ESLW 320: Advanced-Low Writing (24220)
TTh 7:30-9:35 am RS 229
Instructor:
Barbara Toupadakis
Telephone:
(916) 558-2143
Website:
http://web.scc.losrios.edu/toupadb
E-mail:
toupadb@scc.losrios.edu
Grades Site: www.engrade.com
Textbooks:
Sacramento City College
Fall 2011
Office Hours:
WSC 209
MW 8-8:25am & 12:55-1:25pm
Main Campus RS324
T/Th 9:45-11:10 am
Refining Composition Skills, 6th edition, by Smalley, et al.; Heinle, 2012.
Materials:
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An advanced English-English dictionary, such as the Longman
Advanced American Dictionary.
8 ½” x 11” notebook paper & 3-ring binder for handouts & notes
Student Access ID card for printing with Fall 2011 sticker (LRC)
An active iMail address
A flash drive
Course Description:
In ESLW 320, students at the Advanced-Low level will use critical
thinking skills and the writing process to produce a variety of focused,
developed, and organized essays. The course emphasizes the
development of ideas in body paragraphs and the analysis and use of
readings as a basis for ideas in essays. Sentence variety and the
mechanics of English in the context of the essay are also covered in the
course. Essays incorporate ideas and quotations from outside sources
as well as personal experience.
Prerequisites:
To take this class, you must give me a copy of one of the following by
the second class, Thursday, August 25 or you will be dropped:
 grade transcript showing C or better in ESLW 310 or
 assessment center test scores showing eligibility for ESLW 320
Recommendations:
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

.
Course Goals:
Although not required, the ESL department strongly recommends
taking ESLG 320 and ESLR 320 to do better in this writing course.
For extra help and practice, you can take ESL 93, Advanced
Independent Lab. Please also take advantage of working in the
Writing Center with a free tutor in the LRC on the 1st floor .
In order to pass this course, you will need to study 8-12 hours per
week outside of class (2-3 hours per hour in class).
At the end of the course you should be able to
 demonstrate clear control of essay form and function.
 demonstrate strong paragraph development in the context of an
essay.
 apply critical thinking skills to the writing process.
 demonstrate the ability to write developed, organized essays under
time constraints.
 paraphrase, summarize and use quoted materials correctly.
 use citations in MLA or APA format to avoid plagiarism.
 use a variety of sentence types with sophisticated logical connectors.
 respond to prompts based on readings.
 write on academic topics that go beyond personal experience.
 revise and edit to achieve clarity of ideas and correctness of
grammar, punctuation and mechanics.
Methods:
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class and small group discussion of readings: vocabulary,
comprehension, and analysis
compositions based on readings
written responses to readings
writing/editing exercises; timed writings
Make-up Policy:
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Quizzes are unannounced and cannot be made up.
If you miss an in-class essay test, you will receive a grade of zero.
However, I will drop the lowest in-class essay at the end of the
semester (This does not include the final exam essay). If you miss
another test, you will receive a grade of zero on that test.
 Homework assignments are to be completed on time and turned in
on my desk at the beginning of class or emailed before class.
o 1 class late or after collecting it = 10 points off the grade
o More than 1 class late = grade of zero.
o If you are absent, you must turn in the homework on day
you return to class; it will not be accepted for full credit later.
Please use the following heading format for all homework.
Assignment (book unit, page, exercise # or essay #)
Name
(for example: RCS1 p.19 ex.6 or Out-of-Class Essay #1)
ESL 114
Date Due
Final Examination:
You must take the final examination on Thursday, December 15, 2011
from 8:00 - 10:00 am. The final exam must be taken on the
scheduled day. It cannot be made up for any reason. If you are
planning to take a trip, arrange to leave after your final exam. There will
be no early exams.
Attendance, Tardiness
& Leaving Early:
Regular attendance is very important in this class. If you are absent
more than 2 times, your participation grade may be lowered. If you
have more than 4 absences, you may be dropped from the course.
Also, please be on time. Being late or leaving early disrupts the entire
class. Three times of being late or leaving early equal one absence.
Preparation & Participation:
You must participate in class activities. Lack of preparation for class,
not doing your homework, and lack of participation in class will lower
your grade.
Cheating & Plagiarism
Cheating will not be tolerated. The following is considered cheating:
 Talking to another student or looking at another student’s work
during a test or quiz
 Copying from another’s work or allowing another student to copy
from your work
 Using notes or a book during a test or quiz, or turning in work
that is not your own.
 Plagiarism, or using someone’s words and ideas without saying
where you found them. In the U.S., plagiarism is considered a form
of stealing and cheating. If you quote someone, you must say whom
you are quoting and use quotation marks around the words that you
borrow (“…”). If you borrow ideas, you must use citations. Copying
from a book, Internet source, or another person’s essay, for
example, and putting your name on it as if you wrote it is plagiarism.
Cheating and plagiarism will earn a grade of zero on that
assignment. Repeated cheating will result in an F in the course.
