ESL 371/781: High-Intermediate Reading/ Writing/ Grammar

Sections 6372/5162 – Course Syllabus

Instructor Contact Information

Instructor: Pat MacKenzie

Phone: 707-527-4999, voice mailbox 1504

Office Location: ESL Office, 2090 Lark Hall

Office hours:

Monday-- 6-6:30 pm -- 2913 Maggini Hall

Wednesday—5-6 pm -- 2090 Lark Hall, on Zoom, or after class

Thursdays -- 15 minutes before or after class

For appointments on other days, email me for possible times. 

Times and locations of class meetings

Monday            6:30 – 8:00 pm            Room 2913      Maggini Hall

Monday           8:00 – 9:30 pm             Room 2803      Maggini Hall

Wednesday     6:30 – 9:30 pm            Room 2913      Maggini Hall  

Thursdays        6:30 – 9:30 pm            Online Zoom Class       

Use this link for Thursday's online class: Zoom Class Link (Links to an external site.)

This is a 9-unit class, which means that we will spend 9 hours together every week. Plan to spend at least 10-11 hours or more per week on homework and studying. You will use Canvas to access homework, quizzes, tests, and other activities for this class. 

Communication Policy

I respond to emails within 24 hours M-F if received by 5 pm Friday. I will respond by the following Monday at 5 pm to emails received after 5 pm Friday and on the weekend. 

Course Description

This is an intermediate reading, writing, and grammar course focusing on the development of pre-academic reading skills with a particular focus on comprehension, critical thinking, vocabulary, and rate. Paragraph structure and introduction to essays, including writing, revising, and editing. Emphasis on tenses and the development of varied sentence structure. Review of high beginning grammar and punctuation. Designed for non-native speakers of English.

 

Student Learning Outcomes:
ESL 781

After this course, the student should be able to:

1.  Apply critical thinking skills to respond to adapted selections of fiction and nonfiction
2.  Apply the writing process to produce organized paragraphs that reflect critical thinking,

       incorporate academic content and demonstrate grammatical control at a level appropriate for this course

3.  Comprehend low intermediate reading passages by identifying organizational strategies,

       summarizing and using main ideas and details to support writing assignments

4.  Word-process paragraphs and access information on the Internet
5.  Utilize metacognitive thinking skills in learning and studying processes
6.  Utilize SRJC resources and services to realize academic goals

ESL 371

After this course, the student should be able to:

1.   Apply critical thinking skills to respond to adapted selections of fiction and nonfiction

2.   Apply the writing process to produce paragraphs and short essays that demonstrate level-appropriate organization and content, critical thinking, vocabulary and fluency, and grammatical accuracy
3.   Comprehend intermediate reading passages by identifying organizational strategies, paraphrasing and summarizing, and using main ideas and details to support writing assignments.
4.   Word-process essays and access information on the Internet
5.   Utilize meta-cognitive thinking skills in learning and studying processes

 

Covid Protocols (Rules)

• You may wear a mask inside the classroom, but it is not required at this time.
• Please do not come to class if you feel sick or have any Covid symptoms until you have a negative home test.
• More information will be given in class.

 

Course Web Site

Students will use the Canvas course website for assignment instructions, submitting assignments, viewing classmates’ work, sharing resources, and viewing grades. You will need your Student ID # and pin code to log in to Canvas. Our course "card" is on your Canvas dashboard. 

 

Required Textbooks

• Pathways 2 Reading, Writing, and Critical Thinking, 2nd Edition by Laurie Blass & Mari Vargo, ISBN- 9781337407779

• A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park, ISBN #9780547577319

You can find complete instructions for buying your books on our Canvas website.

Modules/Week 1/ Buying Textbooks for the Class

****** ESL 781 students, please wait until you are sorted into the correct level before ordering your books. 

 

 Required Software

You will need to use Google Drive for this course. 

• Google Drive(Links to an external site.)

Important Dates

First class: Wednesday, January 17th

Last class: Thursday, May 16th 

Final Exam: Monday, May 20th (attendance is mandatory)

Holidays (no classes):

• Thursday, February 15th –- Teachers' Professional Development Activities (PDA)– no classes
• Monday, February 19th -- Washington's Day Holiday – no classes
• Monday, March 18th -- Sunday, March 24th, Spring Break -- no classes
• Monday, April 1st -- Cesar Chavez/Dolores Huerta Day -- no classes

Last day to register/add a class without an add code: Tuesday, January 23rd

Last day to drop a class for a refund: Sunday, January 28th (371 ONLY)

Last day to add a class with an add code: Sunday, February 4th

Last day to drop a class without a “W” symbol: Sunday, February 4th (371 ONLY)

Last day to drop with a “W” symbol: Sunday, April 21st (371 ONLY)

Last day to opt for Pass/No Pass: Friday, May 24th (371 ONLY)

FINAL EXAM DATE

You must be present in class on the day of the final exam: Monday, 5/20, 6:30-9:00 pm

 

Dropping the Class

If you decide to discontinue this course, it is your responsibility to officially drop it to avoid losing a refund (after 10% of the course length), a W symbol (after 20%), or a grade (after 60%). Also, the instructor may drop a student for several consecutive, unexplained absences.

 

Pass‐No Pass (P/NP) for 371 only

You may take this class P/NP. You must decide before the deadline (Friday, May 24th) and add the option online in your student portal or file the P/NP form with Admissions and Records. With a grade of C or better, you will get a P. Once you choose P/NP, you cannot change back to a letter grade. If you are taking this course as part of a certificate program, you can probably still take the class P/NP. It is highly recommended that you check with a counselor before choosing P/NP.

