Catalog Description

Prerequisite: Placement by ESL matriculation assessment process or completion of ESL 520O with grade of "C" or better or completion of ESL 820O with grade of "Pass"
Advisory: Concurrent enrollment in ESL 530C or 830C and ESL 522G or 822G
Hours: 54 lecture
Description: Intermediate-high course for non-native speakers of English focusing on oral production. Course topics for college, community, and career may include authentic academic lectures, videos and podcasts to develop oral language production and listening comprehension using level-appropriate vocabulary and grammar. (pass/no pass grading) (noncredit)

Course Student Learning Outcomes

  • CSLO #1: Analyze intermediate-high aural and written input and respond to content and directions through oral projects, class discussions, and written and oral response.
  • CSLO #2: Apply vocabulary skills to construct meaningful level and context-appropriate spoken language and extrapolate meaning from aural input.
  • CSLO #3: Utilize intermediate-high grammar to analyze meaning in spoken and written language and develop appropriate oral and written statements, questions and responses.

Effective Term

Fall 2022

Course Type

Noncredit

Contact Hours

54

Outside of Class Hours

108

Total Student Learning Hours

162

Course Objectives

Content will be taught in authentic language that focuses on U.S. culture and history and intermediate-high level situations and functions for college and career. Through integrated skills study and practice, students will:
1. Construct meaning from aural and written content to complete oral tasks;
2. Demonstrate comprehension by formulating and expressing ideas using critical thinking skills;
3. Hypothesize content of listening materials through previewing and topic discussion;
4. Analyze authentic texts and aural input and generate conversations and responses to questions about the analyzed material in group, pair, and whole class discussions;
5. Initiate and maintain conversation in English and respond to others in open-ended role-plays, discussions, and other oral tasks (graded using a standardized rubric) while applying target pronunciation and structures;
6. Distinguish language situation and formulate oral responses and utterances as appropriate to the function (e.g., opinion, agreement, disagreement, directions, description, request, offering assistance) utilizing intermediate- high level socio-linguistic competency;
7. Construct meaning of intermediate-high vocabulary in aural and written language and apply in listening comprehension, speech, and writing to express comprehension and formulate speech.
8. Identify and use intermediate-high level grammar as well as incidental grammatical issues to convey intended meaning in speech;
9. Develop and present at least three oral projects, short and long, (individual, and group) to demonstrate intermediate-high level oral competency including academic level vocabulary;
10. Apply technology and research skills to find and evaluate information for class projects and assignments; and
11. Assemble a course portfolio that demonstrates competence in intermediate-high listening, speaking, vocabulary (including academic vocabulary), grammar and academic and career success strategies.

General Education Information

  • Approved College Associate Degree GE Applicability
    • CSU GE Applicability (Recommended-requires CSU approval)
      • Cal-GETC Applicability (Recommended - Requires External Approval)
        • IGETC Applicability (Recommended-requires CSU/UC approval)

          Articulation Information

          • Not Transferable

          Methods of Evaluation

          • Classroom Discussions
            • Example: From watching all your classmate's heroes presentation, together as a group, discuss and make a list of the main issues, main problems our heroes have had to confront. After you make your list, vote on the issue that you think is most pressing. Which one should take precedent and get up most attention from the United Nations, for example?
          • Objective Examinations
            • Example: 1. Example quiz: Listen to this interview with CNN hero Don Henley ("Wine to Water" non-profit founder) (topic related to the novel "A Long Walk to Water" with touches upon the problem of lack of clean water in our world. On the quiz paper, answer the comprehension questions by writing short answers to identify main ideas and important details in the conversation. Points are awarded for completeness of the answers and accuracy in identifying the main ideas and important supporting points. Example item from quiz: 1. Where was Doc working? What was his profession? (detail) 2. What does the word "ordinary" in "just an ordinary guy"mean?(vocabulary) 3. What was Doc's first idea to raise money? (supporting detail) 4. Do you think Doc is an ordinary guy? Explain (Main idea and critical thinking)
          • Problem Solving Examinations
            • Example: In a group, devise another way in which Doc Henley can fundraise for his cause.
          • Projects
            • Example: CNN hero project. (Pre –steps) Students will watch 10 instructor assigned videos. Students will then pick their top three and bring the list to class. REPORTING: (oral presentation) Using power points/prezi or any other electronic visual aid, give a five minute oral presentation on your favorite CNN hero. Provide your hero’s background, reason for her mission, explain in detail the mission and how it relates to a world problem.
          • Reports
            • Example: Using power points/prezi or any other electronic visual aid, give a 5 minute presentation on your favorite CNN hero. Provide your hero's background, reason for his/her mission, explain in detail the mission and how it relates to a world problem.
          • Skill Demonstrations
            • Example: Vocabulary Acquisition and Pronunciation: From the videos you have watched on the CNN website, write down new words. Bring the list of new words and be ready to teach those new words to your classmates. Use synonyms, antonyms and definitions and make sure to check www.dictionary.com for additional pronunciation practice.

