ESL 340
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
1. Evaluate main ideas and details on a variety of topics including some technical or specialized areas
presented by a native speaker in interviews, short lectures, and news items and reports.
2. Evaluate some idioms, colloquialisms, and changes in register and speaker point of view, especially in
arguments of a controversial nature.
3. Converse in a clearly participatory fashion; initiate, sustain, and bring to closure conversations in most
informal, school, and work situations even If the point of reference changes.
4. Interrupt, clarify, and use a variety of discourse strategies and describe in detail an event which has
already taken place.
5. Generate most grammatical structures of the language.
6. Evaluate main ideas and facts of longer texts including authentic shortstories, news stories, personal
correspondence, cultural passages, and simple technical material following the essential points, and
analyzing for inference, incorporating 2400-3400 word vocabulary.
7. Compose simple, compound, and complex sentences incorporating material acquired through
reading, listening, and speaking, which reflect grammatical structures taught and reviewed in ESL 340.
8. Write an outline of material read, compose a note or simple letter consisting of several paragraphs
based on written or oral instructions and express in paragraph form some personal observations on
what has been read.
9. Argue for and against some controversial topics.
10. Comprehend a total of 300-400 additional vocabulary words and demonstrate awareness of
strategies for vocabulary expansion (word forms, selected prefixes and suffixes, and roots). Use a
dictionary.
General resources for reading, grammar, vocab at a high-intermediate/advanced level:
http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/490/
Specific Content Related to Learning Objectives:
I. Grammatical
topics covered
in all skills
A. Review of
grammar
structures
taught in
previous levels
as needed
B. Expansion of
adjective
clauses (object
Review of previous tenses:
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbtenseintro.html
Explanation of Object Adj. Clause
http://www.eslcafe.com/grammar/adjective_clauses04.html
http://www.eslcafe.com/grammar/adjective_clauses05.html
adjective
clauses
including
whose, where,
when and
appositives)
Explanation: Possessive Adj.Clause
)http://www.eslcafe.com/grammar/adjective_clauses06.html
Explanation: Adj. Clause w/ where and when
http://www.eslcafe.com/grammar/adjective_clauses07.html
Explanation of Frequent Mistakes with Adj Clauses:
http://www.eslcafe.com/grammar/adjective_clauses10.html
http://www.eslcafe.com/grammar/adjective_clauses11.html
http://www.eslcafe.com/grammar/adjective_clauses12.html
http://www.eslcafe.com/grammar/adjective_clauses13.html
Exercises: http://www.usingenglish.com/quizzes/51.htmland
http://www.usingenglish.com/quizzes/234.html and
http://www.usingenglish.com/quizzes/509.html and
http://www.usingenglish.com/quizzes/373.html
An extensive link to adjective clause and adj. clause reduction explanations and
quizzes: http://www.grammar-quizzes.com/clausesum.html
Lesson and Exercise Links from U. of Victoria:
http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/410/grammar/adj.htm
NetGrammar unit on Adj. Clauses with listening, reading, vocabulary, grammar:
http://netgrammar.altec.org/Units/Unit_10/menu.html
Which relative pronoun? http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/cgishl/quiz.pl/who_quiz.htm and
http://wwwedu.ge.ch/cptic/prospective/projets/anglais/exercises/relpron2.htm
and
http://wwwedu.ge.ch/cptic/prospective/projets/anglais/exercises/whowhich.htm
and http://www.usingenglish.com/quizzes/348.html and
http://wwwedu.ge.ch/cptic/prospective/projets/anglais/exercises/papereater.htm
C. Restrictive
and
nonrestrictive
clauses
D. Adjective
clause
reductions
including
appropriate
punctuation
(e.g."The boy
playing the
piano...")
Explanation: Restrictive/Non-Restrictive Adj. Clause
http://www.eslcafe.com/grammar/adjective_clauses08.html and
http://www.eslcafe.com/grammar/adjective_clauses09.html
Explanation: Reduction of Subject Adj. Clause
http://www.eslcafe.com/grammar/adjective_clauses03.html
E. Sentence
connectors with
correct
punctuation
a. Adverb
clauses and
phrases (time,
cause and
effect,
opposition,
condition) (e.g.
