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HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE CENTRAL
Advanced-Intermediate Conversation for Foreign Students
ESOL 0349-SPRING 2011
Course: ESOL 0349
CRN: 64744
Time: M/W 11:30-2:00
Room: FAC 301
Instructor: Troi Ferguson
Office Hours: M/W 10:45-11:30
E-mail: troi.ferguson1@hccs.edu
Office: FAC 310
English Dept. Phone: 713-718-6678
Office Phone: 713-718-6687
Texts and Materials
Contemporary Topics 2, 2nd edition by Ellen Kissinger (Pearson Longman) ISBN: 9780131358096 (Required)
Course Description
ESOL 0349 is a continuation of ESOL 0345. This course is designed to further
develop conversational skills by incorporating more complicated vocabulary and
grammatical structures. Students are also required to present oral reports at
various times during the semester.
ESOL 0349 Statement of Purpose: ESOL 0349, Advanced Intermediate Conversation, seeks to
prepare students for college or workforce classes and speaking assignments in general by
accomplishing the following objectives:
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Develop students’ speaking and listening communication skills in different contexts, including academic,
workforce and social situations.
Introduce students to the language and culture of academic, workforce and social situations through the
use of in-class presentations, role plays and panel and group discussions.
Develop students’ listening comprehension and note taking skills through exposure to recorded and
teacher-generated listening comprehension material.
Give students practice in English pronunciation, including common stress and intonation patterns, through
exposure to songs and other recorded materials (these may be found on the Internet).
Reinforce English language skills used in formal situations (such as academic or workplace presentations
or interviews). These skills include: 1) Developing topics; 2) Organizing ideas; 3) Building complex
sentence structure; 4) Increasing academic and workforce vocabulary.
Course Outcomes: After taking ESOL 0349, the student should:
1) Be able to understand main ideas and supporting ideas, and make inferences from
conversations and lectures dealing with academic, workforce and social topics;
2) Exhibit working knowledge of the most common academic, workforce and social
vocabulary;
3) Understand how to produce clear English pronunciation, including stress and
intonation patterns;
4) Be able to be generally understood by native speakers when speaking on common
topics;
5) Be able to clearly present individual, pair, and group presentations on researched
topics using introduction, conclusion, and well-organized points with support;
6) Be able to understand and take notes on short presentations representative of a
college lecture;
7) Be able to use current technologies, including computer programs and pertinent
websites as well as audio CDs, to develop listening and speaking skills.
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Classroom Policies-Attendance
Students are expected to arrive to class on time with their textbooks (you will not be allowed to share a
textbook after the first week of class). If a student is late, he or she will be marked tardy. If a student is tardy
two times, that is equal to one absence. After four absences (10 hours) a student will be dropped. If the student
is an F-1 student, he or she will then be out of compliance for his or her student visa. If students are absent
from class, they must ask the teacher for the assignments that they missed. If you are absent on the day of a
presentation, you will be expected to present the day you return.
Electronic Devices
As a courtesy to your instructor and your classmates, no electronic devices can be used at any time. This
includes cell phones and laptop computers. Please turn off any cell phones and other electronic devices before
entering the classroom. If one of these devices goes off and interrupts the class, the instructor may take it until
the end of the class period. If you leave class to talk on your cell phone, you will counted tardy. You may use
your electronic dictionary with the sound turned off.
HCC Policy on Use of Recording Devices
Classrooms and Other Instructional Locations: To prevent disruption and academic dishonesty, instructors
are permitted to impose restrictions on students regarding use of recording devices in classrooms,
laboratories, or other locations where instruction or testing occurs. The 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. Students with disabilities who need to use a recording
device as a reasonable accommodation should contact the Office for Students with Disabilities for information
regarding reasonable accommodations."
HCC Course Withdrawal Policy
The State of Texas has begun to impose penalties on students who drop courses excessively. For example, if
you repeat the same course more than twice, you have to pay extra tuition. In 2007, the Texas Legislature
passed a law limiting new students (those starting college in Fall 2007) to no more than six total course
withdrawals throughout their academic career in obtaining a baccalaureate degree. There may be future
penalties imposed.
To help students avoid having to drop/withdraw from any class, HCC has instituted an Early Alert process by
which your instructor will "alert" you and HCC Student Services of the chance you might fail a class because of
excessive absences and/or poor academic performance. You should visit with your Instructor, an HCC
counselor, or HCC Online Student Services to learn about what, if any, HCC interventions might be offered to
assist you – tutoring, child care, financial aid, job placement, etc. – to stay in class and improve your academic
performance.
You MUST visit with a faculty advisor, a counselor or on-line student services at:
http://studentservicesonline.hccs.edu/ prior to withdrawing (dropping) the class and this must be done prior to
April 21 to receive a "W" on your transcript. After that deadline, you will receive the grade you are making in
the class, which will more than likely be an "F"
Sexual Harrassment Policy: Sexual harassment in any form is not tolerated at Houston Community College.
See the HCCS Student Handbook for further information.
Academic Honesty
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 repeatedly.
