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ESL 0020C - Introduction to Academic Reading and Writing

http://catalog.sierracollege.edu/course-outlines/esl-0020c/

Catalog Description Prerequisite: Placement by ESL matriculation assessment process or completion of ESL 530C with grade of "C" or better Advisory: Concurrent enrollment in ESL 25G and 25L Hours: 90 lecture Description: Introduction for non-native speakers to academic reading and writing, beginning rhetorical analysis, analytical summary-response, timed-writing, editing, and beginning research. (CSU) Course Student Learning Outcomes CSLO #1: Critique arguments for objectivity, point of view, counter argument, concession, bias and hedging. CSLO #2: Evaluate sources considering criteria such as bias, author, date, credentials, primary and secondary sources, reliability/unreliability and print vs. Internet. CSLO #3: Evaluate appropriate dictionary use of both learner and college-level dictionaries, finding collocations and word patterns and identifying target meaning. Effective Term Spring 2025 Course Type Credit - Degree-applicable Contact Hours 90 Outside of Class Hours 180 Total Student Learning Hours 270 Course Objectives Students will gain exposure to and practice with academic language for persuasive and informational written discourse. 1. Compose academic written discourse that integrates rhetorical organizational patterns and develops sufficient and coherent support with valid argumentation, incorporation of sources and evidence presentation. 2. Read and evaluate authentic academic text for purpose, validity, analysis of logical fallacies, and synthesis in written discourse; practice meta-cognitive strategies for comprehension, retention, and fluency. 3. Develop research techniques and strategies for breadth and depth reading comprehension and synthesis of sources for written discourse. 4. Identify and expand usage of academic vocabulary including the most frequent words on the Academic Word List (Coxhead, 2000); use academic collective phrasing for expressing logic, showing relationships between ideas, and making transitions; use a thesaurus to locate and integrate synonymy. 5. Access and participation in key campus support services compiled and assessed by a learner's portfolio. 6. Demonstrate appropriate American classroom etiquette, course expectations, and socio-linguistic competence for academic situations. 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 CSU Transferable Methods of Evaluation Classroom Discussions Example: Instructors will develop discussion boards that encourage critical inquiry based on the reading materials. After reading an essay by American-Chinese immigrant writer, AnnChee Min from Immigrant Voices, the student will briefly, in 2-3 sentences, respond to each item in small discussion groups of 3-4 people. If referencing content from the story, they will cite the page and line numbers. 1. How is your name pronounced? Do people ever mistake or confuse the pronunciation? How would you respond to someone mispronouncing your name? 2. Anchee compares freedom of speech in her country. Describe it and explain how it compares to your own. 3. Anchee describes various classmates. Choose one that impresses you. Explain why. 4. Could you relate to any part of Anchee's reflections on the challenges of learning English? Explain. 5. Grammar: Identify any newly learned and/or confusing grammar or sentence structures. Explain the structure or ask a question about it. 6. Figurative Language: Write one phrase or expression that you noticed and didn't completely understand for group discussion. 7. Discussion: Create one cross-cultural question to share with your classmates. The Instructor will moderate the group adding in just-in-time teaching directly to the discussion and will give individual feedback based on the rubric as follows. Directions: Respond to each item with 2-3 sentences, reference content from the story citing page and line numbers. Initial Post: Student includes reasons, explanations, and examples, using correct grammar, sentence structure and academic vocabulary. Discussion Response: Replies to classmates with well-developed ideas, using correct grammar, sentence structure, and academic vocabulary. Essay Examinations Example: Write 2 paragraphs, one presenting the negative sides of the use of plastic in daily life and one presenting the positive aspects. In addition to using the information we have learned about cohesion and logical organization, you will use a variety of sentence types (simple, compound, and complex) and add one each: relative clause and one reduced relative clause/participle phrase. Next, use academic format: Word document, with a heading, 12-point font, double space, 1" margins. Save your document in 365 or Google docs. Use a file name with the assignment and your last name plus first letter of your first name. Submit for a plagiarism check, edit for introductory language and transitions that show clear relationships between words, clauses, sentences, and paragraphs; accurate sentence structure (boundaries, clauses, and punctuation); academic vocabulary & spelling; grammar is free from error: verb tense & form, word form, s-v agreement, and word order; submit your final work. Repeatable No Methods of Instruction Lecture/Discussion Distance Learning Lecture: Critical Thinking: The instructor will ask students to synthesize information from the two readings previously assigned by asking them to consider the purposes of the two readings individually, then to decide which of the two is more objective. If on-ground and synchronous, the instructor may organize an informal debate and ask students to defend opposing teams addressing the issue of whether science should be heavily involved in the production of our food. In online, the session could be recorded and posted for all students to view. Distance Learning In an LMS assignment, the instructor will assign two health magazine articles, "Eating Well: Less Science, More Common Sense" and "Anatomy of a Nutrition Trend." For each article, the instructor will guide students through a reading process for previewing and predicting; reading for fluency practice; then to annotate the text for purpose, thesis, main ideas, essential details, reasons, and examples. Additionally, the instructor will aid students in identification of the author's indirect language for style, intent, inferred meaning, possible bias, and offer cultural and schema reinforcement. The session will be recorded and posted for all students to view. Process Writing/Distance Learning: After an in-depth online discussion of the articles, supported by an intensive study of targeted vocabulary from the text (from the Academic Word List and the top 3,000 words), and a short lesson on cause and effect collocations (e.g., A contributes to B, A is due to B, A develops from B), available in LMS platform, students will use process writing to develop a paragraph stating and supporting his/her opinion on the effects of science on the foods we eat that will first be reviewed by peer students, then graded by the instructor according to a rubric. The student will next use this paragraph as support in a longer essay response. Typical Out of Class Assignments Reading Assignments 1. Read at least one text (fiction or non-fiction; eg. Behold the Dreamers) of 250 pages or at least 70,000 words and critically respond. 2. Read instructor materials (eg. The Stories of the US) and apply course vocabulary skills in a vocabulary log. Writing, Problem Solving or Performance 1. Write summaries for both short passages and longer readings. Identify the main ideas and essential details. 2. Complete the writing process from draft to revision for a 5-paragraph argument essay incorporating target vocabulary from at least two themed topic in-class readings. 3. Respond to discussion questions and classmates' responses in an online discussion board. Other (Term projects, research papers, portfolios, etc.) Required Materials QSkills 4 Author: Daise & Norloff Publisher: Oxford University Press Publication Date: 2015 Text Edition: 2nd Classic Textbook?: OER Link: OER: Inside Writing 4 Author: Caplan & Bixby Publisher: Oxford Publication Date: 2014 Text Edition: Classic Textbook?: OER Link: OER: Pathways 4 Author: Vargo & Blass Publisher: NGL/Heinle Cengage Publication Date: 2018 Text Edition: 2nd Classic Textbook?: OER Link: OER: Behold the Dreamers Author: Imbolo Mbue Publisher: Random House Publication Date: 2016 Text Edition: 1st Classic Textbook?: OER Link: OER: The Stories of U.S. Author: Saherish Surani Publisher: New Degree Press Publication Date: 2019 Text Edition: Classic Textbook?: OER Link: OER: Other materials and-or supplies required of students that contribute to the cost of the course.