Before he went
to bed … Before
going to bed…)
b. Transitions
(although,
however,
nevertheless,
consequently,
therefore,
despite)
c. Paired
conjunctions
(both, either,
neither...nor)
F. Noun clauses
Explanation and examples of adverb clauses:
http://esl.about.com/od/grammaradvanced/a/adverb_clauses.htm
and http://esl.about.com/od/grammaradvanced/a/adverb_clauses_2.htm and
http://esl.about.com/od/grammaradvanced/a/adverb_clauses_3.htm and
http://esl.about.com/od/grammaradvanced/a/adverb_clauses_4.htm
Adverb Clauses (Subordination) Lesson and Exercise links from U. of Victoria:
http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/410/grammar/advcls.htm
Adverb Clause:
http://www.learn4good.com/languages/evrd_grammar/adverb_clauses_ex.htm
Tenses w/ time related adverbial clauses: http://www.grammar-quizzes.com/85.html
Punctuation in general including sentence connectors and clauses: diagnostic and
extensive exercises: http://www.grammar-quizzes.com/puncsum.html
Basic Coordinating Conjunctions: Lesson and exercise Link:
http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/330/grammar/coconj.htm and
http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/330/grammar/subcon.htm
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By the time versus when (with future perfect): http://www.grammarquizzes.com/8-6.html
 And/in addition: http://www.grammar-quizzes.com/conj-and.html
 And so/too: http://www.grammar-quizzes.com/conj-too.html
 FANBOYS (coordination) http://www.grammar-quizzes.com/8-3punc.html
 Too/either: http://www.grammar-quizzes.com/too-either.html
 Both…and http://www.grammar-quizzes.com/conj-paired.html
 But/but still: http://www.grammar-quizzes.com/19-6.html
 But not… except http://www.grammar-quizzes.com/except.html
 But/though: http://www.grammar-quizzes.com/9-2.html
 Because/of: http://www.grammar-quizzes.com/19-1.html
 Because of /By http://www.grammar-quizzes.com/19-3.html
 Cause/Effect: http://www.grammar-quizzes.com/19-2.html
 Because/though: http://www.grammar-quizzes.com/9-1.html
 Cause/Effect Review: http://www.grammar-quizzes.com/8-7.html
Netgrammar unit on noun clauses and reported Speech includes listening, reading,
grammar, and vocabulary: http://netgrammar.altec.org/Units/Unit_13/menu.html
Explanation of different types of clauses: noun, adjective, adverb:
http://www.uottawa.ca/academic/arts/writcent/hypergrammar/claustyp.html
Identification of types of clauses: noun, adj., adv:
http://www.uottawa.ca/academic/arts/writcent/hypergrammar/rvnaacls.html
http://www.uottawa.ca/academic/arts/writcent/hypergrammar/rvtopic.html
G. Reported
speech
Explanation of Indirect Speech:
http://www.eslcafe.com/grammar/indirect_questions01.html
http://www.eslcafe.com/grammar/indirect_questions02.html
Indirect Questions: http://www.usingenglish.com/quizzes/312.html
Extensive diagnostic and exercises: http://www.grammarquizzes.com/nounclausesum.html
Lessons and Exercise Links from U. of Victoria:
http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/490/grammar/reported-speech.htm
Exercises: http://www.englishlearner.com/tests/reported_speech_quiz_1.shtml and
http://eslus.com/LESSONS/GRAMMAR/REPORTSP/Rs2.htm and
http://wwwedu.ge.ch/cptic/prospective/projets/anglais/exercises/reported1.htm
and http://www.usingenglish.com/quizzes/102.html and
http://wwwedu.ge.ch/cptic/prospective/projets/anglais/exercises/reported2.htm
H. Gerunds and
infinitives
I. Expansion of
phrasal verbs
See Netgrammar in IF above.
