Reading 0955: Intermediate ESL Reading

Course Schedule

Course Description

This course prepares ESL students with COMPASS Reading scores below 70 for READ 0975: Advanced ESL Reading. It develops basic academic reading skills, including finding main ideas, locating major and minor supporting details, making inferences, and using vocabulary in context.

Course Materials

  1. Langan, John.  Ten Steps to Building College Reading Skills,  3rd edition, Marlton, New Jersey: Townsend Press, 1998.

  2. Hollinger, Lisa, and Obenda.  Academic Word Power 1.  1st edition, Boston, Massachusetts: Houghton Mifflin, 2004. ISBN: 061839768X. (Fall Semester)

  3. Thompson, Celia, and Obenda.  Academic Word Power 2.  1st edition, Boston, Massachusetts: Houghton Mifflin, 2004. ISBN: 0618397698. (Spring Semester)

  4. American Heritage Dictionary (3rd or 4th edition)

General Information

The purpose of Intermediate ESL Reading is to teach students how to become better readers and to prepare them for success in Advanced ESL Reading.  Students will participate in activities that will lead to vocabulary development, enhance understanding of main ideas (both stated and implied), improve understanding of supporting details, and develop literal and inferential comprehension. This course awards 3 hours of institutional credit.

Learning Outcomes

1.  Students will improve their ability to locate main ideas in academic reading passages.

2.  Students will increase their ability to identify details in academic reading passages.

3.  Students will demonstrate an improvement in understanding new vocabulary in context.

4.  Students will show improved ability in comprehending new vocabulary through the analysis of word parts.    (Instructor documents date).

5.  Students will demonstrate critical reading skills. (Instructor documents date.)

6.  Students will respond in writing to reading assignments. (Instructor documents two dates.) 

7.  Students will acquire computer skills to use the Internet to complete reading assignments.

8.  Students will develop sufficient reading skills in order to demonstrate their

readiness for READ 0975 by exiting the class.

9.  Students will develop their inferential reasoning skills.

  Evaluation  

Homework Assignments 10-25%
Vocabulary Assessments 10-25%
Daily Assessments 25-40%
Final Exam 25-40%
Total  100%

 

Students must average 70% to exit the course and to proceed to Advanced ESL Reading.

Grade scale

S     Satisfactorily completed the course; proceed to Advanced ESL Reading

U     Unsatisfactory progress in the course; continue in the course next semester

Homework

Students must read all scheduled assignments and complete all exercises in the assigned readings.

Attendance

The instructor may determine that three tardies or early departures count as one-third of an absence. The attendance grade may be factored into daily work. Ten points may be subtracted for each absence, and up to 5 points subtracted for arriving late or leaving early. Students are responsible to find out what was missed and to complete any make-up work or assignments on schedule. Absence is no excuse for skipping tests or tasks on the day of return.

Make-up Work

At the instructor’s discretion, ten points may be deducted for each calendar date (NOT class period) an assignment is late. Missed tests may be made up with a valid excuse; however, these must be made-up within two days of returning to class. Otherwise the grade will be a zero.

Bonus Credit

At the discretion of the instructor, students may earn bonus credit by doing practice in the Writing Lab (315 LAB), including taking practice reading comprehension tests on the lab computers, using reading software available in the Writing Lab.

Expectations

1.     All students are expected to conduct themselves in a manner conducive to a positive learning environment.  Class disturbances will not be tolerated.  Cell phones and beepers must be turned off before entering the classroom.

2.     Students are expected to read all work that is assigned prior to coming to class.

3.     Students are expected to spend a minimum of 6 hours each week studying, reviewing, practicing, and reading course-related materials.

4.     Students are expected to bring their textbooks to every class.

5.     Students who engage in non-instructional computer use may be counted as not having attended class.

Students with Disabilities

Students with disabilities are invited to contact the Academic and Career Enhancement (ACE) Center of Dalton State College to request reasonable accommodations for academic programs and other activities of Dalton State College.  Students are encouraged to contact the ACE Center as soon as possible and to make an appointment with Disability Support Services (DSS) staff to begin the process of qualifying for accommodations.  Professional documentation must be provided that explains and verifies the disability and resulting limitations before DSS Services and accommodations can be utilized.  Once documentation is provided, students must allow adequate time for assessment of documentation and implementation of approved accommodations.  For additional information, please contact: Mary Andrews, ACE Center - Disability Support Services, Lower Level, Pope Student Center, 650 College Drive, Dalton, GA  30720, 706-272-4429.  Students who are unable to come to the ACE Center to request accommodations for a disability, should call (706) 272-4429.  Students who are unable to come to the instructor’s office or access any facility utilized by this course, should call the instructor at (706) 272-2564 for assistance.

Workforce Development Statement

"If a student receiving aid administered by the DSC Workforce Development Department drops this class or completely withdraws from the College, the Add-Drop/Withdrawal form must be taken to the Workforce Development Office first.  The office is located in the Technical Education Building, Room 140, and the hours are 9:00 a.m.-12:15 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m., Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, and 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 noon on Friday.  The phone number is 272-2635."

Drop/Withdrawal Statement

"The last day to drop this class without penalty is October 30, 2007.  You will be assigned a grade of W.  After this date, withdrawal without penalty is permitted only in cases of extreme hardship as determined by the vice president for academic affairs; otherwise a grade of WF will be issued.  Students who wish to drop this class or withdraw from all classes should go to the Enrollment Services Office in Westcott Hall to complete the necessary form.  Students who fail to complete the official drop/withdrawal procedure will receive the grade of F.  Withdrawal from class is a student responsibility.  Before dropping any class, the college strongly advises that students meet with their academic advisor and their instructor to discuss the impact of a withdrawal on graduation plans.  The college also strongly advises students who are receiving any type of financial aid to visit the Financial Aid Office in the Pope Student Center to discuss the impact a withdrawal may have on their financial aid status.  The grade of W counts as hours attempted for the purposes of financial aid."