ESOL 0341 LEVEL 1 CONVERSATION
COURSE SYLLABUS—Summer 2010
Mrs. E. Ferguson--Instructor
ESOL 0341: Level 1 Conversation
Instructor: Mrs. E. Ferguson
Office phone: 713-718-7750
E-mail: eferg28@yahoo.com
Office Hours: By appointment
Class Times: Mon. 7:00-10:00 PM
Wed. 6:00-10:20 PM
*Lab Wed. 7:20-8:40
(No lab book is required.)
COURSE DESCRIPTION: ESOL 0341 is a course developing conversational skills in
simple English with emphasis on vocabulary and grammatical structures used in day-today living. Vocabulary, pronunciation, simple sentence structure, and intonation patterns
are stressed.
ESOL 0341 STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: ESOL 0341, Beginning Conversation,
seeks to prepare students for college classes and speaking assignments in general by
accomplishing the following objectives and goals:
Developing students’conversational skills through the use of vocabulary and grammatical
structures used in day-to-day living.
Introducing students to real life situations through the use of in-class presentations and
role plays.
Developing students’ listening comprehension skills through exposure to recorded and
teacher-generated listening comprehension material.
Giving students an awareness of the basic principles of English pronunciation as well as
common stress and intonation patterns through exposure to songs, jazz chants, and tapes.
COURSE OUTCOMES: At the end of this course, you should be able to do the
following: After taking ESOL 0341, Beginning Conversation, the student should:
Be able to conduct simple conversations in familiar day-to-day situations
Be able to get the gist of short conversations or talks that use familiar vocabulary and
grammatical structures
Exhibit familiarity with common day-to-day vocabulary.
Exhibit familiarity with basic English pronunciation and stress and intonation patterns
Be able to give a short presentation on a familiar topic using familiar vocabulary and
grammatical structures
Be able to be generally understood by someone used to dealing with non-native speakers
of English
GRADE BREAKDOWN
Your grade will be calculated as follows:
100-90
A
89-80
B
79-70
C
69 or less
IP or F
Quizzes………………..
20%
Presentations.................
30%
Lab.............................. ..
15%
Participation/Daily Work.. 15%
Final.......................................20%
100%
TEXTBOOKS:
New Interchange Intro 3rd Ed. by Jack C. Richards and Lesley, Cambridge
University Press
IMPORTANT DAYS THIS SEMESTER- There are no classes on these days.
Mon., Jul 5th: July 4th Holiday
Last Day for Administrative/Student Withdrawals—Tues., July 27th at 4:30 PM
CLASS POLICIES
ATTENDANCE: HCCS has very strict attendance policies. If you miss 10 hours of
class, including lab time, you may be dropped from this class. There are no excused
absences. Speak to me if you know you must miss several classes. Attendance is
calculated by the hour. For example, if you miss a Monday night, the absence would
count as two (2) class hours. If you miss a Wednesday night, the absence would count as
three (3) hours. Please make every effort to be in class each night. Missing lab or being
late to lab will also count as an absence.
TARDINESS: It is not acceptable to be late to class. If you are more than 20 minutes
late, it will count as an absence. Explain after class rather than during instruction time.
CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR: Students must act appropriately in class. Please turn all
beepers and cell phones to vibrate in class. Students must always treat all students with
respect. Since this is an English class, please try to speak English at all times.
MAKEUP TESTS / LATE HOMEWORK: There are no makeup tests or quizzes. The
lowest test score can be dropped if you are absent on quiz day. If you know you are
absent on your presentation night, you may present on the next class night as long as you
understand your grade will be reduced by l0 points. If you are absent, please call a
classmate to get the assigned homework. I do not accept late homework. Please come to
class prepared.
ACADEMIC HONESTY / CHEATING: Any form of copying, cheating, or plagiarism
will result in a zero (0) for the assignment. This includes homework, tests, and book
reports. See the HCCS Student Handbook for more information.
