English 081/091 Course of Study
COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF PHILADELPHIA
COURSE TITLE:High Beginning Writing for Non-native Speakers of
English
English 091
COURSE DESCRIPTION:The writing component of the first in a
series of integrated courses that develop reading and writing
skills in English. Development of vocabulary, study, life, and
cultural skills; critical thinking; reading comprehension; basic
grammar; and sentence structure. Writing of narrative, descriptive,
and simple expository paragraphs and short essays, letters, and
simple response to reading. Credit will not be applied toward
graduation. Course is paired and integrated with English 081.
PREREQUISITE:Pass grade in ICCS or placement
COREQUISITE:English 081High Beginning Reading for Non-Native
Speakers of English
COURSE HOURS:3-0-3
COURSE WRITER:Linda R. Fellag, Department of English
DATE:September 28, 2001
English 081/ English 091
High Beginning Reading and Writing
Course of Study
A. Course Description
English 081/091 is the first in a series of four pairs of
integrated courses that develop reading and writing skills.
Students increase their proficiency in study, life, cultural, and
critical thinking skills; reading comprehension; vocabulary; basic
grammar; and sentence structure.
The integrated pair of courses emphasizes academic reading and
writing. Students read and study texts in order to increase their
knowledge of the vocabulary, syntax, and mechanics of English. In
turn, they write on personal and academic topics about what they
have read and apply the language and content they have acquired
through reading. Types of writing include narrative, descriptive,
and simple expository paragraphs and short essays, letters, and
simple response to reading.
B. Rationale
Reading and writing competence are essential to college success.
Enhanced English language proficiency also strengthens English
learners functionality in the workplace and the English-speaking
community at large.
In general, students at this level have acquired some English,
but have little academic experience with it. They have limited
vocabulary and basic knowledge of English word order.
Students are placed into these two courses based on their scores
on the Maculaitis
Reading placement test and a writing placement test. See
Appendix 1 (A Proposal for Changing the Scoring of the Essay Part
of the ESL Placement Test) of the Curriculum Revision Proposal for
a detailed explanation of the procedure for student placement.
English 081/091 students improve their reading comprehension,
build vocabulary through numerous strategies, organize and develop
writing into unified paragraphs and short essays, understand and
use basic grammatical features, recognize and adhere to sentence
boundaries, including using punctuation and capitalization
appropriately, and learn and apply spelling rules.
The concurrent study and practice of reading and writing
provides opportunities for reinforcement of skills. At the same
time, students become acclimated to college expectations, enhance
their study skills, and build technological skills essential for
academic success.
English 081/091 has two classroom components: one the
six-hour-per-week main class, the other a two-hour-per week
Learning Lab class. The Learning Lab class provides students with
additional opportunities to practice and reinforce what they have
learned in the classroom. The supplemental Learning Lab class
content is coordinated between the ESL faculty and ESL Specialists
in the Learning Lab. Steady communication between the two faculty
groups ensures that classroom activities further the learning
objectives set forth in the curriculum. (See Section F. for further
explanation of Learning Lab instruction.)
C. Course Goals/Learning Objectives
The overall goal of this linked high beginning reading/writing
course pair is to prepare students for the low intermediate level
in the areas of reading comprehension, composing, syntax,
lexicon/semantics, mechanics, study skills, cultural skills, and
life skills.
Reading and writing are presented and practiced together so that
skills are reinforced. As models and springboards for student
writing, readings supply content (springboards for writing),
language (vocabulary and grammar), and organization (rhetoric). As
students read and write, they begin to see the two language areas
as processes in which ideas are revisited and revised.
The goals of the course are based on several theoretical models.
First, recent second language acquisition research suggests that
successful language learners employ a wide variety of skills and
strategies, depending on the learning context, i.e., the type of
text they are reading or the writing task at hand. Therefore, a
variety of learning strategies and skills (including reading skills
and strategies and composition skills) are modeled and practiced to
enable students to discover the most effective ones for them
(Scarcella and Oxford, 1992).* Second, research suggests that by
designing language learning tasks that are meaningful,
communicative, and learner-centered, students become motivated,
independent, and active learners. Through pair and group work,
students may discuss each others ideas, look constructively at each
others work, and collaborate on tasks (Brookes and Grundy, 1998).
Third, ESL educators now view writing as a multiply-recursive
process, rather than a series of linear steps. In this process,
student writers move in and out of the stages of planning,
targeting, organizing, drafting, evaluating, editing, and rewriting
(Brookes and Grundy, 1998). In addition, the typical community
college ESL student, a U.S. resident, may possess stronger oral and
aural language skills than writing skills because of gaps in formal
language education. This special type of language learner needs to
develop not only fluency, but also accuracy, so grammar and
mechanics practice is essential. (Byrd and Reid, 1998). Finally,
reading researchers acknowledge that
extensive, independent reading can foster a lifelong habit of
reading, which will
enhance students linguistic and general knowledge (Day and
Bamford, 1998).
* See Section J. for full references.
C.1Reading Comprehension
Students develop reading comprehension by relating readings to
their life experiences and background knowledge. They acquire
skills and strategies that will help them become independent
readers.
Both authentic English reading selections and adapted texts are
utilized. Passages include articles, short stories, poems, short
novels, graphic texts, and electronic (Internet) texts on personal
and non-personal topics.
Given appropriate levels of reading materials, students are
expected to
Use prior knowledge to help them understand their reading.
Preview main elements of a reading.
Predict content (before and during reading).
Identify and restate main ideas with simple statements.
Distinguish between main ideas and details.
Answer comprehension questions orally and in writing (short
answer, multiple choice, cloze, chronological ordering, true/false
questions, etc.).
Skim for overall meaning.
Scan for specific information.
Begin to understand text organization.
Organize ideas in chronological/logical order.
Draw inferences.
Begin to distinguish between fact and opinion.
Begin to paraphrase main ideas orally or in writing.
C.2Writing in Response to Reading
Student writers at this level can respond to their reading in a
variety of ways. They may write simple summaries, reaction
(opinion) pieces, and descriptive, narrative, and expository
paragraphs and compositions in which they relate ideas in a reading
to their own experience.
Summary writing is a challenging skill; however, high beginning
students can be provided criteria and models of good summaries and
asked to select the best summary from several choices. Students
could distinguish between an objective summary and a summary
containing subjective ideas. Instructors may want to have students
write simple, guided summary writing assignments. Students may
identify and/or write a main idea sentence for single units (one or
more paragraphs) of a text and compile the main idea sentences into
a summary. Prescribed introduction and conclusion sentences can be
modeled.
