ESOL 0356
Advanced (Level 4) Conversation for Foreign Speakers
Instructor:
Margaret McLay
E-Mail:
Current students please use: (Margaret.mclay@hccs.edu)
Office Hours: Mon. -Thurs. 1:30 – 2:30 in lab or by appointment.
Department Phone: 713-718-7750
Course Description: (from the HCCS Catalog)
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.
Textbook:
You are required to buy the following for this course:
Mosiac 2 Listening and Speaking Silver Edition Jami Hanreddy and Elizabeth Whalley Publisher McGraw
Hill
In our class we will concentrate on developing the skills necessary for a positive listening and speaking
experience in a College and/or University classroom. This will include pronunciation, note-taking, and the
critical thinking necessary for supporting one’s opinion, refuting opposing views and evaluating evidence,
as in a classroom discussion.
ESOL 0356 Statement of Purpose:
ESOL 0356, Advanced Conversation, will seek to fulfill the overall purpose of the Intensive English
Conversation program, which is:
 To teach students conversational techniques and strategies;
 To improve students’ listening and note-taking abilities;
 To strengthen students’ grasp of English grammar and vocabulary
 To raise students’ awareness of the need to monitor their own pronunciation.
This specific class will also work toward the following goals:
 Students are able to make inferences regarding complex ideas.
 Students continue to refine their oral production skills.
 Students continue to refine note-taking skills, and are able to use their notes to summarize in
both oral and written form.
 Students are able to function in every day academic interactions.
 The development of NVC, intonation and pronunciation techniques which will facilitate an
improvement in overall English communication skills.
ESOL 0356 Course Outcomes:
After taking ESOL 0356, the student should be able to:
1. Identify main idea and key points of an academic lecture.
2. Use lecture notes in collaboration with classmates to orally review and summarize lectures.
3. Function more effectively in interpersonal situations using appropriate linguistic forms and correct
register.
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4. Pronounce sufficiently well to be understood by native English speakers.
5. Successfully prepare and deliver an oral presentation with follow-up questions and answers.
Grade Breakdown: Your grade will be calculated as follows:
Major Presentations x 3 (10 mins each)
Special Project (oral report 10 mins)
Listening tests
Lab
Class Participation and General Discussions
Final test
30%
10%
15%
10%
20%
15%
100%
Course Schedule (the class schedule will also include pronunciation work)
Week 1
Introductions and course materials
Unit 1
Presentation 1 topics
Week 2
Unit 1 Continued
Presentation skills
Special Project Topic
Week 3
Unit 1 test
Unit 2
Discussion/practice of Presentation 1
Week 4
Unit 2 Test
Conversation/Presentation Skills Practice
Week 5
Unit 3
Presentation 1
Review of Presentation 1
Presentation 2 topics
Week 5
Unit 3 Cont
Week 6
Special project
Unit 3 Test
Week 7
Unit 4
Week 8
Unit 4 cont.
Week 9
Test Unit 4
Discussion/practice of Presentation 2
Unit 5
2
Week 10
Unit 5
Presentation 2
Week 11
Unit 5 cont
Presentation 3 topics
Week 12
Unit 5 Test
Conversation/Presentation skills
Week 13
Unit 6
Discussion/practice presentation 3
Week 14
Presentation 3
Unit 6 Test
Special Project (review of report)
Week 15
Review of semester work
Special project oral reports
Week 16
Final Exam
This schedule is flexible and may be amended as needed. In addition, we may have some research and
discussions related to topics discussed in International Conversation Partners, a special opportunity to
converse with HCC sociology students. Alternatively, students may choose to hand in various open-lab
projects as their special project.
Grade Distribution: A (90-100), B (80-89), C (70-79). Anything below 70 is not a passing grade and
will receive an F or an IP (in progress). The course grade will be determined as follows:
OTHER MATERIALS: As advised in class
Cellphones must be turned off and put away in class, so they cannot be used as your dictionary.
NO electronic dictionaries, cell phones, or laptops can not be used in in-class writing assignments.
Phones cannot be used as dictionaries.
Classroom Policies
Please treat all students and your teacher with respect. Speak English at all times. If you speak your native
language in class = 1 tardy.
Make up tests or essays may be taken in consultation with me.
Students are expected to arrive to class on time. If students are absent from class, they must ask the teacher
for the assignments that they have missed and complete this by the next scheduled class session. Most
homework assignments will be checked in class. No late homework will be accepted. Make up tests will
be given up to week 8 not after. Being absent is not an excuse to not turn in homework. It is your
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responsibility to find out what the assignment topic is for the class. Please get a classmates phone number
to find out the assignment information. There may be regular announced and unannounced quizzes on
homework and classroom topics. 1 Make up test may be taken in consultation with me..
Homework must be presented in a legible, neat format on A4 paper. Your class level, your full name, date
and topic of the homework should be at the top of the front page. Each page should be numbered. The
pages should be stapled together.
Format: Written black ink or word processed (you will be advised about the format in the class). If word
processed Arial or Times Roman in 12 font.
As a courtesy to your instructor and the other students in the class, 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 will confiscate it until the end of the class period.
No eating or drinking in the class. If a mobile phone makes a noise you will get a late mark.
Other 10% may be deducted from the final course mark if there is unacceptable behavior in the
class. This includes the submission of homework and failure to purchase the text book.
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. Instructors shall notify
students in writing of any restrictions on the use of recording devices. Such restrictions, if any, shall be
included in syllabi, course handbooks, or other printed class material distributed to students. The
following language may be used: "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 should contact the Office for
Students with Disabilities for information.
Attendance Policy
Houston Community College has very strict attendance policies. Houston Community College requires
students to attend classes regularly. Any student who misses more than 10 hours the lass in a semester will
be dropped from the class and the course.
Tardiness
It is not acceptable to be late to class. If a student arrives late to the class or from break, goes to break early
or leaves early they will be marked tardy.
Phone rings etc = 1 tardy
Using Computer for work other than class work + 1 Tardy
Speaking native language = 1 tardy
3 times tardy = 1 absence.
15 mins late as above = 1 absence
Any student who is late for a class should enter the classroom in a quiet manner and not disrupt the
progress of the lesson. Do not speak to any students about the work in progress which you may have
missed. When appropriate speak to the teacher about the reason for your lateness and the lesson content.
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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 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". Withdrawal date is 14th April 2011
College Grading System
Students in ESOL 0356 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 0354 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.
Grade Distribution
100 – 90
89 – 80
79 – 70
Below 70
A
B
C
IP (In Progress) or F
Academic Honesty
All Houston Community College System students are required to exercise academic honesty in completion
of all tests and assignments. Penalties for academic dishonesty (cheating on a test, plagiarism,
unauthorized collaboration on an assignment) may include a grade of O or F for the particular assignment,
failure in the course, and/or recommendation for probation or dismissal from the College System.
Students with Disabilities
Students who require reasonable accommodations for disabilities are encouraged
to report to the disability counselor to make necessary arrangements. Faculty is only authorized to provide
accommodations requested by the Disability Support Services Office. The telephone number for this office
is 713-718-6164. Students at Alief-Bissonnet should contact Dr. Becky Hauri, at 713-718-7910.
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Sexual Harassment Policy
Sexual harassment in a nay form is not tolerated at Houston Community College. See the HCC Student
Handbook for further information.
Three-Peater Policy
Students taking this course for the third time are required to pay an additional sum of money in
tuition fees.
Important Course Dates
Last day to withdraw from course Withdrawal date is 14th April 2011
Final Exam
Week 16
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I have read the ESOL 0356 class syllabus policy and I understand it.
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