COURSE SYLLABUS and CALENDAR
Spring 2012
0346 English Grammar/Composition-Foreign Speakers I
CRN # 81403
West Loop Center Rm. C224
Sat. 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Instructor: Margo Kalfoglou
You may contact the instructor by e-mail at margo.kalfoglou@hccs.edu
INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS
Writing to Communicate 2,by Boardman and Freydenberg, 3rd ed. (required)
English-only dictionary by Longman or Collins Cobuild (recommended)
a one inch ring binder
loose-leaf wide ruled notebook paper
wide ruled composition notebook
a stapler
red pen/blue or black pen
a highlighter
one Scantron and blue examination book (for the final exam)
COURSE GOALS
English 0346 helps English as a Second Language (ESL) students prepare for
the reading and writing assignments in college classes. Students learn basic
grammar, simple sentence and some basic compound/complex structures,
vocabulary, and paragraph writing skills. English 0346 is part of a sequence of
classes (English 0340, 0341, 0346, 0347, and 0349). After students pass these
courses, they should be ready for English 1301 and other college credit courses.
Specific course objectives are to:
identify parts of speech & understand word families
write simple sentences: S + V + O
write compound sentences with coordinating conjunctions
use common subordinating conjunctions (when, while, before, after, because, if )
write a well-developed paragraph
understand the role of: topic, title, topic sentence , supporting details
use present and past tenses accurately
use verbals accurately: gerunds, infinitives, base forms
use auxiliary and modal verbs accurately
use the present real, present unreal, and past unreal conditional
use direct and indirect speech
expand vocabulary
write short (min. 3-paragraph) essays about 300-400 words long
COURSE WORK
Tests
There are 4 grammar quizzes based on the textbook and WEB grammar. If there
is time, the class will have a review session and a short practice quiz during the
class period before the actual test day. It's important that students come
prepared to ask questions about the grammar that they don't understand well. I
Compositions
Students will write a total of 4 compositions (comps.) and the Final Comp. The
first four comps. are written twice; the first draft is written in class, and the
second draft is written for homework. The grade for a comp is recorded after the
second draft is written and evaluated. No late second drafts of comps. will be
accepted. All comps must be written in blue or black ink, double-spaced, and the
front side of the paper.
Homework
Homework is a very important part of ENGL 0346. Students must have a binder
in which they keep their notes and classwork for this course. Homework
assignments and journals will be written in the composition notebook. Some
homework will be collected, and some of it will be checked in class. Students
must complete the homework before coming to class and be prepared to turn in
some exercises during class. Because these assignments do not receive a letter
grade, the homework grade is based on the total number of complete
assignments. The teacher will pick up and check the notebook at random, so
students should always bring it to class and keep it up to date. The notebook
may not be turned in late.
Journal
Students will practice expressing ideas in English regularly. Students should
write freely, without fear of penalty. The journal is not graded like a composition.
It is part of homework. The grade at the end of the semester is based on the total
number of entries when the journal is collected. Sometimes the teacher will give
the journal topic, and sometimes the students will choose a topic. The journal
may not be handed in late. The journal will be collected at random, so you must
keep journal writing in the binder and bring it to class everyday.
Final Examinations
The Final Exam has two parts: a comprehensive, multiple-choice grammar test
and a Final Comp. The finals will be given on two different days at the end of the
semester.
All final exams should be taken on the assigned date. If the student fails
to take the final exam, he will receive a “0” for it. The calculation of the final
grade will include that zero.
CLASSROOM POLICIES
Attendance
Attending class regularly is the best way to succeed in class. Class attendance
is checked regularly. Students are expected to arrive in class on time. If students
are absent from class, they must ask the teacher for the assignments that they
missed. When students are absent on the day of a composition, they must make
up the work on the day they return to class. A make-up composition will not be
on the same topic as the original comp that was missed. There are no make-up
tests or quizzes; however, the lowest quiz grade will be dropped for each
student.
Houston Community College requires students to attend classes regularly.
Any student who misses more than 12.5% of the class in a semester may be
dropped from class. In your class, this amounts to 8 hours (total) of absences.
Tardies
If students are late to class 5 minutes or more, they will be marked tardy.
If students leave the classroom during class, return from a break late, or leave
before class is finished, they will be marked tardy.
Being tardy to class three times equals one absence.
As a courtesy to your instructor and the other students in the class, please
turn off any cell phones and other electronic devices before you enter the
classroom. If one of these devices goes off and interrupts the class, the
instructor may confiscate it until the end of the class period. No Ipods, Ipads, or
laptops are permitted in the class.
Students are not allowed to leave the classroom except in the case of an
extreme emergency.
Use of Camera and/or Recording Devices
As a courtesy to your instructor and the other students in the class, please turn
off any cell phones and other electronic devices before you enter the classroom.
To show respect of your fellow students and instructor, you will neither keep your
phones and other electronic devices on your desk nor use them in the classroom
unless you receive permission from the instructor.
Use of recording devices, including camera phones and tape recorders, is
prohibited in classrooms, laboratories. faculty offices, and other locations where
instruction, tutoring or testing occurs.
Academic Dishonesty
If a student copies sentences from another person's work without giving credit to
the writer by naming the writer as the source of the ideas and words, it is called
"plagiarism." This is a serious offense in American colleges, and it is
unacceptable. Academic honesty is expected of all college students. Any
homework, journal entry, or composition that is not a student's own work will be
given a grade of “0.” The student may receive an F for the course when
plagiarism occurs more than one time.
The instructor reserves the right to supplement this syllabus later in the semester and to
revise due dates to meet the needs of the class.
