COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF PHILADELPHIA
COURSE TITLE: English 092 - Intermediate Writing for Non-
native Speakers of English
COURSE DESCRIPTION: The writing component of the second of four
pairs of integrated courses that develop
reading and writing skills in English. Teaches
reading and writing as processes. Vocabulary
development, study skills, critical thinking,
and reading comprehension. Introduces
expository essays, summaries and reading
responses. Compound verb forms and
compound and complex sentence structures.
Credit will not be applied toward graduation.
Course is paired and integrated with English
082 - Intermediate Reading for Non-native
Speakers of English.
PREREQUISITE: Pass grade in English 081 and English 091 or placement
COREQUISITE: English 082 - Intermediate Reading for Non-native
Speakers of English
COURSE HOURS: 3-0-3
COURSE WRITER: Michelle C. Sun, Department of English
DATE: September 28, 2001
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A. Course Description
English 082/092 is the second of four pairs of integrated ESL reading/writing courses that
prepare students for academic reading and writing at the college level and for day-to-day
communication in English. This integrated course pair teaches reading and writing as
processes, and includes vocabulary development, study skills, critical thinking, and
reading comprehension. It introduces expository essays, summaries, and reading
responses. Compound verb forms, and compound and complex sentence structures are
taught. English 082/092 requires students to attend a writing lab for one hour per week.
B. Rationale
In general, learners at this level have mastered basic English reading and writing skills.
They have acquired beginning comprehension skills and a working but limited English
vocabulary. Most students can write a well-developed paragraph and a simple three-
paragraph essay, both of which contain basic sentences and occasional compound and
complex structures. They are ready to start using English-English dictionaries and depend
less on translation.
This integrated pair of intermediate reading and writing courses helps students focus on
expanding their limited academic experience in English. At this level, students read a
variety of materials of increasing length and complexity. They continue to build their
reading competence, and at some point, venture to decode the discourse of a whole book,
a process forming an important foundation for extensive reading. They continue to
expand their lexical repertoire as well as in the areas of syntax, mechanics, and study
skills. Further in the semester, they are introduced to critical thinking and research skills
using the computer. Simple summaries of short or long reading texts help sort out main
ideas and supporting details. Students produce multi-paragraph essays and letters, as well
as book reports with their reactions. Besides writing in the narrative and descriptive
modes, they learn to write basic expository essays. Through reading, students acquire
fluency, and gain more knowledge of both content and form, skills that are essential for
writing. In the cycles of reading and writing, students are challenged to become
independent readers and writers.
A one-hour weekly writing lab is mandatory as part of English 082/092, giving additional
writing support to students at this level. Instructors should provide their lab specialists
with a course syllabus at the beginning of the semester and discuss course goals and
specific student needs. Some lab assistance may include helping with student revisions,
giving computer instruction, offering further guidelines on using the grammar text,
continuing to cover reading exercises, and at times, arranging small group or
individualized tutoring within the lab sessions. Instructors should maintain continuous
communications with lab specialists to give comprehensive lab service to students.
Students enter English 082/092 after passing English 081/091, or are placed in English
082/092 based on their scores on the Maculaitis Reading placement test and a timed
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writing placement test. See Appendix A (A Proposal for Changing the Scoring of the
Essay Part of the ESL Placement Test) of the ESL Curriculum Revision Proposal for a
detailed explanation of student placement procedures.
Students with documented disabilities are provided accommodations, as needed, to
enhance access to instruction, assessment, and evaluation.
C. Course Goals/ Learning Objectives
These integrated intermediate reading and writing courses seek to prepare students for the
next high-intermediate pair of courses, English 083/093. The overall goals are to expand
reading strategies, engage in extensive reading (adapted readers and news articles written
for ESL students), understand American culture through reading, write summaries and
responses, and produce basic expository essays. Other important goals are to use a
monolingual dictionary, develop vocabulary words during reading, and gain preliminary
competency in the use of technology for reading and writing.
C.1 Reading Comprehension
Routine reading is the best way to develop comprehension. Through extensive reading,
students expand comprehension strategies for a variety of genres, acquire different
syntactic structures, and learn to use different speeds for reading comprehension.
Students are expected to
Read and learn different genres
Understand the elements in a story: characters, setting, plot, conflict, resolution, and
theme
Preview a textbook (titles, prefaces, table of contents, index, appendix, and reviews)
and a selection of a chapter or a few pages of reading materials (titles, subtitles,
illustrations, and graphs)
Restate main ideas and supporting details in short passages, individual chapters and
overall books
Skim for overall meaning and scan for specific information
Predict content (before and during sustained reading)
Draw inferences
Form impressions and opinions of text
C.2 Writing as a Response to Reading
Writing at this level should be introduced as a tool for reflecting on readings and for self-
evaluating understanding. Through ongoing reading, students become aware of logical
organization, e.g., how ideas are presented in a hierarchical text. Writing, on the other
hand, allows them to process content together with their life experiences and previous
knowledge.
Students are expected to
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Write one-paragraph summaries of chronological events in fictional readings or main
ideas in nonfiction readings
Write personal reactions to reading selections, such as interpretations or opinions
Raise comprehension questions and answer them in writing
Continue to engage in narrative and descriptive writing
Introduce expository essays with the body paragraphs having clear topic sentences
and supporting details. Some typical assignments are to explain three causes why
many marriages are not working nowadays, three reasons why we need to use the
computer or three interesting characteristics you discover in the American culture
Integrate personal experiences with new information from reading
Engage in transactional writing, for example informal letters
Develop awareness of the composing process that requires revising (to clarify ideas or
improve organization) and editing (to improve grammatical accuracy)
Engage in peer conferencing to increase awareness, during the writing process, of
readers’ responses
C.3 Lexicon/Semantics
Through reading, students expand their lexical repertoire. As students identify lexically-
related words in reading, they learn the meanings and classify them into lexical domains
for different topics. By writing about their readings, they develop richer ideas and greater
lexical maturity.
