VANIER COLLEGE
FACULTY OF SCIENCE AND GENERAL STUDIES: ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
Course Title: Introduction to College English: Literature
Course Number: 603-101-MA
Course Hours Per Week:
Teacher:
Section: 00018
Semester: A’10
2 hours of theoretical work
2 hours of practical work
4 hours of homework
Office:
Phone Number: 744-7500 ext.
Email: name@vaniercollege.qc.ca
Office Hours: Wednesday 11-12:30, Thursday 11:30-13:00, or by appointment
Prerequisites: Students are placed in this course based on their results in the Vanier
English Placement or Proficiency Test.
Course Description:
This introductory course is intended to bring students to a college level of proficiency in
the areas of reading, writing, listening and speaking, with a marked emphasis on writing
and reading. In addition, students are encouraged to develop an appreciation of literature
by becoming acquainted with a number of significant literary works representative of
various genres and periods and expressing a variety of literary themes. Students will
develop college-level critical and analytical reading skills, and learn to analyze the essay
as well as at least two of the three following genres: fiction, poetry and drama. A major
focus of this course is on improving students’ writing abilities in terms of composition
organization, development and expression. Important elements of grammar will also be
included.
Objectives and Standards:
The objective of this course is to enable students to analyze texts and produce written and
oral work. Students will learn to read literature critically. Students will also learn to
write an analytical essay containing a thesis statement, which is clearly supported and
developed.
On successful completion of this course, students, with the aid of reference material, will
be able to produce a 750-word essay analyzing a literary text. This essay will
demonstrate the following: correct grammar, syntax and spelling; appropriate tone and
diction; and effective sentences and paragraphs. This essay will also demonstrate
thorough revision of form and content.
Methodology:
1) Lectures: This method will be used to give basic background information and to lay
groundwork for students’ understanding of literary terms and vocabulary as well as to
introduce strategies for organizing and writing essays at the college level. This method
will help students develop listening comprehension and the ability to take effective notes.
2) Class Discussion: Whether in small groups or as a class, discussion enables students to
share their ideas and learn from one another. This method also helps students practice
their language skills in a performative way that will complement the competency-based
learning aspect of the course.
3) Presentations: Students will give an oral presentation to the class based on an assigned
topic. This method allows students to practice their language skills in a sustained fashion,
and also allows students to develop a sense of responsibility for teaching their peers about
a given topic.
4) Writing Workshops: Occasionally, the class will be devoted to a particular component
of writing, drafting and editing, allowing students to receive feedback from the teacher
and from their peers.
5) Individual Meetings: One-on-one meetings with the instructor will provide the
opportunity for students to receive individual feedback on their progress and areas which
need improvement.
Bibliography:
Literature and Composition: Primary Readings. Compiled by Harry Antonian. Ville St. Laurent,
Quebec: Vanier Press, 2010.
Sentence Skills Workbook. St. Laurent, Quebec: Vanier Press, 2008.
Vanier Student Writing Guide: Available Online
http://www.vaniercollege.qc.ca/tlc/writing-guide/writing-guide.pdf
A college-level English dictionary.
Evaluation:
Pop Quizzes
Paragraph Responses to Readings
Short Essay on Fiction (600 words)
Oral Presentation
Essay 2 on the Literary Essay (in class, 600 words)
Mid Term Exam on Literary Terms, Close Reading and Grammar
Essay 3 on Fiction (750 words)
Grammar Quiz (in class)
10%
15%
10%
5%
15%
10%
25%
10%
Cheating and Plagiarism Policy: Any form of cheating or plagiarism will result in a
grade of zero on the test or assignment, and a letter from the teacher will be placed in
your file. A repeated offence may lead to even more serious consequences. Please
consult the Vanier College Catalogue, the Student Handbook and your teacher for more
information.
Plagiarism is the unacknowledged use of words or ideas of anyone other than the student
submitting the assignment. In other words, copying someone else’s work, handing in
someone else’s work as your own, using reference material from the internet or the
library without properly citing your sources, receiving unauthorized help with your
assignments, cheating during an exam, and using electronic aids when they are not
permitted will not be tolerated.
Attendance Policy:
Consistent attendance is required if you want to do well in this course. We will be
discussing, planning, explaining and writing extensively in class, so if you skip you will
miss a lot of essential information. Missing more than 10% of in-class work without a
valid reason seriously jeopardizes a student’s chance of passing the course. Students who
miss 20% of in-class work will likely fail. If you miss a class it is your responsibility to
get the information you missed from another student. Missing a class is not a valid excuse
for not doing the assigned readings and homework, and you will not be exempt from pop
quizzes or other in class work because you were absent. If you fail to attend class on a
day there is in-class work or an assignment due, arrangements will be made for make up
work only in the case of exceptional circumstances that can be documented. Students
who will be absent from classes for religious reasons must inform their teachers, in
writing at the beginning of the semester, of the dates of these holidays and make up the
work missed. These students will not then be penalized for these absences.
Assignment Deadline Policy:
Assignments and essays must be handed in at the beginning of class on the due date.
Late assignments will not be accepted without a valid excuse. If you fail to hand in an
assignment, the mark for that assignment will be 0. Any assignment handed in late will
be penalized 5% per day unless an arrangement has been made with me. Extensions will
not be given on the day or after the day assignments are due. No assignment will be
accepted more than one week after the due date. Note: absolutely no e-mailed
assignments will be accepted unless, again, a specific arrangement has been made. This
means if you send me an e-mailed assignment, it will simply be ignored and not graded.
Classroom Conduct:
 Before entering the classroom, please turn off and put away your cell phones,
mp3 players and other electronic devices.

