ESL 21B
Intermediate Composition - Section 2220
Fall 2012
Instructor: Patricia Turner
E-Mail: turner_patricia@smc.edu
Website: http://esl21b.weebly.com
Course Hours: MW 9:30 – 10:50
Course Location: ESL 105
___________________________________________________________________
Course Description
Completion of ESL 21A with a C grade or credit equivalency. The emphasis of the
course is on refining composition and editing skills and on eliminating gross grammar
errors.
Course Objectives
ESL 21B, an intermediate composition course and the companion course of ESL 21A,
is designed to help students organize, compose, and edit effectively in English. In
many cases, this course is a critical bridge to English 1; therefore, the curriculum will
emphasize a careful reading of texts and a more self-demanding approach to the
content of essays and journal writing. Students will also be expected to use various
sources to support personal ideas, opinions, and generalizations. Outside sources
will be referenced in MLA style.
Course Texts/Supplies
 Gardner, Peter. New Directions, Second Edition. ISBN 0-521-54172-7
(Required)
 Five (5) large blue books and a stapler (Required)
 5-10 Scantrons
 Various handouts printed from the Internet (Required)
 English-English Dictionary (Required) No electronic dictionaries are permitted.
Paragraph #1
Essay #1
Essay #2
Essay #3
Essay #4
Final Exam
Homework/Quizzes/Journals
6% (3% each draft)
12% (6% each draft)
15% (7.5% each draft)
20% (10% each draft)
22% (11 % each draft)
15%
10%
e-Companion: Your grades will be posted on e-Companion. It is your responsibility
to check your grades and notify me if you feel that an error has been made.
Notifications regarding homework that occur more than 1 week after the
grade has been posted may not be accommodated.
Assignments
Essays: There will be four (4) in-class essays based on assigned readings and one
in-class paragraph. You must write each essay or paragraph in a separate blue
book. There will be no make-up essays without written documentation from
a doctor.
ESL 21B
Intermediate Composition - Section 2220
Fall 2012
Final Exam: The final exam has two parts: a writing/grammar exam and an essay.
The final exam will be during finals week. There will be no make-up exams. You
must take the final exam to pass the course.
Homework: Homework is assigned for every class. Students must complete the
homework to succeed in the class, as classroom activities depend on completion of
the assignments. I will not collect every homework assignment that I assign;
however, it is possible that I may collect a homework assignment at any
time, so please make sure that you have completed the homework before
coming to class. No late homework is accepted. Homework is due when it is
asked for and will only be accepted at that time.
Quizzes: We will have occasional quizzes on the content covered in class. These
quizzes may cover grammar topics, writing topics or comprehension of the readings.
Journals: You will need to write journals throughout the semester to help to develop
your writing fluency.
Most of your learning will take place outside of class. Students are expected to
spend 2-3 hours outside of class for each hour of class time. This means that each
week, you will spend nearly 3 hours in class, and about 6-9 hours in study, reading,
and practice outside of class. Late homework will not be accepted. Homework is
to be done at home – not in class.
Participation: Being on time, being prepared, and taking part in in-class
discussions are all important and will help to stimulate and enhance your writing.
Attendance will be taken at every class meeting and because of our large class size,
you need to be in your seat by the time class begins.
Course Policies
It is your responsibility to be aware of the following course policies.
Lateness: If you arrive after roll has been taken, you will be marked absent
unless you tell me, on the day that you come in late, that you are present.
It is your responsibility to tell me that you are here if you come in late, and
you must do so on the day that you are late.
Class conduct: Common courtesy towards both the instructor and other students is
expected at all times. Therefore, please avoid talking while another student is
talking, talking while the instructor is lecturing, laughing at another student’s error
or mistake, exiting and entering the class several times, and bringing children or
friends/family to class.
Electronics: Please make sure that all cell phones or other audible electronic
media are turned off and put away in your backpack or purse while you are in
class. Please do not bring laptop computers or electronic dictionaries to class as you
will not be permitted to use them. Paper and/or electronic dictionaries are not
permitted on the day that an essay is being written.
ESL 21B
Intermediate Composition - Section 2220
Fall 2012
Tutoring & Support Services
1. The ESL Department offers free tutoring to students. Students should work with
ESL tutors to review errors on returned essays. Please sign up on-line at:
www.smc.edu/esl/tutoringcalendar.
2. Students may use computers in the Cayton Center, the Library, the Science
Building, and in Drescher Hall 203 & 204.
3. Academic counselors can be reached in the ISC ((310) 434-4217) and in
Counseling ((310) 434-4210 or (310) 434-4589).
4. Psychological counselors can be reached at (310) 434-4262 or through Student
Health.
5. If you have any special needs or concerns, please contact your instructor. If you
have any disabilities, you may receive support services through the Center for
Students with Disabilities: PE 160, (310) 434-4265.
Some Advice:
1. In addition to your textbooks, the Internet will provide many excellent resources
for you to improve your command of written English and to ensure your success
in this class. It is therefore imperative that you schedule access to a computer
with a (preferably high-speed) internet connection and a printer.
2. American university education generally requires and assumes that you
participate orally during class time. Consider raising your hand to express an
opinion or to ask a question. You will also have opportunities to speak in small
groups; plan to be an active participant in your group by coming prepared to
class with ideas to share.
3. This class is a critical processes class. One of our goals is to encourage you to
do independent critical thinking about issues that affect your lives and society as
a whole. Please take this opportunity to develop your own intellect by exploring
your ideas about the world, developing opinions based on sound reasoning and
communicating those ideas in a way that others can understand.
ESL 21B
Intermediate Composition - Section 2220
Fall 2012
ACADEMIC HONESTY IN THIS CLASS
Santa Monica College Code of Academic Conduct
Santa Monica College cannot and will not tolerate academic dishonesty.
Definition and Examples of Academic Dishonesty:
SMC defines academic dishonesty as the act of or assistance in deceiving in any
academic exercise. This includes:

