Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center
Foundations for Success Level 3
August 4th– December 17th, 2015
Place and time: T, W, Th in room 301
Instructor: Caitlin Jacobs
A3 9:30am-12:30pm
Email: caitlin.jacobs@bcnc.net
B3 6:00pm-9:00pm
Phone: 617-635-5129 x1037
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------COURSE DESCRIPTION
This class is for intermediate-level learners of English as a Second Language (ESL).
Students will further develop and improve foundational language skills in reading,
writing, listening, and speaking through a variety of real-world contexts. The main goal
is to learn skills for college, career, and personal success. Students will be asked to
participate every day individually, in pairs, and in groups.
GOALS OF THE COURSE
Speaking
Listening
Reading
Writing
Soft skills (skills that
will help you in
college, career, and
life)
Civics
Technology
At the end of this course, students will be able to…
 describe personal experiences in detail.
 engage an interviewer (or partner) with relevant questions and
conversation strategies
 follow oral instructions for different purposes in and outside
the classroom.
 summarize key points in presentations and announcements.
 increase reading rate to at least 200 words per minute.
 change reading rate to fit different purposes.
 follow written instructions for different purposes.
 write short academic reports.
 write formal letters.
 write a formal, detailed, formatted resume and cover letter.
 display professional work habits.
 break down larger tasks into smaller ones.
 evaluate and select college and career options.
 convince and persuade.
 give an effective presentation on an assigned topic.
 budget and invest for college and retirement.
 identify legal and illegal hiring practices.
 write to a government representative.
 demonstrate advanced usage of Microsoft Word.
 create effective PowerPoints.
 identify relevant websites for college and career needs.
 research using the Internet.
CLASS WEBSITE
Our class website is www.BCNC3.weebly.com. Go there to see homework, find useful
links, contact the teacher, download class materials, and more.
1
TEXTBOOK
Understanding and Using English Grammar 4th edition by Betty S. Azar and Stacy A.
Hagen. We will not use this book every day in class, but I hope you will use it often for
self-study. I will tell you when you need to bring the textbook to class.
ATTENDANCE
Please come to class every day. If you miss a class, you are responsible for the things
you missed. I recommend that you find a partner in class who will tell you about the
things you missed. If you know that you need to be absent, please contact the teacher by
email or phone. BCNC policy states that after 5 absences, you will receive a warning.
After 11 absences, you must leave the program. If you miss more than 30 minutes of
class, you will be marked absent.
GRADING & CONTINUING AT BCNC
In this class, we will prepare to succeed in college, career, and life. This means you will
be tested on both your language skills and your professional and academic skills. There
will be homework almost every night and you will write in a journal every week.
If you want to continue studying at BCNC, you must work hard, come to class, and
follow the rules. Your attitude is just as important as your English.
Here is how your final grade for this class will be calculated:
Vocabulary quizzes
10%
Vocabulary notebook
10%
Other quizzes
20%
Tests
25%
Projects
25%
Homework and participation 10%
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FINAL GRADE
100%
COMPUTER LAB
We will try to go to the computer lab in room 410 once a week. We will go during the
second half of class on Thursdays. In the computer lab, we’ll learn Microsoft Office, use
websites to learn English, do research, and more.
LANGUAGE IN THE CLASSROOM
Everyone is here to learn English. The more you use English, the more you will learn.
Please use English at all times in the classroom and ask in English first if you need help.
Follow the rules for staying "on target" in class. Always remember that "language
learning is language use.”
2
SCHEDULE
Fall semester (August 4th– December 17th, 2015)
Class Breaks (No School): 9/7 (Labor Day), 10/12 (Columbus Day), 11/11 (Veteran’s
Day), 11/25-26 (Thanksgiving)
Unit
Getting Ready to Succeed
Weeks
1-4
Academic Reading and
Writing
5-9
Doctors and Hospitals
10-13
Banking and Budgeting
13-16
Choosing a College or
Career
17-20
Primary Goals, Language, and Skills
 Get to know each other
 Set goals
 Use vocabulary learning strategies
 Use good conversation strategies
 Grammar: review basic verb tenses, word
forms, and question forms
 Write and revise academic reports using
Microsoft Word
 Use critical thinking and refer to evidence
 Read faster and choose books for extended
reading
 Grammar: Present perfect tense; simple and
compound sentences; basic writing
mechanics
 Recognize connected speech features and
reduced sounds
 Read and follow doctor’s orders and
medication labels
 Give a presentation about a health topic
 Describe the health insurance system
 Grammar: Present perfect part 2; present
perfect continuous; modal review
 Describe different investment strategies
 Create a budget
 Research financial aid and save for college
 Make charts and graphs in Microsoft Office
 Grammar: Gerunds and infinitives
 Plan steps to reach a college or career goal
 Research companies, career fields, and
colleges online
 Describe equal opportunity employment laws
 Write and present a research report
 Grammar: Complex sentences; connectors
3
Spring semester (January 6th – June 25th 2015)
Unit
Getting Ready to Succeed
(Review)
Weeks
1-2
Creative Thinking and
Writing
3-6
Primary Goals, Language, and Skills
This is the same as fall semester but shorter and with
new activities.
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Housing
6-9
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Starting Your Career
10-13
Advancing Your Career
14-17
Civic Responsibilities
18-21
Course Review and Wrap-Up
22-23
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4
Read and discuss nonfiction
Give a book report
Use media and demonstrations to give a
presentation
Write creatively using descriptive language
Past perfect, past perfect continuous tense;
similes and metaphors; synonyms and
antonyms
Plan steps to buy a home
Describe tenants' rights in MA
Read and explain a standard apartment lease
and residential rules
Write letters of explanation when applying
for a home loan
Phrasal verbs
Research careers online
Write a resume and cover letter
Job interview strategies
Recognize illegal interview questions
Connectors (so, but, either, neither)
Develop habits to get promoted
Research professional development
opportunities
Be a team player and leader on the job
Participial adjectives; present real conditional
Write a formal letter to a government official
Persuade others to join a cause
Research volunteer opportunities
Understand the citizenship process
Passive voice; present unreal conditional; get
+ past participle
Review of major topics
Read, perform, and watch the movie for the
play “12 Angry Men”