AustinCommunity College

ACADEMIC ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE PROGRAM

ESOL 0393/COMX 3093: Intensive Grammar

Course Description and Syllabus

Semester:  Fall 2010

Tuesdays and Thursday, 12:40-2:25 p.m. Room 4212

Instructor:Shannon Bailey   

Office:     NRG 4105                 

Office Hours: Monday & Wednesday 12:45-1:45, Tuesday and Thursday 2:30-3:30, and by appointment

Phone:      223-4014

E-mail:     sbailey@austincc.edu                           

TEXTS: None

Academic ESL Program Goals: The main goal of ACC’s Academic ESL Program is to prepare ESL students to handle the listening, speaking, reading and writing assignments required in higher education. To accomplish this purpose, the ESL faculty have adopted a communicative approach that integrates these four macroskills with crucial subsidiary skills. Although the focus of each class is on a particular set of skills, activities involving the other skill areas are incorporated at all levels; students are taught microskills and strategies that will prepare them to become independent learners. 

COURSE DESCRIPTION: 

ESOL 0393: Intensive Grammar for Speakers of Other Languages emphasizes the correct use of standard English grammar. It is an accelerated grammar course tailored to correct the individual grammatical errors of ESOL students. The course will commence with a series of diagnostic testing, whole group discussion of problematic grammatical and syntactical structures, and an individualized plan of instruction and study for each student based on his/her individual needs.

MINIMUM ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS/PREREQUISITES:

Prerequisites: ESOL 0382 with a minimum grade of C.  This course may be repeated for up to six hours of credit.

Placement in the course is by ESL Assessment or the COMPASS Test.

INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES:

The intensive grammar course is designed to address the grammar problems of intermediate to advanced grammar students. No textbook is required because the curriculum is student-generated, and therefore, subject to change from semester to semester. The participants in the course will take a series of diagnostic tests to identify strengths and weakness and will focus on areas of difficulty. Although different students may choose to work on different grammatical structures, the instructor will address a number of areas that are typically challenging for nonnative speakers in whole group discussion. Areas that may be addressed include the following:

Subject-verb agreement; singular-plural problems, parallel structures; troubles with modifiers; adverbials, adjective, adverb, and noun clauses; reduced forms, passive; adjective/adverb word choice; tenses; usage; inversion; articles; non-count/collective forms; prepositions; verb + preposition combinations (phrasal verbs); word order; comparative and superlative forms; conditional/subjunctive; “other/another/others”; gerunds/infinitives; transitions/connectors; “wish” sentences; participial adjectives; mechanics/punctuation.

EVALUATION:

The following categories and percentages represent how your final grade will be determined.

Participation/Preparation.30%

Exams.....................70%

GRADES:

      A=100%-90%

      B=89%-80%

      C=79%-70%

      D=69%-60%

      F=below 60%

NOTE On PARTICIPATION AND ATTENDANCE: Because %30 percent of the course will be based on strict attendance, 10% of the participation/preparation percentage will be deducted for every unexcused absence. Two tardies (more than 5 minutes late) is the equivalent of one absence.

REQUIREMENTS/RESPONSIBILITIES:

ATTENDANCE  POLICY:

It is very important that you attend all of your classes. ACC policy states the following:

            A student at Austin Community College is expected to attend classes in order to progress satisfactorily toward completion of course objectives. . . A student who is not meeting course objectives may be withdrawn from the course at the discretion of the instructor (ACC Catalog 2004-2005, p. 33).

If you must be absent from class, it is your responsibility to find out what work you missed in class, as well as any homework assignments and announcements about tests.  

If you are taking this course to comply with the Texas Higher Education Assessment (THEA) requirements*, Texas law requires the following:

      1.    If you are not "continually in attendance," and "making progress" in this course, you should be withdrawn from the course by your instructor;

      2.    If you withdraw yourself or are withdrawn by your instructor, you will be automatically withdrawn from all of your other college courses if this is the only THEA-mandated course you are taking.

      *     If you are unsure whether or not this warning applies to you, see an ACC advisor immediately.     

EXAMS: 

These will be given on dates determined by the student and instructor and will be based on a number of exams determined jointly by the instructor and the student, not to exceed five exams. Students will need to be present on predetermined test dates since generally, no make-up exams will be given. Exceptions may be made at the discretion of the instructor.