Chabot College
Fall 2002
Course Outline for English 52A
ESSENTIALS OF COMMUNICATION
Catalog Description:
52A - Essentials of Communication
3 units
Development of reading and writing skills with a focus on academic as well as career-oriented materials.
Strongly recommended: English 101B or English 102 or appropriate skill level demonstrated through the
English assessment process. 3 hours.
Prerequisite Skills:
None
Expected Outcomes for Students:
Upon completion of the course the student should be able to:
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identify, in assigned readings, main ideas and ways in which those ideas are developed;
write a sequence that is logically connected around one idea;
organize data into accurate descriptions of events observed (laboratories, field work, readings, and others);
adapt technical writing and information for a general audience;
adapt technical information for brief oral presentations;
produce writing with fewer than three errors in spelling and mechanics per page;
comprehend examination instructions and structure appropriate answers;
examine and interpret the use of language in the persuasive writing of his/her own day, such as that
used in advertising and editorializing;
9. employ basic research techniques and use the Library resources and services.
Course Content:
1. Emphasis on reading, writing, speaking, and research using a variety of texts including some from
professional and/or academic journals related to the student's major
2. Summarizing
3. Responding to readings critically in order to determine accuracy and possible bias
4. Responding to inquiry topics developed from the reading
5. Proofreading and editing for grammar and usage
6. Expanding diction and vocabulary choices
7. Recording incidents
8. Describing processes
9. Organizing and interpreting data for technical and non-technical (or general) audiences
10. Doing short research projects
11. Comprehending and responding to examination instructions
Methods of Presentation:
1. Lecture, small group discussion and workshops
2. Individual and group evaluation
3. Individual conferences, or any other format students demonstrate they need.
Chabot College
Course Outline for English 52A
Page 2
Fall 2002
Typical Assignments and Methods of Evaluating Student Progress:
1. Typical Assignments
a. Locate and copy an article from a scholarly or professional journal related to your field. Write
a summary of the article in which you explain key elements, incorporate both direct and
indirect quotations, and offer an overview of its contents.
b. Write a researched paper based on the three scholarly or professional journal articles you
have collected. Then adapt that information into an oral presentation for a general audience,
being sure to explain technical terms and ideas.
2. Methods of Evaluating Student Progress
a. Written papers and assignments
b. Final exam
Textbook(s) (Typical):
Making a Living: A Real World Reader, Janet Marting, Harper Collins Pub., 1993
Holding the Line, Barbara Kingsolver, Cornell University Press, 1996
Special Student Materials:
None
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