SYLLABUS
ENGL 1302 – COMPOSITION 2
Semester: SUMMER 2013
Class: COMP 2
Campus and Room: SaigonTech Tower, Quang Trung Software City, Dist 12, HCM City
Instructor: BUI THI PHUONG THAO
Office Hours: by appointment
Email Address: thaobtp@saigontech.edu.vn
1. Course Overview:
Prerequisite: ENGL 1301
Credit: 3
This is an advanced academic writing course for students majored in all areas at college
level such as Information Technology, International Business, Business Administration, and
Marketing. The course aims to teach students to make effective arguments in writing. They
are expected to defend their claims as directly and efficiently as possible in an
argumentative piece of writing. It is adapted to classroom instruction by helping the
students read and comprehend controversial topics in written texts such as essays, articles,
news reports, editorial opinions, excerpts from online sources … And with their critical
thinking, in their argumentative papers, they present their claims, show evidence for strong
support to their view, and rebut or refute the others’ arguments through finding the
fallacies and flaws in their arguments.
Academic Discipline/CTE Program Learning Outcomes





Write in appropriate genres using varied rhetorical strategies.
Write in appropriate genres to explain and evaluate rhetorical and/or literary
strategies employed in argument, persuasion, and various genres.
Analyze various genres of writing for form, method, meaning, and interpretation.
Employ research in academic writing styles and use appropriate documentation
style.
Communicate ideas effectively through discussion.
2.
Course SLOs and course LOs:
Course SLOs (Students Learning Outcomes)
1
Apply basic principles of rhetorical analysis.
2
Write essays that classify, explain, and evaluate rhetorical and literary strategies
employed in argument, persuasion, and various forms of literature.
3
Identify, differentiate, integrate, and synthesize research materials into
argumentative and/or analytical essays.
4
Employ appropriate documentation style and format across the spectrum of inclass and out-of-class written discourse.
5
Demonstrate library literacy.
LOs (Learning Objectives)
1.1
Identify the author’s thesis/stance on an issue and understanding the notions of
argument elements (CLAIM, SUPPORT, and WARRANT)
1.2
Understand the author’s Claim, Quantifier, Warrant, Backing, and Support
2.1
Construct an outline for an essay based on Toulmin’s model
2.2
Make refutation / rebuttal strategies (Insufficient Claim, Partially Correct Claim,
Completely Incorrect Claim)
2.3
Defend the claim by stating evidence (fact, statistics, expert opinions …)
2.4
Make appeals to needs and values
2.5
Understand flawed logic: Ad Hominem, Over-generalization, Confusing
Correlation and Causation, Post Hoc, Straw-man, Slippery Slope, Non Sequitur,
Two Wrongs Make A Right
2.6
Identify the weaknesses in making inductive conclusions
3.1
Search for relevant documents from various sources
3.2
Extract necessary information from texts for factual evidence
4.1
Steps followed in paraphrasing and summarizing texts
4.2
Documenting the sources of reference information
Avoiding plagiarism via skills in making in – text citations and direct quotations
3.
Textbook:
Rottenberg A.T. & Winchell D.H.( 2009). Elements of Arguments: A Text and Reader. 9th ed.
Boston, New York: Bedford / St. Martins.
4.
Course Evaluation:
Percent
Item
20
2 quizzes
30
2 home assignments
25
Mid-term test
25
Final test
100%
Total
Note on Assignments & Examinations:
Writing submission is accepted only on or before the due dates specified by the instructor.
For each day an assignment is late, one letter grade will be deducted from the assignment
grade. If students are absent from class, they are responsible for making arrangements to
have their work handed in on the due date, and for informing themselves of the
information covered in class during the period of their absence. If a regularly scheduled
examination is missed due to illness (properly and specifically documented in writing from
a medical practitioner), an authorized school activity, or another approved reason, an
opportunity will be provided to make up the exam. No other make-up work will be
assigned or accepted.
Attendance Policy:
Saigon Tech policy stipulates that if a student misses 12.5% of class hours of instruction,
then he/she will be dropped from the course at the instructor’s discretion
Grade Equivalents:
Grade
Score
A-Excellent
90-100 %
B-Good
80-89 %
C-Fair
70-79 %
F-Fail
0-69 %
Course Calendar: 12 weeks (4 hours/week)
WEEK
Week 1
TEACHING CONTENT
ASSIGNMENTS &
QUIZES
Thursday (13 June, 2013)
COURSE ORIENTATION
CHAPTER ONE: (pp. 3-30)
The Nature of Argument & Why Study Argument
Friday (14 June, 2013)
The terms of argument
Practice (pp 14 – 15)
Reading a model text (Handout A)
Week 2
Thursday (20 June, 2013)
Sample analysis: Why US Health Care Costs aren’t Too
High? (pp. 28-29)
Identifying CLAIM, SUPPORT & WARRANT from the
article
Friday (21 June, 2013)
CHAPTER TWO (pp. 31 – 56)
STRATEGIES FOR COMPREHENDING
ARGUMENTS (pp. 36 – 37)
Week 3
Thursday (27 June, 2013)
STRATEGIES FOR EVALUATING ARGUMENTS (pp
41– 43)
Friday (28 June, 2013)
Sample Annotated Essay: No – Win Situations
(pp. 49 – 53)
Week 4
Thursday (4 July, 2013)
Quiz ONE
CHAPTER FOUR (pp. 80 – 101)
Writing the Claim
Friday ( 5 July, 2013)
Planning the structure
Model Reading Text and Analysis (Handout B)
Week 5
Thursday (11 July, 2013)
Providing support (summarizing, paraphrasing, quoting,
documenting your sources)
Assignment ONE
due
Friday (12 July, 2013)
Group Presentation
Practice – Defending the claim, refuting the opposing
view, making support
Week 6
Thursday (18 July, 2013)
CHAPTER FIVE (pp. 122 – 137)
DEFINITION Practice (Handout C)
Friday (19 July, 2013)
MIDTERM EXAM
Week 7
Thursday (25 July, 2013)
CHAPTER SIX (pp. 157 – 210)
Types of Claims
Friday (26 July, 2013)
Feedbacks on the Midterm Exam
Practice – Writing the Claims
Week 8
Thursday (1 August, 2013)
Sample Annotated Essay: CLAIM of VALUE
Friday (2 August, 2013)
CHAPTER SEVEN (pp. 211 – 233)
Types of Support
Quiz ONE
Feedbacks
Week 9
Thursday (8 August, 2013)
Evidence & Evaluation of Evidence
Practice – Interpretations of the Facts (pp. 215 – 220)
Friday (9 August, 2013)
Appeals to Needs & Values
Evaluation of Appeals to needs and values
Week 10 Thursday (15 August, 2013)
CHAPTER EIGHT (pp. 272 – 283)
What are Warrants?
Quiz TWO
Types of Warrants (Handout D)
Assignment TWO
due
Friday (16 August, 2013)
CHAPTER NINE (pp. 322 – 350)
Logical Fallacies – Identification Practice
Week 11 Thursday (22 August, 2013)
REVIEW
Assignment TWO
Feedbacks
Friday (23 August, 2013)
Quiz TWO
Feedbacks
FINAL EXAM
Week 12 Thursday (29 August, 2013)
FINAL EXAM CORRECTION & FEEDBACKS
Friday (30 August, 2013)
ORAL PRESENTATION
Exam Format Sample: (may be slightly modified by instructor if necessary)
Exam
Exam Type
Open/Closed
book
Format &
Content
Duration Points
(minutes)
Mid-term
Paper-based
Open
Essay
90
100
Final
Paper-based
Open
Essay
90
100