Academic Note-Taking and Presentation II
ESL 036 01
FALL 20115
Classes begin 9/2/15 and end 12/11/15.
Academic Calendar Link: http://www.rcc.mass.edu/current-students/academic-calendar-students
You are advised to retain a copy of this syllabus in your personal files for use when applying for future
degrees, certifications, or transfer of credit.
Instructor Information:
Instructor:
Andrew English
Email:
aenglish@rcc.mass.edu
Phone: 617-427-0060 EXT. 5120
Office Location: 3-201E
Office Hours: Monday, Wednesday and Friday 8:00-8:30, Monday and Wednesday 11:45-1:00,
Tuesday and Thursday by appointment.
Class Schedule: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 9:30-10:20, Room 522
RCC Website: www.rcc.mass.edu
Communication: Throughout the semester, I will communicate with you via your RCC email account.
Please review the following link for assistance on using your email account:
http://www.rcc.mass.edu/current-students/electronic-tool-box/email
Course Description: This is the second Academic Note-Taking and Presentation course of the
ESOL sequence. Students will take classroom notes from a variety of content areas and give oral
presentations based on their notes. This low-advanced course is designed for students with a
strong foundation in spoken English who require practice and direction to integrate grammatical
structures accurately into spoken English as preparation for success in college courses.
This course does not satisfy degree requirements.
Prerequisites: ESL 026 or placement.
Credits: 3
All students must:
 have an RCC e-mail account and check it regularly
 purchase the book; photocopied pages are unacceptable and a violation of copyright laws.
 do all homework. If you are absent from class you must contact the instructor so you do not fall
behind.
 turn off all beepers and cell phones when in class.
 Take quizzes and exams and do all listening, writing, and speaking assignments
Required Texts:
-Quest I Listening and Speaking with CD , 2nd edition by L. Blass and P. Hartmann, McGraw Hill, ISBN 007-353392-0
- Longman's Dictionary of American English, Longman, White Plains, NY, ISBN 0-13-170344-7
Additional Materials:
- Quest I Listening and Speaking audio CD
- Focus on Grammar audio files/CD and interactive program
- Teacher authored materials
- Materials found in the language lab and online
Course Topics and Tentative Course Schedule:
The following 7 units will be covered in this course. We will spend approximately 2 weeks on each unit.
Presentations based on the unit themes will be given throughout the semester. Students will be told of the
presentation dates well in advance. This schedule may be modified according to the pace and needs of the
class.
Andrew English, Roxbury Community College,
1
Academic Note-Taking and Presentation II
ESL 036 01
FALL 20115
Theme
Topic
Introduction
Getting
Started
Business
Career
Planning
Business
The Global
Economy
Biology
Animal
Behavior
Biology
Nutrition
U.S. History
The Days of
Slavery
U.S. History
U.S. History
through Film
Listening/Notetaking
Strategies
 Listening for
main ideas
 Understanding
fast speech
 Taking notes
using a
graphic
organizer
 Taking notes
using an
outline
 Organizing
your notes
 Listening for
supporting
information
 Identifying
causal chains
 Understanding
emotion from
tone of voice
 Including
details
 Listening for
numerical
information
 Guessing
meaning from
context
 Getting the
main ideas
from an
introduction
 Listening for
examples
 Listening for
dates
 Review:
Taking lecture
notes
Speaking
Strategies
Tag questions
Giving advice
Critical Thinking
Strategies




Outlining
Eye
contact
Using non-verbal
communication
Giving more
information:
reasons or
examples

Interpreting
tables
Recognizing
literal and
figurative
meanings
Brainstorming

Making
inferences
 Understanding
a speaker’s
point of view
Comparing sources of
information
Giving and
getting feedback
Using a timeline
Talking about
symbols
Synthesizing
Teaching Procedures: A variety of methods will be used in this class. Audio and video files in the language
lab and online will be utilized. Using appropriate grammatical structures, students will be expected to answer
and generate questions about audio and video files and discuss their content. Students will also be expected
to give oral presentations throughout the semester. Special attention will be given to the content and
language of these presentations. Students will engage in additional speaking and listening/note-taking
activities with academic applications as a substantial focus. Classes will include the regular use of problem
solving group discussions. Students will work in pairs and/or small groups and report back to the class as a
whole.
Andrew English, Roxbury Community College,
2
Academic Note-Taking and Presentation II
ESL 036 01
FALL 20115
Minimum Standard Set of Instructional Objectives: By the end of the course, students will be able, given
a question or other prompt in spoken or written English, to answer orally or in writing with the appropriate
content and correct grammar from the list of functions and structures below. Authentic language use and
grammatical accuracy will play an important part in the course.
Structures:
Grammar Structures to be
Introduced or Mastered
Functions
Reinforcing articles, as
well as, reinforcing
question formation
-
Simple and continuous
present perfect
Future real conditional
Hope (I hope you will
use these guidelines.)
Simple and continuous
past perfect
Reported speech
(statements)
-
Activities
(Instructor should choose
several from this list
which seem most
appropriate and useful to
class.)
Talk about past events in
detail, juxtaposing times
Ask for and give
clarification
Express desires
Ask questions
Taking notes from short
academic lectures
-
-
-
-
Required:
Give an oral presentation
based on an interview
with a student enrolled in
a college-level course in
the LAN student’s major.
Special attention will be
given to the content and
language of this interview.
Engage in additional
speaking and listening
activities with academic
applications as a
substantial focus,
including some notetaking practice.
Regular use of role plays
and problem solving
group discussions.
Suggested:
Use the language lab
Discuss the students’
majors.
Read, summarize orally,
and answer questions on
written material.
Generate oral questions
on a given topic
Give several oral
presentations.
-
Evaluation: Grades will depend on the amount and quality of the work done by the student. A passing grade
of “D” represents a minimum of 70% mastery of objectives. Your final grade will be determined in the
following manner:
Tests (written, spoken, and listening)
Final Project and Presentation
Written reports and papers
:25%
:20%
:10%
Andrew English, Roxbury Community College,
3
Academic Note-Taking and Presentation II
ESL 036 01
FALL 20115
Oral presentations
Homework
Attendance and class participation
:35%
:05%
:05%
Tentative Test Schedule: We will spend approximately 2 weeks on each unit. Tests and/or presentations
will be given at the end of most units. This schedule may be modified according to the pace and needs of the
class.
Attendance Policy: Students are expected to attend all classes. Students who miss more than 6 classes may
not receive a passing grade for this course.
Observations: Classes will meet promptly at 9:30. Students are expected to attend all classes. Attendance
will be taken every day. Attendance is extremely important since in each class various grammatical points,
and speaking, listening, and notetaking strategies will be discussed. If you are absent it is your responsibility
to find out the assignment(s) and to complete it by the date it is due. Prolonged or frequent absences will
result in the lowering of your grade or failure and consequently may affect your Financial Aid.
English is the only language to be used in the classroom!
Cell phones are to be turned off during class time!
Andrew English, Roxbury Community College,
4