Descriptive and narrative paragraphs and short compositions may
draw upon students own experiences and/or relate to people, places,
or things in a reading text. Simple expository paragraphs and
compositions can include personal and/or text-related topics about
things, ways, reasons, types, etc.
(See sample syllabi in section K for specific examples of
writing topics.)
Reading texts should serve as linguistic models for students
writing. Post-reading activities should exploit the grammatical,
lexical, and rhetorical
features of readings appropriate to this level in order to
facilitate student application of these features to their own
writing. For instance, students can isolate and discuss simple
present tense verbs in a past time narrative to see that a writer
can use generalizations alongside sentences that are part of a
narrative.
Moreover, extensive reading has been used effectively at this
level. Students read independently and produce written and oral
reports on their reading. (See section D.2. for further explanation
of extensive reading activities.)
Students are expected to
Write simple, sentence- and paragraph-length summaries of main
ideas in a reading.
Write phrase-, sentence-, and/or paragraph-length compositions
that show a students comprehension of information in a reading
text.
Write sentence- and paragraph-length reactions to a reading.
Write paragraphs based on a reading theme that relate the
reading to their own personal experience.
Write a topic sentence (main idea sentence) for a paragraph.
Begin to produce unified descriptive, narrative, and expository
paragraphs and/or multi-paragraph compositions, that is, writing
that contains a topic sentence and logical support (major
supporting points and details).
Begin to use logical and chronological organizers
appropriately.
Begin to use pronouns, repeated words, and/or synonyms to make
writing coherent.
Begin to explore a variety of techniques for gathering ideas for
writing (i.e. freewriting, brainstorming, listing, clustering).
Respond to teachers and/or peer comments by self-revising (to
add or clarify ideas) and editing writing (to correct grammatical
and mechanical errors).
C.3Lexicon/Semantics
Successful readers increase their vocabulary by employing a
variety of strategies for deciphering the meaning(s) of words. In
this way, learners can discover the most effective strategies for
vocabulary development so that they may comprehend and retain
increasingly difficult vocabulary items, which they can apply in
their own writing and speech.
At this level, students can begin to master a word by
understanding some of its various features: form, structure,
morphemics, multiplicity of meaning, relatedness to other words
(antonymy, etc.), syntactic patterns, collocation, etc. At the high
beginning level, students should recognize plurality (form), begin
to recognize some common noun, adjective, and adverb endings
(morphemics), and use synonymy and antonymy as vocabulary study
tools. Readings and other class materials should repeatedly expose
students to frequently occurring academic vocabulary items in order
to promote student retention of meaning. Furthermore, vocabulary
items should be presented in a careful sequence so that items most
frequently used in academic and general contexts are presented
first, following persuasive research that advocates an appropriate
sequence of vocabulary acquisition.
High beginning learners should begin to practice dictionary
skills that they will continue to improve as they move up in the
ESL reading/writing course sequence. Most students at this level
continue to rely on bilingual (paper and electronic) and picture
dictionaries. Class discussions and illustrations of the efficacy
of English-English learners dictionaries such as the Longman
Dictionary of American English will help prepare students for
intermediate level reading and writing.
In this and other lexical/semantical areas, students are
expected to develop the following skills:
Begin to recognize parts of speech (word families).
Begin to use knowledge of parts of speech to interpret text.
Classify words of the same domain (e.g. clothing: articles of
clothing).
Begin to guess meaning of words from context.
Begin to comprehend sound and spelling correspondence.
Begin to use new vocabulary words from readings in their own
writing.
Begin to recognize multiplicity of meaning of words.
Be aware of pronunciation, stress, and syllable symbols in
dictionaries.
Be able to alphabetize words and find words in alphabetical
order in a dictionary.
Begin to distinguish between formal words used in writing and
informal words used in speech.
Begin to develop a personal system for recording and remembering
unfamiliar vocabulary words.
C.4Syntax
Students must accurately interpret the syntactic clues embedded
in a reading text to fully comprehend its meaning. By recognizing
and understanding grammatical features in high beginning level and
above readings, students can better understand and produce
fundamental grammatical structures in their own writing.
Students are expected to
Recognize and begin to produce complete sentences.
Recognize and begin to correctly use basic word order in
sentences.
Begin to identify and appropriately use a variety of basic
sentence patterns.
Distinguish between and begin to appropriately use singular and
plural forms.
Recognize and begin to appropriately use articles with singular
and plural count nouns and non-count nouns.
Understand use of pronoun reference in texts and begin to use
pronouns appropriately in writing.
Understand and use prepositions of place and time.
Understand and begin to use logical organizers such as
coordinating conjunctions, chronological organizers, and cause and
effect words.
Understand and begin to use present, past, and future tense
verbs appropriately.
Understand and begin to use frequency adverbs and other
adverbials appropriately.
C.5Mechanics
Students with limited writing experience need overt instruction
in punctuation and spelling rules. Reading texts can serve as
models for correct mechanical usage.
Students are expected to
Begin to recognize and abide by sentence boundaries in
writing.
Begin to appropriately use sentence-end and intra-sentence
punctuation marks such as the period, question mark, comma and
parentheses.
Begin to recognize and correct sentence fragments and comma
splices.
Use capital letters correctly.
Recognize and begin to follow certain spelling rules: +s forms
of nouns and simple present tense verbs, +ing forms of present
continuous verbs, and +ed forms of simple past tense verbs.
Begin to develop a personal system for studying and
self-correcting commonly misspelled words.
C.6Study Skills
Developing study skills prepares students to handle
academic/college coursework independently. The term study skills
encompasses a wide range of classroom behaviors and learning
strategies. For many English 081/091 students, these courses serve
as an introduction to U.S. academic life.
Students are expected to develop the following skills,
classified here by level of importance.
Critical Skills:
Establish English language study as a priority.
Meet deadlines and requirements for courses.
Begin to develop dictionary skills with either a bilingual or a
monolingual (English-English) dictionary.
Recognize and successfully manipulate the parts of a textbook
(e.g. table of contents, index).
Understand objective and subjective tests.
Very Important Skills:
Study effectively with peers.
Begin to develop self-testing strategies.
Important Skills:
Begin to annotate a text.
Predict and answer examination questions based on reading.
Prepare for timed writing examinations.
Discover and use learning resources at the College, such as
tutoring in the Learning Lab.
C.7Technology Skills
Students can begin to acquire technological skills that will
help students function better in academic courses and daily
life.
Students are expected to
Begin to use the College library to check out a book
Begin to be aware of and use local free libraries as sources of
beginning reading.
Begin to be aware of and begin to utilize the Internet as a
reading and writing resource.
Begin to use the computer as a tool for developing writing
fluency through electronic messaging to classmates, students at
other institutions, and/or instructor, or through beginning word
processing of writing.
