Contra Costa College
Course Description and Syllabus
ESL-129 Listening/Speaking 3 – 4 units
Semester:
Instructor:
Office:
Office Hours:
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E-Mail:
Class Dates:
Holidays:
Schedule:
Final Exam:
Advisory: Successful completion of ESL 126 or appropriate score on ESL Placement Test
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course provides instruction in listening and speaking for high-intermediate ESL students. Special
attention is given to oral production (including pronunciation) and aural comprehension.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES:
1. Students will be able to do a 5-7 minute oral presentation on a current issue of their choice.
2. Students will be able to demonstrate comprehension of an introductory academic lecture.
Course Objectives:
At the completion of the course, you will be able to:
1. Demonstrate comprehension of introductory academic lectures by taking effective notes,
summarizing & answering comprehension questions.
2. Maintain an extended face-to-face conversation on a variety of topics.
3. Discuss a variety of current issues.
4. Express an opinion and use relevant information to support a point of view.
5. Present a 5-7 minute speech on a topic of their choice.
METHODS OF INSTRUCTION:
1. Guided activities incorporating audio-visual and text materials
2. Pair and small group work
3. Lecture
TEXTBOOK AND SUPPLIES:
1. Textbook: Interactions II Listening/Speaking, 5th ed.,
2. Instructor-prepared handouts
GRADES AND ASSIGNMENTS:
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Tests and quizzes - 40%
Speaking assessment – 20%
Homework – 20 %
Final Exam – 20%
A letter grade will be assigned based on the following categories: 90-100% = A,
80-89% = B, 70-79% = C, 60-69% = D, below 60% = F. Students who choose
the Credit/No Credit option will receive CR for an average of 70% and above,
or NC for an average of 69% or below.
Course expectations: [Optional – can be modified]
I expect you to be present in every class meeting and participate actively in class activities. You must
come to class on time and complete your homework before class begins. This is a four-unit course, so you
will have to spend approximately eight hours a week doing homework and preparing for class.
Attendance policy: If you miss class often, regardless of the reason, you will not learn the material
covered by the course. For that reason, there are no excused absences in this course. If you miss more
than three class meetings/six hours of class, you may be dropped from the class. When you are late to
class, I will add up the number of minutes you miss. Each fifty-minute period will count as an hour of
class. If you miss class, contact a classmate or me to find out what the homework is. I expect you to
complete the homework even if you miss class.
When students are late, unprepared, or distracted, they can’t learn and they don’t let other students learn, so we
must all do our part to create a good learning environment. This includes respecting and supporting other
members of the class, doing our share of the work in groups, staying on task, speaking English, and listening to
the instructor or other students when they are speaking to the class. Telephones and beepers must be turned off
and put away before class begins.