COURSE SYLLABUS
ESOL 0347: Writing Level 2
Credit Hours: 3 Lecture, 2 Lab
Instructor: JANAN SKAF
Office Hours: By Appointment
Phone: 713 718 7750
E-Mail: JSKAF@HCCS.EDU
Days and Times the Course Meets: ---Tuesdays----------7:00-9:30pm and ---Thursdays----------7:00-8:40pm
Room: -215-------COURSE INFORMATION:
The Intensive English Program offers a sequence of four ESL writing courses, ESOL 0343,
0347, 0351 and 0354, which range from beginning to advanced English writing. The overall
purpose of the Intensive English Writing program is fourfold:
• to teach students the basic principles of composition organization and structure;
• to introduce to students the notion of writing as a complex process of interrelated stages of
prewriting, drafting and revision;
• to strengthen students' grasp of sentence construction and sentence combining;
• to raise students' awareness of the need to revise and improve their own writing
COURSE DESCRIPTION: ESOL 0347, Intermediate Composition, seeks to prepare students
for continuation into ESOL 0351 and ultimately for college level academic or workforce study
by accomplishing the following objectives:
• Strengthening student awareness of the basic principles of organization of the singleparagraph composition, focusing especially on the role of the topic sentence, examples,
details, and the conclusion.
• Strengthening student awareness of the nature of the writing process, focusing especially
on the areas of effective prewriting, composing, revising, and editing.
• Strengthening students’ skills in the basic principles of sentence combination, focusing
especially on the role of subordinating and coordinating conjunctions.
COURSE OUTCOMES: After taking ESOL 0347, Intermediate Composition, the student
should:
1. Be able to write a well-organized paragraph of between 15-20 sentences and 100-150 words
2. Be able to choose a topic and then write an appropriate title;
3. Be able to write a basic outline of his/her paragraph;
4. Be able to write a topic sentence, a conclusion, and examples with details for his/her
paragraph;
5. Exhibit familiarity with the use of coordination and subordination. The paragraph should
have a variety of sentence types, and not consist of all simple sentences.
6. Exhibit familiarity with the main stages of the composing process: pre-writing, composing,
proofreading, and revising.
7. Exhibit familiarity with basic rules of capitalization, punctuation, and proper academic essay
format.
TEXT(S): First Steps in Academic Writing (second edition) level 2-----------------------COURSE SCHEDULE:
Week 1:…………… Pretest
Unit 1: Introducing People,
Part 2: Grammar & Mechanics, pp. 8 - 15
Prewriting/Part 1: Organization, pp. 2 - 7
Week 2:…………… Part 3: Sentence Structure, pp. 18 - 23
Part 2: Writing Practice, pp. 16 - 17
Part 4: The Writing Process, pp. 24 - 28
Week 3:…………… Unit 1: Introducing People, pg. 27 - 28 (optional)
Unit 1 Review
Unit 2: Writing Instructions
Part 2: Sentence Structure, pp. 44 - 54
In-Class Paragraph #1
Week 4:…………… Unit 2: Writing Instructions
Prewriting/Part 1: Organization, pp. 32 - 43
Part 3: Grammar & Mechanics, pp. 55 - 63
Part 4: The Writing Process, pp. 64 - 67
Week 5:…………… Unit 3: Describing (See note above about chapters 3 and 6)*
Part 2: Grammar & Mechanics, pp. 79 - 82
In-Class Paragraph #2
Week 6:…………… Unit 3: Describing
Prewriting/Part 1: Organization, pp. 70 - 78
Part 3: Sentence Structure, pp. 84 - 90
Part 2: Writing Practice, pp. 83 - 84
Part 4: The Writing Process, pp. 91 - 97
Week 7:…………………… In-Class Paragraph #3
Unit 4: Listing Characteristics
Part 3: Grammar & Mechanics, pp. 125 - 130
Prewriting/Part 1: Organization, pp. 100 - 109
Week 8:…………… Midterm Exam Paragraph
Note: the midterm could be done after ch. 4 if the teacher has
decided to skip ch. 3 and do ch. 6 at the end of semester.
Unit 4: Listing Characteristics
Prewriting/Part 1: Organization, pp. 109 - 119
Week 9:…………… Unit 4: Listing Characteristics
Part 2: Sentence Structure, pp. 119 - 125
Part 3: Writing Practice, pg. 130
Part 4: The Writing Process, pp. 131 - 133
Week 10:……………Unit 5: Stating Reasons and Using Examples
Part 2: Sentence Structure, pp. 148 - 158
In-Class Paragraph #4
Week 11:……………Unit 5: Stating Reasons and Using Examples
Prewriting/Part 1: Organization, pp. 136 - 147
Part 3: Grammar & Mechanics, pp. 158 - 165
Week 12:……………Unit 5: Stating Reasons and Using Examples
Part 4: The Writing Process, pp. 166 - 169
Unit 6: Expressing Your Opinion
Part 2: Sentence Structure & Grammar, pp. 182 - 194
In-Class Paragraph #5
Week 13:……………Unit 6: Expressing Your Opinion (See note above about chapters
3 and 6)*
Prewriting/Part 1: Organization, pp. 172 - 177
Part 1: Organization, pp. 178 - 181
Week 14:……………Unit 6: Expressing Your Opinion
Part 3: Mechanics, pp. 195 - 198
Part 4: The Writing Process, pp. 199 - 201
Week 15:……………
In-Class Paragraph #6
General Review
Week 16: ……………Final Exam
OTHER MATERIALS: Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary or Longman’s Dictionary
GRADING:
In-class compositions
Final ............................................................