C.8Cultural and Life Skills
Through reading, students begin to explore American history and
society, gathering information about the culture of this country.
Cultural skills also help students function more effectively in the
American setting.
Students are expected to
Begin to learn about American culture, traditions, values,
trends, and history.
Learn etiquette and rules of a U.S. classroom.
Take risks to participate effectively in the classroom.
Take risks to use English outside the classroom.
D. Planned Sequence of Activities
Reading and writing activities should be interwoven. Students
may prepare for reading by previewing, discussing, studying
language, and writing. While reading, students should be led to
focus on content and language that they may emulate in their own
writing. Afterwards, students can identify and expand upon ideas
and structures in their reading. Then, they can produce simple
summaries, reactions, and paragraphs based on ideas from reading.
The activities should move back and forth between reading and
writing, journal writing and formal writing, and thinking and
rethinking.
D.1A Typical Reading/Writing Unit
A typical unit in English 081/091 incorporates the reading,
writing, lexical, grammatical, mechanical, study, and technological
skills previously described. The length of time to cover an
integrated skills unit may vary from one to two weeks, or may even
consist of a one-class reading/writing lesson.
Here is an example of a typical integrated reading/writing unit
of study. The lesson is described here in generic terms. Sample
sequences of activities, including specific reading texts and
writing assignments, are included in the sample syllabi found in
section K.
Part 1:Pre-reading activities
Students are presented with a reading text. Before reading, they
engage in activities to prepare them to read. They preview the
reading, study vocabulary, and acquire background (e.g. cultural,
historical) knowledge. They also explore the reading theme to
activate their prior knowledge of the subject. Students may write
about a topic before reading.
Part 2: Reading and Post-reading activities
To build reading fluency, students are led to first read a text
without consulting a dictionary. Then, they may read the text
subsequently by marking and looking up unfamiliar words in a
dictionary. After-reading activities check students comprehension
of general and specific ideas, exploit the reading for its
language, vocabulary, and organizational features, and allow
students to explore textual content and language cooperatively with
classmates. Language study (grammar, vocabulary, etc.) may be
included at this stage as students identify language used in a
text. Writing may be used as a post-reading activity to check
students comprehension of texts or allow them to respond critically
to their reading. Independent study and group work build students
study skills. Extensive reading activities are explained in the
subsequent section D.2.
Part 3: Pre-writing activities
Students are formally instructed in the rhetorical conventions
of academic writing. Students recognize these features in the text
they have read (or other samples) before applying the features to
their own writing. As part of the writing process, students also
engage in idea-gathering activities such as brainstorming, listing,
and freewriting before they write. Language and mechanics study may
also occur at this stage in the unit.
Part 4: Writing activities
Students write paragraphs and multi-paragraph compositions on
topics provided by the instructor. Topics are often closely related
to ideas in a reading. Students are encouraged to draw ideas and
language from their reading. Whenever possible, writing topics are
communicative in nature and build academic and/or life skills.
Part 5: Post-reading and -writing activities
By responding to readings through written summaries and
reactions, students reflect on their reading. Such activities
encourage students to revisit the reading text. The examination of
model summaries, reaction papers, and paragraphs written by peers
helps students to evaluate their own reading comprehension.
More traditional reading assessment tools such as objective
tests also enable students to self-evaluate their reading.
Direct instruction and practice in language and mechanical
points enable students to refine their knowledge of written English
as students revise and edit their writing as part of the writing
process. Students revise independently and through peer activities
that help them to change or add to their writing. Peer editing and
self-monitoring of errors can help students to become independent
writers.
D.2Extensive Reading and Writing
The use of extensive, independently chosen reading is increasing
in second language classrooms. At the high beginning level,
students can be encouraged to independently read short adapted
novels and adult literacy-type non-fiction texts of their choice as
well as Internet texts (with instructional support on Internet use
from instructor and/or College library faculty). The goals of
extensive reading are to develop a habit of reading for pleasure
and, thus, to facilitate language acquisition.
Extensive reading may be used as the sole source of reading for
a class; however, in the Colleges ESL program, instructors have
heretofore used extensive reading along with the reading of common
texts. Extensive Reading in the Second Language Classroom (Day and
Bamford, 1998) recommends that student readers be allowed to choose
reading material on their own to increase motivation to read.
Students can benefit from bibliographic instruction that focuses on
one area of library search, such as finding a book. High beginning
readers will find many level-appropriate books in the College
Librarys ESL collection. About 175 new books were added to this
collection in Spring 2000. A database of titles in the ESL
collection, classified by reading level, has been placed on the
College Q: drive for instructor use (See ESL folder, Lfellag.) The
levels for books in the collection are stated in one of two ways:
by reading course number (e.g. 081, 082) on the database, or by
vocabulary level (e.g., Level 1 300 words, Beginning) on the back
or front covers of many titles. Teachers may also wish to take
students to the main Free Library on Vine Street, in particular the
extensive Childrens Department. (For further discussion of the use
of Library resources, see Section G.)
At the 081/091 level, most students can read five short novels
or non-fiction texts in a semester in addition to common reading.
The reading skills modeled and practiced with common reading are
applied to students independent reading. Regular class discussions
on allocating time for pleasure reading amidst busy schedules
encourage students to meet the challenge of reading a prescribed
number of books. Subsequent monitoring may include records of
students reading progress in a read and record sheet with
information such as the title, author, and type of book read, time
spent on each reading, frequency of reading, duration to finish,
and date for completion of a book report.
Student book reports may be oral or written. The objectives of
the report are to evaluate students understanding of their reading
and to create a stimulating community of readers. Students may
include information in their book reports such as:
The kind of text being read (fiction, non-fiction), type of
publication (newspaper, magazine, book, or Internet) and the author
and year of publication.
A summary of the major elements in the story:
Setting and characters
Plot (for fiction)
Main ideas and supporting points (for non-fiction)
Type of ending (i.e. surprise, happy, sad)
Authors message
Students reaction to the text
Questions for fictional work:
Which characters do you like and identify with? Why?
What parts of the story do you like best? Why?
Which parts do you dislike? Why?
Would you recommend this book to others? Why?
Questions for non-fiction work:
What did you learn from the text?
Was the book interesting? Why?
E.Required Texts
At this date, no single textbook covers all the reading and
writing skills called for
in this course description. ESL teachers need to continue to
seek out textual materials that integrate writing, reading,
vocabulary, grammar, and mechanics. Until adequate materials become
accessible, teachers need to utilize a combination of textbooks or
other materials that accomplish the curricular objectives outlined
in this document. The combinations may include a reading anthology
and writing textbook, a novel or other reading text and a writing
textbook, and/or reading materials, a writing textbook, and a
grammar textbook. Teachers may also wish to require that students
purchase a low-level English learners dictionary such as the
Longman Dictionary of American English.
