Fall 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) 239-3069
Email: himesgretchen@fhda.edu
Website: http://faculty.deanza.edu/himesgretchen/
Office hours: you may talk to me after class, by telephone 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:
 Lecture Ready 3 with DVD
 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
Summaries
Journals and other assignments
Presentations
Quizzes
Midterm
Final
CCP Extra Credit
5%
15%
5%
15%
20%
20%
20%
+3%
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.
However, remember that it is your responsibility to drop the class if you wish to stop attending and
not receive an F in the class.
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
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turned in for credit and some will just be used to prepare you for class participation and your own
improvement.
You may turn in late assignments, but any assignment that does not get turned in during class will
have its grade reduced 10% each week that it is late. The only exception is if I have asked you to
redo an assignment for full credit.
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:_____________________________
♦ Lecture Ready: Read each chapter before class and do all assigned exercises and
watch the video recordings.
♦ CNN Online News Videos: Approximately 5 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: If you wish to have extra practice listening and speaking and
some extra credit, consider joining the CCP program. Through CCP you will be matched
with a partner with a different language background than 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 or two individual
presentations for this class for a grade (depending on time available). If you are absent on
your assigned presentation day, I may be able to reschedule you, but under some
circumstances, you will not be able to present and will receive a 0 for the assignment. You
will be asked to make short ungraded presentations as well.
♦ Journals and Other Assignments: In the Vocabulary Journal you will write new
words, forms of that word, a definition and copy an example. These journals are designed
to help you quickly improve your academic vocabulary. You may also be asked to
complete other graded assignments from the book. You may be asked to video 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 quizzes 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 except under very special circumstances such medical
reasons. An early flight for a vacation does not count.
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
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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.
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 refund for out-of-state or foreign students…
Saturday, October 1
Last day to drop with a refund for residents………………………... Saturday, October 8
Last day to add………………………………………………………… Saturday, October 8
Last day to drop a class with no grade.…………………………….. Saturday, October 15
Last day to request Pass/No Pass grade…………………………… Friday, October 21
Last day to drop with a “W”…………………………………………..
Friday, November 18
Final Exam……………………………………………………………..
Wednesday, Dec. 14
6:15-8:15 pm
Where to Get Help:
Writing and Reading Center (WRC) in AT 309 -- http://www.deanza.edu/studentsuccess/writingreading-center/
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/studentsuccess/tutorial/
Counseling/Academic Advising -- http://www.deanza.edu/counseling/
If you are worried you may not pass or need any help in class,
please come see me for right away! The earlier you come see
me, the better I can help you.
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