copying or allowing another student to copy from one’s paper or answer
sheet during a quiz or an examination.

giving and/or taking information during an examination by any means

representing the words, ideas or work of another as one’s own in any
academic exercise (plagiarism), including the use of commercial term paper
companies.

Having another person write an essay for you that you then use in class as
your own.
Responsibilities of SMC Students:

To conduct him/herself in a manner which encourages learning and prohibits
academic dishonesty.

To act with fairness towards other students in the classroom.
Consequences for Infractions of Academic Dishonesty:
Given an alleged violation of academic honesty, any or all of the following actions
may be imposed:

The instructor may assign a failing grade to the examination or
assignment in which the alleged cheating or plagiarism occurred.

In more serious instances, the instructor may assign a failing grade for the
course, upon consultation with the department chairperson.

The instructor may dismiss the student from the class or activity for the
present and/or following class session.
ESL 21B
Intermediate Composition - Section 2220
Fall 2012
What does this mean?
1. Do not copy someone else’s paragraph, quiz, or exam.
2. Do not allow someone to copy your paragraph, quiz, or exam.
3. Do not ask someone else for answers when writing a paragraph or during a
quiz or exam. (You will not be allowed to leave the room during exams or
essays unless you turn your exam or essay in as finished.)
4. Do not give someone answers when writing a paragraph or during a quiz or
exam.
5. Do not present someone else’s work, or that from a textbook or article, as
your own.
6. Do not pretend that work done outside of class was done in class.
7. Do not cut and paste from the Internet and present the writing as your own.
8. Do not write on your desk.
Writing Grading/Editing Symbols
These are the symbols I will use when I comment on your work. Please
bring this list to class with you every time we write or revise an essay.
Symbol
ART
Description
= article (omit, add or change article)
NC
= Not clear (change wording and/or sentence structure)
CS
= comma splice (two independent clauses joined w/comma; add conj or change
punctuation)
Frag
Sg
Pl
P
= incomplete sentence (SVO)
= Make this singular
= Make this plural
= punctuation (period, comma)
Pro
= pronoun (add or change)
RO
= run-on (two independent clauses without conj; add conj)
SP
= spelling (check dictionary)
VF
= verb form (passive, active, progressive, perfect, base)
ESL 21B
Intermediate Composition - Section 2220
Fall 2012
VT
= verb tense (past, present, future)
WC
= word choice (check thesaurus)
WF
= word form (check dictionary for part of speech)
WW
= wrong word for meaning
Par
= parallelism (usually in thesis statements, topic sentences, concluding sentences;
coordinating conjunctions - must join equal/same parts of speech)
MW
= missing word (sometimes you will simply see an empty circle to show that a
word is missing)
S/V
= subject verb agreement
WO
= words in wrong order
S/S
= Sentence Structure
?
= meaning unclear (vocabulary and/or sentence structure)
T
= Title needed
T in a
circle
= Transition needed
C in a
circle
= Connector (FANBOYS, subordinating conjunction or transition) needed
Tips for success in this class:
1. Take responsibility for your learning. This is the time in your life when you will
acquire the skills you will need for your career and to be a better person
overall. The only person who will make sure you learn is you. Be an active
learner.
2. Don’t focus only on your grades. The important thing is learning. You are here
to learn how to be a better thinker and problem-solver. Focusing on grades
will take your energy away from your learning process. Make this very
important time in your life count to the maximum.
3. Communicate with your instructor in a positive way. This means going to
visit him or her during office hours. If you e-mail your instructor, be polite in
ESL 21B
Intermediate Composition - Section 2220
Fall 2012
your emails to him or her. If you have a question or a disagreement about
your grade, calmly bring the matter to your professor. This is the best
approach for getting the results you would like. If you don’t get the results
you want, try to understand what you can do differently next time to get the
results you wanted.
4. Always turn in your homework on time. On time means when the instructor
asks for it - not 10 minutes later and not the next day. Please do not ask if
you can turn in your homework late. Respect the policy, your classmates
and your instructor and take responsibility for following the rules.
5. When you turn in papers, turn in all drafts of your papers with the most
recent draft on top. Turn in all multiple-page homework assignments or
papers stapled in the top left-hand corner. This will ensure that your papers
don’t get lost and that you get credit for what you turned in. All work must
be done on 8-1/2 X 11 inch sized paper.
6. Once you begin a test, quiz or essay in this class, you can leave the class only
if you turn in your test, quiz or essay as finished. Please plan your bathroom
breaks accordingly.
7. Participate actively in class. This is the best way to improve your English and
academic skills.