The first sample syllabus in section K includes a sample
sequence of activities that illustrates how a novel and a writing
textbook are combined to achieve the most salient course
objectives. The sequence of activities implies that
teacher-generated materials would also have to be incorporated into
the course to accomplish the curricular goals.
This sample sequence incorporates reading, writing, and grammar
objectives. The sequence illustrates how to incorporate the most
salient course objectives through the integration of a literary
text, The Last of the Mohicans (adapted fiction, level 2, 600-word
vocabulary), with a writing textbook, Paragraph Power.
The literary work forms the thematic center of the course. This
common text is discussed and studied by all students. In addition,
students read and respond to self-selected independent reading
texts. (See section D.2.) The writing components evolve from the
reading materials.
Each unit represents a two-week block, with course activities
generally following the pre-reading, reading, post reading/writing
sequence presented in section D.1. Activities include
brainstorming, discussion, reading comprehension check, reading
journal (responses to reading), and vocabulary, grammar, and
mechanics skill-building activities.
The ESL Book Committee, a standing committee of ESL faculty who
regularly pilot and evaluate newly published materials, has begun
to explore materials appropriate for integrated reading and writing
courses. Some initial suggestions for high beginning text
combinations are listed below. Texts are labeled by skill focus to
suggest combinations of books that instructors might use (i.e. a
reading + writing book, or a reading + grammar book) to best meet
course objectives:
Writing Workout*
Huizenga and Ruzic (Heinle)
writing
Reading Workout*
Huizenga and Ruzic (Heinle)
reading
Interactions One*
Kirn and Hartman
reading
Interactions One*
Kirn and Hartman
writing
Tapestry Reading 1
Guleff, et al (Heinle)
reading
Tapestry Writing 1
Pike-Baky (Heinle)
writing
North Star I
Carol Numrich, series editor (Longman)writing/reading
Grammar in Context, Book 1Elbaum (Heinle)
grammar
Write Ahead, Book 1
Fellag (Longman, in press)
writing/reading/
grammar
*Themes are the same in each of these pairs of books.
Single novels appropriate for the high beginning level may also
be utilized, especially if extensive reading will be employed.
Using fictional texts will help students manage their reading of
like texts read independently.
Appropriate novels include the adapted novels series published
by Penguin USA (marketed by Pearson Education: Longman) and
Cambridge University Press. Non-fiction texts at the high beginning
level are also published by New Readers Press and Globe Fearon. As
mentioned, many high beginning books are available in the College
Librarys ESL Collection.
Possible adapted fiction titles include The Last of the Mohicans
(Penguin), Black Beauty (Penguin), Longman original fiction
novellas such as The Psychic, New Readers Press original
immigrant-related novellas such as The Trip, Cambridge Classics
such as The Call of the Wild, The Deerslayer, and The Time Machine,
or Cambridges Tana Reiff Reading Series, Worktales, Hopes and
Dreams, and Lifetimes.
F.Learning Lab Instruction
The Learning Lab of the Academic Support Services Division
provides two hours of additional classroom instruction to
complement English 081/091. As mentioned previously, the purpose of
the lab classes is to allow students to practice and reinforce what
they have learned in the 081/091 classroom.
Continual communication between the ESL faculty and the ESL
Learning Lab faculty is essential to ensure that students gain the
optimal benefits from lab classes. ESL faculty should provide lab
faculty with a copy of the course syllabus at the beginning of the
term. They should report to lab faculty at least once a week on
material and activities covered in the 081/091 class, as well as on
students progress, strengths, and weaknesses. This communication
should be conducted well in advance of lab classes to permit lab
faculty to prepare appropriate materials. Lab faculty should
likewise supply ESL faculty with reports on student attendance and
progress.
Cooperative efforts between these two faculty groups should be
made to discuss and design lab class activities that will integrate
reading and writing. Members of the ESL Curriculum Committee
strongly recommend that lab classes emphasize the following
activities:
Reinforce the activities in the reading and writing sequence in
Section D.
Develop vocabulary acquisition.
Teach dictionary use.
Provide writing practice with conferencing, and if appropriate,
introduce students to computer use in these sessions.
The new English 081/091 course design requires that students
attend their lab classes, and that ESL and lab faculty also
cooperate to accomplish the following goals, which are recommended
by the ESL Curriculum Committee:
Students must understand that the lab is an integral part of
English 081/091.
Repeating students should be encouraged to utilize additional
Learning Lab resources, such as tutoring, workshops, and
conversation groups.
Ways to integrate the lab activities should be explored, such as
the possibility of combining the two one-hour sessions into one
session.
G.Library Resources and Bibliography
English 081/091 may introduce students to library use through
focused bibliographic lessons delivered by College Library faculty.
At this level, many students have had difficulties understanding
the standard bibliographic instruction provided by the College
Library faculty. However, when such instruction has focused on one
task, such as how to find a book, and College Library faculty are
apprised of the language level of English 081/091 students, high
beginning students have successfully learned how to use the College
Librarys OPAC system (computerized card catalog).
Faculty-developed materials are essential to successful library
use activities. Teachers should develop materials to help students
comprehend library brochures and other materials typically used in
bibliographic instruction. These materials along with library
brochures should be discussed before the library instruction
session is held.
Teacher-developed activities can also allow students to practice
the skills taught in library lessons. Some ESL faculty have
developed level-appropriate activities that provide students with
hands-on practice in using the online catalog. For an example of an
activity based on a Free Library of Philadelphia brochure (title:
Free Library Scavenger Hunt), see Appendix A.
In addition, the previously described College Library collection
of ESL level reading materials are catalogued in the OPAC system
with the keyword ESL added to the call number. Students may find
these books in the ESL bookshelves in the Library or by typing the
word ESL into the OPAC computers.
H.Technological Resources
Instructors of this course may choose to include computer
technology to increase students reading and writing opportunities.
Instruction in basic word processing skills can be used as a
language learning lesson as well as a tool for enhancing students
technological skills. For a sample lesson used at this level
(title: How to Use Microsoft Word), see Appendix B.
In addition, the use of electronic mail accounts (e.g. Hotmail
and Yahoo) enables students with little or no word processing
proficiency to easily open e-mail accounts and to e-mail writing
assignments to their teacher and other students for timely
feedback. The Internet may also serve as a source for reading and
grammar practice. Links to many ESL-appropriate language-learning
sites are available at the Daves ESL Caf Web site (URL:
www.eslcafe.com). These sites include interactive reading and
vocabulary and grammar quizzes appropriate for independent study.