Classroom Rules:
During class time, you will be expected to
 speak only English.
 listen respectfully when others are speaking.
 work cooperatively with any classmate or group you are assigned to.
 pay attention.
 turn off and put away electronic devices (cell phones, iPods, laptops,
etc.)
 not speak to your classmates unless I ask you to do so.
 not sleep.
 not check email, text, or listen to music.
 not do homework for this class or any other class.
If any of the above rules continue to be ignored after being warned, you
may be asked to change seats or leave class.
Grading:
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In-Class Essays & Final
(must have 70% average to pass)
Out-of-Class Essays
Quizzes, Revisions, other big assignments
Homework, Classwork & Participation
50%
25%
15%
10%
100%
iMail
Please activate your iMail account if you haven’t already done so. You
can do this online on the SCC website. I will contact everyone in the
class through iMail when I have an announcement. You may miss
important information if you have not activated your iMail. You can have
iMail delivered to your regular email.
Help & Special Needs:
If you need help, please feel free to ask by e-mail, phone message, or by
coming to my office hour. If you have any special situation affecting your
learning that I should know about, please let me know.
Classmate Contacts:
Write down the names and phone numbers of three classmates so that
you can call them to find out the assignment if you have to be absent.
Name__________________________________ Telephone______________________________
Name__________________________________ Telephone______________________________
Name__________________________________ Telephone______________________________
CORRECTION SYMBOLS
Symbol
Meaning
Incorrect
art
cap or
no cap
conj.
form
frag
article
capital letter
She is teacher.
They live in sacramento.
He is her Husband.
I bought milk, bread, eggs.
The class is interested.
Is a good movie.
The teacher a lot of
homework.
Because I’m hungry.
indent
start line ½ inch in from
margin
Ø
¶,no ¶
prep
omit, unnecessary
start new paragraph
preposition
pro
pronoun
p.
punctuation error
?
Ref
unclear meaning
reference unclear or doesn’t
agree
rep
repetition of word or idea
RO
run-on
(2 or more sentences written
as one sentence)
sing/pl
# agr.
ss
s/v agr
sp.
t.
T
problem with singular or
plural; number agreement
sentence structure incorrect
subject/verb agreement
spelling
Incorrect tense
transition word
The child has many toy.
ww
wo
^
wrong word
wrong word order
Insert, something is missing
The cat has soft hair.
I bought a silk green blouse.
I working now.
conjunction
wrong form
fragment
(incomplete sentence)
Sacramento City College is a
community college in the city
of Sacramento, California.
I live in the California.
Or don’t start new paragraph
I live on Sacramento. I live
Sacramento.
John is nice. John is in my
class.
I bought milk eggs and
bread.
I ate, because I was hungry.
I saw who.
John and Tom are brothers.
He has brown hair and his
brother is blond.
She got a haircut. They look
nice.
It is a nice country. The
people are nice. The food is
nice.
I went to the store I bought
some milk.
What your name is?
The people doesn’t agree.
Piece is the opposite of war.
I see her yesterday.
I got up. I washed my face.
Correct
She is a teacher.
They live in Sacramento.
He is her husband.
I bought milk, bread, and eggs.
The class is interesting.
It is a good movie.
The teacher gives a lot of
homework.
I’m going to eat because I’m
hungry.
Sacramento City College
is a community college in the
city of Sacramento, California.
I live in California.
I live in Sacramento.
John is nice. He is in my
class.
I bought milk, eggs, and
bread.
I ate because I was hungry.
I saw him.
John and Tom are brothers.
He has brown hair and his
brother is blond.
She got a haircut. It looks
nice.
It is an interesting country.
The people are nice, and the
food is delicious.
I went to the store. I bought
some milk.
I went to the store, and I
bought some milk.
I went to the store; I bought
some milk.
I went to the store to buy
some milk.
The child has many toys.
What is your name?
The people don’t agree.
Piece is the opposite of war.
I saw her yesterday.
First, I got up. Then I washed
my face.
The cat has soft fur.
I bought a green silk blouse.
I am working now
)
make one word or sentence
Every one ate. Because
they were hungry.
Everyone ate because they
were hungry.
ESLW 320
(Approximately 700 words – out-of-class
Approximately 500 words – in-class)
Grade A: The composition communicates clearly and includes critical thinking and analysis beyond personal
experience with strong control of both level appropriate language and content.
Language
Content/Organization
1. There is a variety of level appropriate simple,
1. A thoughtful introduction leads to an effective thesis,
compound and complex sentences with few
which focuses on the topic and controls the
errors.
development of the composition.
2. The composition demonstrates strong control
of level appropriate grammar, including verb
tenses, verb forms, word forms, and word
order. Rare grammar errors do not interfere
with meaning.
2. The composition has clear and effective overall
organization with appropriate transitions.
3. Vocabulary is used effectively and is level
appropriate.
3. It has well-developed, unified paragraphs with
analysis, specific appropriate detail, and effective
reference to and use of source material with correct
citation format. Ideas are logical and substantive.
Most examples go beyond personal experience.
4. The composition has strong control of level
appropriate sentence boundaries, spelling,
and mechanics.
4. The concluding paragraph is logical and well
connected to the theme of the composition.