Students are expected to
Continue to understand the meaning of common prefixes and simple derivational
suffixes
Continue to recognize antonyms and synonyms
Guess the meaning of words from their immediate language context
Develop dictionary skills with a monolingual (English-English), rather than a
bilingual dictionary. Specific dictionary instruction may include
Multiplicities of meanings
Parts of speech
Word families with various common inflections
Syntactic rules
Idiomatic usage
Classify and sub-classify words of the same domain (furniture: beds, sofas, end
tables, and bookcases etc.; furniture with storage: dresser, hutch, bureau, wardrobe,
and cabinets)
Design effective systems for recording vocabulary words for future use (e.g. index
cards in index files)
C.4 Syntax
Identifying syntactic structures within a text gives clues to the relationship among ideas.
This understanding is crucial in writing, given language learners’ knowledge that the
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correct use of syntactic rules in writing helps unity and coherence. The cycle of reading
and writing makes students aware of the communicative nature of various syntactic
structures and helps develop syntactic competence.
Students in English 082/092 are expected to
Review the basic sentence patterns and word order in sentences learned in English
081/091
Change sentences with the use of direct object and indirect object
Expand sentences by using different types of adjectives: opinion, size, shape, age,
color, origin, and material
Expand sentences with the use of adverbs of intensity
Recognize relative clauses in reading and learn to use them in writing
Combine sentences with adverbial clauses
Combine sentences with comparatives
Use logical and chronological organizers appropriately
Understand and use infinitives in subject and object positions
Expand the main verb with modals
Understand and use the future tense for intentions, personal arrangements, fixed
schedules, prediction, and for promises, offers and willingness.
Review present and present continuous tenses
Understand and use past tense for definite past and continuing past times
Recognize present perfect tense in describing duration
Distinguish between sentences and sentence fragments
C.5 Mechanics
Students at this level continue to need explicit instruction in punctuation and spelling
rules. They need to acquire strategies to become developing editors. They should learn to
use an editing checklist, which serves as an effective guiding tool for writing. Such
editing processes increase their awareness of mechanical usage.
In addition to skills expected at the level of English 081/091, students are expected to
learn
Spelling of common words
Sentence boundaries and how to avoid fragments
Capitalization and punctuation
Subject/verb agreement
C.6 Cultural Knowledge
Through reading, students explore American history and society, gathering information
about the unfamiliar but crucial cultural context of this country.
Students are expected to
Learn about American culture, traditions, values, trends, and history
Stay abreast of current news events and give opinions
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C.7 Study Skills Introduction to basic study skills helps students to become effective learners, to inquire
about the American setting, and to identify and organize information for better
understanding and future retrieval. Indeed, learning strategies are one of the best
predictors of success in adapting to a new environment and to academic settings.
Students are expected to
Annotate a text
Ask questions to clarify points of queries
Take risks to participate effectively in the classroom
Re-evaluate study strategies for effective learning
Budget time effectively between assignments and during tests
Understand exam-taking techniques: objective and subjective
C.8 Technology Skills
Students in English 082/092 are introduced to computer technology as a reading tool for
performing research via the Internet. They may also be introduced to the computer as a
writing tool for organizing and editing their essays.
Students are expected to
Check out books from the College Library and explore resources and facilities at
local free libraries
Use a computer to become aware of our ever-expanding, highly-developed
technological society
Search for electronic (Internet) texts on assigned and personal topics
Begin to use the computer as a word processing tool for
o Revising and editing in writing
o Formulating outlines in reading
D. Planned Sequence of Activities
This pair of courses at the intermediate level should be structured so as to encompass a
deeper understanding of the United States, such as the historical, social, cultural,
religious, and political areas of American life. As for reading texts, students at this level
are receptive to genres such as biographies, historical fiction, history, and detective and
immigrant stories. The use of a newspaper such as News for You is another resource that
increases students’ interest in national and international news.
The typical sequence of learning involves the use of pre-reading activities, reading
materials or text, vocabulary building, comprehension discussion (oral and written), and
journal writing. Selected readings lead to formal writings, such as essays and book
reports, followed by additional drafts, which require revising and editing.
D.1 Reading and Writing Connections
Writing activities should all be integrated with reading assignments and comprise tasks of
different levels. First, paraphrasing activities are crucial in helping students formulate
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ideas in their own words from the text and then transfer to their own writing. Second,
students at this level are challenged to write the main idea in their own words. At the
beginning of the semester, the teaching of main ideas should focus on short passages with
several paragraphs. As the semester proceeds, the scope of the main idea should expand
to cover pages, individual chapters, and eventually the entire book (see more guidelines
in the next section). Third, soon after students can identify the plot and/or main ideas in
written summaries, they should be guided further to write their opinions, a task that is
crucial to critical thinking.
The writing sequence should also move from the review of description and narration to
focus on basic expository writing. Writing the main idea of comprehension passages
facilitates the writing of topic sentences in expository paragraphs, and summarizing
details found in description and narration forms the backbone for giving supporting
details. In addition, journal writing strengthens students’ fluency in writing essays. The
design of activities should follow this pattern of weaving between reading and writing,
journal writing and formal writing, and thinking and rethinking.