They also link students to educational sites geared towards ESL
learners, i.e. the CNN news site.
Technological instruction is also available through the Colleges
Learning Lab.
Instructors should encourage their students to make use of the
Learning Labs
computer workshops. Once students become proficient in the use
of computers,
they should also be encouraged to make independent use of the
Student Academic Computing Center and the College librarys
Internet-connected computers and online catalogs.
E. Student Assessment
ESL faculty regularly meet in norming sessions to check their
grading of student work during each semester. ESL faculty have
traditionally used a single, common final examination for writing.
The English 081/091 final examination should consist of a reading
comprehension/vocabulary examination component, writing based on a
reading, and, if desired, a grammar examination component.
ESL faculty have begun to cooperate to design assessment tools
that integrate reading/writing skill testing. In one initial model
piloted in Fall 2000, common midterm exams included one reading as
a springboard for writing (discussed prior to the writing exam) and
a second reading on a closely related topic given to students on
the day of the reading exam. The reading exam component consisted
of both comprehension-type questions and short essay style
questions. (See types of evaluative items below.)
Faculty grade English 081/091 students work in a holistic style
to determine if the students combined reading and writing ability
is sufficient to pass the student to the 082/092 level. Grades of P
(Pass), MP (Making Progress), F (Fail), or I (Incomplete) are
given. Students who complete the course work, but have made
insufficient progress to pass to the next level, receive an MP
grade. Students who do not complete course assignments or exceed
absence limits receive an F.
English 081/091 evaluative tools consist of a variety of types
of items:
Student writing: Students do both in-class writing of short
compositions under test conditions and out-of-class and in-class
writing using a process approach.
Reading comprehension/vocabulary tests: Tests typically use the
following types of questions: cloze, fill-in-the-blank, multiple
choice, true-false, matching, underlining, ordering items, and/or
sentence-, paragraph- or multi-paragraph length answer.
Grammar tests: Tests typically contain the following question
types: cloze, fill-in-the-blank, editing, or multiple choice.
Reading journal: Students respond to reading through journal
writing.
Summary writing: Students produce simple, sentence- or
paragraph-length written summaries of their reading.
Oral report: Students write and deliver oral reports based on
reading.
Portfolio: Student writing, homework assignments, and other
class work are gathered in a folder and evaluated as a whole.
I.1Course Requirements
Students should write both in-class and out-of-class
compositions, many of which respond to readings.
Students should produce approximately eight revised and edited
papers of at least 150 words.
Students will have at least two major grammar tests and a few
short grammar quizzes.
Students will have at least two major reading examinations and a
few short reading quizzes.
In courses with extensive reading, students will read a
prescribed number of books and produce book reports for each.
F. Course Assessment and Evaluation
ESL faculty have utilized a variety of tools to evaluate English
081/091. Course assessment methods include
Peer visitations followed by collegial discussions of the most
effective classroom activities, methods and materials
Course-specific student questionnaires (simplified for
comprehensibility by high beginning students) that allow students
to evaluate the effectiveness of specific activities, methods, and
materials (See sample, Appendix C.).
Periodic review of course descriptions and curricula at regular
ESL faculty meetings, curriculum committee meetings, which serve as
effectual checks of course content and delivery
Informal course-specific meetings held periodically during a
semester to gauge students levels and performance, teaching
strategies and methods, and other concerns
ESL book committee meetings at which faculty members discuss
course content and materials and pilot potential textbooks
Evaluation of the quality of the courses content and its
learning process at least once every five years using a method
determined by the college
In addition to the above mentioned tools, ESL faculty teaching
081/091 do the following:
Hold formal and informal meetings with ESL colleagues in the
English. Department and the Learning Lab to obtain feedback on ESL
students performance and suggestions for students success.
Conduct norming sessions at the end of the semester with ESL
instructors to evaluate students performance.
Attend to and deliver of presentations at professional
conferences relevant to ESL reading/writing theory and
pedagogy.
Read current professional publications on second language
learning theory and practice helpful when planning their
courses.
Consult these and other language learning reference books:
Brookes, A. and P. Grundy. 1998. Beginning to Write: Writing
Activities for Elementary and Intermediate Learners. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.
Byrd, P. and J. Reid. 1998. Grammar in the Composition
Classroom. Boston: Heinle and Heinle.
Day, R. and J. Bamford. 1998. Extensive Reading in the Second
Language Classroom. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Deakins, A.H., K. Parry and R.R. Viscount. 1994. The Tapestry
Grammar: A Reference for Learners of English. Boston: Heinle and
Heinle.
Grabe, W. and R. Kaplan. 1996. Theory and Practice of Writing.
London: Longman.
Kroll, B. (ed.) 1990. Second Language Writing: Research Insights
for the Classroom. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Lewis, M. 1993. The Lexical Approach. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.
Lewis, M. 2000. Teaching Collocation. Hove, England: Language
Teaching Publications.
Read, J. 2000. Assessing Vocabulary. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.
Reid, J. (ed.) 1995. Learning Styles in the ESL/EFL Classroom.
Boston: Heinle and Heinle.
Scarcella, R. and R. Oxford. 1992. The Tapestry of Language
Learning. Boston: Heinle and Heinle.
Schmitt, N. and M. McCarthy (eds.) 1998. Vocabulary:
Description, Acquisition and Pedagogy. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.
Schmitt, N., 2000. Vocabulary in Language Teaching. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.
Silva, T. 1990. Second language composition instruction:
developments, issues and directions in ESL. In Kroll.
K.Sample Syllabi
Attached are two sample syllabi for English 081/091, both of
which include a sample sequence of activities.
In the first of the following syllabi, the sequence illustrates
how to incorporate the most salient course objectives through the
integratio of a literary text, The Last of the Mohicans (adapted
fiction, Level 2, 600-word vocabulary), with a writing textbook,
Paragraph Power. The literary work forms the thematic center of the
course. This common text is discussed and studied by all
students.
The second syllabus uses a writing textbook and a grammar
textbook and incorporates extensive reading.
L. Fellag / Office: BR-57, 8-9 a.m. and 1-2 p.m. MWF /
Phone751-8867 / [email protected]
Spring 2000
ENGLISH 081/091
Course Syllabus
Course Description
English 081/091 is a high beginning reading and writing course
pair for English as a Second Language students. It is the first in
a series of four pairs of reading/writing courses (English 081/091,
English 082/092, English 083/093, and English 089/098) that
prepares ESL students for college-level reading and writing.
Why Is Reading Important?
Your success in college depends on your ability to read. In
college classes, you will read many pages of textbooks every night.
You must be prepared to read and understand a large volume (amount)
of college-level reading.
