Fall 2013
De Anza College
ESL 261.03 Low Advanced Listening and Speaking
Room: L33
Time: T Th 10:30pm-11:45pm
Instructor: Gretchen Himes
Phone:
Email: himesgretchen@fhda.edu
Website: http://faculty.deanza.edu/himesgretchen/ I am surrently switching the assignments to
Course Studio, which you will all have available through MyPortal.
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 & Preparedness…………………………………….
5%
Participation & Preparedness mean:
• Being in your seat, ready to work at the beginning of class;
• Being actively engaged in what is going in the classroom;
• Staying until the end of class.
• Taking responsibility for your learning process in this class;
• Asking for help when you do not understand something;
• Working willingly and appropriately with your classmates in pairs and groups;
• Listening respectfully when others are talking;
• Doing the homework before you come to class;
• Not texting, checking, or answering your cell phone in class or leaving class to take a
call.
CNN Online News Videos…………………………………………………
15%
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.
Other Assignments………………………………………………………… 10%
You will keep a Vocabulary Journal designed to help you quickly improve your
academic vocabulary. You will also complete Self Evaluations after each summary and
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presentation to help you reflect on your strengths and improve on your weaknesses.
You may also be asked to complete a written or video assignment from the text.
Presentations……………………………………………………………….
15%
You will give group presentation and individual presentations for this class for a grade.
You will be asked to make short ungraded presentations as well.
Quizzes……………………………………………………………………….
15%
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.
Take-home quizzes can only be made up before I have returned graded quizzes to the
class.
Exams………………………………………………………………………...
40%
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.
Cross-Cultural Partners (CCP) Extra Credit…………………………… +3%
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:ESL261-03.
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.
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.
You will have the opportunity to rewrite the summary assignments to receive a passing grade
on each assignment except for the last, which may not be rewritten for a grade.
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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:_____________________________
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.
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…
Last day to drop with a refund for residents………………………...
Last day to add…………………………………………………………
Last day to drop a class with no grade.……………………………..
Last day to request Pass/No Pass grade…………………………..
Last day to drop with a “W”…………………………………………..
Thanksgiving break……………………………………………………
Final Exam……………………………………………………………..
Saturday, September 28
Saturday, October 5
Saturday, October 5
Saturday, October 18
Friday, October 21
Friday, November 15
Th-Su, Nov. 28 – Dec. 1
FRIDAY, Dec. 13
9:15-11:15 am
Where to Get Help:
Writing and Reading Center (WRC) in AT 309 -http://www.deanza.edu/studentsuccess/writing-reading-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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