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College Grading System
Students in ESOL 0349 classes 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 given to students who complete the course but who are not yet ready for the next
level. Anyone who receives an IP must take ESOL 0349 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.
*Basic Speaking/Listening Requirements for ESOL 0349
Students in ESOL 0349 will have at least 3 graded speaking assignments and 5 graded listening assignments
in class:
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Student presentations may include the following: individual, pair, group, and panel. At least two of the
presentations will be with PowerPoint. It is recommended that at least one presentation include taking
a stand on an issue and then supporting it with specific reasons and details. (Some teachers hold
formal or informal debates.)
Listening quizzes can consist of two types:
1) short dictations
2) note-taking quizzes
Presentation Requirements: TWO PRESENTATION MUST BE IN POWERPOINT
1. Students should be guided in research of their topics on the Internet and/or in the library.
2. Students should adhere to a time frame in which to speak, (recommended starting with 2 – 3 minutes,
and progressing to longer lengths of time as the semester progresses.)
3. Students should be informed about how their presentations will be graded. Aspects to include are:
Content and preparation
Delivery (clarity, eye contact, volume, and use of visuals)
Communicative ability (grammar and vocabulary choices)
Organization of the ideas
Although being grammatically accurate is important, students should not be expected to speak in
grammatically perfect sentences or to have perfect pronunciation. However, they should be
expected to be understandable to a sympathetic native speaker.
4. Students should create visual aids, including posters and/or PowerPoint demonstrations for use with
their presentations as needed.
Final Exam:
The final exam and optional mid-term should test students’ listening comprehension and speaking abilities.
The final could be a paired presentation with one student arguing the pros and the other the cons of a
controversial issue. The exam will also usually include a listening comprehension test.
ESOL 0349 Grading Formula
Oral Presentations
Listening Quizzes
Attendance/Participation
Final Exam
35%
35%
5%
25%
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CALENDAR CONVERSATION ESOL 0349-Spring 2011
ESOL 0349- Advanced-Intermediate Conversation for Foreign Students
(This calendar may change to meet the needs of the class)
Important Dates:
Jan. 19
Classes begins; drop/add/swap ($15.00 fee)
Jan. 19
Last day to drop/add/swap
Feb. 21
Presidents Day Holiday-NO CLASSES
March 14-20 Spring Break-NO CLASSES
April 21
Last Day for Administrative/Student Withdrawals-4:30 p.m.
April 22-24
(Friday-Sunday) Easter Holiday-NO CLASSES
May 8
Instruction Ends
May 9-13
Final Exam Week
May 9
Final Exam for THIS class
May 20
Grades available online
Introduction to course, classmate introduction
Week 1
1/19
Unit 1-Sociology: Names
Week 2
1/24 & 26 Introduction to note-taking and note-taking strategies
Listening Quiz #1
Week 3
Unit 2 –Linguistics: Global English
1/31 &
2/2
continue Unit 2 –Linguistics: Global English
Week 4
2/7 & 9
Listening Quiz #2
Week 5
2/14 & 16
Unit 3-Psychology: Phobia
Week 6
2/23
Listening Quiz #3
Week 7
Unit 4 Culinary Arts: Owning a Successful Restaurant
2/28 &
3/2
PRESENTATION 1
continue Unit 4 Culinary Arts: Owning a Successful Restaurant
Week 8
3/7 & 9
Listening Quiz #4
Week 9
3/21 & 23 Unit 5 Education: How We Each Learn
continue Unit 5 Education: How We Each Learn
Week 10
3/28 & 30 PRESENTATION 2 (POWERPOINT)
Listening Quiz #5
Week 11
Unit 6 History: The Silk Road
4/4 & 6
continue Unit 6 History: The Silk Road
Week 12
4/11 & 13
Listening Quiz #6
Week 13
4/18 & 20 Unit 7 – Business: Team-Building
Week 14
4/25 & 27
Week 15
5/2 & 4
Week 16
5/9
continue Unit 7 – Business: Team-Building
PRESENTATION 3 (POWERPOINT)
Listening Quiz #7
FINAL EXAM
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ESOL 0349- Advanced-Intermediate Conversation for Foreign Students
PRESENTATIONS
PRESENTATION 1- This presentation must be 2-3 minutes. Choose one of the
following two topics.
Topic 1-The education system in your country compared
to the education system in the United States.
(e.g. number of years of study, books, teaching
methods, hours of classes, exams)
or
Topic 2- Your lifestyle in your country compared to your
lifestyle in the United States.(e.g. shopping, transportation,
free time activities, studying)
PRESENTATION 2 – Topic: How to Do Something or about Something. (POWERPOINT)-3-5 minutes
1. Teach us how to do something (EXCEPT cook a particular
dish)
or
2. Be a teacher. Teach us about a subject of your choice, such
as something about art, economics, history, poetry,
music, fashion, etc.
PRESENTATION 3 -Topic: A World Problem and Its Solution(s) (POWERPOINT)-5 minutes
Think of a problem in the world or your country (social, environmental, or medical).
Explain why it is problem and offer a possible solution.