NORTH SEATTLE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Arts, Humanities and Adult Basic Education
Summer Quarter 2009
COURSE SYLLABUS
COURSE: IESL 051.01
CLASSROOM: IB3327
TIME: DAILY 12:00-1:50 PM
Instructor: Anna Ravenson (formerly Anna Kim)
Office: IB 2423 #8
Office Hours: by appointment
Telephone: (cell) 425-829-1438
E-mail: akim@sccd.ctc.edu
Course description: This course is for Level 5 students who want to study English
intensively! It is an academically focused course, aimed at preparing you for college and
university-level writing and grammar.
REQUIRED TEXTS AND MATERIALS:
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Great Essays
Understanding and Using English Grammar, 4th Edition
(with answer key)
We will begin using the textbooks in class tomorrow, so please buy them at the NSCC
bookstore today.
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highlighter pens
two different colored pens
a spiral notebook for journal writing
a regular notebook for notes and assignments
a folder
a special notebook or section for assignments and study plan
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
Grammar:
1. Use future continuous and future perfect tense.
2. Recognize and use infinitives of purpose and adjectives plus infinitives.
3. Use grammatical structures introduced in Level 4 with more accuracy.
4. Use causative verbs (make, have, get, etc.).
5. Use causative passive.
6. Use verbs of perception (“I heard the bird sing”, “I saw the dog run down the street”).
7. Use reduced adjective clauses.
8. Use appositives.
9. Use the subjunctive with suggest, request, insist, etc.
10 Use Level 5 grammar effectively.
Writing:
1. Write essays using different rhetorical styles (persuasive, narrative, descriptive,
compare/contrast, etc.).
2. Organize essay (introductory paragraph, thesis statement, body paragraphs, concluding
paragraph).
3. Write and revise multiple drafts.
4. Use transitions in writing.
5. Use parallelism.
6. Use academic language effectively.
7. Use advanced punctuation (colon, semi-colon, dash, parentheses, italics, and quotation marks
for embedded quotations).
8. Write essays without plagiarizing.
9. Demonstrate control of Level 5 grammar in writing.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
ATTENDANCE: You must attend class every day! Since attendance is so important, the
following rules apply:
 Students with perfect attendance for the quarter receive two points extra credit on
their final grade.
 The International Students’ Office will be notified if you are absent two days in a
row.
 Any student who misses more than 10 days in the quarter will automatically fail
the course (NSCC rule!)
 Coming to class even one minute late counts as “Tardy.” If you are tardy three
times, it counts as one absence. If you are late 15 minutes or more, it counts as
one hour absent.
PARTICIPATION: It is very important for you to be prepared and active during each
class. Come ready to learn. I can instruct you, but no one can LEARN but you!
TESTS: It will seem like there are many tests in this course, because it moves so quickly.
Remember, in just one quarter, you are trying to progress a whole level! Study hard for
each test!
* If you must be absent for a test, you may take the test later only if you have contacted
your teacher ahead of time (in person, phone or email) and explained why. If you do
not do this, you will get a zero for the test. You can take a test late only one time during
the quarter.
HOMEWORK: There will be daily homework: DO IT! If you don’t, not only will your
grade suffer, but you will be unable to participate well in class. Many of the lessons plans
are based on the previous night’s homework. I will check if you have done your
homework.
If you are absent, you need to contact another student to find out what the homework is.
Please get the phone numbers of two classmates to contact:
GUIDELINES:
1. All written assignments should be typed or written neatly, double-spaced, with oneinch margins on all sides.
2. In class, conversation must be in English only. Feel free to speak other languages
during the breaks.
3. You must do all your own work! If you copy from anyone or anywhere else, it is called
Plagiarism, and it’s very serious. Plagiarism is a form of cheating and will result in a
grade of zero.
4. In addition to homework, you should STUDY each night for this course. Successful
students usually spend between 13 and 20 hours each week studying and reviewing for
this class.
NSCC’s Indoor Air Quality Policy: Avoid wearing fragrances (perfume, cologne, etc.)
because many people are sensitive to these chemicals.
GRADE SCALE:
Important: You must have a minimum grade of 75% in each area (Writing and Grammar)
to advance to the next level. This is the most important thing to remember about your
grade.
Your grade in each area is based on the test grades and points for homework in that area.
Keep track of your grades! If your grade falls below 80% in any area, see me for extra
help to bring your score up. DO NOT come to me in the last two weeks of the quarter and
complain about your grade. Take action early!
Your final grade will be based on an average of your two area grades, plus extra points if
you have perfect attendance.
There are no specific points taken off for absences, but obviously, you will not learn
enough to pass if you are not in class. Remember, you must not be absent 10 times, or
you will automatically fail!
CLASS CALENDAR:
No class: Friday, Oct. 23 (Collaboration Day), Wed., Nov 11 (Veterans’ Day), Thurs. –
Fri., Nov. 26-27 (Thanksgiving)
Last Class: Monday, December 7 Be sure to make your travel plans for after this date.
A NOTE ON LEVEL TESTING:
All the teachers give diagnostic tests on the first two days of the quarter. If you believe
that you are in the wrong level, wait until the tests are done, and we’ll take a look. If you
receive well above 85% in ALL areas of ALL tests for this level, you may come to me to
discuss a level change. If you are absent for the tests on the first two days of class, though,
you lose the right to challenge placement, and you must remain in this level.