60%
40%
100%
You must have a passing grade of C (70) or more in at least 2 of your classes in order
to go on to the next level.
100-90
A
69 or less
IP (In Progress)
89-80
B
This grade reflects that the student completed
79-70
C
the course, including the final but didn’t pass.
CLASS POLICIES:
CELL PHONES AND ELECTRONIC DEVICES:
TURN OFF YOUR CELL PHONE BEFORE
ENTERING CLASS!
Please do not use beepers or cell phones in class.
I have the right to confiscate the cell phone or other device from you and will return it to
you at the end of class.
You cannot use electronic translation calculator dictionaries or cell phone dictionaries
in class.
HCCS Administration:
The use of recording devices, including camera cell phones, and tape recorders, is
prohibited in classrooms, labs, offices, and other locations where instruction, tutoring,
and testing occur. Students with disabilities who need to use recording devices must
contact the Office of Students with Disabilities, for this information. Inappropriate use of
any of these devices can result in expulsion and criminal charges.
ATTENDANCE: Students are required to attend classes regularly. Absences should not exceed
10 hours (including labs), or 5, classes, this semester. Coming late, leaving class for extended
periods of time, and falling asleep in class are unacceptable and will be factored into
absences. If a student exceeds the allowed hours of absences, he or she will be
withdrawn from all classes and receive a grade of W in all classes. F1 students will be
reported to INS as out of status. It is advisable to inform your instructor that you will be
absent from class and for what reason.
Be on time. If a student is continually late in excess of 15 minutes for each
class, the time will be noted on the instructor’s attendance sheet and will be factored
into the hours of absences. If you arrive late, quietly take your seat and get out your
books. Do not disrupt the class.
LATENESS:
IN-CLASS AND IN- LAB BEHAVIOR:
Come to class prepared. You are responsible for all work assigned. Get a classmate’s
phone number.
Do not do homework in the classroom!
Students must act appropriately in class and treat all other students respectfully
according to the HCCS Student Code of Conduct
Since this is an English class, you should try to speak English at all times. If sitting next
to someone who speaks your language causes a problem in class, I may change your
seat.
There will be assigned seating during tests.
Do not leave the class during an exam.
If you finish an assignment or quiz early, and leave the classroom, do not go to the
computer lab or audio lab.
Please try to keep the building clean; that includes our classroom and the restrooms. If
we move chairs or tables around, please return them to the original positions. Take
your trash with you.
Please do not address me as teacher. That is not appropriate at the college level.
Smoking is prohibited in the building and near the exits or entrances. Please observe
the regulations.
Be respectful to the HCCS campus security guards and the City of Houston police
officers assigned to our campus. Follow their instructions.
You can have a drink with you during class, but please do not eat, or chew gum.
DRESS CODE AND PERSONAL HYGIENE:
Dress in an appropriate manner for a school environment. Do not wear clothing that is
too revealing, or that has profanity or vulgar symbols on it.
Hats should not be worn in class.
Strong smells such as body odor or bad breath are offensive to most people. This can
also include strong perfumes, food odors, or the smell of incense clinging to your
clothes. Observe proper hygiene.
You should not be absent on test days, or when you have to take an
essay or give a presentation or an oral report. If you bring an official medical excuse,
then time will be arranged for another test or make-up work. Otherwise, a 5% will be
deducted from the average grade of such type of assignments for every time missed.
MAKEUP TESTS:
IMPORTANT NOTICE FROM HCCS ADMINISTRATION:
Students who repeat a course for a third or more time will now have to pay a tuition/fee
increase at HCCS and other Texas public colleges and universities. Please ask your
instructor or counselor about opportunities for tutoring or other assistance prior to
considering course withdrawal or if you are not receiving passing grades.
LAST DAY FOR ADMINISTRATIVE/STUDENT WITHDRAWALS:
Students may drop classes for any reason up to__Nov. 14, 2010____Students may
also be dropped from the Gulfton program for excessive absences until that date. After
the official drop date, the student will receive IP or the grade of record; an F can be
given for continued absences and non-completion of assignments. College policy
prohibits faculty from assigning a grade of W (Withdrawn, or dropped) after the official
drop date.
ACADEMIC HONESTY / CHEATING: HCCS defines scholastic dishonesty as:
cheating on a test, plagiarism, and collusion. Penalties for academic dishonesty
at HCCS include, but are not limited too, a zero on the assignment, a W in the
course, or an F in the course. This includes homework, tests, and any other
written
materials. See the HCCS Student Handbook for more information.
http://www.hccs.cc.tx.us/handbook/HandbookHome2.html
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES:
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 Gulfton Center.
Disabilities Services Office: 713-718-7909; FAX 713-718-7906
http://www.hccs.cc.tx.us/handbook/HandbookHome2.html
SEXUAL HARASSMENT POLICY:
Sexual harassment in any form is not tolerated at
Houston Community College. See the HCCS Student Handbook for further information.
http://www.hccs.cc.tx.us/handbook/HandbookHome2.html
If you have a problem in class, please speak to me after class or you can
email me. I will make every effort to help you.
PROBLEMS:
IMPORTANT DATES:
See the Academic Calendar