An example of a partial semester schedule using The Story of Benjamin Franklin,
Amazing American by Margaret Davidson is presented as follows:
Reading Text
Freewriting Assignments
Formal Writing Assignments
Chapter 1
Benjamin Franklin as a
person
A good classmate of mine
Chapter 2
Ben’s big ideas during his
childhood and how he
reminds you of your
childhood days
Two incidents in your
childhood that have great
influence in your adult life
Chapter 3
Three major reasons why
Ben ran away from home
Discuss an important decision
you made and three reasons
why you made this decision
Chapter 9
Ben’s major events in
England and comment on
the success of his
diplomatic journey
Discuss one important
political event/social change
in your country or USA and
how it affected your family
Chapter 10
Ben’s diplomatic efforts in
France and comment on
whether his mission was
successful
Discuss Ben’s diplomatic
efforts in France and
comment on the factors
leading to his well-received
mission
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D.2 Forming habits for extensive reading
A class survey at the beginning of the semester gives a profile of students’ former reading
habits in both English and their native language. A class discussion of the survey results
often provides momentum to students’ reading development, which will gain pace once
they attend a library tour (at the College Library or the Free Library). The goals, of
course, are to inform them about the availability and varieties of books, the locations of
appropriate levels, and methods of borrowing. To encourage reading for pleasure, the
guideline for book selections at the library should be based solely on students’ own
interests.
A brief in-class reading, once the semester begins, sets the tone for supportive reading,
which paves the way for out-of-class reading. Regular class discussions on finding time
for pleasure reading amidst students’ busy schedules keeps such momentum going.
Subsequent monitoring may include recording reading progress in a “read and record”
sheet, with information of the title and type of book read, time spent on each reading,
frequency of reading, duration to finish, and date for completion of their book report etc.
Students may be asked to read at least 6 books in one semester and challenged to read as
many as they can, perhaps 10 or more.
Suggested guidelines for students’ book reports may include the following:
Summary section
Stating the kind of text being read (fiction or nonfiction), type of publication
(newspaper, magazine, or Internet), the author, and the year of publication
Summarizing the major elements in the story for fictional selections
Prompting questions may include
o What are the major characters of the text?
o Where is the setting and when does the story take place?
o What is the plot and how are events developed?
o What kind of ending does the story have? Would you describe it as happy,
unfinished, sad, tragic, or other?
o What is the author’s message? Can you extract and express the message?
Writing the main idea and several facts as supporting details for nonfiction
selections
Response section
Questions for fictional work:
o Which characters do you like and which ones do you want to identify
with?
o What parts of the story interest or puzzle you the most?
o What parts do you dislike?
o What parts would you like to change in the story and how?
o What are your personal experiences or thoughts related to the book?
o Would you recommend the book to others? Why or why not?
Questions for nonfiction work:
o What information did you already know before reading the text?
o How useful are the facts you learned?
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o Do you know other books on the same topic?
o What are the latest developments on this topic that you know?
o What is the area under this topic that you want to write about?
o What is a related topic about which you want to read more?
D.3 Integrating reading with cultural context and computer technology
Students should link reading and writing with their social, cultural, and technological
contexts and expand their learning to the world at large, in particular integrating such
information with the American values and their own specific cultural values. Activities
should center on the search for materials related to different social, historical, religious,
cultural, and political aspects. The study of research topics makes students realize that a
topic can be related to multiple disciplines.
Consider again, for example, an assignment on the life of Benjamin Franklin. Students
research city facilities named after him, such as streets, buildings, bridges, museums,
institutions, or sculptures, and gather information about him to examine how his legacy
extends to our contemporary society. They then discuss their previous knowledge about
him and raise questions about what more to inquire concerning this American founding
father. The instructor may want to arrange a class trip to one of the places discussed, such
as the Philadelphia Visitors Center, Franklin Court, Franklin Institute, or the Liberty
Museum.
Toward the middle of the semester, students attend a library workshop on using the
Internet. The ultimate assignment is to research, via the Internet, the life of Benjamin
Franklin. The objectives of this research are to
Be introduced to and be aware of the Internet as a research tool
Develop the experience of knowing what to select in the Internet (to select articles
within their level of comprehension)
Report their findings and discoveries, either as a whole class or in small groups
Validate the accuracy of what they have learned about this famous American
D.4 Vocabulary
The teaching of vocabulary is critical for building comprehension in understanding
familiar and unfamiliar topics and across various genres at this level. Students should
abandon the typical dependency on native-language dictionaries as well as the practice of
consulting them for every individual unfamiliar vocabulary words. The pre-reading and
post-reading vocabulary activities should include multiple strategies to speed up their
vocabulary development.
Important questions for students to increase the mastery of vocabulary items are as
follows:
Is it a word that involves conceptual meaning in the text to be attended to, or is it a
word that deals with the low-level details to be omitted?
What is the part of speech of this vocabulary word?
What are the words found in the immediate context as clues for its meaning?
Does it convey a positive or negative connotation?
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Are there prefixes or suffixes to give clues for meaning?
Are there words that can serve as synonyms or antonyms?
Can I form a domain of related words under a certain topic?
Apart from developing educated guesses for unknown vocabulary words, students should
receive guidelines for improving their dictionary skills. The Longman Dictionary of
American English Workbook is a good source for supplementary materials.