Please arrive on time, and do not leave during the class unless it is absolutely
necessary.

If you must leave early, notify me before class begins.

Make sure you arrive to class prepared: Bring your books, paper and writing
instruments.

Snacks in class are acceptable, but hot meals should be avoided.

Please do not use laptops in class unless you have a valid medical reason in which
case you must notify me and present the appropriate documentation.

Speak and act respectfully towards your teacher and classmates at all times.
Mediation and Grades Review:
Students are reminded that the English Department has two committees, which deal with
student complaints. The Grades Review Board reviews complaints concerning the
grading of assignments, and the Mediation Committee reviews complaints other than
those dealing with student grades. Information on how to contact these committees is
available from your teacher, the English Department Coordinator, and the office of the
Faculty of Science and General Studies.
YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR KNOWING ALL OF THE INFORMATION IN THIS COURSE
OUTLINE. DO NOT LOSE YOUR COPY.
VANIER COLLEGE
FACULTY OF SCIENCE AND GENERAL STUDIES: ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
Course Title: Introduction to College English: Literature
Course Number: 603-101-30
Section: 1900
Semester: Autumn 2009
Course Hours Per Week:
2 hours of theoretical work
2 hours of practical work
4 hours of homework
Teacher:
Office:
Phone Number: 514-744-7500 ext.
Email: locilenm@vaniercollege.qc.ca
Office Hours: Monday: 2:30-3:30 pm, Wednesday: 1:30-3:30 pm, and by appointment.
Prerequisites: Students are placed in this course based on their results in the Vanier
English Placement or Proficiency Test.
Course Description:
This introductory course is intended to bring students to a college level of proficiency in
the areas of reading, writing, listening and speaking, with a marked emphasis on writing
and reading. In addition, students are encouraged to develop an appreciation of literature
by becoming acquainted with a number of significant literary works representative of
various genres and periods and expressing a variety of literary themes. Students will
develop college-level critical and analytical reading skills, and learn to analyze the essay
as well as at least two of the three following genres: fiction, poetry and drama. Students
will improve their writing abilities in terms of composition organization, development
and expression. Important elements of grammar will also be included.
Objectives and Standards:
The objective of this course is to enable students to analyze texts and produce written and
oral work. Students will learn to read literature critically. Students will also learn to
write an analytical essay containing a thesis statement, which is clearly supported and
developed.
On successful completion of this course, students, with the aid of reference material, will
be able to produce a 750-word essay analyzing a literary text. This essay will
demonstrate the following: correct grammar, syntax and spelling; appropriate tone and
diction; and effective sentences and paragraphs. This essay will also demonstrate
thorough revision of form and content.
Methodology:
On average, half of the class time each week will involve short lectures, close readings of
selected passages of literature, and discussions of literary elements such as plot, character,
tone, style and structure.
The two hours of practical activities include note-taking, outlining, development of
theses, paragraph design, use of glossaries and dictionaries, and documentation. There
will be some short quizzes, brainstorming in pairs or small groups, peer tutoring and
evaluation, and exercises designed to strengthen both writing and speaking skills.
For homework, students are expected to read assigned literature and to respond in writing
in a variety of forms including statements of main ideas or themes, answers to study
questions, paraphrases, summaries, reaction paragraphs, journal entries and brief reports.
Bibliography:
As It Was Written: Course Readings. Compiled by Micah Locilento. Montreal: Vanier
College
Printing Services, 2009.
Sentence Skills Workbook. Montreal: Vanier College Printing Services, 2009.
A college-level English dictionary.
Evaluation:
One in-class 500-word analytical essay on fiction or poetry
One take-home 750-word analytical essay on fiction
Class-work (group projects, quizzes, etc.)
Short writing assignments
Mid-term exam (in-class): paragraph answers to questions on course reading
Final grammar test (in-class)
Oral presentation
20%
30%
15%
10%
10%
10%
5%
Cheating and Plagiarism Policy: Any form of cheating or plagiarism will result in a
grade of zero on the test or assignment, and a letter from the teacher will be placed in
your file. A repeated offence may lead to even more serious consequences. Please
