ESL 262.61 Low Advanced Reading
Winter 2012
Room: L34
Time: 6:30-9:20
Instructor: Gretchen Himes
E-mail: himesgretchen@fhda.edu
Office hours: by appointment. I’m usually available after class.
Web site: http://faculty.deanza.edu/himesgretchen/
(My website contains the homework schedule, information about your presentation and other
useful information to help you in this class.)
Prerequisites: Successful completion of ESL 152, 252 or a qualifying score on the ESL placement test.
Course Description: The purpose of this class is to develop your English reading skills through discussion
and analysis of extended written materials. In reading, we will focus on identifying main ideas and
supporting details, making inferences, summarizing, guessing from contextual clues etc., as well as
building and expanding vocabulary.
Required Materials:
 Inside Reading 4. Richmond, Kent
 Like Water for Chocolate. Laura Esquivel
 Farewell to Manzanar. Houston, Jeanne Wakatsuki
 Flowers for Algernon. Keyes, Daniel
 A good monolingual learner’s dictionary such as American Heritage, Newbury House or
Longman.
Grading Criteria: Your grade will be decided by the following criteria.
Class Participation
5%
Summaries
15%
Writing Assignments
15%
Presentation
10%
Quizzes
15%
Midterm Exam
20%
Final Exam
20%
CCP Extra Credit
3%
Grading Scale:
A= 90%--100%; B= 80%--89%; C= 70%--79%; D= 60%--69%; F= 59.5% 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.
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Class Participation: Class participation is extremely important because it gives you the opportunity to use
and practice your English skills. Each student can earn up to 100 points based the following criteria:
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Do your homework before class
Pay attention
Turn your mobile phone off or to vibrate
Don’t cheat
Contribute positively to the class
o Be kind, considerate and respectful
o Cooperate during group work
o Talk only when it is your turn
o Do your best to answer questions when asked
o Volunteer answers before you are asked, but let others take their turns as well
o Participate in class activities
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.
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:_____________________________
Inside Reading: Read each chapter and do all assigned exercises before class. You will not be
graded on these activities, but the material will be on the quizzes and exams.
Journal assignments: You will write assignments related to your chosen novel. You will turn in a
vocabulary journal and a reading response log to accompany whichever novel you choose to read.
Summaries: You will be assigned various passages from the novels and Inside Reading to
summarize. Read the passages until you understand the main idea. As you read, take notes. At
the top of the page, write the summary #, the title of the book and the page numbers of the
passage
Presentations: You will work together with a small group on one presentation. You will choose a
topic and research it using outside material that enhances Like Water for Chocolate, Farewell to
Manzanar, or Flowers for Algernon. 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.
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:ESL262-61.
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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. Take-home quizzes can
only be made up before I have returned graded quizzes to the class.
Exams: The midterm and final will include class material, reading comprehension, summarizing, and
vocabulary. 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 that the instructor has not specifically told you
that you may use; 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 refundfor 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”…………………………………………..
Final Exam……………………………………………………………..
Saturday, January 14
Saturday, January 21
Saturday, January 21
Saturday, January 28
Friday, February 3
Friday, March 2
Tuesday, March 27
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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