Contra Costa College
Course Description and Syllabus
ESL 163-6544 – Grammar I – 4 Units
Semester:
Instructor:
Office:
Office Hours:
Office Phone:
E-Mail:
Class Dates:
Holidays:
Schedule:
Final Exam:
Advisory: Appropriate score on ESL Placement Test.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course provides instruction in grammar and writing for high-beginning ESL students.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES:
1. Students will demonstrate their ability to recognize the correct use of selected grammatical structures as specified in the
course outline of record.
2. Students will demonstrate their ability to write grammatically correct simple sentences in paragraph form.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
At the completion of the course, you will improve your ability to:
1.
2.
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4.
Use specific grammar points to write simple sentences and passages.
Identify grammatical patterns in readings.
Identify parts of speech and their uses in sentences.
Apply basic proofreading skills to help control sentence-level errors.
METHODS OF INSTRUCTION:
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Explicit instruction on grammatical structures, including proofreading and editing
Exercises, including identification of structures in texts
Pair and group activities
Feedback on student writing and oral production
Computer-aided instruction
TEXTBOOK AND SUPPLIES:
1.
Textbooks:
Grammar in Context, Book 1, 5th edition, 2010 by Sandra Elbaum (Heinle
Cenage)
2.
Two recommended dictionaries:
Longman’s Dictionary of American English
+ a bilingual dictionary (English and your native language)
3. 3-ring binder with binder paper
GRADES AND ASSIGNMENTS:
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Tests
Homework and class work (including quizzes)
In and out of class writing assignments
Final exam
40%
20%
20%
20%
A letter grade will be assigned based on the following categories: 90-100% = A,
80-89% = B, 70-79% = C, 60-69% = D, below 60% = F. Students who choose
the Credit/No Credit option will receive CR for an average of 70% and above,
or NC for an average of 69% or below.
Course expectations: [Optional – can be modified]
Attendance
I expect you to attend every class meeting. Good attendance is very important. If you miss class, you
won’t learn much. If you have to miss class, you still have to do the homework. Check the course
website or contact me or a classmate to find out what the homework is. You must attend every class
meeting and arrive on time. If you are absent more than three times, I may drop you from the class. If
you arrive late or leave early, I will add up the time you are not in class and count it as time you are
absent.
Homework
You will have homework for every class meeting. You will have about eight hours of homework
every week for this class. There will be unannounced homework quizzes often.
Class etiquette
The way students behave in a class makes a big difference in how much we can all learn. For that
reason, you are expected to behave in ways that help you and others learn the most. That includes:
coming to class on time and finishing all your homework before class,
turning off your cell phone ringer before the beginning of class,
never using your phone to send or receive texts, to make calls, or to check messages
never leaving the class to talk on the phone, smoke a cigarette, or take a break,
participating actively in group and classwork, and helping everyone participate,
treating everyone with respect and kindness.