consult the Vanier College Catalogue, the Student Handbook and your teacher for more
information.
Attendance Policy:
Regular attendance and active participation are required throughout the term. Missing
more than 10% of in-class work without a valid reason seriously jeopardizes a student’s
chance of passing the course. Students who miss 20% of in-class work will likely fail.
Students who will be absent from classes for religious reasons must inform their teachers,
in writing at the beginning of the semester, of the dates of these holidays and make up the
work missed. These students will not then be penalized for these absences. Students
with justifiable absences must submit original and verifiable documentation, such as a
medical note, upon their return to class. Students are responsible for making up any work
missed due to justifiable absences.
COLLEGE/COURSE POLICIES ON CLASSROOM CONDUCT
Course Material and Coursework
Students should know what is expected of them each week. They must come to class
with their course material (course module, books, texts, paper and writing instruments)
and be prepared for the day’s lesson. If they fail to do so, I may ask that they leave my
classroom. In addition, students should not wait until the end of the semester to realize
that they have not completed the required assignments. It is their responsibility to ensure
that they have fulfilled all the criteria for the course.
Absences
Being absent without a valid medial reason is not an acceptable excuse for (1) failing to
submit work due, (2) completing homework, (3) missing a test, or (4) coming to class
unprepared for the day’s lesson. If students are absent, it is their responsibility to find out
what they missed: in-class assignments, assigned homework, copies of handouts, etc. If
they fail to do so, I may ask that they leave my classroom.
Religious Holidays
Students must inform me at the beginning of the semester, in writing, of any absences
due to religious holidays. Students who fail to do so will not be allowed to make up any
class work missed.
Punctuality and Class Attendance
Punctuality is important, in that late students tend to disrupt the class and impede work in
progress. If students are late, I may ask that they not enter my classroom. In addition, students
are not supposed to leave the classroom until the class has ended. If students leave the
classroom without permission, I may not allow them to re-enter the classroom. If students
leave early, they must inform me before the class. Please note that I may ask for valid
documentation.
Electronic Devices:
It is strictly prohibited to use laptops, cell phones, pagers, MP3 players or any electronic
devices during class. They must be turned off, and placed out of sight, before entering
the class! Classrooms are NO CELL PHONE ZONES! If students have a documented
medical reason for needing to use a laptop, please come and see me and forward me the
appropriate documentation.
COURSE POLICIES REGARDING ASSIGNMENTS, GROUP PROJECTS AND
QUIZZES:
All writing assignments should be double spaced and clearly legible. Take-home
writing assignments should be typed using a computer unless otherwise instructed.
Periodic reading quizzes will also be given in class. Students may not be notified when a
quiz will be given. Any student missing a quiz will receive a 0 on the quiz unless a signed
medical note is provided for the absence. If the student fails more than half the
reading quizzes, a grade of zero on all class work and quizzes may result.
Late assignments or projects: All assignments must be handed in on the date specified,
at the beginning of class. No out-of-class assignment or project will be accepted later
than one week after the due date unless a signed medical note is provided with the
assignment. Students are responsible for arranging to make up any missed in-class
assignments or projects for which they have a signed medical note. This must be done
within one week of the missed assignment. Note that assignments handed in late without
valid medical justification will receive no corrections or feedback, but a grade only. Any
out-of-class assignment or project submitted within one week of the due date will be
penalized 10%. No late assignment can earn a mark higher than 80%. Penalties do not
apply if the student provides a signed medical note.
Revisions: Students may, at the teacher’s discretion, be permitted to revise selected
written assignments. Students are encouraged to revise to improve their skills and better
their marks. No revision, however, can earn a mark higher than 20% over the original
mark. No revision is accepted unless the original assignment is attached.
Note: In some cases, in-class assignments and projects may not be graded. Students may
not be informed of this prior to the collection of the assigned work.