E. Required Texts
At present, there is no single textbook that teaches the integrated reading and writing
skills described in these two courses. The choice of a single novel or biography may be
used to help students expand their reading competence from one or two paragraphs to an
entire book. Students, subsequently, should continue to read as many short books as they
can. The novel or biography selected will be the best choice if it includes the major
organizational patterns and grammatical structures required for this level. Teachers may
select from the following texts:
The Story of Benjamin Franklin, Davidson (Yearling) Reading
Amazing American
North Star 2 (Addison, Wesley Longman) Reading
North Star 2 (Addison, Wesley Longman) Writing
Interactions Two McGraw-Hill
A Reading Skills Book Kirn/Hartmann Reading
A Writing Process Book Segal/Pavlik Writing
A Communicative Grammar Kirn/Jack Grammar
Tapestry, Reading Bk 2 and Writing Bk 2 Heinle & Heinle Reading
Writing
Building on Basics Baker-Gonzales & Blau (Longman) Reading
Great American Stories, Book 1 and 2 Draper (PHR) Reading
Bridges to Academic Writing Strauch (Cambridge) Writing
First Steps to Academic Writing Holt (Longman) Writing
Tools for Writing Fellag (Heinle) Writing
Grammar in Context, Book 2 Elbaum( Heinle) Grammar
Focus on Grammar, Intermediate Fuchs, Bonner, Westheimer Grammar
2nd
Edition (Longman)
Longman Dictionary of American English (Addison Wesley Longman) Dictionary
and Workbook
The Newbury House Dictionary of (Newbury House) Dictionary
American English
News for You New Readers Press Newspaper
Other adapted fictional titles include Pocahontas (Yearling), and Rain Man (Penguin).
The latter, however, is recommended for lower-level students in this course. Numerous
choices of readers appropriate for this level are available from Penguin USA (marketed
by Pearson Education: Longman) and Cambridge University Press. Nonfiction works at
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this intermediate level are available from New Readers Press and Globe Fearon. Many of
these books are available in the ESL Collection in our college library.
F. Library Resources and Bibliography
A large selection of ESL books has been added to the ESL bookshelves in the College
Library as the result of a College mini-grant. These books fall into the range from
prelevel to advanced levels. The majority of books fall within the low and high
intermediate levels. They are all catalogued in the OPAC system under the keyword
“ESL” next to the call number.
The College Library faculty provides instruction in basic library skills for ESL students,
so that they can learn about the OPAC system and check books out. Useful pamphlets
and library maps can be obtained for the design of class instruction so that students can
be introduced to library-oriented vocabulary words in advance of their visit to the Library
for the instruction given by Library faculty there.
The Library also offers Internet workshops to give introductory orientation to the
Internet, the different search engines, and how to conduct subject searches.
Instructors may find the following references useful for their classroom teaching:
Extensive Reading in the Second Language Classroom (Cambridge University Press,
1998)
Grammar in the Composition Classroom (Heinle, 19990)
Vocabulary: Description, Acquisition and Pedagogy (Cambridge University Press, 1998)
Vocabulary in Language Teaching (Cambridge University Press, 2000)
Teaching Collocation (Language Teaching Publications, 2000)
G. Technological Resources
The two integrated courses at this level may use computer technology to increase reading
and writing opportunities. Hotmail and College e-mail accounts could allow students to
e-mail their writing assignments to teachers and other students for feedback.
The Internet serves as a base for research projects related to students’ reading materials.
Instructors may work in conjunction with staff of the College Library to help students
engage in online research projects. Instructors can first arrange for students to attend a
workshop in the College Library to develop an introductory understanding of the Internet.
Subsequent lessons can be designed using computer classrooms for Internet research.
Students at this level will need at least two to three sessions. The instructors may also
want to give clear guidelines so that students will select materials of appropriate language
level.
The Learning Lab offers “Writing with Computers” for students without any computer
background in word processing. Students from this level get the most benefits from this
type of introductory workshop.
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H. Learning Laboratory
Students are required to attend the mandatory laboratory classes offered by the Learning
Lab Department of Academic Support. The curriculum of the one-hour weekly lab
instruction is designed to reinforce students’ writing development based on readings.
Regular attendance is vital.
The course instructor and lab specialists collaborate to provide a supportive environment
for language acquisition. Continual communication between the ESL faculty and the ESL
Learning Lab faculty is critical to form an integrated learning experience. Part of the
class instructor’s essential tasks are to send the syllabus to the Lab faculty, maintain
weekly communication on teaching materials and activities, student progress, students
who need extra assistance, and test and examination requirements. The lab faculty should
also provide ongoing reports of attendance, class activities and student performance.
Members of the ESL Curriculum Committee recommend that the English 082/092
instructors consult lab specialists for additional opinions on students who are potentially
in the MP or F range.
The class and lab faculty should collaborate to design lab class activities that will connect
reading and writing. The Curriculum Committee strongly recommends that the lab
faculty
Provide reading materials to strengthen reading comprehension (These materials
could lead to compositions, simple summary writing and personal responses.)
Guide students in revising based on first draft compositions from class
Help sharpen students’writing strategies with continual conferencing
Provide practice using exercises or materials on any grammar concept taught in class
Help students strengthen required rhetorical skills
Assist students to comprehend texts at the discourse level by engaging them in
discussion about the adapted library books they are reading for the course
Provide instruction in vocabulary skills and review dictionary use
Give additional help to weaker students in small group settings during lab classes
Class faculty should communicate to students about the resources available in the
Learning Lab:
Tutoring services for individual appointments
Availability of standing tutoring appointments for repeating students
Ongoing lab instruction activities such as reading and writing workshops,
conversational groups and computer workshops
I. Student Assessment
Examination requirements may differ slightly across sections of this level, but the
common requirements are a final reading comprehension exam together with a
vocabulary assessment component, a grammar final, and a writing final. The ESL faculty
meets for group grading of the writing finals to evaluate holistically if students’ essays
pass the standard of proficiency for this level. Individual instructors will then review
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students’ writing, reading, and grammar examination scores along with semester work to
determine promotion to the 083/093 level. There will be a uniform grade for the two
integrated courses. Grades of P (pass), MP (Making Progress), I (Incomplete) or F (Fail)
are given.
