English Language Programs Department
SYLLABUS
SPRING 2010
COURSE TITILE /
CONTACT HOURS
ESL 282: Intermediate Reading & Writing
Classroom hours: 30
DATE/TIME/LOCATION
Tue/Thu 8:45am-10:25am Pender Building, Room P3
INSTRUCTOR’S NAME
AND CONTACT INFO
Breana Bayraktar breana.bayraktar@campus.viu.edu
PREREQUISITE(S)
Program placement at the appropriate level.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course reviews the principles of paragraph structure and focuses on basic essay
organization, formatting, and revision. In addition, the course includes a review of
punctuating complex and compound sentences, fixing run-ons and avoiding
fragments. Students will work with a variety of academic reading materials to develop
basic reading skills (such as skimming for main ideas and scanning for specific
information) as well as higher-level skills (such as making inferences and
distinguishing between fact and opinion). Students will also learn to deduce the
meaning of unfamiliar words from contextual and structural clues.
PERFORMANCE
OBJECTIVES
By the end of this course, students are expected to be able to read and comprehend
short non-simplified academic material and identify its main ideas and rhetorical
purpose. In addition, students will learn approximately 10-20 words each week and
demonstrate an ability to use them in appropriate contexts. Finally, students will be
required to demonstrate an ability to structure a paragraph correctly and write simple
3-5 paragraph essays.
INSTRUCTIONAL
METHODS
TEXTBOOKS & OTHER
INSTRUCTIONAL
MATERIALS
Lectures, group work, vocabulary study, written assignments.
Required Textbook(s):
Cynthia A. Boardman (2008, 3rd edition) “Writing to Communicate 2: Paragraphs and
Essays”
Library Resources:
The VIU Library is located in the Pender II Building. The Library also provides
students with access to two online libraries (LIRN and e.brary) which can be
accessed by clicking on Online Resources on the VIU Library homepage at
http://library.viu.edu
COURSE
REQUIREMENTS AND
EVALUATION
CRITERIA
VIU GRADING SYSTEM
STUDENT RIGHTS,
RESPONSIBILITIES
AND CODE OF
Class Participation & Homework (Required)
Quizzes (Required)
Mid-term Exam (Required)
Final Exam (Required)
30%
20%
20%
30%
A minimum score
of 75% is
required to pass
this course
All ESL courses are graded on a pass/fail basis. This means that students will not
receive a grade for this course. Those who pass 80% of their courses will be
promoted to the next level of instruction at the end of the semester.
All students are expected to act with civility and personal integrity; respect other
students’ dignity, rights, and property; and help create and maintain an environment
in which everyone can succeed through the fruits of their own efforts. Academic
SYLLABUS
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CONDUCT
integrity includes a commitment to not engage in or tolerate acts of academic
dishonesty. Academic dishonesty involves on of the following: 1) cheating on an
examination or quiz; 2) buying, selling, stealing, or soliciting any material purported to
be the unreleased contents of a forthcoming examination, or the use of such material;
3) substituting for another person during an examination or allowing such substitution
for one’s self; 4) plagiarizing, the act of appropriating passages from the work of
another individual, either word or in substance, and representing them as one’s own
work; 5) colluding with another person in the preparation or editing of assignments
submitted for credit, unless such collaboration has been approved in advance by the
instructor; 6) copying the institution’s software without permission of the copyright
holder or placing personal software on the institution’s computers or damaging or
destroying software or computers; and other forms of academic dishonesty include
selling or purchasing examinations, papers or other assignments and submitting or
resubmitting the same paper for two different classes without explicit authorization.
When an instructor suspects academic or non-academic dishonesty, s/he will
exercise her/his academic judgment in light of the particular circumstances and the
student’s academic history. Consultation with the department chair throughout the
process is encouraged.
ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION ON VIU
POLICIES
Students should refer to the VIU Academic Catalog and the VIU Student Handbook
for additional and/or more specific information on VIU policies and guidelines.
ATTENDANCE POLICY
Good academic standing requires the presence of students at all class and lab
meetings. Therefore, attendance at VIU is mandatory. There are only two acceptable
reasons for absence from class or lab: 1) serious illness on the part of the student or
2) a family emergency. Absence for unexcused reasons may negatively affect the
student’s final course grade. Missing more than 25% of classes will result in an
automatic failing grade and may impact your visa status.
All students are expected to arrive to class on time and stay for the entire class
period. Late arrivals and early departures are disruptive to both the instructor and to
classmates. Three late arrivals/early departures equal one absence.
ADDITIONAL
COURSE-SPECIFIC
POLICIES
Missed Classes: The student is responsible for obtaining material distributed on class
days when he/she was absent. This can be done through contacting a classmate who
was present or by contacting the instructor during his office hours or other times.
Assignments: All assignments are due at the beginning of class on the date due.
Homework assignments must be typed, not hand-written, and emailed to the
instructor as attached files when requested. Late submission (up to one week) carries
a 10% penalty. Assignments will NOT be accepted more than one week after their
due date.
