HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE CENTRAL
ESOL 0343: Beginning Writing for Foreign Students
Course Syllabus
Spring 2011
Instructor:
Class:
CRN:
Class Times:
Classroom:
Office:
Office Hours:
Office Phone:
MARK MINOR
ESOL 0343 Beginning Writing
80892
T-TH 12 3:20
JDB 205
FAC 303
713-718-6678
Texts and Materials
Write on Target, Joe Starr (McGraw-Hill)
Course Description
ESOL 0343 is a course devoted to expanding vocabulary, developing
pronunciation skills, and simple spelling. Instruction is individualized.
Course Goals
ESOL 0343, Beginning Writing, seeks to prepare students for continuation into
ESOL 0347 and ultimately for college level academic or workforce study by
accomplishing the following objectives:
•
Introducing students to basic English rules of capitalization, punctuation,
and paragraph format.
•
Introducing students to various common sentence patterns, from simple
sentences to the basics of co-ordination and subordination.
•
Most importantly, building basic knowledge of paragraph organization with
emphasis on developing topic sentences, support, concluding sentences
and the use of basic transitions.
Classroom Policies
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 missed. When
students are absent on the day of a test, they must make up the work on the day
they return to class. 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 may confiscate it until the end of the class period.
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 as a reasonable accommodation should contact the Office for Students
with Disabilities for information regarding reasonable accommodations."
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. For Intensive English classes, this amounts to 10 hours (total) of
absence during a regular semester. If students are late 10 minutes or more, they
will be marked tardy; if students leave the classroom during class or leave before
class is finished, they will be marked tardy.
2 times tardy = 1 absence.
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 15, 2009 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"
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.
College Grading System
Students in ESOL 0343 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 0343 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 Writing Requirements for ESOL 0343
 5 in-class composition paragraphs (five in summer) eventually totaling 80-125
words
 revisions of first drafts of paragraphs
 a final composition
Students are required to revise and rewrite their in-class paragraphs (excluding
the midterm and final paragraphs). It is up to the teacher whether to use the
original draft or rewrite as the basis for the grade of each paragraphs, but
teachers should offer sufficient incentive to encourage students to take the
revision process seriously.
Students should also be required to keep a weekly journal which will be
inspected regularly by teachers. Journals are generally not graded. However,
teachers give some form of appropriate feedback for each entry
ESOL 0343 Grading Formula
In-class compositions
Homework, Quizzes, Dictations
Lab Composition
Final
70%
5%
5%
20%
100%
ESOL 0343 Course Calendar
Week 1
First day testing and placement
Chapter 1: Hello!
Chapter 2: Our World
Week 2
Chapter 3:
Chapter 4:
Week 3
In-class composition #1
Chapter 8: Earth Day
Week 4
Chapter 9: A Travel Agent
In-class composition #2
Week 5
Chapter 5:
Chapter 6:
Week 6
Chapter 7: A Busy Day
In-class composition #3
Chapter 10: Computers
Week 7
Chapter 11: International Travel
Chapter 12: The Lazy Donkey
Week 8
In-class composition #4
Chapter 13: The San Francisco Earthquake
Week 9
Chapter 14 Life in the Future
Chapter 15: Texas
Week 10
In-class composition #5
Chapter 16: The Penguin
Week 11
Chapter 18: Alexander Graham Bell
Week 12
Final Exam
My Favorite Restaurant
Are You Ready for the Test?
Independence Day
Shopping