Winter 2011
De Anza College
ESL 261.62 Low Advanced Listening and Speaking
Room: L33
Time: W 6:30pm-9:15pm
Instructor: Gretchen Himes
Phone: (408) 225-3875
Email: himesgretchen@fhda.edu
Website: http://faculty.deanza.edu/himesgretchen/
Office hours: you may talk to me after class and by appointment
Prerequisites: Successful completion of ESL 251 or qualifying score on the ESL placement test.
Course Description: The purpose of this class is to develop your English listening and speaking
skills with a focus on understanding and analyzing information, expressing your ideas using a
variety of levels of sophistication and the development of listening and note taking skills.
Required Materials:
 NorthStar Focus on Listening and Speaking 5
 Internet access (available at De Anza College)
 Access to video recording equipment
 A good monolingual learner’s dictionary such as Newbury House or Longman.
Grading Criteria: Your grade will be decided by the following criteria.
Class Participation
CCP Assignment
Assignments
Presentations
Quizzes
Midterm
Final
5%
10%
15%
15%
15%
20%
20%
Grading Scale:
A= 90%--100%; B= 80%--89%; C= 70%--79%; D= 60%--69%; F= 59% and below
Attendance: If you wish to improve your English, it is important that you come to every class.
Students who miss class anytime in the first two weeks of class without contacting the instructor
may be dropped. After 3 absences, you may be dropped or receive a failing grade in the class.
Remember that it is your responsibility to drop the class if you stop attending.
Class Participation: Class participation is extremely important because it gives you the
opportunity to use and practice your English skills. You will often work with your classmates in
pairs and small groups to discuss homework, share ideas, and practice listening and speaking. In
order to participate in class, you must come to class prepared (do your homework!) and on time.
Participation and behavior are all a part of your class participation grade. Each student
starts the class with 100 points based on how you cooperate with other students, participate in
class activities, volunteer answers, talk only when it is your turn, pay attention, and add positively
to the class. Coming to class and doing your homework are just a start to getting a good grade in
class participation.
Assignments: Assignments are extremely important in this class. You can expect at least 6
hours of homework and study each week in order to keep up with the assignments, which will
include the text, recordings, presentations, journals and current events. Some homework will be
turned in for credit and some will just be used to prepare you for class participation and your own
improvement.
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It is your responsibility to turn in as soon as you return to class any assignments due on the day
you were absent. Failure to do so will result in 0 for the assignment. Please contact a classmate,
NOT YOUR INSTRUCTOR, to find out everything you missed if you are absent or late.
Classmate #1______________________________Phone:_____________________________
Classmate #2______________________________Phone:_____________________________
♦NorthStar: Read each chapter before class and do all assigned exercises and listen to
the audio recordings (download them or listen on-line). Please note that you will find
transcripts for the listening assignments in the back of your text book.
♦CNN Online News Videos: Approximately 6 times during the quarter you will choose
and watch a video from a list of videos from the CNN website at www.cnn.com/video that I
will provide links to on my website. Later in the quarter you will be allowed to choose your
own story from CNN Top Stories. You must choose a video that is at least 2 minutes long.
Watch the video several times until you understand the story. As you listen, take notes.
Write the title of the video and the date you watched it at the top of the page. In class,
you will explain the story to your classmates. Turn in your notes each week.
♦Cross-Cultural Partners: Through CCP you will be matched with a native speaker of a
language different from yours. You will meet for at least five hours during the quarter. You
will write a journal about your meetings, which will be due near the end of the quarter.
Sign up at www.deanza.edu/ccpartners and make sure you register under
HIMES:ESL261-62.
♦Presentations: You will give one group presentation and one individual presentation for
this class for a grade. If you are absent on your assigned presentation day, your group will
most likely have to present without you and you will receive a 0 for the assignment.
The individual presentation will be submitted in the form of a recording. You may
submit a DVD, video tape, a link to an on-line recording service (such as youtube.com) or
send it via e-mail. I will choose a few to play for the class.
You may be asked to make short ungraded presentations as well.
♦Other Assignments: You will occasionally be asked to complete other graded
assignments to complete outside of class. Occassionally you will be asked to record one
of these assignments.
Quizzes: We will have several announced and unannounced quizzes that will test items covered
in the homework and in the previous class. Missed in-class quizzes cannot be made up. Takehome quizzes can only be made up before I have returned graded quiaaes to the class.
Exams: The midterm and final will include class material and material from the book, listening
comprehension, summarizing, paraphrasing, and vocabulary. Missed exams cannot be made up
Students may not take the final exam early.
Cheating: Cheating includes the following: communicating in any way with any person other than
the instructor during a quiz or a test; using any written materials other than the exam or quiz; using
an electronic device such as a computer, smartphone or electronic dictionary. Punishments for
cheating start can start with a warning or a lowered grade, depending on the seriousness of the
offence. Further incidents can result in a zero on the assignment, the student's final grade in the
class being lowered one grade depending or being asked to leave the class and receiving an F for
the course. The punishment depends on the seriousness of the offence and the number of
previous offences.
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Plagiarism: When you turn in an assignment with your name on it, you are saying that it is your
work. If you copy words or phrases from someone, you must cite it (say who wrote it). Any copied
material that is not cited is plagiarism, a form of cheating. I can usually tell when work has been
copied, so don't do it. If I suspect that your assignment is plagiarized, you will be asked at my
discretion to redo it or receive a 0 on that assignment. Further, you may be asked to leave the
class and receive an F for the course.
Important Dates
Last day to drop for a refundfor out-of-state or foreign students… Saturday, January 8
Last day to drop with a refund for residents………………………... Saturday, January 15
Last day to add………………………………………………………… Saturday, January 15
Last day to drop a class with no grade.…………………………….. Saturday, January 22
Last day to request Pass/No Pass grade…………………………… Friday, January 28
Last day to drop with a “W”………………………………………….. Friday, February 25
Final Exam…………………………………………………………….. Wednesday, March 23
6:15-8:15 pm
Where to Get Help:
Writing and Reading Center (WRC) in AT 309 -- http://faculty.deanza.edu/writingcenter/
De Anza Listening and Speaking Lab in AT 304 -- http://faculty.deanza.edu/ifftmaryanne/
Tutorial and Academic Skills Center in L 47 -- http://www.deanza.edu/tutorial/
Counseling/Academic Advising -- http://www.deanza.edu/counseling/
If you are worried you may not pass and need any help in class,
please come see me for help right away! The earlier you come
see me the better I can help you.
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