Contra Costa College
Course Description and Syllabus
ESL-132 Listening/Speaking 4: Advanced Oral Communication – 4 units
Semester:
Instructor:
Office:
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Final Exam:
Advisory: Successful completion of ESL 126 or appropriate score on ESL Placement Test
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course provides instruction in listening and speaking for advanced ESL students. Special
attention is given to oral production (including presentations and speeches) and aural comprehension.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES:
1. Demonstrate comprehension of academic lectures by taking effective notes, summarizing &
answering comprehension questions.
2. Discuss a variety of current issues.
3. Express an opinion and use relevant information to support a point of view.
4. Present 5-7 minute organized, effective presentations or speeches on complex topics
incorporating research and/or secondary sources.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
At the completion of the course, you will be able to:
1. Demonstrate comprehension of academic lectures by taking effective notes, summarizing &
answering comprehension questions.
2. Discuss a variety of current issues.
3. Express an opinion and use relevant information to support a point of view.
4. Present 5-7 minute organized, effective presentations or speeches on complex topics incorporating
research and/or secondary sources.
METHODS OF INSTRUCTION:
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Guided activities incorporating audio-visual & text materials
Pair and small group work
Lecture
Orientation to research
TEXTBOOK AND SUPPLIES:
1.
Textbook: Raise the Issues: An Integrated Approach to Critical Thinking, 3rd Edition, C.
Numrich
2. Instructor-prepared handouts
GRADES AND ASSIGNMENTS:
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Tests and quizzes - 40%
Speaking assessment – 20%
Homework – 20 %
Final Exam – 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]
I expect you to be present in every class meeting and participate actively in class activities. You must
come to class on time and complete your homework before class begins. This is a four-unit course, so you
will have to spend approximately eight hours a week doing homework and preparing for class.
Attendance policy: If you miss class often, regardless of the reason, you will not learn the material
covered by the course. For that reason, there are no excused absences in this course. If you miss more
than three class meetings/six hours of class, you may be dropped from the class. When you are late to
class, I will add up the number of minutes you miss. Each fifty-minute period will count as an hour of
class. If you miss class, contact a classmate or me to find out what the homework is. I expect you to
complete the homework even if you miss class.
When students are late, unprepared, or distracted, they can’t learn and they don’t let other students learn, so we
must all do our part to create a good learning environment. This includes respecting and supporting other
members of the class, doing our share of the work in groups, staying on task, speaking English, and listening to
the instructor or other students when they are speaking to the class. Telephones and beepers must be turned off
and put away before class begins.