I.1 Course requirements
Evaluative tools consist of the following:
Midterm and final reading and vocabulary examinations
Midterm and final writing examinations
In-class and at-home compositions with reading-related topics
Eight revised and edited papers of at least 250 words with adequate unity, coherence,
and development, and again with the topics generated from reading materials
A portfolio with all essay drafts and revisions
Two grammar examinations and a few grammar quizzes within the semester
Reading and vocabulary quizzes given throughout the semester
I.2 Exit Criteria
Students should demonstrate
Comprehension which involves processing main ideas and supporting ideas in a
longer text such as a book
The proficiency to develop, revise and edit a composition of at least 250 words in
class within two hours
The ability to produce writing in the rhetorical modes of description, narration, and
basic exposition
The mastery of control using syntactic and mechanical features required in this
course, especially toward the end of the semester
A consistent development of vocabulary and strategies adequate for reading
comprehension and writing proficiency at the next level
J. Course Assessment and Evaluation
Evaluative tools of English 082/092 may consist of a combination of various methods.
Occasional review of course descriptions and curricula at the curriculum
committee meetings to address concerns, adjust the needs of our changing student
population, and update more recent materials and methodologies in content and
delivery
Collegial visitations to discuss different teaching methodologies, materials,
student needs, and course delivery.
Use of student questionnaires to identify effective teaching, activities, materials,
and special concerns
ESL book committee meetings to search for and identify appropriate textbooks
and course materials
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Based on data gathered through use of some or all of the above listed methods, ESL
faculty will convene every five years to assess the quality of course content and the
learning process in English 082/092.
K. Sample Syllabi
On the following pages are two sample syllabi for English 082/092. The two illustrate a
range of possibilities, both meeting the goals and incorporating the kinds of activities
described in this document.
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English 082 - Intermediate Reading for Non-native Speakers of English/
English 092 - Intermediate Writing for Non-native Speakers of English
Fall, 2001
K.1.1 Dr. Michelle C. Sun
Class Times: 9:05-10:00, MWF Lab Time: 11:15-12:10, F
10:10-11:05, MWF
Office Hours: 11:15-12:15
1:15-2:15
Office: BR52, (215) 751-8682
Course Description
English 082/092 is the second of four integrated pairs of reading/writing courses. This
integrated pair of courses will further prepare you for academic college work by
expanding your basic reading and writing skills. You will read materials from a wide
selection of fiction and nonfiction, and develop strategies for reading, writing, grammar,
vocabulary, study, and life. You will write about what you have read and write several
drafts to communicate your ideas better. You will learn to build up reading habits, and
become an independent reader and learner.
Required Textbooks
1. The Story of Benjamin Franklin, Amazing American, Margaret Davidson,Yearling.
(BF)
2. Bridges to Academic Writing, Ann O. Strauch, Cambridge (BAW)
3. Grammar in Context, Second Edition, Book 2, Sandra N. Elbaum, Heinle & Heinle
4. Longman Dictionary of American English (Addison Wesley Longman) or The
Newbury House Dictionary of American English
Course Requirements and Grades Attend all classes.
Do all the class and homework assignments.
The Learning Lab is part of the course, and you are required to attend the weekly
sessions.
Read on an ongoing basis. Read at least four books for the midterm (available in
class) and another four books or as many as you want for the final within the
semester. Books are classified into three levels (beginning, intermediate, and
advanced) and you will check books from class or the library. You will keep a
reading record to track progress. Whenever you finish reading a book, you will write
a summary and reactions.
You will present one book report at the end of the semester.
You should write about eight revised and edited papers of at least 250 words based on
readings. You will revise and edit your essays based on your teacher’s or peers’
feedback.
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There will be two major tests and many small quizzes to assess your reading, writing
and grammar skills.
The course will have a midterm and a final examination. You must submit a reading
portfolio that includes your reading record sheets, journals, and summaries as well as
a writing portfolio that includes all your writing assignments and drafts for each
examination.
You should demonstrate competence in reading a whole book; you should know the
layout of a book and the elements of a story.
To pass, you must receive a “P” which requires you to pass in all of your first draft
writing, homework assignments, midterm and final examinations. Grades of “MP”
(making progress) or “F” (failure) will require you to repeat the course. Please note: an
“MP” midterm examination grade does not mean failure. All it means is that you have
been making progress and that you should continue your effort.
Classroom Procedures It is basic courtesy that when anyone is speaking to the entire class, you should listen
and not talk to other students. You will have your turn to express your ideas.
Buy all your textbooks and materials and bring them to class on Monday in the
second week, at the latest. Make sure you have all the required books for every class
as well as your homework completed before class.
During tests, you should only ask me any questions that you may have. You should
not speak to anyone else for any reason.
Do not turn on your cell phone or beeper.
Attendance
Arriving five minutes or more after class begins is considered as one “lateness.” Three
latenesses are equivalent to one “absence.” Having six “absences” without good reasons
will result in your being dropped from the course.
Other Matters
Inform your teacher during the first or second weeks of class if you have any special
needs due to disability.