Ex: try to do vs try doing ex.: http://www.usingenglish.com/quizzes/268.html
Examples and exercises: http://www.englishpage.com/gerunds/part_1.htm
And http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/410/grammar/gerinf1.htm
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J. Unreal
conditional in
past (Review
other
conditionals as
needed)
Phrases with “come”: http://www.usingenglish.com/quizzes/185.html and
http://www.englishpage.com/prepositions/comeprep.htm
Phrases with “look”
http://www.englishpage.com/prepositions/lookprep.htm
Phrases with “fall” http://www.usingenglish.com/quizzes/188.html
Phrases with “sit” http://www.usingenglish.com/quizzes/458.html
Phrases with “stand” http://www.usingenglish.com/quizzes/204.html
Phrases with “write” http://www.usingenglish.com/quizzes/209.html
Phrases with “go”: http://www.englishpage.com/prepositions/goprep.htm
Phrases with “get”: http://www.englishpage.com/prepositions/getprep1.htm
And http://www.englishpage.com/prepositions/getprep2.htm
And http://www.englishpage.com/prepositions/getprep3.htm
And http://www.englishpage.com/prepositions/getprep4.htm
And http://www.englishpage.com/prepositions/getprep5.htm
Explanation of past unreal conditional:
http://www.eslcafe.com/grammar/conditional_sentences04.html
http://www.eslcafe.com/grammar/conditional_sentences05.html
http://www.eslcafe.com/grammar/conditional_sentences06.html and
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/conditional2.htm
Exercise with past and present unreal conditional:
http://www.usingenglish.com/quizzes/118.html
http://www.englishpage.com/conditional/conditional4.htm
http://www.englishpage.com/conditional/conditional5.htm
http://www.englishpage.com/conditional/conditional6.htm
http://www.englishpage.com/conditional/conditional8.htm
http://www.eslcafe.com/quiz/if1.html
Explanation and exercises: http://www.grammar-quizzes.com/condition2b.html
http://www.grammar-quizzes.com/condition3a.html
Wishes: http://www.grammar-quizzes.com/condition4a.html
Netgrammar unit on all conditionals includes listening, reading, grammar,
vocabulary: http://netgrammar.altec.org/Units/Unit_15/menu.html
K. Future
perfect and
future perfect
progressive
tenses
Explanation of future perfect
http://www.eslcafe.com/grammar/future_perfect_tense01.html
http://www.eslcafe.com/grammar/future_perfect_tense02.html
Exercises: http://www.grammar-quizzes.com/modal2d.html and
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs25.htm and
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs26.htm and
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs27.htm and
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs28.htm
Netgrammar unit on Present, Past and Future Perfect includes listening, reading,
vocabulary, grammar: http://netgrammar.altec.org/Units/Unit_14/menu.html
L. Passive voice
in the perfect
and progressive
tenses
Review of all tenses including future perfect:
http://www.englishlearner.com/tests/tenses_quiz.shtml
An extensive overview of passive with multiple links to quizzes:
http://www.grammar-quizzes.com/passivesum.html
Lesson and exercise links from U. of Victoria:
http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/410/grammar/410-the-passive.htm
Additional exercises:
http://esldivlabs.vcc.ca/internet/Internet_Links_Organized_by_Grammar_Topics.htm
and http://www.better-english.com/grammar/passives.htm and
http://eslus.com/LESSONS/GRAMMAR/PASSIVE/Gramb.htm and
http://wwwedu.ge.ch/cptic/prospective/projets/anglais/exercises/passive1.htm
and http://www.usingenglish.com/quizzes/46.html and
http://www.usingenglish.com/quizzes/152.html
II. Semantic
Topics: Topics of
academic and
practical nature
such as: world
of work,
American
history, the arts,
current events,
politics, the
environment,
medicine, crime,
sports, health,
popular science,
and ethical
questions
Monologues and Dialogues:
 A University Degree: http://www.esllab.com/universitydegree/universitydegreerd1.htm
 Refinancing Loans: http://www.esl-lab.com/loan/loanrd1.htm
 Movie Reviews: http://www.esl-lab.com/review/review.htm
 Flower Shop: http://www.esl-lab.com/flowershop/flowershoprd1.htm
 Job Hunting: http://www.esl-lab.com/jobhunting/jobhuntingrd1.htm
 Raising Successful Children: http://www.esllab.com/children/childrenrd1.htm
 Traffic Report: http://www.esl-lab.com/traffic/trafficrd1.htm
 World News Reports: http://www.esllab.com/worldnews/worldnewsrd1.htm
 News Report: Disaster Relief http://www.esl-lab.com/news1/news1.htm
Real English authentic English with video/exercises: http://www.realenglish.com/reo/index-adv.htm
Academic Listening:
 Learning languages: http://www.esl-lab.com/learn/learnrd1.htm
 Our Aging Society (Sociology Lecture): http://www.esllab.com/age/agerd1.htm
 A Greener World (Ecology Lecture): http://www.esllab.com/world/worldrd1.htm
 Cosmetic Surgery (Medical Lecture) http://www.esllab.com/cosmetic/cosmeticrd1.htm
 Three Guidelines for Safe Investing (Finances Lecture) http://www.esllab.com/invest2/invest2.htm
California Distance Learning Project has excellent adult learning activities on line,
many of which involve video from authentic new reports (marked with a video icon).
