Elahi
English 97
English 97: Introduction to College English and Reading Skills
Welcome to English 97! 
Professor Nadia Elahi
Los Angeles City College-FALL 2013
Mondays and Wednesdays 3:30 pm - 6:45 pm, Section #1632, Room JH211
Office: JH301-G Phone: EXT 2717
Email: elahink@lacitycollege.edu
Course Description:
Students will be introduced to English fundamentals in formal academic writing, focusing on
basic grammar, reading, and writing skills. There will also be an introduction to English
grammar, college vocabulary, and academic writing skills as well as instruction in
comprehending expository articles, narratives, and college–level textbook material.
Prerequisite: English 20 or an appropriate placement score. Advisory: English 47 or English 67.
Course Objectives:
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
1. Identify main ideas and major details; recognize the difference between what a text says
or implies and what a reader infers; identify minor details and recognize the difference
between major and minor details; recognize the difference between explicit and implicit
meanings.
2. Develop skimming skills, vocabulary and summarizing strategies; develop reading skills
for inference strategies, paraphrasing strategies, SQ3R study technique and scanning
techniques; develop rapid reading techniques.
3. Apply summarizing strategies to expository articles; apply paraphrasing and summarizing
to expository articles; integrate personal experiences with others’; learning how to
identify with others whose experiences may be different from “the norm,” apply SQ3R
study technique to textbook excerpts; apply rapid reading techniques to works of fiction;
synthesize various reading practices.
4. Develop a plan for how to write a paper; adjusting plan as needed as the essay is being
composed; compose essays appropriate for a college setting.
Student Learning Outcome for English 97:
Plan and write an academic essay of 400-700 words.
Required Texts:
Foundations First, 4th. Kirszner/Mandell, The Help (Stockett), and Rules for Writers 7th ed.
(Hacker/Sommers, LACC bundled edition). Also, supplemental readings will be given in class or
uploaded to Etudes.
Materials/Supplies: One green book for the final exam, any college dictionary/thesaurus,
notebook or binder with loose leaf paper, pens or pencils, stapler, and a flash drive to SAVE
ALL WORK.
Course Requirements:
Papers/Exams: There will be 3 out of class essays, a mid-term, and a final exam. All out
of class essays must be typed, double-spaced, using Times New Roman or Arial with a
12 point font, and a 1-inch margin all the way around. We will use MLA format. Essays
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must be stapled and turned in on the due date. Assignment Sheets for each essay will be
uploaded to Etudes (throughout the semester) with specific instructions and guidelines to
follow. Students are responsible to download and retrieve those assignments when
announced. If an Essay is NOT turned in on the due date, the essay may be accepted the
next class day only, BUT with a 10 point deduction. There are no make ups for
missing the mid-term or the final exam.
Peer Review Groups: Each student must bring in 4 copies of his/her completed rough
draft of the out of class essay. Peer groups are essential to the writing and revision
process. This is an in class activity and participation is mandatory. Of the 4 copies, one
is presented to the instructor and the other 3 are peer reviewed by classmates in groups of
4. Peer Review Editing Sheets will be supplied to each group on the rough draft due
date.
Group Presentations: Each student will be assigned to a small group (randomly selected
by the instructor) that will lead class discussion toward the end of the semester on the
novel The Help (more details TBA later on Etudes). You will receive both a group and
individual grade. There are no make ups for these presentations.
Homework/Class Work: Class work: includes in-class writing & activities/class
participation and discussion. Basically, class work is anything that happens during 3:306:45 pm. Any work missed during class time cannot be made up. Reading and
grammar quizzes will be unannounced—there are no make ups for being absent or
late to class and missing a quiz. Participation: Each student is expected to contribute to
class discussion—aside from volunteering, you will be called upon at times—so be
prepared!  Homework: Homework assignments are listed on the Assignment
Schedule, but will be announced toward the end of each class IF there are any changes.
Otherwise, follow the calendar of assignments. Homework is due at the start of each
class session. Late homework is NOT accepted. If you are absent, you do have the
opportunity to email your work BEFORE the end of class (6:45 pm); this includes
essay assignments as well.
Attendance and Classroom Policy: It is imperative that you attend each session.
Students who fail to be present on the first day of class may be dropped from the course.
If you miss the first 2 days, you will be dropped, and your spot will be given to someone
else wanting to add. However, if you miss more than 3 classes before the dropped date,
you may be dropped from the course. Excused absences will only be allowed with a
doctor’s note which must include the class date of your absence. Tardiness will not
be tolerated in this class. If you are not in class when I call roll—you are late. I call
roll promptly at the start of class. Three tardies will be counted as an absence—no
exceptions. If you arrive after I’ve taken roll, it is your responsibility to tell me after
class or you will be marked absent. Also, if you leave class early for any reason, you
will be marked absent.
Classroom Etiquette: There will be no eating in class. You may drink
sodas/coffee/water, but please discard waste in trash bins when you leave the classroom.