Also inform your teacher if you have a change in your telephone number.
Weekly Schedule Weeks Descriptions
Weeks
1-2
Diagnostic reading and writing examinations
Class acquaintance
Reading for pleasure and forming habits for reading
Exploring interests related to Benjamin Franklin (BF) in Philadelphia
Previewing the book of BF
BF: Ben Writes a Letter
BAW: Writing about a Person (Chapter 1)
Reading skills: biography, elements of a story, and distinguishing between main
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ideas and details
Composing skills: description and ideas of drafts
Language skills: present tense, paragraphing, and library words used in the College
Library
Study skills: visit the College Library and check out two books
Writing Assignment (choose one):
(a) Describe Benjamin Franklin.
(b) Describe an elderly person.
(c) Describe a classmate (based on an interview).
Weeks
3-4 BF: Ben’s Big Ideas and Ben Learns a Trade
BAW: Narrating a Personal Experience
Reading skills: skimming, scanning, making predictions
Composing skills: narration, organization (paragraphs with topic sentences and
supporting details), and writing
Language skills: present continuous, future, and past tenses
Study skill: annotating a text
Writing assignments (choose one):
(a) Summarize Ben’s big ideas during his childhood and explain how he
reminds you of childhood days.
(b) Write a letter to Ben’s brother asking for better working conditions
(as if you were BF).
(c) Describe a situation in which you experienced embarrassment, fun, terror,
or pride.
Weeks
5-6 BF: Ben Runs Away and Ben Settles Down
BAW: Providing Examples (Chapter 3)
Supplying Reasons (Chapter 4)
Reading skills: chronological events and forming questions from reading
Composing skills: illustration, revising and editing
Language skills: singular and plural, noncount nouns, there + be, and quantity
Writing assignment: Give three major reasons why Ben had to run away from home.
Writing assignment: Explain the reasons for an important decision you made.
Weeks
7-8 Midterm examinations: reading comprehension, writing and grammar
Hand in Portfolio
Reports of pleasure reading
Computer lab: using the Internet to research Benjamin Franklin
Review of midterm papers
Weeks
9-10 BF: Ben Flies a Kite and Ben Goes to England
BAW: Writing a Summary (Chapter 7)
Reading skills: classification, chronology of events, scanning, and drawing inferences
Composing: summary writing, evaluation, and feedback
Study skills: time line
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Language skills: gerunds, infinitives and object positions
Writing assignment: Summarize Ben’s major events in England and comment on the
Success of his diplomatic journey.
Weeks
11-12 BF: Ben Goes to France and Ben’s Last Days
BAW: Explaining with Parallel Points (Chapter 5)
Reading skills: continuation of timeline, asking questions, and critical thinking
Composing: argumentation, logical organizing, and revising
Language skills: comparatives, equatives, and superlatives
Writing assignment: Explain with parallel points to support whether Ben Franklin’s
Diplomatic efforts in France were a success or failure.
Weeks
13-14 Review the book, The Story of Benjamin Franklin, Amazing American
BAW: Process Writing (Appendix 2)
Reading skills: understanding the book as a whole unit, and critical thinking
Composing skills: process writing and exploring ideas
Study skills: note cards for different chapters
Language skills: comparatives, equatives, and superlatives
Writing assignment: Do you think that Benjamin Franklin was a great statesman, diplo-
mat, inventor, and writer? Why or why not? Give reasons to support your position.
Writing assignment: Choose a topic from pp. 111 – 112 in BAW.
Select one book from your pleasure reading record and give an oral report about this
book to the class.
Review for final examinations.
Hand in portfolio.
Understand exam-taking techniques: objective and subjective.
Review learning strategies as effective learners.
Week
15 Final reading examination
Final writing examination
Final grammar examination
Major reading tests and the reading final exam will be graded on a percentile basis. You will usually
have to earn from 70 to 75% or better to pass. Below 50% will be a failure.
You will receive just one grade for your in-class compositions. You can correct the
mistakes and revise them, but your grade will not change. However, you can revise
and improve your out-of-class compositions, and receive a better grade if your
revisions warrant a better grade.
You will need to keep a portfolio of all your written work, especially essays with outlines and all
revised drafts. The portfolio system will be explained in class.
Your final grade will be based on the following:
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All reading and writing assignments
Portfolio of all written work
Tests, quizzes, and journal assignments
Class participation, including the peer review process
Attendance
Final examinations: I will choose theme-based reading materials and write the questions for the reading
exam. The writing exam will have a choice of composition topics. You will need to write a
composition of about 225 to 250 words. Two other ESL instructors and I will grade the writing exam.
I will assign the final grades.
At the end of the semester you will receive a final grade which will be the same for both reading
and writing: P = You have completed all the assignments, taken the final exams, met all the requirements of
English 082/ 092, and are ready for English 083/093.
MP = You completed all the assignments and final exams, you have shown some improvement, but
you need more time in the course to master the material. You must repeat English 082-092.
F = You did not complete all your assignments and/or were very irregular in attendance and work.
Your taking the final exams will not condone your lack of attendance and your incomplete assignments.
You must repeat English 082/092.
I truly hope that you enjoy English 082/092 and have a good semester!
