ESOL 0345
Intermediate Conversation
Instructor: Margaret (Peggy) Shallock
Email: margaret.shallock@hccs. edu
Office hours: M-W 11:10 or before school
HCC Office: 713-718-7750
Textbook: North Star 3: Listening and Speaking, 3rd edition, H. Solorzano and J. Schmidt, 2009.
Course Description: This course places emphasis on idiomatic speech, everyday vocabulary
development, and listening comprehension.
Statement of Purpose: This course seeks to prepare students for college level academic or workforce
study by advancing them from high beginning to high intermediate level in listening comprehension,
oral fluency, active vocabulary and grammar, note-taking abilities, and pronunciation.
Course Outcome: At the end of this course a student should be able to: express simple emotions in the
right context, describe yourself and others, talk about present, past, and future events, make
comparisons and state differences and express opinions. You should also be able to pay and receive
compliments, make polite requests and accept and refuse requests politely, request help and give
advice to others, ask permission and give apologies, develop effective listening skills and give prepared
speeches.
Grade Breakdown: Your grade will be calculated as follows:
Class Participation/Attendance
20%
Oral Presentations/Projects
40%
Listening Quizzes
10%
Listening Lab
10%
Final Exam
20%
100%
Grading Scale: A (90-100), B (80-89), C (70-79), Below 70 is NOT Passing. Students will receive an IP (In Progress), or if repeating
that level, an F (Failing). Students will receive a W (Withdrawal) up to Week 11. After week 11, students will receive the grade.
Attendance: HCC has very strict attendance policies. If a student is absent 10 hours in any class, including Labs, he/she may be
dropped from the course and given a W in all four courses. This will place F1 students out of status.
Tardiness: Classes begin at 8:30 and lateness of 15 minutes three times will count as an absence. If you are persistently absent
10 minutes, these may be added cumulatively to total a class period of 50 minutes and equal one hour absence.
Withdrawal: Students may drop a course for any reason by November 18, 2010 at 4:30 p.m. After that date, students will
receive the grade that was earned. College policy prohibits instructors from entering a grade of “W” after the official drop date.
Notice: Students who repeat a course three or more times may soon face significant tuition/fee increases 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 and counselor as early as possible about your study habits, reading and writing homework, test taking skills,
attendance, course participation, and opportunities for tutoring or other assistance that might be available.
Class Behavior: Students are expected to act as adults and be respectful of others. Turn off or silence all cell phones. In an
emergency, please see me about keeping your phone on. If you must leave class early or have been absent, please see instructor.
If you must go to the restroom, leave quietly and return in less than 5 minutes. No more than one student should leave the room
at a time. Gentlemen, it is polite to remove your hats when you enter a building.
Class Participation: In order to learn English effectively, students need to participate fully in class activities, do homework, and
cooperate with other students in pair or group work. You should strive to speak English at all times in class. Expect to move
around and have different seats to encourage English practice.
Make-up policy: Students are responsible for all work assigned. Homework is part of this course, so come prepared. All work
is due on the day assigned. If absent, you are still responsible for work done while you are not in class. Please get a classmate’s
phone number or email me to find out assignments. Students should try to not be absent for tests or presentations. If you are
absent, be prepared to take the test or present when you return to class. You will be given one chance to make up a test at the
instructor’s convenience. Time may not always allow itself for project make-ups.
Academic Honesty/ Cheating: Any form of copying, cheating, plagiarism or collusion will result in a ZERO (0) for that assignment.
Penalties can also include a W or F in the course. This includes copying a paper from another student or copying text from the
internet and presenting it as your own work. See the HCCS Student Handbook for further information.
Students with Disabilities: See HCCS Policies. Any student with a documented learning or physical disability which may affect
their performance in class should contact the HCCS disabilities counselor, Dr. Becky Hauri at 713-718-7909 for assistance.
Sexual Harassment Policy: Sexual harassment in any form is not tolerated at Houston Community College. See the HCCS Student
Handbook for further information or report any incident to your instructor or counselor.
Tutoring: Tutoring is available after school in Rm. 121, and on Fridays from 9-11 a.m. in the Audio lab. Take advantage of this
service. Your instructor may highly recommend that you attend tutoring.
Problems: If you have a problem in class, please see me before or after class. I will make every effort to help you.
Course Outline:
Course Outline:
Week 1: “Advertising on the Air”- Sections 1-2
Week 2: “Advertising on the Air”- Sections 3
Week 3: “Identity Theft”- Sections 1-2
Week 4: “Identity Theft”- Section 3
Presentation #1
Week 5: “The Art of Storytelling”- Section 1-2
Week 6: “The Art of Storytelling”- Section 3
Week 7: “Endurance Test”- Section 1-2
Week 8: “Endurance Test”- Section 3
Presentation #2
Week 9: “Separated by the Same Language”- Section 1-2
Week 10: “Separated by the Same Language”- Section 3
Week 11: “Culture and Commerce”- Section 1-2
Week 12: “Culture and Commerce”- Section 3
Presentation #3
Week 13: “Voluntary Simplicity”- Section 1-2
Week 14: “Voluntary Simplicity”- Section 3
Week 15: Presentation #4
Week 16: Final Exams