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Please turn off or silence (not vibrate) all electronic devices—no texting, no emailing,
no IPods or ear phones. Hide your phones—not in your lap.  If you are caught
using your phone, you will receive a warning; the second time, you will be dismissed
from the entire class and receive no credit for worked missed. Laptops may be used
but only for note taking. If I see the abuse of laptop usage in class—in other words—
if you’re NOT taking notes, then you will be asked to refrain from using the laptop
again. Please avoid too much walking in and out of class; be attentive, and show respect
to the instructor and fellow classmates; however, there will be a 15 minute break half way
through the class. Do not begin packing up until class is dismissed. We are all here to
learn. No individual among us has the right to interfere with anyone else’s learning
environment. A student who is behaving inappropriately will be asked to leave and may
be dismissed from the class. Be the kind of student you would respect.
Email Etiquette: Keep in mind that this is an English class, and if you do need to contact
me through email, as your English instructor, I strongly advise you to put your best foot
forward. In other words, you should adhere to correct spelling, grammar and usage—no
text lingo, please. When you do email me, please include your name and class in the
subject line and be sure to sign your emails.
Office Hours: My office is located in JH302-F. If you need to speak with me outside of
class, you can come in on Mondays and Wednesdays between 1 - 1:30 pm or on
Tuesdays and Thursdays between 1 – 3:15 pm. If these times are not accommodating for
you, I may be able to meet at a different time or day. Just email or call me, and we can
work something out.
YOU are required to be responsible for any work you miss when you are absent or tardy.
Therefore, you should exchange numbers/email addresses with at least 2 fellow
classmates:
1._______________________________________________
2._______________________________________________
Breakdown of Grades:
Final Exam = 200 points
3 Out of Class Essays = 100 points each
Mid-term = 100 points
Homework and Class work = 100 points
Includes:
 Group Presentation (100 points)
 Various reading and writing assignments from the homework (points vary for
each assignment)
 Rough Drafts (20 points each)—must be present—do not email or leave in
mailbox if absent—in class activities.
 Grammar/Punctuation and Reading Quizzes (points vary depending on the
quiz & quizzes are unannounced)
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
Various class work assignments throughout each class session—no make ups
(points vary)
 Attendance, discussion and class participation (50 points)
FINAL GRADE is determined by the following procedure: average of the essays (out of class) +
average of homework and class work + mid-term + final exam. The total is divided by 500,
which equals the final grade.
Grading Scale: English 97 is a six-unit course that is graded as Credit (“C”) or No Credit
(“NC”). Students must receive at least 70% or better to pass the course and receive credit. The
grading scale is as follows: 100-90=A; 89-80=B; 79-70=C; 69-60=D, 59-below=F
*Extra Credit is not offered in this course.
Academic Dishonesty:
Violations of Academic Integrity include, but are not limited to, the following actions: cheating
on an exam, plagiarism, working together on an assignment, paper or project when the instructor
has specifically stated students should not do so, submitting the same term paper to more than
one instructor, or allowing another individual to assume one's identity for the purpose of
enhancing one's grade. Cheating and plagiarizing will earn you an automatic F for the
assignment and could be grounds to fail the entire course. If you need help, visit the Writing
Center (JH 318).
Writing Center - J318
The Writing Center is located on the 3rd floor of Jefferson Hall, and if you choose to enroll in
English 67, you can receive tutoring and assistance there. It is highly recommended to take
advantage of this extra help. However, instructors in the Writing Center will not “edit” or
correct your papers. They are there to help you better improve your essays, not “fix” them.
Office of Special Services:
Any student who feels she/he may need an academic accommodation based on the impact of a
disability should contact the Office of Special Services (OSS) at 323-953-4000, ext. 2270 or visit
their office in room SSV 100.
Important Dates and Information:
The deadline to drop without a “W” is the last day of Week 2 (of the semester), which is Sunday,
September 8th for Fall 2013. If you must drop a course, drop before the specified deadline for
dropping a class without a grade of "W." Dropping after Week 2 will result in a “W” on your
transcript. Effective since July 1, 2012 students now have just 3 attempts to pass a class. If a
student gets a "W" or grade of "D", "F", “I”, or "NP" in a class, that will count as an attempt. A
student’s past record of course attempts district wide will also be considered. Therefore, before
the end of Week 2 you should carefully consider if you can reasonably manage this course with
the other factors in your life (e.g. work, family, course load). If you think you will not be able
to complete this course with a C or better, drop by Sunday, September 8th. If you have any
questions, please don’t hesitate to talk to me. You may also see a counselor in the Counseling
Center in AD 108.
Short-term classes: Drop dates for short-term classes are not the same as full semester classes.
For specific deadline dates, please contact the Admissions Office.
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Note the following Dates:
Last day to add a class: September 9
Last day to drop a class with a full refund: September 8
Last day to drop a class without a “W” on record: September 8
Last day to drop a class with a “W” on record: November 18 online
Final Exam day: Monday, December 9, 5 pm – 7 pm
If you need help paying for books and other college expenses,
call the Financial Aid Office at
(323) 953-4000 extension 2010,
or see them at Student Services Village room 117
http://www.lacitycollege.edu/stusvcs/finaid/
“Go confidently into the direction of your dreams! Live the life you always imagined.”-Thoreau
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