attendance at all class sessions is expected. You will be permitted to miss two
classes without approval; with each addition of two unexcused absences, you will lose one letter
grade. Acceptable reasons for excused absences are doctor's notes for illness, family emergency
or academic reasons (e.g., conference participation).
Tardiness: Late arrivals are a distraction and interfere with the learning that is taking place in
the class as a whole. Students who are more than fifteen minutes late for class will be counted as
absent for that class.
CLASSROOM CONDUCT
Cell phones: Please turn CELL PHONES OFF or set ringer to SILENT while in class. No
phone calls and no text messaging are allowed during class.
Emergency: In case of snow or other emergency school closings we may have to hold class on
line. So be advised – check your Blackboard and email around class time, I will keep you posted.
Blackboard policy: Most of the PowerPoint lectures and materials used in class will be posted
on Blackboard. Make sure to review the topics in the book and BB before showing up for class
since class discussions will be based on these materials.
Accommodations//special needs policy: If you have any special needs (e.g., speech or hearing
problems; learning disability, etc.) related to your participation and performance in this course,
please let the instructor know so that reasonable provisions can be made. Such provisions will
ensure an equitable opportunity to meet all the requirements of this course. At the discretion of
the instructor, some accommodations may require prior approval by Disability Services (UC
Faculty Senate, 2001).
Academic integrity policy: “The University Rules, including the Student Code of Conduct, and
other documented policies of the department, college, and university related to academic
integrity will be enforced. Any violation of these regulations, including acts of plagiarism or
cheating will be dealt with on an individual basis according to the severity of the misconduct”
(UC Faculty Senate 2001, May 10). Plagiarism and academic dishonesty at any level will not
be tolerated in this class. Specific polices are clearly outlined in your student catalog
(http://www.uc.edu/conduct/Code_of_Conduct.html) and will not be reproduced here.
18-ESL608 (002) Editing Skills for ESL Writers
Undergraduate Sections
Winter 11-12
M&W 2:00 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.
423C Rieveschl
Week 1
W 1/4
Introductions, Syllabus, and Needs Analysis
HW: Explore Blackboard and download syllabus; reply to instructor's email; buy textbook
Week 2
M 1/9
Unit 1 Untruth and Consequences: Focus on Topic (pp. 1-3)
HW: Read "Peeping Tom Journalism" and Complete Exercises (pp. 4-7 through "Make
Inferences")
W 1/11
Review Exercises (pp. 4-7); Express Opinions (p. 7) Unit 1 Focus on Writing
(pp. 18-24); Vocabulary for Unit 2
HW: Complete transitions exercise, p. 23, complete submit Summary Paragraph #1 (counts for
a homework grade) by email by Friday 1/13 at 5 p.m.!
F 1/13: Summary Paragraph #1 (homework grade) due by email by 5 p.m.!
Week 3
M 1/16
HOLIDAY - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day
HW: Answer “Predict” questions on Blackboard (p. 47); Google “Christian Science”; Read
"Dying For Their Beliefs", Complete Exercises up to “Making Inferences,” (pp. 52-53)
W 1/18
Review Reading and Exercises (pp. 50-53); Express Opinions (p. 54); Share
Information, Background and Vocabulary (pp. 48-49); Reading Two Predictions
(p. 54)
HW: Read “Norman Cousins’s Laugh Therapy” (p. 55); Complete Exercise #2 (pp. 55-56);
Complete Venn diagram / Integrate Readings (p. 56)
Week 4
M 1/23
Review Reading and Exercises (pp. 54-56); Unit 3 Grammar (pp. 58-61); Unit 4
Predictions (p. 67); Guidelines for Writing Summary Paragraph #2
HW: Complete Grammar Exercises (pp. 58-61); Read "How Smart is Smart?" (pp. 70-73),
Complete Exercises (pp. 73-74)
W 1/25 CLASS ONLINE
HW:
1) Post your supporting ideas (from the chart on p. 74) on Blackboard Discussion Board; by
Friday, revisit the Discussion Board and post a comment reflecting on how your
supporting ideas compare to other students’. Have you written accurate and articulate
statements?
2) Post answers to questions #1 and #2 (p. 70) on Blackboard Discussion Board; post
response to another student’s answers.