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Syllabus
English (ESL) 082: Intermediate Reading for Non-native Speakers of English
English (ESL) 092: Intermediate Writing for Non-native Speakers of English
FALL 2000
WELCOME TO CLASS
Sections: 082/194 & 092/202 Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 12:20 & 1:25 Room:____
Lab Time: Friday, 2:30
Instructor: Elaine DiGiovanni (Mrs. Di)
Office: BR- 47 F
Phone: 215-751-8674 Press 2
Office Hours: M W F 10:10 – 12:10
Either you or I can ask for a meeting to discuss your work. Please feel free to drop in any
time during my office hours for extra help or for a chat. I’ll always be glad to see you.
To find out if classes are cancelled due to snow, you can listen to radio station KYW at
1060 on the AM dial, or check www.kyw1060.com on the Internet. The code number for the
Community College of Philadelphia is Philadelphia 238 for day classes and 2238 for
evening classes.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Second in a series of four pairs of integrated courses that develop reading and writing
skills in English. Teaches reading and writing as processes. Instruction in the
development of reading strategies, reading comprehension, critical thinking, vocabulary
development, and study skills. Introduces expository essay, summary and reading
responses. Study of intermediate grammar and compound and complex sentence
structures.
REQUIRED TEXTS AND MATERIALS:
All textbooks and materials must be purchased before the 2nd
week of class. You will be
required to mark your texts by writing answers, writing margin notes, underlining, etc.
Building on Basics by J. Baker-Gonzales and E.K.Blau: Longman
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The Story of Benjamin Franklin, Amazing American by M. Davidson: A Yearling
Book
Bridges to Academic Writing by A.O. Strauch: St Martin’s Press
Focus on Grammar: An Intermediate Course for Reference and Practice, 2nd
Edition by M. Fuchs, M. Bonner and M. Westheimer: Longman
Longman Dictionary of American English. New Edition
Two folders with pockets
Standard 8 ½ x 11 white paper(with lines)
Pack of 3 x 5 index cards for a vocabulary bank
Pen, pencils, erasers, highlighter, white-out
Additional reading materials, worksheets, and other handouts (I will make copies for you)
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES:
English 082/092, an intermediate integrated pair of reading and writing courses, seeks to
prepare you for the high intermediate reading and writing course, English 083/093, and
for day-to-day communication in English. The course begins to prepare you for the rigors
of academic reading and writing. It aims to enhance your ability to understand the
similarities and differences between listening, speaking, reading, and writing so that all
skills reinforce each other. The course will help you to develop awareness that reading
and writing are processes that require ideas to be revisited, reevaluated, and revised. In
addition, it will teach you how you can become more personally and intellectually
involved in your reading and writing. After completing the course satisfactorily, you
should ready to enter the next level with confidence in your academic reading and writing
abilities.
Some specific objectives of this reading and writing course are for you to:
Read and learn to recognize the characteristics of different types of reading materials,
non-fiction and fiction.
Expand reading strategies for different types of reading materials.
Increase reading comprehension.
Develop critical thinking and reading skills.
Read actively and develop study skills by annotating, outlining, and questioning
Respond in writing to reading.
Summarize main ideas in non-fiction and chronological events in fiction.
Paraphrase portions of texts.
Write personal reactions to readings.
Write basic expository essays of 250 words with at least three well developed
paragraphs.
Increase vocabulary.
Write clearly with level appropriate grammar, sentence structure, and mechanics.
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Work together with classmates to comprehend and interpret readings and to peer
review compositions.
Appreciate the uses of computer technology.
Increase your general knowledge and understand that knowledge is connected.
Enjoy the pleasures of reading and writing.
ATTENDANCE:
Class attendance is required, so you need to come to class regularly. According to the
College’s general policy, if you miss the equivalent of two weeks of class (6 classes
for a MWF course and 4 for a TTR course), I am permitted to drop you from the
course. You will receive a Withdrawal or a Failure if it is too late to drop (add date to
drop courses without receiving F penalty). You must have a valid excuse for missing
class. If you are ill, and you can’t attend, call me and leave a voice mail message.
Also, when you come to class, please bring a doctor’s certificate explaining any
lengthy illness. I can be flexible with some of these rules if you have severe health or
personal problems, but you need to notify me and explain your situation.
Coming late disturbs everyone. From 5 to 10 minutes late counts as a late (two lates
count as one absence) and more than 10 minutes late will be considered as an
absence. Early departures will be counted as an absence, also.
ASSIGNMENTS:
Be prepared to have reading and writing homework for every class the entire semester.
If you are absent, it is your responsibility to find out either from a classmate or me
what you have missed, complete the assignments, and come prepared for the next
class. Absence from class does not excuse you from being prepared for class or from
turning in assignments on time.
Your participation in small groups and whole class discussion is an important part of
this course, and therefore, it is very important that you participate in these activities
and come prepared to contribute to class discussions and group work.
All assignments must be turned in on time and at the beginning of the class on the
assigned day. Late submissions will be checked, but the highest grade that you can
receive is an MP+.
In addition to your regular lab hour, if you need extra help, you can receive free
tutoring by an ESL specialist in the Learning Lab (Room B1-28). Make an
appointment early in the semester if you need extra help. Your friends or relatives can
also help you a little, but you alone must complete the assignments. Copying a
classmate’s homework or any other form of PLAGIARISM will result in an F grade.
(We will discuss the definition of plagiarism in class.) You can also come to my
office for tutoring.
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You will be required to keep a reading journal and writing portfolio. I will explain
these in class.
All assignments must be written on 8 ½ x 11 white paper with blue or black pen and
double-spaced or completed on a word processor, also double-spaced.
I will mark your grammatical errors with correction symbols (These will be explained
in class) and make comments in the margin or at the end. If you do not understand
anything, please feel free to ask me, as you will be expected to make the corrections
and incorporate my suggestions.
