Pasadena City College
Languages Division
Spring 2013
ESL 122 (#4865) Grammar and Writing III
Class Meets: Tuesday, Thursday 7 to 9:30 a.m. in R217
Instructor: Charlene Potter, E-mail: cmpotter@pasadena.edu
Office Location and Hours: W105-H: Tuesday, Thursday 9:30-12, Friday 8:35-9:05 a.m.
Direct Office Line and Voicemail: 626-585-3388
COURSE DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES (You must also register for ESL 403, Section #4546,
Thursday 10-11:05 a.m. in D306 with Prof. McGaharn. ESL 403 must be taken as a P/NP class. Students
are responsible for enrolling themselves for Credit/No Credit for ESL 403. ESL 122 can be taken for a
grade.
ESL 122 is a third level grammar and writing course designed for students who are at the high
intermediate level of English. The course focuses on grammar, controlled composition, and reading.
Students study increasingly complex grammatical structures and incorporate these structures into essays
of three paragraphs (approximately 250 - 300 words.) Students will improve their reading comprehension
(both fiction and non-fiction) and will develop writing skills such as the organization and development of a
topic with unity and coherence. Students will use common transition markers for time and sequence.
REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS and MATERIALS
Understanding and Using English Grammar Volume A, 4th edition, 2009 by B. Azar (~$32 in bookstore,
with answer key ~ $8)
Weaving It Together, Book 3, 3rd edition, 2009 by M. Broukal (~$41 in bookstore)
An English-English dictionary like Collins Cobuild School Dictionary of American English
Dark blue or black pens and a stapler. Please do not use pencil for any work to be handed in.
Please get accounts for TurnItIn.com and Engrade.com. Buy 5 Scantrons (#882-E), a #2 pencil, and a
good eraser.
Make sure you have Internet access to Canvas as well.
ATTENDANCE
To successfully complete this course, attendance and participation are essential. You are expected to
arrive at class on time. If you are late or absent, you cannot fully participate. You are entirely responsible
for missed work due to any absence. Contact your classmates. If you exceed 4 absences during the
semester, you may not receive credit. This is considered excess absence according to PCC policy.
Coming late to class or leaving early contributes to your absences. 3 tardies or early departures count as
an absence.
HOMEWORK
Homework will be assigned regularly, and it is not to be done in class. Late assignments will be marked
down a full letter grade for each day they are late. All assignments should be neatly written or typed on
lined 8.5" x 11" loose-leaf, double-spaced, and stapled. Write your full name, student ID number, class
number, and the date in the top right corner of each assignment. This information should be singlespaced. Students must always do test corrections to be handed in the following class meeting. Essay
revisions must be submitted to TurnItIn.com or Canvas. Follow your instructor’s instructions.
GRADING In order to pass this class, you must get a grade of C or better and pass the final exams.
A 90%-100% Excellent, B 80%-89% Very Good, C 70%-79% Satisfactory, D 60%-69% Unsatisfactory, F
59% and below Fail
6-7 Quizzes
4 In-class Essays
ESL Center work, working with tutors, attendance, participation, and homework, and ESL 403
Final Grammar Exam*
Final Essay Exam*
20%
40%
10%
10%
20%
ESL 122 p.2
Please note that there will be no make-up exams, quizzes, or essays. During exams and quizzes,
you should not talk to any other students or copy anything for any reason. This constitutes cheating. No
cheating, plagiarizing, or falsifying work of any kind will be tolerated. A grade of zero will be given along
with a referral to the office of the Vice-President of Instruction. Your cell phone should be off.
CLASSROOM ETIQUETTE
Respect for each other is vital for a productive learning environment. All cell phones and pagers must be
turned off during class time. Only enrolled students may be present in this class. Drinks are acceptable as
long as garbage is put in its place. If this privilege is abused, it will be revoked. No eating is allowed
during class time. If you are late, enter the class quietly and notify the instructor at the break or after
class. An absence must be changed to tardy on the same day, or it will remain an absence.
TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE
We will cover about one chapter every week in the grammar book and one reading per week along with
vocabulary and comprehension questions that will be assigned weekly. If you do not do the reading,
you will not be able to pass the quizzes on the vocabulary and comprehension questions. We will
cover approximately one chapter from each book every week, so please bring both books to every class.
We will have in-class essays and quizzes on both the grammar and the readings every two weeks.
PLEASE GET THE NAMES AND CONTACT INFORMATION OF AT LEAST 5 OF YOUR
CLASSMATES.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
ESL 122 Student Learning Outcomes
1. Students will be able to identify the main and supporting ideas of a level-appropriate
text.
2. Using process techniques, students will be able to write a composition developing a
single idea with good organization and appropriate support.
3. Students will be able to locate appropriate reference sources using the library and
Internet.
4. Students will use correct grammar, appropriate vocabulary, and a variety of sentence
structures to communicate ideas effectively.
5. Students will demonstrate awareness of themselves as responsible, self-directed
language learners through class participation and self-assessment.