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: HCCS POLICIES Students with a documented
learning or physical disability which might affect their performance in class should
contact the HCCS disabilities counselor, Dr. Becky Hauri at 713-718-7909, FAX 713718-7906 at the beginning of each semester.
PROBLEMS: If you have a problem in class, please speak to me after class. I will
make every effort to help you. Additionally, you may email me. If I can not help you
with your problem, make an appointment in Room 112 to speak to the assistant chair.
WITHDRAWALS: There are new state regulations about withdrawals. A student may
drop this course for any reason up to Thursday, July 27th at 4:30 PM. A student may
also be dropped for excessive absences until that date. After July 27th, a student will
receive the grade that she/he has earned. College policy prohibits instructors from
entering a grade of “W” after the official drop date. A “W” can only be given through
July 27th by 4:30 PM, which is the last day for Administrative/Student Withdrawals.
NOTICE: Students who repeat a course three or more times will face significant
tuition/fee increase at HCC and other Texas public colleges and universities. If you
are considering course withdrawal because you are not earning passing grades,
confer with your instructor/counselor about opportunities for tutoring and other
assistance. The additional fee required would be $75.
CONVERSATION SCHEDULE
Week 1
Units 1-2
Week 2
Units 3-4
Week 3
Units 5-6
Week 4
Unit 7
Week 5
Units 8-9
Week 6 Units 10-11
Week 7 Units 12-13
Week 8 Units 14-15
Week 9 Unit 16/Review
Week 10 Final
ESOL 0341 --LEVEL 1 CONVERSATION
Course Outline and Calendar
Summer 2010
Month One--June 7-June 30
During this first month, the following activities will take place:
Wallet Activity, Name Description, Introduce a friend, Circle Topic discussions,
Nonstop Discussion activities, Tribes/Community building activities, Vocabulary
builders, current events discussions, etc.
Textbook Chapters 1-7 will be covered and topics will be greetings, possessions, cities
and countries, clothing, telling and time.
Lab time will cover Units 1-6 with Start with Listening books (class set provided).
Quizzes will take place weekly after every two-three chapters. (Dates will be announced
early and in advance to allow study time.)
OBJECT REPORT #1--Wed., June 16th
MAIN ORAL PRESENTATION #1--due June 21 & 23 (Country Presentations)
Cultural Heritage and Music Festival Mon., June 28th (tentatively)
Month Two July 7-28
During the second month, the following activities will take place:
Under My Bed, Find Someone Who…; Circle Topic discussions,
Nonstop Discussion activities, Tribes/Community building activities, Vocabulary
builders, current events discussions, etc.
Textbook Chapters 8-16 and topics are: family, houses, jobs, foods, and sports.
Lab time will cover Units 7-11 in the Audio Lab.
Quizzes will take place weekly after every two-three chapters. (Dates will be announced
early and in advance to allow study time.)
OBJECT REPORT #2--due July 8th
MAIN ORAL PRESENTATION #2--due July13 & 15 (Commercials)
MAIN ORAL PRESENTATION #3--due July 26 & 28 (Partner Presentations)
Month Three--Aug 2, 4, and 9th
During this third month, the following activities will take place:
Circle Topic discussions, Nonstop Discussion activities, Tribes/Community building
activities, Vocabulary builders, current events discussions, etc. Textbook Chapter 16, and
topics are: calendars, parts of the body, stores, weekend activities, biographical
information, and locations.
Lab time will cover Unit 12 in the Audio Lab.
Quizzes will take place weekly after every two-three chapters. (Dates will be announced
early and in advance to allow study time.)
MAIN ORAL PRESENTATION #4--due Aug., 2 (Group Presentations)
Field Trip to local restaurant--Wed., Aug., 4
Final Exams week of Aug. 9-10
**Please make note of all presentation dates and plan to be present so that you can receive full credit.
Also, we will make every effort to stay on schedule, but please be flexible. Relax, have fun, and get ready to share!!