Reading is also necessary in your daily life. You must read
letters, newspaper and magazine articles, job applications,
government documents, maps and other material.
Reading also helps you to write better. You learn vocabulary and
grammar as you read.
Why Is Writing Important?
In college classes, you will write many types of reports and
papers. You will also write on examinations.
Writing is also necessary in your daily life. At home and at
work, you write letters and memorandums, fill in job applications,
complete government documents, and do other writing such as
reports.
You learn vocabulary and grammar as you write.
Course Goals
This course will help you improve these areas of reading and
writing:
Understanding main ideas in a reading
Identifying less important details in a reading
Reading quickly to find information (skimming and scanning)
Understanding the grammar used in a reading
Understanding the organization of a reading
Practicing different ways to learn and remember new
vocabulary
Learning how to use a dictionary when you read and write
Discussing reading
Writing about your reading
Developing fluency (to become comfortable) in writing in
English
Writing accurately (with grammatical correctness) in English
Learning how to organize and support ideas in your writing
Practicing the writing used in college
Working on your individual grammar problem areas
Using the parts of a textbook
Beginning to learn to use a library
Making reading in English an enjoyable part of your life
Materials
You are required to purchase the following materials for this
course:
Course textbooks
1) The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper (Penguin,
2000)
2) Paragraph Power, 2nd Edition by Rooks (Prentice Hall Regents,
1999)
Both are available in the College bookstore.
Dictionary. Preferred dictionaries: The Longman Dictionary of
American English, or The Newbury House Dictionary of American
English. Both available at college bookstore.
Learning Lab Class
An added one-hour per week Learning Lab class is an important
part of English 081/091. In lab class, you get more reading and
writing practice. Students must attend Learning Lab class. Your
schedule tells you the time/place for lab class.
Main Course Requirements
Reading and writing activities in the two textbooks
Outside reading Articles that the teacher brings into the class,
plus activities
Extensive reading Books that you choose from the College Library
or the instructors book collection. You must read at least five
books during the semester.
Written responses to the five books you choose from the
library.
To Pass This Course
In order to pass this course and move up to English 082:
COME TO CLASS. You are permitted two weeks of unexcused
absences. If you are ill, call the instructor at the phone number
at the top of the page. State your name, your class, and the reason
for your absence. Get the phone number of a classmate in case you
are absent and need to know the assignments. You will be
automatically dropped from the course if you miss more than two
weeks of class. You are also expected to attend lab classes.
DO THE WORK. You must complete all assignments.
ASK QUESTIONS. Be responsible for your learning. Ask me in class
or via e-mail, or see me during my office hours (see top of page)
if you dont understand something.
DEMONSTRATE SUFFICIENT PROGRESS IN YOUR READING to enable you to
succeed in English 082. You will have several reading exams,
including Midterm and Final exams. You should maintain an overall
average of P in all your work.
Special Needs
Community College of Philadelphia wants to meet the special
needs of any students. If you have a handicap or disability of any
kind, please let me know during the first week so that I can help
you succeed in this class.
English 081/091 Sequence of Activities
Weeks 1-2
UNIT 1
Pre-Reading Discussion and Vocabulary
History Reading on the Mohicans and Early U.S. Settlers
The Last of the Mohicans (LOM), Chapter 1 The Trip Begins
LOM, Chapter 2 Their First Mistake
Post-Reading Check, Vocabulary Building, Reading Journal
(responses to readings)
Paragraph Power (PP), Chapter 1 What Is a Paragraph? (examples
from LOM)
Grammar/Mechanics Practice: Complete sentences, Punctuation and
capitalization (examples from LOM)
Writing Assignments: 1) My Ethnic Group, 2) A Trip or A Big
Mistake
Revision and Editing: Paragraph improvement, Sentence
correction
Extensive (Independent) Reading Introduction, Reading Interest
Survey, Reading Log/Journal
Weeks 3-4
UNIT 2
Pre-Reading Discussion and Vocabulary
LOM, Chapter 3 By Canoe up the River
LOM, Chapter 4 The Hurons Attack
Post-Reading Check, Vocabulary Building, Reading Journal
PP, Chapter 2 The Parts of a Paragraph (Topic Sentence, Subject
Development, the Summary Sentence) (examples from LOM)
Grammar/Mechanics Practice: Present Tense Verbs, Subject-Verb
Agreement (examples from LOM), Spelling +s Verbs (from LOM)
Writing Assignments: 1) A Chapter Summary Present Tense (LOM),
2) An Opinion (LOM) Paragraph with Topic Sentence and Facts
Revision and Editing: Paragraph improvement, Sentence
correction
Extensive Reading Reading Log/Journal
Weeks 5-6
UNIT 3
Pre-Reading Discussion and Vocabulary
LOM, Chapter 5 Coras Plan
LOM, Chapter 6 War Cries
Post-Reading Check, Vocabulary Building, Reading Journal
PP, Chapter 2 continued Narration (Choosing a subject,
Chronological order) (examples from LOM)
Grammar/Mechanics Practice: Past Tense Verbs (examples from
LOM), Transition words, Spelling +ed Verbs (from LOM)
Writing Assignments: 1) Narration of an Event from LOM, 2) An
Important Event in My Life
Revision and Editing: Paragraph improvement, Sentence
correction
Extensive Reading Reading Log/Journal, Written/Oral Reports
Mid-term Examination Date to be announced
Weeks 7-8
UNIT 4
Pre-Reading Discussion and Vocabulary
LOM, Chapter 7 Magua Remembers
LOM, Chapter 8 Ready to Die
Post-Reading Check, Vocabulary Building, Reading Journal
PP, Chapter 3 Description (Nature of description, Choosing a
subject, Descriptive order, Writing the descriptive paragraph)
(examples from LOM)
Grammar/Mechanics Practice: Special Grammar in Description, Past
Tense Verbs (examples from LOM), Comma versus Period
Writing Assignments: 1) Description of a Place from LOM, 2) My
Special Place
Revision and Editing: Paragraph improvement, Sentence
correction
Extensive Reading Reading Log/Journal, Written/Oral Reports
Weeks 9-10
UNIT 5
Pre-Reading Discussion and Vocabulary
LOM, Chapter 9 The End is Near
LOM, Chapter 10 Win or Lose
Post-Reading Check, Vocabulary Building, Reading Journal
PP, Chapter 4 Process (Process analysis, directional analysis)
(examples from LOM)
Grammar/Mechanics Practice: Command, Passive Verbs (examples
from LOM), Fragments
Writing Assignments: 1) A Process analysis from LOM, 2) A
Summary Paragraph from LOM
Revision and Editing: Paragraph improvement, Sentence
correction
Extensive Reading Reading Log/Journal, Written/Oral Reports
Weeks 11-12
UNIT 6
Pre-Reading Discussion and Vocabulary
LOM, Chapter 11 A Fathers Story
LOM, Chapter 12 The Fight Ends
Post-Reading Check, Vocabulary Building, Reading Journal