Grade B: The composition communicates clearly and substantively with good control of both level
appropriate language and content.
Language
Content/Organization
1. There is a variety of level appropriate simple,
1. A good introduction leads to a clear thesis, which
compound and complex sentences with occasional
focuses on the topic.
errors.
2. The composition demonstrates good control of level
appropriate verb tenses, verb forms, word forms, and
word order. Occasional errors occur, but do not
interfere with meaning.
2. The organization is clear, but may be formulaic; there
are appropriate transitions.
3. Vocabulary is level appropriate.
3. Unified body paragraphs mostly support the thesis,
fully develop the main idea and include good use of
source material with correct citation format and only
minor errors. Ideas are logical and analytical.
Examples are not limited to personal experience.
4. The composition has good level appropriate control of
sentence boundaries, spelling, and mechanics.
4. The concluding paragraph is logical and connected to
the theme of the composition.
5/2009
Grade C: The composition communicates with some effort from the reader with adequate control of both
level appropriate language and content.
Language
Content/Organization
1. There is generally correct use of level appropriate
1. An adequate introduction leads to a clear thesis,
complex sentences with some syntactic errors.
which addresses the topic but may be simplistic.
2. Syntactic errors in level appropriate complex
sentences may interfere with meaning somewhat.
2. The organization is generally clear, but may be
uneven or formulaic and lack appropriate transitions.
3. There is generally correct use of level appropriate
verb tenses, verb forms, word forms, and word order,
and any errors may interfere with meaning somewhat.
3. Body paragraphs are unified and support the thesis
although some may be thinly developed. Reference to
source material is adequate and usually cited
correctly. Ideas are logical.
4. Vocabulary is generally level appropriate, but some
word choice errors may occur.
4. The concluding paragraph is logical and connected to
the theme of the composition, but may be simplistic.
5. The composition has adequate, level appropriate
control of sentence boundaries, spelling, and
mechanics.
Grade D: The composition does not communicate clearly due to poor control of level appropriate
language and/or content.
Language
Content/Organization
1. Grammar and sentence structure errors occur
1. The thesis is unfocused or fails to deal adequately
persistently and interfere with meaning.
with the topic.
2. Vocabulary and word form errors occur persistently.
2. The organization is unclear; transitions are misused
or absent.
3. The composition has poor control of sentence
boundaries, spelling, and mechanics.
3. Body paragraphs are undeveloped or inadequate
and/or do not support the thesis. Reference to source
material may be inappropriate or missing. Citations
are often incorrect. Ideas are illogical.
4. The handwriting is persistently illegible.
4. The composition may contain evidence of accidental
plagiarism.
5. The composition is incomplete.
Grade F: The composition fails to communicate because of serious weaknesses in level appropriate
language and/or content.
Language
Content/Organization
1. Grammar, sentence structure, word choice and word
1. The composition contains evidence of deliberate,
form errors occur throughout the composition and
substantive plagiarism.
confuse the reader.
2. The composition has very poor control of sentence
boundaries, spelling, and mechanics.
2. The thesis is off the point, unfocused, or missing.
3. The handwriting is illegible.
3. There is lack of organization or plan.
4. Body paragraphs are severely underdeveloped.
5. Reference to source material is entirely missing.
1
Day/date
Class #
Week
TuTh
1
2
2
3
4
3
5
6
4
7
8
T
AUG 23
TH
AUG 25
SCHEDULE
ESLW 320: ADVANCED-LOW Writing (24220)
7:30 am-9:35 am RS 229
Toupadakis Fall 2011
Assignment
Shaded areas = LAB DAYS for IN-CLASS ESSAYS
Meet directly in RS328 on these days unless plans change.
Introduction to Course
Writing Diagnostic
T
AUG 30
TH
SEP 1
T
SEP 6
TH
SEP 8
T
SEP 13
TH
SEP 15
IN-CLASS ESSAY 1
T
SEP 20
10 TH
SEP 22
5
9
6
11 T
SEP 27
12 TH
SEP 29
7
13 T
OCT 4
14 TH
OCT 6
8
15 T
IN-CLASS ESSAY 2
OCT 11
16 TH
OCT 13
SEMESTER IS HALF OVER
9
17 T
OCT 18
18 TH
OCT 20
10
19 T
OCT 25
20 TH
OCT 27
11
21 T
NOV 1
22 TH
NOV 3
12
23 T
IN-CLASS ESSAY 3
NOV 8
24 TH
NOV 10
TUESDAY, NOV.15 LAST DAY TO DROP WITH A “W”
13
25 T
NOV 15
26 TH
NOV 17
14
27 T
NOV 22
TH
NOV 24
15
THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY
28 T
NOV 29
29 TH
DEC 1
16
30 T
IN-CLASS ESSAY 4
DEC 6
31 TH
DEC 8
LAST REGULAR CLASS BEFORE FINAL.
FINALS WEEK: FRIDAY, DEC. 9 - THURSDAY, DEC. 15
THURSDAY,
DEC. 15, 2011
FINAL EXAM 8:00 AM-10:00 AM
The final exam must be taken on the scheduled day. It cannot be made up for
any reason.