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COURSE SYLLABUS
ENGLISH 1127: SECTION 36
Fall 06
Instructor:
Robert Steele
Office:
A201c
Telephone:
323-5545
Email: rsteele@langara.bc.ca
Office hours: MW 13:30-15:00 and TR 17:30-18:30
TEXTS
Buckley, J. Fit to Print
Bohner, C. Short Fiction: Classic and Contemporary
Conrad, R. The Act of Writing
COURSE DESCRIPTION
English 1127 introduces students to the principles of composition
and as a second aim, encourages an appreciation of modern
literature through the study of the short story. Our study of
writing will begin with an examination of various writing
strategies which will allow students to make effective choices in
style, structure and development. As well as examining our own
writing process (to help make more conscious what is often
thought as an unconscious activity) we will also study the
finished product of accomplished writers. This will introduce us
to the second aim of this course which is to encourage students
to engage with literary texts both intellectually and emotionally
and to develop their responses in written and verbal criticism.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
First essay
Second essay
Third essay
Fourth essay (research paper)
Small assignments/participation
Final
10
15
15
25
10
25
Please note: All essays are written in -class, except for essay
#4. Regardless of your total grade, students must pass the final
exam in order to pass this course.
WRITING JOURNALS
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Students will also be required to keep a writing journal which
will be checked at the end of term. Each entry should be dated
and numbered. Students may write on any topic they wish
(additional explanation will be given in class). Entries may be
any length. The first 5-7 minutes will be given at the start of
each class for journal writing: please respect this time for
writing by not talking, reading, or doing some other unrelated
activity. All journals are private and at the end of term I will
check that you have in fact completed this work without reading
your private entries. (A grade will not be issued for the course
until the student has met this requirement).
Seminar Day
The weekly seminar time will be 17:00-17:25 TR (the last 25-30
minutes of scheduled class time). Every student should sign up
for at least one seminar day during the term. Appointments will
last approximately 15 minutes and will meet in the same room as
the class is scheduled. This seminar meeting is a time for
students to discuss with me anything concerning the course: ideas
for research essays, feedback from marked assignments,
clarification on any assigned readings, or other topics that
related to our course. Students who are not signed up for that
day do not need to attend class, but they are expected to
complete their journals and be prepared for the next day’s
lecture and/or discussion.
GUIDELINES FOR SUBMITTED ESSAYS
1. No late assignments will be accepted without prior
permission from me. (Normally, I only give extensions for medical
reasons in which case medical documentation must be provided.)
2. All assignments must be submitted on standard-size pages
8
X 11). Please double space your assignments. Write or
type
on one side of the page only. Do not hand in bent or
torn
pages.
3. I would prefer typed assignments--if this is not possible
please make sure that your hand writing is legible.
4. If there is more than one page, your name should appear on the
top right hand corner of each page with a page number. Use a
paper clip to hold pages together or staple pages together.
5. Your assignment should have a title page with the following
information on: course name and number, your name, my name,
number of assignment with suitable title and the date.
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Note: papers not meeting the above criteria will not be
accepted.
GRADES
"A" (80-100%)
Writers are able to express, organize, and develop ideas in a
rhetorically effective manner. They have control over their syntax
and diction, which will result in effective and varied sentence
structures. There will be few if any mechanical errors. The
submitted essay will most likely be the result of many drafts.
"B" (65-79%)
Writers who receive a "B" grade will demonstrate many of the
characteristics of the "A" paper: the essay is essentially
successful but not polished. Although there may be several errors,
the writing is competent: writers are able to express, organize,
and develop their ideas. Generally, writers in this category are
able to achieve "A" papers with a lot of hard work.
"C" (50-65)
Writers produce an adequate but uninspired essay. They are able to
express ideas clearly, but they do not have complete control over
their syntax; also, they often lack rhetorical strategies to express
and develop their ideas effectively. Consequently, as a result of
these flaws, there is often a certain stylistic awkwardness (a
"flatness" in the prose). The "C" grade is a frequent starting place
for many apprentice writers.
"F" (below 50%)
Writers are not able to communicate their ideas because there are
numerous compositional and grammatical errors. Thought patterns are
often incoherent and/or undeveloped. Sentence structures are
grammatically incorrect resulting in a lack of clarity.
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Note: All graded papers as well as having written comments on will
also have grammatical errors marked: I will use the code that
appears on the back-cover of your text: for example, d= diction,
v= verb tense, etc. If you do not understand the abbreviation make
sure you ask me.
READING SCHEDULE
Classes will alternate between composition and literature. The
following is an approximate schedule of assignments: there maybe
some minor changes depending upon time constraints.
Week one: Introduction, syllabus; Buckley, pp. 155-185; portrait
assignment; Conrad, “Encounter” p.20.
Week two:
Buckley, pp.6-25; Bohner, “To Build a Fire” p.735;
Conrad, “In the Trenches” p.92.
Week three: Buckley, pp.28-40; Bohner, “An Occurrence at Owl Creek
Bridge” p.133; Assignment #1(In-Class Essay: 15%).
Week four: Conrad, ”Grinning and Happy” p.292; Buckley, pp.186-200;
Bohner, “Miss Brill” p.755; *Buckley, “Reviewing the Results” p.201210.
Week
five:
Assignment
#2
(In-Class
Essay:
15%);
”Busy,Busy,Busy” p.64; Bohner, “Kew Gardens” p.1180”.
Conrad,
Week six: “The Research Essay” pp. 114-144 (excluding the sections
on the APA and the University of Chicago Style); Bohner, “Spunk” p.
557.
Week seven: “The Research Paper”
Bohner,”Because My Father…” p.50.
continued
from
week
6;
Week eight: Assignment #3(In-Class Essay: 15%); Buckley, 41-73;
Bohner, “Car Crash While Hitchhiking” p.593.
Week nine: Conrad, “Avoiding the Big C” p.114; Conrad, “The Step Not
Taken” p.118; Bohner, “Conversation with My Father: p. 930.
Week ten: Bohner, “Guests of the Nation” p.915; Bohner, “The
Swimmer” p.215; Bohner, “The Other Wife” p.277.
Week eleven: Research paper due; Conrad, “An Offering From the Dead”
p.168; Bohner, “Car Crash While Hitchhiking” p.593; Bohner,
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“Gravity” p.721.
Week twelve: Bohner, “Grave” p.976, Bohner, “To Hell with Dying”
p.1127; Bohner, “Tuesday Siesta” p.465.
Week thirteen: Review
*please note that this short reading in week 3 is extremely
important if you wish to improve your grades on future essays.
ATTENDANCE
Students are expected to attend regularly and to contribute to the
class (this is reflected in a grade for participation). In addition,
students who are not prepared for class may have their participation
grade lowered.
LATE ASSIGNMENTS
All assignments are to be handed in at the beginning of the class on
the due date.
No late assignments will be accepted unless
accompanied by valid medical documentation.
PLAGIARISM
Plagiarism is the presentation of another person's words or ideas as
your own. This is a serious offence and could result in a student
being given an "F" in the course. It is also possible that the
college may take further action against the student.
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