Santa Monica College
Intermediate Composition
Spring 2008
ESL 21A Section 2106
Dates: 2/15-6/6
F 11:30-2:35
Location: ESL 105
Office Hours: By Appointment
Instructor: Philipp Stolz
Main Office: ESL 106
 310.434.4260 (Emergencies only)
 stolz_phil@smc.edu
Web: www.homepage.smc.edu/stolz_phil
Prerequisites: Passing grade in ESL 11B or Eng. 81, or ESL Assessment Group B.
Course Description: ESL 21A is high-intermediate writing course for non-native speakers of
English who place at the B level on the SMC ESL Placement Exam or who successfully
complete ESL 11A/B. ESL 21A is the first part of a two-semester course, ESL 21A/B, that
emphasizes essay-writing, reading, editing/revision, and critical thinking. (3 unit course,
UC/CSU transferable).
Materials
Required:
Quest 3 Listening and Speaking, 2nd ed. by Laurie Blass and Pamela Hartmann, McGraw-Hill,
2007. ISBN: 0-07-3253316 A copy of the text is on 2-hour reserve in the SMC library. Call
#PE1128 .Q43 2007.
(NOTE: The disc is on reserve Call #PE1128 .Q43 2007 DISC)
Quest 3 Reading and Writing, 2nd ed. by Pamela Hartmann and Laurie Blass, McGraw-Hill,
2007. ISBN: 0-07-325303-0 A copy of the text is on 2-hour reserve in the SMC library. Call #
PE1128 .Q44 2007
Recommended: A good portable English-English dictionary such as the Cambridge Dictionary
of American English, The Newbury House Dictionary of American English or Longman
Dictionary.
-You must buy new textbooks. Please bring these textbooks to class every day.
-4 blue books
-journal folder
Assignments
Essays: There will be 3-4 in-class essays based on assigned readings. You must write each essay
in a separate blue book. All in-class essays must be revised at home. Rewrites must be typed;
late papers will be accepted for grading, but penalized by a 10% grade reduction per day. It is a
good idea to see a writing tutor, to get help with your essays. You can make appointments to
work with the tutors online at www.smc.edu/esl . When seeing a tutor, be sure to get a receipt,
and submit it with your essay.
Tests: You must take the final exam to pass the course. The final exam is given on the last day
of class during regular class time. There will be 3 tests based on the information from the
textbooks and the topics discussed in class.
!Homework
Remember: When completing your work you must adhere to the SMC Code of Academic
Conduct regarding plagiarism and cheating.
You will be required to complete homework on a regular basis. There will be quizzes on the
textbook material and topics covered in class. All work is expected at the beginning of class.
Late homework or assignments will be penalized. All work that is turned in must be typed or
word processed and stapled (no paperclips).
©Methods
Lecture
Class discussion
Pair work
Small group work
Evaluation
In-class essays (3)
Revisions
Tests
Final Essay
Homework
30%
30%
20%
10%
10%
Final Grade
Final exam: 6/6 @ 11:30am
90 to 100% =A
80 to 89%
=B
70 to 79%
=C
60 to 69%
=D
0 to 59%
=F
#Attendance
Prompt and regular attendance is required. If you are more than 15 minutes late to class you will
not receive credit for attendance that day. If you must miss a class, you have to call or email the
instructor. It is your responsibility to find out about new assignments, syllabus changes, and
class content. If you are late to class, or leave class early, you will receive a tardy. Three tardies
equal one absence. If you are absent more than two days, or six class hours, you will be dropped
or fail the class.
®esources
-ESL Web Links: http://smc-esl-links.wikispaces.com
-My website: : www.homepage.smc.edu/stolz_phil
-Academic counselors can be reached in the ISC (434-4217), in Counseling (434-4210 or 4344589), or in ESL 107 or 120 at the following times: M 1-3pm, W 10-11:30am, Th 10:30am to
12pm
-Psychological counselors can be reached at 434-4262 or through Student Health.
Tutoring & Support Services:
Free tutoring is available in the ESL Center; sign up in ESL 106 or online.
Support Classes:
ESL 23 (Intermediate Reading)
ESL 20A/B (Grammar)
ESL 28 (Academic Vocabulary)
How to be successful in this class
Successful students also evaluate themselves. In this class, you will often evaluate your work, and
you will think about how to improve your English skills. Below are some other ways to be
successful in this class.
1) Participate in class: Ask questions and share your ideas!
2) Review what we have already done in class rather than try to work ahead. Then, use extra time
and energy to read other books, magazines, and newspapers.
3) Avoid writing translations in your textbooks. You may want to put important new words and
phrases in a vocabulary journal instead.
4) Do your homework before class or after class, but not during class.
5) Do your homework carefully and neatly and give it to me on time.
6) Use only English in the classroom
ESL 21A Tentative Schedule*
*Please note that this schedule may change
Week
1
2
In-Class
Diagnostic Quiz and Intro
Review of essay structure
and writing process
Homework
Type your paragraph
Academic formatting
Chapter 1
Revise your paragraph
Quiz 1 (Essay structure etc)
Bring ‘Blue Book’, make
tutoring appointment.
Essay 1
Revise and type your
essay, see a tutor.
Peer review
Create final draft of your
essay
3
4
5
6
7
Quiz 2 (Parts of speech and
sentence types)
Chapter 2
Diagnostic Quiz and Intro
Review of essay structure
and writing process
Edit Essay 1.
Bring ‘Blue Book’, make
tutoring appointment.
8
9
10
Essay 2
Peer Review
Quiz 3 (Summarizing and
citations)
Chapter 4
Common Essay Reading
11
12
Edit Essay 2. Bring ‘Blue
Book’.
Common Essay Writing
Make tutoring appointment
Peer Review
Type and revise CE. See
a tutor and create final
draft
Bring ‘Blue Book’
Final Exam
TBA
13
14
15
Revise and type your
essay, see a tutor.
Create final draft of your
essay
TBA