ENGL 0346 Fall 2011
Course Syllabus
Course: English 0346
CRN# 55515
Classroom: W112 Scarcella Science and Technology
Professor: La’Kisha Hawkins
Email: ln_hawkins@yahoo.com or
lakisha.hawkins@hccs.edu
Office phone: 713-718-7750
Cell Phone: 713-305-5621
Texts and Materials
Texts:
Writing to Communicate 2, by Boardman and Freydenberg, 3 ed. (required)
rd
English-only dictionary (recommended: Longman or Collins Cobuild)
Materials: (8)
1. Loose-leaf notebook paper
3. A one-inch ring binder
5. A highlighter
7. Stapler (optional)
2. Pens- red and black/blue
4. Four divider sheets with tabs
6. 1 pack of Scantrons (for exams)
8. Composition tablet or spiral
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
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ENGL 0346 Fall 2011
write short (min. 3-paragraph) essays about 300-400 words long
Quizzes
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. In addition, the instructor will give vocabulary
quizzes as needed.
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. Therefore, students must write draft 2. 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 work for this course. 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 binder at random, so students should always bring
it to class and keep it up to date. The binder may not be turned in late.
Journal
Students will practice expressing ideas in English regularly, usually once per week. 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. See the
Final Exam dates on the Course Calendar.
Classroom Policies
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
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ENGL 0346 Fall 2011
no make-up tests or quizzes; however, the lowest quiz grade will be dropped for each
student.
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.
Attendance Policy
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 the class. In 0346,
this amounts to 8 hours (total) of absence. If students are late 10 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.
2 times tardy = 1 absence.
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:
Final Exam:
20%
10%
HCC Grade Legend:
90-100 A
80-89 B
70-79 C
69 and below
IP or F
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
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ENGL 0346 Fall 2011
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.
Holidays and Important Dates:
Sept. 24
Sept. 27
Oct. 4
Nov.11
Nov. 23
Nov. 24-27
Dec. 11
Dec. 12-18
Week
Final Exam Period
Course Calendar for ENGL 0346- Second-Start Fall 2011
Reading
Writing to Communicate 2:
HOMEWORK:
Paragraphs and Essays
Read about cross-cultural
organization patterns,
pp. xv-xvii
1
1
First day of Fall semester classes
Last day to add/drop/swap a class
Official Date of Record
Last day (by 12 noon) to drop with a “W”
No evening classes before Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Holiday
Instruction ends
Intro to the AESL program and 0346 course;
syllabus; diagnostic assessment
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. 12-14
2
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
4
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—
Coordinating Conjunctions
www.englishpage.com/gram
mar/
Study paragraph format, p.
15
Sheehan Learning Web,
What is a Sentence?
ENGL 0346 Fall 2011
2
Write C1D1 (Comp 1, Draft 1)—Descriptive
Paragraph about a holiday or celebration
Go over departmental grading rubric, teacher’s
correction method + campus tutoring services
WEB GRAMMAR—Present
Tense Verbs
www.englishpage.com/
grammar/
Sheehan Learning Web,
How To Use Verb Tenses
3
QUIZ # 1 on verb tenses: simple present, present
progressive, and present perfect
Chp. 3
3
Begin Chp. 3—the Writing Process, pp. 30-42;
study adverb clauses, pp. 41-42
WEB GRAMMAR: Adverb
Clauses
www.englishpage.com/
grammar/
Write C2D1—Descriptive Paragraph about a
personal experience
WEB GRAMMAR: Past
Tense Verbs
www.englishpage.com/
grammar/
Practice editing, revision strategies, including how
to use dialog + Direct and Indirect Speech;
“Bringing It All Together,” pp. 45-46
4
QUIZ # 2 on cohesion devices: the definite
article, personal pronouns + past tense verbs
Chp. 4
Chp. 4
5
Chp. 5
Quotations; See also “Enter”
(blue circle in blue box, midpage)
http://grammar.ccc.commnet
.edu/grammar/marks/quotati
on.htm
WEB GRAMMAR—
Subordinating Conjunctions
www.englishpage.com/
grammar/
Begin Chp. 4—the Essay, pp. 48-63; study
differences between a single paragraph comp. and
an essay
Study types of transitions + punctuation rules
WEB GRAMMAR—
Transitions
http://grammar.ccc.commnet
.edu/grammar/transitions.ht
m
Study the Thesis Statement, pp. 64-75
Practice using a comma in prepositional phrases
and between items in a series
5
WEB GRAMMAR—
Commas
http://grammar.ccc.commnet
.edu/grammar/commas.htm
ENGL 0346 Fall 2011
5
Chp. 6
6
7
Chp. 8
7
Chp. 9
Study Writing Introduction paragraphs, pp. 76-86
Study Writing Conclusion paragraphs, pp. 87-91
Write C3D1—short Opinion Essay (3 paragraphs)
Practice avoiding Fragments, pp. 82-83
Study developing Body Paragraphs, pp. 97-103
WEB GRAMMAR—Runons and Comma Splices
Practice avoiding Run-ons, pp. 92-93 and Comma http://grammar.ccc.commnet
Splices, 104-105 + p. 111
.edu/grammar/runons.htm
QUIZ # 3 on fragments, run-ons, comma splices
Begin Chp. 9—the Process Essay, pp 114-126
Practice using gerunds, infinitives + causatives: let,
make
8
8
Chp. 9
WEB GRAMMAR—
Fragments
http://grammar.ccc.commnet
.edu/grammar/fragments.ht
m
Write C4D1- Process Essay (4-5 paras.)
WEB GRAMMAR—
Gerunds and Infinitives
www.englishpage.com/gram
mar/
WEB GRAMMAR—
Gerunds and Infinitives
www.englishpage.com/gram
mar/
Quiz # 4 on gerunds, infinitives, causatives after
main verbs
Discuss revision of C 4
9
Catch-up
9
Quiz # 4 on gerunds, infinitives, causatives after
main verbs
10
Take a practice Final Grammar Exam
10
Go over the practice Final Grammar Exam;
Discuss test-taking strategies
11
Write the Final Essay
Buy a green Scantron for the
practice Final Exam
Prepare to write the Final
Essay
Review previous comps.
Study Review Sheet for Final
Grammar Exam
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ENGL 0346 Fall 2011
11
Go over Review Sheet for the Final Grammar
Test
12
Final Grammar Exam—Dec. 13
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