Welcome to Listening & Speaking: Level 5!

TIMES: 3:45-4:50 PMWinter Quarter 2015

DAYS: Monday through ThursdayINSTRUCTOR: Stephanie Solomon

CLASSROOM: HS 2535AOFFICE: IB 2420

E-MAIL:OFFICE HOURS: By Appointment

COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course is for Level 5 students who want to study English intensively. Emphasis will be on interacting with others, giving oral presentations, taking notes while listening to lectures, and applying new vocabulary into real life English speaking situations.

REQUIRED TEXT AND MATERIALS:
  • Listen to Learn, Learn to Listen, 3rd edition
  • Paper and pencils and/or pens
  • 3 ring binder to keep papers and notes organized
Also important information here!:
  • Link to IEP Student Handbook: It is your responsibility to know and follow the rules in the IEP Handbook

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

LISTENING AND NOTETAKING:

1. Listen to and demonstrate understanding of level-appropriate conversations, explanations, narratives, and instructions.

2. Listen to longer, more comprehensive academic lectures for main ideas and details.

3. Take and use notes effectively.

4. Comprehend longer, detailed academic questions.

5. Differentiate between questions, statements, and imperatives based on intonation and grammatical structure.

SPEAKING

1. Respond appropriately to frequently used words, phrases, expressions, directions, and questions about personal needs, opinions, likes, dislikes, plans, and past activities.

2. Respond appropriately to longer, detailed academic questions.

3. Give three or more 5 minute presentations in class using PowerPoint or other supporting media.

4. Use reduced (relaxed) speech and linking appropriately.

5. Use word- and sentence- level stress.

6. Express opinions, likes, dislikes, hopes, and desires.

7. Use intonation in a variety of sentence patterns.

8. Speak appropriately in various social or functional situations.

9. Recognize and use formal and informal register (relaxed speech, slang, etc.).

10. Clearly pronounce targeted consonant and vowel sounds.

11. Recognize and correctly pronounce vocabulary words from R/V 5 and L/S 5.

12. Use gestures and body language to convey meaning.

13. Make and respond to requests for clarification or repetition (including spelling words student is trying to say, giving examples such as “B for boy”, “D as in dog,” etc.)

14. Participate in peer discussions about lectures.

15. Ask questions in response to academic lectures in a variety of situations.

CANVAS: Daily materials and homework will be posted on Canvas. I will show you how to access this!

PARTICIPATION:

  • It is very important for you to be prepared and active during each class.
  • Come ready to learn.
  • Asking questions in class shows that you are interested and alert. Questions are good!
  • Participation in this class is important! Part of participation is arriving on time for class, bringing your book and completed homework, AND speaking English in the classroom. You will get 5 points a day for participation – but you will LOSE points if you do not do the above things! 

TESTS:

  • Tests are important. Study hard for each test!
  • You will be made aware of test dates. Don’t miss any tests.If you miss a test, your score will be ZERO. NO exceptions!
  • If there is a bad weather day or teacher absence on a test day, the test will be the NEXT day.

HOMEWORK:

  • There will be weekly homework. Your teacher will check if you have done your homework.
  • If you are absent, you need to contact another student to find out what the homework is.
  • Homework is due even if you were absent the day before. 1 day late -10%; Due Thursday – turned in Mon – 20%. After that, not accepted.
  • Please get contact information of two classmates:

1. Name & contact information ______

2. Name & contact information ______

NSCC’S INDOOR AIR QUALITY POLICY: Avoid wearing fragrances (perfume, cologne, etc.) because many people are sensitive to these chemicals. Smoke only in designated areas.

GRADES: You must have a minimum grade of 75% in each skill – speaking and listening –to go to the next level. You must achieve a minimum combinedgrade in classwork/tests of 75% as well as pass the final exams with combined minimum grades of 75% in order to receive a passing grade in the class. This means two grades of 75%.

For THIS class:

Attendance, Homework, & Participation20%

Presentations30%

Tests & Quizzes50%

GRADE SCALE:

96 to 100% 4 .0 / …. / 84% 2.9 / …. / 74% 1.9
94-95% 3.9 / 83% 2.8 / 73% 1.8
93% 3.8 / 82% 2.7 / 72% 1.7
92% 3.7 / 81% 2.6 / 71% 1.6
91% 3.6 / 80% 2.5 / 70% 1.5
90% 3.5 / 79% 2.4 / 69% 1.4
89% 3.4 / 78% 2.3 / 68% 1.3
88% 3.3 / 77% 2.2 / 67% 1.2
87% 3.2 / 76% 2.1 / <66% 1.0
86% 3.1 / 75% 2.0 / 65% 1.0
85% 3.0 / Below 75% No pass / 64% 1.0
<63%* 1.0
*all grades below 66% receive a 1.0

THE PAGE-ONE WRITING CENTER: (Formerly “The Loft”) is a place to get help with all English skills. The center is located in the HS building.

