Saigon Institute of Technology
http://www.saigontech.edu.vn
Houston Community College
http://csci.hccs.edu
WRITING - Level 4
SYLLABUS
Semester: FALL 2009
Class:
Campus and Room:
Days & Times:
Instructor:
Telephone:
Office Hours: By appointment
Email Address:
1. Course overview
This course deals with writing techniques for students at the upper-intermediate level. Each lesson
combines communicative activities with skill-building exercises to boost students’ academic
success.
2. Course Objectives
By the end of the course, the students will have learned many writing techniques that will be useful
for writing upper-intermediate-level paragraphs and essays.
3. Required textbook
Great Essays by Keith S. Folse, Elena Vestri Solomon and April Muchmore-Vokoun.2004.
Supplementary materials:
Mosaic 2. Silver Edition by Laurie-Blass & Meredith Pike-Baky. McGraw Hill. 2007.
Effective Academic Writing 3 – the Essay, by Jason Davis & Rhonda Liss, OUP, 2006.
4. Assessment
%
35 Mid-term Test
40 Final Test
25 On-going assessment
Item
10%
15%
Class participation
2 (Quizzes or Mini-tests or Assignments)
100 Total
Notes on Ongoing Assessment & Examinations
 Ongoing Assessment
Ongoing assessment is the process of providing students with clear responses to their
understanding performances in a way that will help to improve next performances. Quizzes tests,
homework assignments and mini tests also play an important role in assessment. Class
discussions, peer assessment, self-assessments, student participation and countless others can
be used to informally gauge students’ performance. All of these types of assessment can be useful
in teaching as long as they fit into the criteria above.
 Examinations
Examinations will be held mid-semesterly and at the end of the semester. Students should
familiarize themselves with SaigonTech’s GE Examination Policy which outlines issues related to
the conduct of Exams.
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5. Grade Equivalents
Grade
Score
A
90-100 %
B
80-89 %
C
70-79 %
F
0-69 %
6. Make-up - ‘Ongoing Assessment’ Tasks & Exams Policy
Make-up ‘ongoing assessment’ tasks and exams will only be facilitated for individual students in
cases of absolute emergency, supported by verifiable written proof - a letter from a medical
practitioner, for example - attesting to the student’s inability to fulfill a commitment. In
circumstances like this, the student must contact the General English Department at the earliest
opportunity, generally NO LATER THAN ONE DAY, after the missed assessment task or exam.
Without verifiable documentation supporting the existence of an absolute emergency, students
who fail to complete an ongoing assessment task or attend their scheduled exam will receive a
zero score.
7. Make-up Classes
Make-up classes are not permitted without prior consent from the Chair of SaigonTech’s GE
Department. In instances where an Instructor is absent, due to illness for example, every effort is
made to provide a substitute Instructor in order to avoid students being inconvenienced through
having to attend a make-up class at a later date.
8. Cell Phones, Pagers, Tape Recorders
Please turn cell phones and pagers off before entering class. Tape recorders may be used only
with instructor’s permission.
9. Scholastic Dishonesty
According to the Student Handbook for the Houston Community College System, scholastic
dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating on a test, plagiarism, and collusion.
a. Cheating on a test includes:
 Copying from another student’s test paper and using materials not authorized by the
person giving the test.
 Collaborating with another student during a test without authority.
 Knowingly using, buying, selling, stealing, transporting, or soliciting in whole or part the
contents of an unadministered test.
 Bribing another person to obtain a test that is to be administered.
b. Plagiarism means the presentation of another’s words or ideas as one’s own new ideas or
words without crediting the source of that work in one’s own written work offered for credit.
c. Collusion means the unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing written
work offered for credit. Possible punishments for scholastic dishonesty may include a grade
of 0 or F for the particular assignment, failure in the course, and/or recommendation for
probation or dismissal from this institution.
10. Student Grievances
Students who wish to complain about any aspect of their education should first speak with their
instructor. If the situation remains unresolved, then the student has the right to file a student
grievance with the administration.
Read your Student Handbook paying particular attention to the section on Student Policies. Within
this section is a segment on Grievance Procedure as well as one on Academic Dishonesty. It is
important that you familiarize yourself with both your rights and responsibilities as a student. The
Student Handbook is available from the main office.
This class aims to establish and maintain a positive learning environment based upon
communication and mutual respect. It will be conducted in accordance with Saigon Tech's
commitment to social justice and academic honesty. Therefore, the above procedures will be
applied throughout the course.
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11. Course calendar (42 instruction hours + 3 hours for mid-term and final exams)
Abbreviations: pp. pages.
N.B.
1/ All students are to check email for the sample test emailed out in Week 6, print it out
and do it at home as homework and take it to class in Week 7 for instructors’
explanation and correction.
2/ Test Schedule will be informed to the students and instructors one week before the
exam.
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DATE
WEEK
14-19
Sep
1
Course Introduction
Unit 1 (pp. 1-36)
Exploring the Essay
Unit 1 (pp. 1-36- cont.)
Exploring the Essay
21-26
Sep
2
Unit 1 (pp. 1-36- cont.)
Exploring the Essay
Unit 1 (pp. 1-36- cont.)
Exploring the Essay
28 Sep
– 3 Oct
3
Unit 2 (pp. 37-62)
Narrative Essays
Unit 2 (pp. 37-62- cont.)
Narrative Essays
4
Unit 2 (pp. 37-62- cont.)
Narrative Essays
Unit 2 (pp. 37-62- cont.)
Narrative Essays
12-17
Oct
5
Unit 3 (pp. 63-85)
Comparison Essays
Unit 3 (pp. 63-85- cont.)
Comparison Essays
19-24
Oct
6
Unit 3 (pp. 63-85- cont.)
Comparison Essays
Unit 3 (pp. 63-85- cont.)
Comparison Essays
7
Unit 3 (pp. 63-85- cont.)
Comparison Essays
MIDTERM TEST REVIEW
SAMPLE TEST CORRECTION
02-07
Nov
8
MIDTERM TEST
Unit 3 (pp. 63-85- cont.)
Comparison Essays
09-14
Nov
9
Unit 4 (pp. 86-108)
Cause- Effect essays
Unit 4 (pp. 86-108- cont.)
Cause- Effect essays
10
Unit 4 (pp. 86-108- cont.)
Cause- Effect essays
Unit 4 (pp. 86-108- cont.)
Cause- Effect essays
11
Unit 4 (pp. 86-108- cont.)
Cause- Effect essays
Unit 4 (pp. 86-108- cont.)
Cause- Effect essays
Nov- 5
Dec
12
Unit 5 (pp. 109-128)
Argumentative essays
Unit 5 (pp. 109-128- cont.)
Argumentative essays
07-12
Dec
13
Unit 5 (pp. 109-128- cont.)
Argumentative essays
Unit 5 (pp. 109-128- cont.)
Argumentative essays
14-19
Dec
14
Unit 5 (pp. 109-128- cont.)
Argumentative essays
Unit 5 (pp. 109-128- cont.)
Argumentative essays
21-26
Dec
15
FINAL TEST REVIEW
FINAL TEST
28-30
Dec
16
FINAL TEST
5-10
Oct
26-31
Oct
16-21
Nov
23-28
Nov
30
Stage 1
SESSION 1
SESSION 2
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