From time to time, you will also peer review each other’s essays, making comments
and suggestions. So every time you submit a formal paper, please submit two copies.
If possible, please write your essays using a word processor.
CLASSROOM PROCEDURES:
To create an optimal learning environment we need to follow certain procedures.
During class, you must follow basic rules of polite conversation. That is, when
anyone is speaking to the whole class, you should not talk to each other.
Bring all necessary books or other materials to class so that everyone can begin and
complete tasks on time.
During tests, you may not speak to each other for any reason. Raise your hand and I
will help you when appropriate.
No eating, drinking, or using a cellular phone or pager in class.
K.1.2 SPECIAL REQUESTS:
If you are registered with the Center on Disability, please inform me the first week of
class so that I can make arrangements to accommodate your needs.
I may need to call you at home, so if you don’t wish to be called at a particular
number or time, please inform me and give me an alternate number. Let me know if
you have a change of address or telephone number.
GRADING PROCEDURES:
All your assignments will be counted for the final grade. You will receive grades for
both in-class assignments and out-of-class assignments. Grades will be determined by
the following system:
PASSING P+ = excellent
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P = very good
P- = adequate
MAKING PROGRESS MP+ = one major problem
MP = two major problems
MP- = several major problems
FAILURE F = haphazard, inadequate or incomplete work
Major reading tests and the reading final will be graded on a percentile basis. You
will usually have to earn from 70 to 75 % to pass. Below 50% will be a failure.
You will receive just one grade for your in-class compositions. You can correct the
mistakes and revise them, but your grade will not change. However, you can revise
and improve your out-of-class compositions, and receive a better grade if your
revisions warrant a better grade.
You will need to keep a portfolio of all your written work, especially essays with
outlines and all revised drafts. The portfolio system will be explained in class.
Your final grade will be based on the following:
All reading and writing assignments
Portfolio of all written work
Tests, quizzes, and journal assignments
Class participation, including the peer review process
Attendance
Final examinations: I will choose theme-based reading materials and write the
questions for the reading exam. The writing exam will have a choice of
composition topics. You will need to write a composition of about 225 to 250
words. Two other ESL instructors and I will grade the writing exam. I will assign
the final grades.
At the end of the semester you will receive a final grade which will be the same for
both reading and writing:
P = You have completed all the assignments, taken the final exams, met all the
requirements of the courses, and are ready for English 083/093
MP = You completed all the assignments and final exams, you have shown some
improvement, but you need more time in the course to master the material.
You must repeat 082/092.
F = You did not complete all your assignments, were very irregular in
attendance and work. Your taking the final exams will not condone your
lack of attendance and incomplete assignments. You must repeat 082/092.
I truly hope that you enjoy English 082/092 and have a good semester!
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DiGiovanni
Community College of Philadelphia
c. 2000
082/092 COURSE SCHEDULE:
Changes to the schedule may be necessary.
Abbreviations: BB = Building on Basics
Franklin = The Story of Benjamin Franklin, Amazing American
Weeks 1,2,3,4 Theme: Growing Up
Diagnostic test & introduction to the course
BB
Student’s Introduction: Building Vocabulary, p. xi-xvii
Selection One “My Early Memories”, p. 2
Selection Three “It’s OK to Be Different” p. 16
Selection Five “To a Daughter Leaving Home” p. 30
Franklin
Ben Writes a Letter p. 1
Ben’s Big Ideas p. 3
Ben Learns a Trade p.. 14
Ben Runs Away p. 25
Grammar: Basic sentence structure and word order
Time & Tense: simple present, present progressive, simple past, past progressive
Reading Test # 1
Out-of-Class Composition # 1 Writing About a Person: A Classmate of Mine
Out-of –Class Composition # 2 Narrating Events: A Personal Experience
In-Class Composition # 1
Weeks 5,6,7 Theme: Looking for Love & Settling Down
BB
Selection Two “Students Think Love Conquers All” p. 44
Selection Three “Getting Married Young” p. 53
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Selection Four “Finding A Wife” p. 64
Franklin
Ben Settles Down p. 36
Ben Branches Out p. 42
Ben Flies a Kite p. 48
Short Story: “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin (adapted version)
Grammar: Time and Tense: future, future time clauses, modals (future possibility)
Nouns and Articles
Reading Test # 2
Out-of-Class Composition # 3 Supplying Reasons
In-Class Composition # 2
Weeks 8, 9, 10 Theme: Between Two Worlds
BB
Selection One: “Millions of Workers on the Move” p. 117
Selection Two: “Smile” p. 125
Selection Three: “Uptown” p. 132
Franklin
Ben Goes to England p. 59
Ben Goes to France p. 71
Short Story “The Lady, or the Tiger”, by Frank Stockton (adapted version)
Grammar: Phrasal Verbs, Modals (ability, advice, permission, necessity),
Gerunds & Infinitives
Reading Test # 3
Out-of-Class Composition # 4 Explaining with Parallel Points
Weeks 11, 12, 13 Theme: Inventions: Changing the Way We Live
BB
Selection One: “Telecommuting” p. 197
Selection Three: Part I: “High-tech Teaching Tool” p. 212
Part II: “Computers in Every Classroom” p. 213
Selection Four: “The Fun They Had” p. 221
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Franklin Ben’s Last Days p. 84
Grammar: Gerunds and Infinitives (continued), Adjectives and Adverbs,
Present Perfect (since and for)
Out-of-Class Composition # 5 Explaining with Parallel Points
Week 14:
In-Class Composition # 3
Review
Week 15: Final Exams