PP, Chapter 5 Cause and Effect Analysis (Organization of Simple
Expository Writing) (examples from LOM)
Grammar/Mechanics Practice: Special Grammar in Cause/Effect
Analysis (examples from LOM), Nouns and Articles (from LOM)
Writing Assignments: 1) A Cause Analysis from LOM, 2) An Effect
Analysis from LOM
Revision and Editing: Paragraph improvement, Sentence
correction
Extensive Reading Reading Log/Journal, Written/Oral Reports
Weeks 13-14
UNIT 7
Pre-Reading Discussion and Vocabulary
LOM, Chapter 13 Follow and Hope
LOM, Chapter 14 Strange Changes
LOM, Chapter 15 Love and Hate
Post-Reading Check, Vocabulary Building, Reading Journal
PP, Chapter 7 Persuading by Argument (A Proposal, A Paragraph
with Reasons for or against) (examples from LOM)
Grammar/Mechanics Practice: Variety of Sentence Structure,
Review of Sentence Punctuation (structures exploited from LOM)
Writing Assignments: 1) A Chapter Summary (LOM), 2) A Persuasive
(LOM) Paragraph with Reasons and Support
Revision and Editing: Paragraph improvement, Sentence
correction
Extensive Reading Reading Log/Journal, Written/Oral Reports,
Final Portfolio
Week 15
Final Examination Date to be announced
L. Fellag / Office: BR-57, 8-9 a.m. and 1-2 p.m. MWF /
Phone751-8867 / [email protected]
English 081/091 Syllabus
Spring 1999
Course Description and Goals
English 081/091 is the first course in a series of four pairs of
reading/writing courses. This course will help you succeed in
college classes and the English-speaking community. In this course,
you will read many different types of texts so that you can get
ideas and language to use in your writing. You will build your
skills in reading comprehension, composing, vocabulary, grammar,
punctuation and spelling, study skills, and life skills. You will
discuss and write about readings. The readings will serve as good
examples of the organization, vocabulary, and grammar of written
English. You will study and discuss the readings to improve your
own writing.
Required Materials
You are required to purchase the following materials for this
course:
1.Textbooks: Write Ahead by Fellag (Addison Wesley Longman) and
Grammar in Context, 2nd edition, Book 1 (Heinle and Heinle)
2. Dictionary: Longman Dictionary of American English (Addison
Wesley Longman)
3. Manila folder for portfolio
Learning Lab Class
An added two-hour per week Learning Lab class is an important
part of English 081/091. In lab class, you get more reading and
writing practice. Students must attend Learning Lab class. Your
schedule tells you the time/place for lab class.
To Pass This Course
In order to pass this course and move up to English 082/092:
COME TO CLASS. You are permitted two weeks of unexcused
absences. If you are ill, call the instructor at the phone number
at the top of the page. State your name, your class, and the reason
for your absence. Get the phone number of a classmate in case you
are absent and need to know the assignments. You will be
automatically dropped from the course if you exceed two weeks of
unexcused absences.
DO THE WORK. You must complete all your assignments. You will be
expected to keep up with reading and writing assignments. You will
have to revise and edit all compositions. You will also read texts,
write regularly in a journal, and do grammar, vocabulary and
reading exercises.
ASK QUESTIONS. Be responsible for your learning. If you dont
understand something, ask me in class or see me during my office
hours (see top of the page).
DEMONSTRATE SUFFICIENT PROGRESS IN READING EXAMINATIONS AND IN
FIRST DRAFTS OF YOUR WRITING to enable you to succeed in English
082/092. You will have two major reading exams: Midterm and Final.
For each formal writing assignment, you will write a first draft
(the first version) and one
or more revisions (corrections), These will be graded P (Pass)
or MP (Making Progress). To succeed in English 082/092, you should
be receiving P grades on reading exams and first drafts of writing
by the end of this semester. Two major grammar exams and periodic
grammar quizzes will be announced. You will also turn in portfolios
of your work at Midterm and the end of the semester. To pass the
course, you should maintain an overall average of P in all of this
work. At the beginning of the semester, you will also take a
Diagnostic Reading Examination and write a Diagnostic Composition
(which will NOT be graded).
Special Needs
Community College of Philadelphia wants to meet the special
needs of any students. If you have a handicap or disability of any
kind, please let me know during the first week so that I can help
you succeed in this class.
Schedule
Jan. 19-28
Weeks 1-2
Diagnostic Reading Examination, Writing
Begin Unit 1: Family Life
Reading 1: The Worlds Families,
Reading Skills: Main Idea, Details
Reading 2: Two Non-Traditional Families
Composing Skills: Paragraph, Paragraph Format
Writing Assignment 1: My Family Life
Feb. 2-11
Weeks 3-4
Language Skills: Guess Vocabulary from Context,
Chapter Vocabulary, Sentence Parts, Word Order
Study Skills: Using a Dictionary
Reading 3: What Is a Good Father?
Writing Assignment 2: Duties of a Family Member
Composing Skills: Revising and Editing
Begin Unit 2: A Balancing Act
Reading 1: Taking Responsibility
Reading 2: With Vision and a Hand, They Succeed
Reading Skills: Skimming and Scanning
Language Skills: Chapter Vocabulary, Sentence Patterns, Simple
Present Tense, Be Verb, Period, Comma, Capitalization, Spelling
Rule #1 The +s Form, Personal Spelling List
Grammar/Mechanics Exam 1
Writing Assignment 1: My School Day Schedule
Feb. 16-25 Weeks 5-6Study Skills: Annotating a Text
Composing Skills: Topic Sentence, Paragraph Unity, Time Order,
Logical Organizers, Listing
Reading 3: The Bank of Time
Language Skills: Chapter Vocabulary, Common Prefixes, Present
Continuous Tense Verbs, Present Continuous vs. Simple Present Tense
Verbs, Frequency Adverbs, Prepositional Phrases of Time,
Spelling Rule #2 The + ing Form
Writing Assignment 2: Balancing My Life
Writing Assignment 3: Where My Classmate Is Now
Mar. 2-4
Week 7
Mid-term Reading Examination
Begin Unit 3: Going to Market
Reading 1: Englands Covent Garden
Reading Skills: Text Organization
Mar. 9-11
Week 8
Spring Break (College closed)
Mar. 16-25
Weeks 9-10
Reading 2: The Arab Souq
Reading 3: A Market Day in Guatemala
Composing Skills: Description, Writing an Introduction,
Descriptive Details, Coherence, Organizing Details, Creating a
Graphic Organizer
Writing Assignment 1: A Marketplace
Reading 4: The Shopping Mall
Language Skills: Chapter Vocabulary, Synonyms and Antonyms,
Simple Past Tense Verbs, Coordinating Conjunctions, Using Past and
Present Verbs Together (Generalizations in Narration)
Passive Voice Verbs, Prepositional Phrases of Place
Writing Assignment 2: The Best Place to Buy ___
Mar. 30, Apr. 1-8
Weeks 11-12
Grammar/Mechanics Exam 2
Begin Unit 4: First Impressions
Reading 1: Strange Faces (from The Narrative of Joseph Heco)
Reading 2: My First Taste of American Food
(from The Narrative of Joseph Heco)
Reading Skills: Predicting Content, Fact vs. Opinion
Composing Skills: Narration, Chronological Organizers
Writing Assignment 1: My First Impressions of the U.S.