College Grading System
Students in English 0346 class may receive a letter grade of A, B, C, IP or F.
IP means "In Progress." This is not a failing grade, but it is for students who
complete the course but who are not yet ready for the next level. Anyone who
receives an IP must take English 0346 again. However, if a student has already
received an IP in this course during a previous semester, that student will receive
a letter grade: A, B, C, or F this semester.
Students who have a 70% or higher class average before the Final Exams
but who fail both parts of the Final will have a team of teachers review their
work and determine their readiness to pass into English 0347.
English 0346 Grading Formula
The final grade for the course is calculated as follows:
Homework:
Quizzes :
Comp. 1:
Comp. 2:
Comp. 3:
10%
15%
10%
10%
10%
Comp. 4:
15%
Final Comp: 20%
Final Exam: 10%
HCC Grade Legend:
90-100 A
80-89 B
70-79 C
69 and below
IP or F
Holidays and Important Dates:
Jan. 17
First day of spring semester classes
Jan. 18
Last day to add/drop/swap a class
Feb. 20
Presidents’ Day Holiday- No class
March 12-18
Spring Holiday – No class
March 29
Last day (by 4:30 p.m.) to drop with a “W”
April 6-8
Spring Holiday – No class
May 6
Instruction ends
May 7 – 13
Final Examinations (See course calendar)
Course Calendar for ENGL 0346- SPRING 2012
Week READ:
Textbook: Writing to Communicate 2:
1
Intro to the AESL program and 0346 course
syllabus; diagnostic assessment
2
Paragraphs and Essays
Chp. 1
Begin Chp. 1--Organization of Paragraphs,
pp. 2-11
Chp. 1
Paragraph structure: the topic sentence,
supporting sentences, concluding sentence
Review sentence structure and punctuation,
pp. 11-12
Introduce “FANBOYS” conjunctions, pp. 1214
3
Chp. 2
Begin Chp. 2—Characteristics of Good
Writing, pp. 17-29; study types of
descriptive paragraphs + paragraph unity
and cohesion
Write a practice descriptive paragraph
HOMEWORK:
Get textbook and
supplies; review textbook
organization and
read about cross-cultural
organization patterns,
pp. xv-xvii
Sheehan Learning Web,
What is a Phrase?
WEB GRAMMAR—
CoordinatingConjunctions
www.englishpage.com/gr
ammar/
Study paragraph format,
p. 15
Sheehan Learning Web,
What is a Sentence?
Write C1D1 (Comp 1, Draft 1)—Descriptive WEB GRAMMAR—Present
Paragraph about a holiday or celebration
Tense Verbs
www.englishpage.com/
Go over departmental grading rubric,
grammar/
teacher’s correction method + campus
tutoring services
Sheehan Learning Web,
How To Use Verb Tenses
QUIZ # 1 on verb tenses: simple present,
present progressive, and present perfect
4
5
Chp. 3
Begin Chp. 3—the Writing Process, pp. 3042; study adverb clauses, pp. 41-42
WEB GRAMMAR: Adverb
Clauses
www.englishpage.com/
grammar/
6
Write C2D1—Descriptive Paragraph about
a personal experience
Practice editing, revision strategies,
including how to use dialog + Direct and
Indirect Speech; “Bringing It All Together,”
pp. 45-46
7
QUIZ # 2 on cohesion devices: the
definite article, personal pronouns + past
tense verbs
Chp. 4
8
Chp. 4
9
Chp. 5
Begin Chp. 4—the Essay, pp. 48-63; study
differences between a single paragraph
comp. and an essay
Study types of transitions + punctuation
rules
Study the Thesis Statement, pp. 64-75
Practice using a comma in prepositional
phrases and between items in a series
10
Chp. 6
11
12
Chp. 8
Study Writing Introduction paragraphs, pp.
76-86
Study Writing Conclusion paragraphs, pp.
87-91
WEB GRAMMAR: Past
Tense Verbs
www.englishpage.com/
grammar/
Quotations; See also
“Enter” (blue circle in
blue box, mid-page)
http://grammar.ccc.com
mnet.edu/grammar/mark
s/quotation.htm
WEB GRAMMAR—
Subordinating
Conjunctions
www.englishpage.com/
grammar/
WEB GRAMMAR—
Transitions
http://grammar.ccc.com
mnet.edu/grammar/transi
tions.htm
WEB GRAMMAR—
Commas
http://grammar.ccc.com
mnet.edu/grammar/com
mas.htm
WEB GRAMMAR—
Fragments
http://grammar.ccc.com
mnet.edu/grammar/frag
ments.htm
Write C3D1—short Opinion Essay (3 paras)
Practice avoiding Fragments, pp. 82-83
Study developing Body Paragraphs, pp. 97WEB GRAMMAR—Run103
ons and Comma Splices
http://grammar.ccc.com
Practice avoiding Run-ons, pp. 92-93 and
mnet.edu/grammar/runo
13
Chp. 9
14
15
Chp. 9
Comma Splices, 104-105 + p. 111
ns.htm
QUIZ # 3 on fragments, run-ons, comma
splices
Begin Chp. 9—the Process Essay, pp 114126
Practice using gerunds, infinitives +
causatives: let, make
WEB GRAMMAR—
Gerunds and Infinitives
www.englishpage.com/gr
ammar/
Write C4D1- Process Essay (4-5 paras.)
Quiz # 4 on gerunds, infinitives,
causatives after main verbs
Study Review Sheet for
Final Grammar Exam
Write Final Essay
16
Saturday, May12
Final Grammar Exam