          Repeatable

          Yes

          Methods of Instruction

          • Lecture/Discussion
          • Distance Learning

          Lecture:

          1. Instructor explains the importance of vocabulary acquisition: learning new words from real-life context. Words are better learned in context. That means, in real situations. Do not translate new words. Write synonyms, antonyms and definitions from the thesaurus, Longman Dictionary, and www.dictionary.com and www.thesaurus.com. Instructor gives the following explanation of vocabulary acquisition: There are two kinds of vocabulary knowledge: active and passive. Passive knowledge of a word is when you think you know the meaning when someone uses that word, but you would not be able to use that word in a new sentence. Active vocabulary knowledge is when you not only know the meaning of the word, but also can use it in a new sentence. You are comfortable using that new word. In this class we are interested in increasing your active vocabulary knowledge. One way to make sure we acquire active vocabulary knowledge is to use that new word in a new sentence. We read the word in the book, highlight it, and then write a sentence from our imagination. We are not copying a sentence from a dictionary or any other source. That is important because it shows that you are now in the process of applying or using the new knowledge of that new word. That new sentence that you create will need to have context clues. That is absolutely necessary. Context Clues: those are words or sentences in your new sentence that explain the new word. Types of Context Clues: There are several (antonym, synonym, example, definition, and sense of the sentence.) For now, we will focus on synonym, antonym, and example only. Let's take a look at the examples below: In the examples below the new word is "rely on."
          2. SYNONYM: Rely on – I can rely on my best friend Lily, because she has always been dependable. Explanation: Lily is dependable. Because Lily is dependable, I can rely on her. What does dependable mean? Let's look at that word. What does "able" mean? Capable of. To depend. I can "depend" on Lily. I can "count on" Lily. Lily tries to do what I ask her. She helps me. So "dependable" is a synonym of "reliable." I can rely on means I can depend on.
          3. ANTONYM: Rely on – I rely on my friend Mary, but her bother John is totally unreliable and undependable; he is a “flake.” Explanation: What does the prefix "un" mean? We know that the prefix "un" means not. And we also notice the conjunction "but." But introduces what? An opposite idea. So "flake" and "unreliable" are examples of antonym context clues.
          4. EXAMPLE: Rely on – When I broke my ankles, I had to rely on a wheelchair to get around because I could not put any weight on them. I also had to rely on other people to go places because I could not drive. Explanation: In the sentences above I have examples of a situation that explains "rely on." If I have broken ankles, I cannot walk; I need a wheelchair. I have to "rely on" a wheelchair to go from one place to another. Can I drive with broken ankles? So I depend or have to "rely on" someone to drive me places. Students will write sentences using new vocabulary and their context clues.
          5. Students will watch an interview with Doc Henley a "CNN hero" from the CNN heroes program. Instructor brings up the topic of clean water scarcity. As we discussed before by watching the interview of Salva and the writer of his book "long Walk to Water", the issue of lack of clean water is very serious. We have watched the interview with Salva Dut about his non-profit organization that helps build wells in his native country- Sudan- and the impact that the wells have on the lives of children who are then free to get an education and not have to walk for seven hours a day to fetch dirty water. Wealso heard how wells impact the local economy of the tribes, and how they even promote peace by bringing rival tribes together through economic prosperity. With Doc Henley we have an example of an ordinary guy, an American bartender who created an organization to raise funds to build wells in poor and war-torn countries were clean water is rare to find. We will watch his video (story) and interview. Here are some discussion questions to talk and think about before we watch his videos.
          6. Salva was from Sudan. His country did not have clean water. It is logical that he would be concerned with the issue of providing clean water. But why would someone from the United States be concerned about dirty water in other countries?
          7. He was a bartender and the name of his organization is "Wine to Water." Why do you think he gave it that name?
          8. Do you think that one person can make a difference when there is a difficult issue, a difficult problem to solve?
          9. Can you think or another regular person, besides Salva, who made a big difference in the world? After this warm-up and discussion, students will be more attuned to the videos they will be watching.

          Distance Learning

          1. Instructor creates material (Page in LMS) with idioms related to the heart. (Students will be watching TED TALKS about the heart (functioning and how emotions affect its physiology.) The idioms page has illustration and example sentences to further elucidate the meaning. Ex: I have my heart set on finishing ESL and getting a degree at Sierra College. To have your heart set on... to be firm and have desire/conviction to do something. Students will go to "Discussions" in LMS and post a video where they give their own examples of 2 of the idioms from the idioms page. (There is a tutorial on how to post videos) In addition to the tutorial, the instructor may model and post a video as an example. After students post, they will receive feedback in video form from the instructor. The second part of the assignment entails students watching their classmates videos, and creating two or three video responses to their classmates.

          Typical Out of Class Assignments

          Reading Assignments

          1. Read the script from a ted talk and identify main ideas to prepare for group discussion and/or mini-oral presentation, and/or listening test 2. Read the "Bookmobile" script from the Storycorps site. Be prepared to discuss how the bookmobile changed the main character's life. 3. Read the biography/excerpt of the 10 CNN heroes videos you have watched. Read the information on the CNN heroes website. Be prepared to discuss both in class.

          Writing, Problem Solving or Performance

          1. Write the answer to the comprehension questions from your study guide for the Ted Talk given by Malala's father "Ziauddin Yousafzai: My Daughter Malala." Be ready to discuss those answers. 2. Write two or three sentences that accurately express the main idea (not the topic) of the Ted Talk "Myriam Sidibe: The simple power of hand-washing" 3. Write a summary of your CNN hero's achievement. Use the information from the videos you have watched on the CNN website, www.youtube.com, and their own website.

          Other (Term projects, research papers, portfolios, etc.)

          Create 4-6 PowerPoint slides following the handout directions "How to successfully create power point slides for your oral presentation" and including all the content required as well as delivery expectations (oral presentation rubric)

          Required Materials

          • Take Charge of Your Future
            • Author: Rodrick S. Baker
            • Publisher: Rodrick S. Baker
            • Publication Date: 2013
            • Text Edition:
            • Classic Textbook?:
            • OER Link:
            • OER:

          Other materials and-or supplies required of students that contribute to the cost of the course.

          Instructor provided materials