Apr. 13-22
Weeks 13-14
Writing Assignment 2: A New Food Experience
Reading 3: A Strange New City (from The Narrative of Joseph
Heco)
Reading Skills: Inferencing, Paraphrasing
Language Skills: Common Suffixes, Spoken vs. Written English,
Singulars and Plurals, Cause and Effect Expressions
Writing Assignment 3: A Strange Place
Grammar Review
Study Skills: Predicting Essay Questions, Writing Final
Strategies
Practice Writing Final
Apr. 27-29
Week 15
Final Reading Examination (date TBA)
Final In-Class Writing Examination (date TBA)
Turn in Portfolio
Appendix A
English 081/091
FREE LIBRARY SCAVENGER HUNT
Directions: Pick up a general library brochure from the
information desk in the main lobby. A library staff member will
tell us about parts of the library. As you take the tour, answer
the following questions. Ask a librarian (or read the brochure) for
help.
1.The Free Library of Philadelphia was started in ___________
and the main library
at 19th and Vine Streets was built in ____________.
2.The main library at 19th and Vine Streets has _________
floors.
3.The lending library is located on the _________ floor.
4.The Young Adult section is located
___________________________________.
(Describe briefly where.)
5.Library patrons can check out ____ books at one time for
__________ (how long).
6.Library patrons can check out ____ videos for _____________
(how long).
7.The fine for Adult books is _________ per day overdue and the
fine forChildrens books is _________ per day overdue.
8.The Childrens department is located
_________________________________.
(Describe briefly where.)
9.Write the title/author of one book with audiotape that
interests you (from the main lending library or the Childrens
department).
_____________________________________________________________
10.Write the title/author of one book from the Careers, Sports,
Mysteries, Biography, or Holidays sections of the Childrens
department that interests you.
______________________________________________________________
11.Choose one book to check out today or in the future. Write
the title, author, and type of book (fiction/non-fiction) here.
Write why you chose it.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Turn this paper in on the next class day.
Appendix B
English 081/091
HOW TO USE MICROSOFT WORD
IBM-platform PC (Personal Computer)
Microsoft Word is a word-processing program. You use it to type
your writing. It is easy to use.
1. In the CCP computer classrooms and labs, the screen you see
when you look at the computer monitor always includes an icon or
picture of a W and a piece of paper. This is the symbol for the
Microsoft Word program. Can you find it on the screen?
2. To use Microsoft Word (called Word, for short), you need to
use the computer mouse. The mouse is a device that lets you tell
the computer what you want to do. Can you find the mouse?
3. Move the mouse from side to side on your computer desk. What
happens when you move the mouse? Yes, an arrow on the screen moves,
too. You control that arrow with the mouse.
4. Move the mouse until it is on the Word icon. Are you there?
Is the mouse easy to control?
5. Notice that the mouse has two buttons. The left button is the
one we use the most. Click on the buttons. Do you see how they
work?
6. Now move the mouse so that the arrow is on top of the Word
icon again. Click on the left mouse button twice. You have to click
fast. Did something happen? Did the arrow change shape?
7. The arrow should look like an hour-glass. That means the
computer is working to do what you asked it. When you click on an
icon twice, you ask the computer to open up the program that is
represented by the icon.
8. If you did everything right, youll see a blank page. You are
now in the Word program. Great!
9. The blank page is like a blank piece of paper. You can type
on it. You can use the keyboard to print words on the page. Can you
type? If so, great. If not, no problem. Use one or two fingers to
type at first.
10. Look at the blank page. Do you see a blinking line? Thats
the cursor. It tells you where you are on the page. If you type at
the cursor, it will put all the words to the right of the line. As
you type, the cursor moves with you. Try it.
11. Look down at the keyboard. Here are some important keys to
know first: Shift keys on the left and right side make capital
letters. Hold down on the Shift key as you type a letter. Its a
capital. The Space bar is a long rectangular shaped key at the
bottom of the keyboard. Use it to put a space between words.
12. Practice typing. Use the letter keys, the Shift keys, and
the Space bar. OK?
13. Another important key is the backspace key. Can you find it?
Its near the number keys. Push the backspace key. What happens? It
should move the cursor back one space. Use this key to erase
letters to the left of the cursor.
14. When you type a paragraph, you may want to change something.
Use the arrow keys on the bottom of the keyboard to move around in
the paragraph. Practice moving up, down, left, and right with the
arrow keys.
15. Yet another important key is the delete key. Can you find
it? This key allows you to erase words to the right of the cursor.
You can use this key when you want to correct something that you
have already typed. Try it out by moving the up arrow key. Then
erase a word to the right of the cursor. Did you do it
correctly?
16. If you can do all of the above moves on the computer, you
should be able to type a paragraph. Well try it more next time.
Well also learn how to save, retrieve (get back), and print
something that you typed.
Good Luck!
Appendix C
English 081 Reading Survey
This semester you have spent a great deal of time reading books
and articles. Reflect on how much you have learned through reading,
writing, listening, and speaking.
1.Have your reading habits changed? Write a sentence to describe
each of your reading habits before and at the end of this
class.
Reading Habit
Before This Class
At the End of This Class
Reading speed
Dictionary use
Attitude toward reading
(How you feel about
reading)
Amount of everyday
reading
2.Are you a better reader now? a better speaker? Write a
sentence to describe each of your language abilities before and at
the end of this class.
Language Ability
Before This Class
At the End of This Class
Understanding main
ideas in a reading
Guessing unfamiliar
vocabulary in a reading
Talking about something
that you or others read
Writing about something
that you read
3.What is the greatest accomplishment that you made in reading
class this semester?
4.How will you continue to improve your reading in English in
the future?
Good Luck!
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