3) Post your opinion about questions #1 OR #2 (p. 76) on Blackboard Discussion Board;
respond to another student’s answer.
4) Read “Write: A Summary” (p. 86), Complete Exercises (pp. 87-89)
5) Brainstorm an outline for your Summary Paragraph to be written in the computer lab on
Monday, 1/30
Week 5
M 1/30
CLASS IN COMPUTER LAB
Review summary writing guidelines and write summary paragraphs during class.
Submit summary paragraphs by email by the end of class time, or by 11:59 p.m.
at the latest.
HW: Unit 3 Focus on Writing (p. 80, 81-84); Google “Ponce de Leon”; Complete and submit
summary paragraph #2 by email by 11:59 p.m.!
M 1/30: Summary Paragraph #2 (letter grade) due by email by 11:59 p.m.!
W 2/1
Unit 5 Longevity (Descriptive Essay) Focus on the Topic (pp. 91-93) and Focus
on Reading (pp. 93-94)
HW: Read “Death Do Us Part” (pp. 94-97); Complete Exercises (pp. 97-99)
Week 6
M 2/6
Unit 5 Longevity (Descriptive Essay) Focus on the Topic (pp. 91-93) and
Focus on Writing (pp. 110-114)
HW: Read “Death Do Us Part” (pp. 94-97); Complete Exercises up to “Express Opinions” (pp.
97-99)
W 2/8
Review Main Ideas, pp. 97-98; Details, p. 98; Make Inferences, p. 99;
Vocabulary, pp. 92-93; Grammar, pp. 108-110
HW: Complete Writing Exercise, p. 112; Read “OWL Purdue – What is a Descriptive
Essay.doc” on Bb; Complete “ESOL Essayist Assignment” and “Guidelines for Writing a
Descriptive Essay” Assignment on Bb and submit them by email by Sunday at 2 p.m.
Week 7
M 2/13
Summary vs. Descriptive Writing; Guidelines for Writing the Descriptive Essay /
Descriptive Essay Assignment Prompt
HW: Complete Outline for Writing the Descriptive Essay
W 2/15
CLASS IN COMPUTER LAB
Begin writing Descriptive Essays in class; submit completed essays by email by
11:59 p.m.!
HW: Unit 6 Give and Learn, Focus on the Topic (#1 p. 115, B & C p. 116); Read “Justin Lebo”;
Google “Philanthropy”; Complete Exercises up to “Express Opinions” (pp. 123-124)
W 2/15: Descriptive Essay due by 11:59 p.m.!
Week 8
M 2/20
Review Exercises (pp. 115-116) and “Justin Lebo” (pp. 123-124); “Main Ideas”
(p. 122); “Express Opinions” (p. 124); Opinion Paragraph; Focus on Writing
(Argumentative Essay Essay) (pp. 138-139)
HW: Read Example Essays on Blackboard; Complete Outline for Argumentative Essay (on
Blackboard)
W 2/22
Peer Review the Argumentative Essay in class. Unit 8 Eat to Live or Live to Eat,
Focus on the Topic (pp. 175-177) and Focus on Reading (p. 178); Vocabulary for
“The Chinese Kitchen”
HW: Complete and submit Argumentative Essay by Friday at 11:59 p.m.! Unit 8 Eat to Live or
Live to Eat: Read “The Chinese Kitchen” and Complete Exercises (pp. 178-182)
F 2/24: Argumentative Essay due by email by midnight (11:59 p.m.)!
Week 9
M 2/27
Review Reading and Exercises (pp. 178-182); Make Inferences (p. 183);
Guidelines for writing the Narrative Essay
HW: Complete Focus on Writing Exercises (pp. 195-198); read example essays on Blackboard
and post responses to two of them
W 2/29
CLASS IN COMPUTER LAB
Brainstorm and draft outlines for the Narrative Essay; begin writing narrative
essays during class.
HW: Complete Vocabulary Exercises (pp. 189-194); complete and submit narrative essays by
email by Saturday at 2 p.m.!
F 3/2: Narrative Essay due by email by 2 p.m.!
Week 10
M 3/5
Final Revision and Review
W 3/7
In-class Self Evaluation; Portfolio due in class!