Each video has pre-listening scaffolding, readings, post-listening vocabulary and
spelling and comprehension practice. Multiple topics relating to law and government
are on this page:
http://www.cdlponline.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=stories&topicID=2 and multiple
topics related to health and safety are on this page
http://www.cdlponline.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=stories&topicID=5 and multiple
topics related to money are on this page:
http://www.cdlponline.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=stories&topicID=7 and multiple
topics related to science/technology are on this page:
http://www.cdlponline.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=stories&topicID=8
III. Functional
Topics covered
in a variety of
skills
A. Articulating
the pros and
cons of an issue
discussed or
read
B. Expressing
agreement,
disagreement,
and opinions
regarding issues
discussed or
read
C. Expressing
feelings
D. Compare and
contrast
E. Extensive
description
IV. Vocabulary
A. Dictionary
skills
B. Etymology
(decoding new
words by
analyzing
prefixes, roots,
and suffixes)
C. Word forms
(nominal,
verbal,
adjectival)
D. Phrasal Verbs
and their
synonyms
E. Collocations
F. Idiomatic
expressions
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Funerals: Expressing Condolences: http://www.esllab.com/insurance/insurancerd1.htm
Housing Complaints : http://www.esl-lab.com/complain/complainrd1.htm
VOA collection of Mp3s on “Words and Their Stories”: audio available,
downloadable, and interesting idioms and language info:
http://www.manythings.org/voa/words/
My Vocabulary
http://www.myvocabulary.com/index.php?dir=level&file=session_info has exercises
at 3 levels for varied prefixes and roots. It is a little confusing to start with, but at this
level, but advise students to start with the matching definitions exercise in each
section. At this level, suggest that students focus on the advanced words and review
the beginning/intermediate ones.
VOA collection of WORDMASTER clips: audio available readings (no exercises)
http://www.manythings.org/voa/wm/
Academic Word List Vocabulary Practice (Sublists 4, 5, 6)
http://www.academicvocabularyexercises.com/id24.htm
http://www.academicvocabularyexercises.com/id25.htm
http://www.academicvocabularyexercises.com/id26.htm
V. Culture
A. Expand on
cultural
objectives (e.g.,
holidays)
B. Places of
historical and
natural interest
in the U.S.
C. Name
important and
contemporary
individuals
D. Values and
attitudes
E. Culturally
appropriate
behavior
(See semantic and functional activities)
News articles with text and audio (adjustable for speed): http://eslbits.net/advanced-listening/NEWindex.htm
Canadian Broadcasting Service audio/video with transcripts, vocabulary glosses,
comprehension activities: The Capital Punishment Debate
http://www.cbc.ca/ottawa/esl/lessons/lesson5_introduction.html
VI.
Pronunciation:
Stress and
intonation
patterns of
material learned
as needed
Minimal Pair Pronunciation Practice: http://www.manythings.org/pp/
Practice with elisions and vowel reduction and rhythm in thematic units:
http://www.trainyouraccent.com/
VII. Reading:
Daily in-class
and out-of-class
reading of
extended
discourse of
various genres
and lengths
A. Reading for
main idea
B. Reading for
supporting ideas
C. Making basic
inferences
D. Recognizing
U of Victoria Reading site:
http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/570/pulp/index.htm
This site includes text and full audio for books such as Vonnegut’s
Slaughterhouse Five and Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in
Nighttime and others. http://esl-bits.net/Books/books.html
point of view
E. Using context
clues
VIII. Writing: A
weekly average
of 200-300
words of formal
and informal
writing
balancing
accuracy and
fluency
A. Paragraph
organization
with topic
sentence,
substantial
supporting
ideas, examples,
details and
explanations
B. Varied
sentence
structure using
appropriate
transitions,
conjunctions,
and clauses
C. Extended
expository,
descriptive and
narrative
writing
D. Writing in
response to
reading
http://www.writefix.com/argument/
Opinion and Essay Writing site, emphasizing timed TOEFL type formulaic
writing.
Essay Punch is an interactive essay writing tool that leads students through
the writing process from pre-writing to writing (topic and thesis sentences,
organizing) to revising, editing and proofreading. A full lesson on a given
topic is available free. http://www.essaypunch.com/
Paragraph Punch does the same for single paragraph writing.
http://www.paragraphpunch.com/ Each includes information about
appropriate transitions, supporting details.
ESL Essayist, developed by the U. of Texas, takes students through the
process of writing an essay from pre-writing to writing to revising and
editing. It provides downloadable worksheets for planning a topic sentence,
introduction, etc. Usable for any topic.
http://www.edb.utexas.edu/minliu/pbl/ESOL/index.htm
Writing Fun is an interactive writing site that gives students tips and structure
for writing a range of writing types: narratives, persuasive essays, letters,
reports. Examples for each type range from child-like writing to more
sophisticated writing (though not college-level academic). Usable for any
topic.
http://www.writingfun.com/writingfun2010.html