 

Instructor Announcements and Q&A Discussion

The instructor will post announcements on the “Instructor Announcements” page in Canvas throughout the semester. Canvas notifies students according to their preferred Notification Preferences as soon as the instructor creates an Announcement.  You will get the announcement in your email. Use Pronto or the “Q&A Discussion” on Canvas / Modules / Getting Started in Canvas to ask for help from other classmates or email Pat. 

 

Attendance

Learning a language requires steady attendance and hard work. Therefore, it is important to attend classes and be on time since the curriculum is developed to provide continuity. What this means is that the techniques learned in one class will be incorporated and practiced in later classes. Per SRJC policy, students who are absent more than 10% of class time—15 hours— may be dropped from this course. Also, tardiness will affect your grade. When you are tardy, you miss important information; you disrupt your classmates and your professor. You are allowed six tardies before losing points. After six tardies, you will lose 5 points on the next test grade. In addition, two tardies = one absence. If you are tardy 12 times (12 tardies = 6 absences), I may drop you from the course. Finally, when you are absent, it is your responsibility to email, send a Pronto text, or phone Pat. Don’t tell a classmate to tell Pat. Find out what the assignment is and complete it before returning to class.  Use the Q & A Discussion Board, or Pronto to contact a classmate or email Pat about the homework.

 

Late Policy

All assignments are due by the due date. Late submissions will receive a 20% penalty. Submissions more than one week late are not accepted without prior arrangement. If you are having trouble submitting an assignment, it is your responsibility to talk to Pat about it.

Exams

There will be midterm and final exams. The material comes from the textbook, class lectures, and supplemental materials. If any exam is missed, a zero will be recorded as the score. It is your responsibility to take the exams by the due date.

 

Grading Policy

Visit “Grades” in Canvas to keep track of your grades. I post grades and comments on the online Canvas grade book.

This is a letter grade (A-F) class for ESL 371 students, but you do have a pass/no pass option. ESL 781 students will earn a P=Pass, SP = Sufficient Progress, or NP=No Pass. Your grade will be based on your attendance, class participation, homework, writing, and tests. Santa Rosa Junior College requires that you take a final exam to pass the class, so please plan accordingly and be present on that day: Monday, May 20th, 2024.

To earn a passing grade (371 or 781), you must earn at least 70% and complete the midterm and final exams. 

A (90-100%)

 B (80-89%)

 C (70-79%)

 D (60-69%)

 F (below 60%) 

 

Student Conduct in Our Class

You must follow the SRJC standards of conduct. If you disrupt the classroom, you will be instructed to leave class for two classes and will be subject to further disciplinary action. Since this is an English class, you must always speak English while in the physical classroom, Zoom classroom, and Zoom breakout rooms because it is the best way to learn English. Speaking your native language may exclude another student from the conversation, which can be rude and hurtful. Please plan to arrive on time, stay for the full meeting, and conduct yourself in a way that is respectful of other students and their desire to learn. Attend class only if you wish to learn and contribute to this class and your own educational goals.

 

SRJC Student Conduct Standards

Students who register in SRJC classes are required to follow the SRJC Student Conduct Standards. Violation of the Standards is a reason for referral to the Vice President of Student Services or dismissal from class or the College. See the Student Code of Conduct page. Links to an external site.

 

Working Together

In this class, you will often work together in small groups or pairs. I ask that you respect each other. Please listen when someone speaks; do not interrupt; do not laugh at mistakes or make fun of someone’s questions or ideas. The more you support each other, the more YOU will learn.

 

Other Important Policies and Practices

Academic Integrity

Plagiarism means passing off the work of others as your work, including the work of other students and published material. Having someone else extensively edit or revise your writing is also a form of plagiarism. Collaborating on or copying tests or homework in whole or in part will be considered an act of academic dishonesty and result in a grade of -0- for that test or assignment. I encourage students to share information and ideas, but not their work. I hope that no one feels the need to plagiarize. If you need assistance or support or if the work is too difficult, please speak with me. Remember, you can also see a tutor if you are having problems with reading, writing, and study skills.

See these links on plagiarism:

The Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL) (Link to an external site).
SRJC's policy on Academic Integrity (Links to an external site.)

Plagiarism: How to avoid it (Links to an external site.)

 

 Netiquette or Why Is It Harder to Be Polite Online?

Netiquette refers to using common courtesy in online communication. We will communicate online via Zoom and Canvas in this class. All members of the class are expected to follow netiquette in all course communications. Use these guidelines:

• Use capital letters sparingly because THEY LOOK LIKE SHOUTING.
• Forward emails only with a writer's permission.
• Be considerate of others' feelings and use language carefully.
• Cite all quotations (Use "quotation" marks), references, and sources (otherwise, it is plagiarism).

• Use humor carefully. It is hard to "read" tone; sometimes humor can be misread as criticism or a personal attack. Feel free to use emoticons like :) for a smiley face to let others know you are being humorous.

• Use complete sentences and your best English grammar to compose posts.
• Write in proper paragraphs. Review work before submitting it.
• Text speak, such as "ur" for "your" or "ru" for "are you" etc., is only acceptable when texting.
• Please watch the video from the ASL (American Sign Language Department) for more Netiquette Rules. LINK to Netiquette Video

  

Special Needs

Students with disabilities who believe they need accommodations in this class are encouraged to contact Disability Resources (527-4278), as soon as possible to better ensure such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion.

Changes to Syllabus

Except under unusual circumstances, the guidelines in the above syllabus will not change. However, if any changes are necessary, all will be communicated in writing as an addendum to the syllabus.