Academic Dishonesty: Plagiarism and cheating are serious offenses and may be
punished by failure on exam, paper or project; failure in course; and or expulsion from
the University. For more information refer to the "Academic Dishonesty" policy in the
University Academic Catalog.
VIU’S AMERICANS
WITH
DISABILITIES (ADA)
POLICY
CELL PHONES
INCLEMENT WEATHER
POLICY
Virginia International University is committed to ensuring that all of its facilities and
programs are accessible to all persons. If you believe you may qualify for course
adaptations or accommodations in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities
Act and/or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, it is your responsibility to contact
Human Resources for an accommodation approval letter. Once you have coordinated
services with Human Resources, please provide your letter of accommodation to the
instructor no later than the second class session.
Cell phones must be turned off in class.
Students can learn if VIU is closed or opening late due to snow, ice, or other bad
weather by checking: 1) the VIU Website at www.viu.edu, 2) the VIU telephone voice
SYLLABUS
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message at (703) 591-7042; 3) local television and radio news. Classes cancelled
due to bad weather will be rescheduled.
ATTACHMENTS
DATE LAST REVISED
Attachment A: Course Schedule
December 15, 2009
SYLLABUS
Page 4
Attachment A: Course Schedule
Session
Week 1
1/12 & 1/14
Week 2
1/18 & 1/21
Week 3
1/26 & 1/28
Week 4
2/2 & 2/4
Week 5
2/9 & 2/11
Week 6
2/16 & 2/18
Week 7
2/23 & 2/25
Week 8
3/2 & 3/4
Week 9
3/9 & 3/11
Week 10
3/16 & 3/18
Week 11
3/23 & 3/25
Week 12
3/30 & 4/1
Week 13
4/6 & 4/8
Week 14
4/13 & 4/15
Week 15
4/20 & 4/22
Topic
Introductions; Syllabus review. Quiz #1: Reading & writing.
Review of reading/writing practice. Homework #1: 10
sentences, due Tues 1/18.
Chapter 1: “Organization of Paragraphs.” Homework #2:
Paragraph outline, due Tues 1/26.
Quiz #2: Chapter 1. Review paragraph outlines. Peer review
process. Chapter 2 “Characteristics of Good Writing”.
Homework #3: Complete peer review worksheet, due 2/2.
Punctuation review. Go over peer review worksheets. Quiz
#3: Chapter 2. Chapter 3 “Writing Process” Homework #4:
1st draft of paragraph, due 2/9.
Review of paragraphs + work on errors. Homework #5:
Paragraph on topic (choice of topics in class)due 2/16
Chapter 4: “From Paragraph to Essay”. Transition words.
Objective
To go over course objectives and
materials.
To learn about how to structure and
outline a paragraph.
To learn about the peer review
process and refine paragraph
structure.
To write a first draft of a paragraph.
To practice paragraph writing with
appropriate transition words. To learn
the process of expanding a paragraph
into an essay.
Review transitions & writing body paragraphs.
To learn brainstorming and practice
Brainstorming activity. Homework #6: Brainstorm worksheet, different forms of organizing ideas. To
due Thurs, 2/18. Ch. 4: Punctuation with transitions.
practice expanding a paragraph into
Homework #7: Essay outline, due Tues 2/23.
an essay.
MIDTERM EXAM REVIEW Sign up for an article
presentation time.
MIDTERM EXAM: Chapters 1-4.
Homework: Article presentation materials, due via email by
Tues, 3/2.
Chapter 5 “Thesis statements” & Chapter 6 “Introductory
To learn how to recognize thesis
paragraphs” Homework #8: Thesis statement worksheet,
statements. To practice writing essay
due Thurs 3/4.
introductions and thesis statements.
Chapter 7 “Conclusions” & Chapter 8 “Body paragraphs”.
Homework #9: Write an introduction to your essay, due
Tues, 3/9. Review midterm exams.
Go over essay introductions. Review writing body
To practice writing the body
paragraphs. Homework #10: First draft of essay, due Thurs, paragraph of an essay.
3/11.
Peer review of essay draft. Homework #11: Peer review
worksheet, due Tues, 3/16.
Go over peer review worksheets. Discuss types of essays.
To learn how to identify different types
In-class writing time. Homework #12: 2nd draft of essay, due of essays and how each is used.
Thurs, 3/18.
Types of essays, continued. Quiz #4: Reading
To practice essay/introduction/thesis
comprehension. Homework #13: Final draft essay due
statement identification.
Thurs, 3/25. Homework #14: First draft of persuasive essay,
due Thurs, 4/1.
Finish article presentations. Quiz #5: Essay structure &
To practice reading comprehension
reading comprehension from article presentations.
and discussion strategies.
Go over essay 1st drafts. Introduction to evaluating
To learn about doing research on the
resources. Homework #15: Final drafts of essays due at the internet and evaluating sources.
final exam (Thurs, 4/22).
Chapter 10: “Classification Essays” Introduction to Internet
research.
Chapter 11: “Persuasive Essays”
To review types of essays, reading
Chapter 12: “Comparison and Contrast Essays”
comprehension strategies. To
Reading comprehension practice. In-class writing time.
provided supervised writing practice
time.
Final exam REVIEW.
Final Exam