ATTENDANCE POLICY:

As stated in the IEP student handbook, students must come to class every day. Missing days of any class will result in the following:

  • 5 absences: Warning notice
  • 10 absences: You will fail the class, but you must continue attending to avoid being dismissed from NSCC.
  • 15 absences: Your I-20 is terminated and you are dismissed from NSCC for 1 year.
  • Being late (tardy) to class: Arriving to class late (tardy) is disruptive and considered disrespectful to the teacher and other students. It also causes you to miss important information. If you are 5 minutes late for the start of your class or from break three (3) times, it is considered one absence.
  • Email the teacher if you must be absent, but get the class and homework assignments from a classmate.

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES, BEHAVIORAL EXPECTATIONS, AND CONSEQUENCES OF NONCOMPLIANCE:

  1. Bring your textbook every day. Not purchasing your books or not bringing your books to class will hurt your grades and limit your ability to fully participate, learn, and make academic progress in your classes.

Noncompliance: If you come to class three times without your required text, your teacher may ask you to leave the class and not return until you have a textbook. This will count as an absence.

  1. Cell phones and other electronic devices may only be used during class time with instructor permission. Texting, listening to music, surfing, shopping, and talking on the phone during class is disruptive and considered extremely rude. During a test, no electronic device is allowed on your desk without teacher permission.

Noncompliance: If you use your cell phone three times during a class session without teacher permission, you will be told to leave the class and you will receive an absence for the day.

  1. Show respect to those around you while in class and on campus. This means the following:
  1. Do not sleep in class, talk while the teacher or another student is talking, or laugh at/criticize other students when they make mistakes.
  2. Do not bring food or drinks to class unless your instructor approves it.
  3. “North Seattle Community College is a ‘no-smoking campus,’ except in designated areas. Smoking is permitted in posted areas only.

Noncompliance: When a teacher has spoken to you about any of the above and you refuse to comply or you comply each time, but then repeat the action three times, you will be asked to leave and you will receive an absence for the day.

ACADEMIC HONESTY: Students are expected to be honest in taking their tests and doing their coursework. There are two kinds of academic dishonesty: CHEATING and PLAGIARISM. Here in the U.S., both are unacceptable and considered serious academic crimes. Academic dishonesty may cause you to fail your classes, be dismissed from the program, or be dismissed from NSCC. ALWAYS do your own work.

  • Cheating is copying homework or a class assignment or test from another person and pretending it is your own work or having another student verbally tell you the answer. Cheating is also allowing someone else to copy from you, or providing answers to an assignment or test to someone else. If students are caught cheating, you will get a failing grade for the assignment or test and could be dismissed from the program
  • Plagiarism is when you copy or memorize ideas or text from a friend, relative, or classmate or from a book, magazine, newspaper, live/recorded lecture or the Internet and pretend it is your own work. This is dishonest and is considered the same as cheating. Plagiarism can result in failure and dismissal from the program. It is easily discovered and will result in failure on the assignment and potentially failing the course. When you write a journal, summary, or an essay, or give an oral presentation, both the choice of words and the grammatical structure must be your own.
  • Giving false information or failing to provide correct information is when a teacher, advisor or other college employee asks you about something or makes a request for information and you do not tell the truth when responding or you tell only part of the truth. Examples of giving false information include the following: saying you missed class because of illness when you were not sick or telling an advisor or other school employee that a teacher said or did something that they, in fact, did not say or do. Submission of forged or altered documents or furnishing false information are all serious crimes and can result in disciplinary action, including immediate dismissal from the program.
    TO AVOID GIVING FALSE INFORMATION, FOLLOW THESE BASIC RULES:
    1. Submit only documents that are true, real and authentic.
    2. Never change anything on a doctor’s note, identity card, bank statement, transcript or any other official document.
    3. Tell the truth about reasons you’ve missed class or did not complete an assignment.
    4. Always be honest when responding to a college employee’s request for information.

NOTE ON CAMPUS CLOSING DAYS:

If for some reason the campus is closed, you can find that information on the NSCC website. ( Do NOT come to class if the campus is closed! If the campus is open, but your teacher is not able to come to class, she will make every effort to contact you. Check on Canvas.

American Disability Act: (special arrangements)

If you need course adaptations, or you have emergency medical information to share with me, or if you need special arrangements in case of an emergency, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible.

Let’s have a great quarter! 