Exploring Contemporary Issues through Oral Communication - 074 B
English Language Institute – BellevueCollege
Fall, 2014
Instructor:Mark Paulson Meeting Times: M-F 3:30-4:20
Contact Information:425-564-2016
Office: R130
Office Hours – by appointment
Course Description
This course will help prepare you for success in college courses with practice in a wide range of listening, speaking, and note-taking strategies.
Course Outcomes
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
- Take effective lecture notes
- Answer questions based on lecture notes
- Identify issues
- Research, analyze, and present an issue
- Work effectively in groups
- Analyze and explain an issue in a conversation
- Paraphrase and summarize
- Draw conclusions
- Clearly express an opinion and support it with reasons and evidence
- Evaluate the effectiveness of a presentation
- Synthesize information from different sources
- Participate in and lead discussions
- Ask questions related to lectures, activities, and readings
Learning Outcomes
Discussion Skills
- Analyze and explain current events in conversation.
- Paraphrase and summarize ideas.
- Clearly express your opinion in conversation.
- Support your views with reasons and evidence.
- Expand on ideas expressed in a conversation, debate, reading, video, etc.
-Synthesize information from a variety of sources (newspaper and magazine
articles, reference materials, videos, audios, etc.)
- Cooperate in a team to organize and divide tasks.
- Work effectively in small groups to share ideas and accomplish tasks.
Oral Presentation Skills
- Analyze audience expectations and level of knowledge.
- Prepare, describe, and follow the structure (organization) of a presentation.
- Use effective transitions between ideas.
- Clearly define new words.
- Use examples to clarify information.
- Prepare visual and/or audio aids to enhance a presentation.
- Clearly explain a point of view and support it with reasons and evidence.
- Summarize main points and draw a conclusion.
- Hold the interest of the audience.
- Use appropriate language, gestures, and body language.
Listening Skills
- Identify main ideas and supporting details from a lecture or other audio material.
- Take accurate notes, capturing the main ideas and supporting details.
- Answer questions based on notes.
- Paraphrase and summarize information you hear in a lecture or other audio source.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of an oral presentation (your classmates’ and your own).
Required Text and Materials
▪Contemporary Topics 3 (Third Edition) – by Beglar, Murray and Rost (NO USED TEXTS!)
▪ A binder or folder to keep all notes, handouts, and assignments.
▪ An English-English dictionary.
▪ A Bellevue College computer account/e-mail address (Go to N250 or see me for help).
Attendance and Participation
It is important for you to attend every class session, come to class on time, and stay for the entire class period.Attendance will affect your final grade.
▪ Students who miss class 15 times or more will receive a grade of “F” and will be dismissed
from the program at the end of the quarter.
▪ Students who miss class 12 times will receive a grade of “F.”
▪ Students who miss class 10 or 11 times will receive no higher than a grade of “D.”
▪ Three (3) tardies of 5 minutes or more will equal one (1) absence.
Grading
1).Homework Assignments: You’ll need to do short vocabulary and writing exercises related to the units we study in our textbook. You will receive points for completed assignments.I will take off points for late assignments.
2).Current Events Discussions & Reports:We will have small group discussions about current events in class every Friday in which you’ll talk about one specific news story you heard or read earlier in the week. I will grade you on your discussion skills and on a short written report that you complete prior to the discussion.If you are absent on current events day, you’ll receive a “0” for the discussion grade, but you should still submit the written report to me for a written grade.
3).Listening Quizzes: We will have regular listening quizzes based on the listening selections from our textbook and on the oral presentations and discussions we have in class. It is important for you to listen carefully in class, take good notes, and bring those notes to class on the days of the quizzes. If you are absent on the day of a quiz, you’ll need to schedule a make-up quiz with me.Only ONE make-up quiz will be allowed for the quarter.
4).Oral Presentations:Small, informal presentations will be a regular part of our class, but there will also be three formal oral presentations this quarter—one in the second week of class, one at midterm, and the other at the end of the quarter. Each formal presentation will be worth 100 points.If you are absent on the day of your scheduled presentation, you will be expected to give your presentation on the day you return to class.
In order to determine your class average, I will add up the points you earn on all assignments and presentations and divide by the total points possible.To pass this class, you need to earn a class average of 75% or higher.
93 – 100% A (excellent)
84 – 92 % B (good)
75 – 83% C (satisfactory)
0 – 74% D (repeat class, good effort)
0 – 74% F (repeat class, unsatisfactory effort)
Homework:Prepare your homework before class and be ready to turn it in or discuss it at the beginning of class on the due date.You should expect to spend ½ - 1 hour on homework for every hour of class time. The more effort and time you put into your homework, the more you will learn and get out of it. If you are absent, turn in your homework on your first day back, and it will not be late. If you turn in homework late, the grade will go down 10% each day, up to two days. Homework will not be accepted after two days. You should e-mail me or call a classmate to get the assignments that you miss.
Participation:Participation means coming to class every day, doing your work, asking and answering questions. You are responsible for your learning, and I expect you to actively participate in every aspect of the class, the assignments and the textbook.
Grades:You will receive grades both at mid-term and at the end of the quarter. Your grade will depend on the quality of your work, your effort, and your ability. Points will be subtracted for assignments turned in late. Your grade will be based on 50% speaking ability and 50% listening ability. There is a formal final exam at the end of the quarter.
In order to pass this class, you must have an average score of at least 75% on all course work and the final exam. If you do not pass the final exam, your grade will be lowered by one. The grade you earn will be based on the following:
- Attendance, homework and participation* 20%
- Listening Tests 40%
- Speaking Presentations 40%
*No eating, smoking, or using cell phones/texting during class. Repeated problems with cell phones going off in class will result in loss of participation points.
*Note:Inappropriate classroom behavior, cheating, stealing and plagiarizing (using the ideas or words of another as one’s own without crediting the source) are violations of the Student Code of Conduct at BellevueCommunity College. Examples of unacceptable classroom behavior include, but are not limited to: talking out of turn, eating or smoking during class, arriving late or leaving early without a valid reason, allowing cell phones/pagers to ring, and disrespectful behavior toward the instructor or classmates.Repeated problems with unacceptable classroom behavior will result in loss of participation points and possible referral to the Dean of Student Services.
Tips for Success:
1. Come to class on time.
2. Bring your own materials to class every day.
3. Have your homework done on time.
4. Speak English only in class.
5. Tell me immediately if you do not understand something.
6. Always do your own work; DO NOT plagiarize (copy) from other students.
7. See or e-mail your instructor when you are unsure about a lesson or an assignment.
8. Talk to a classmate or to the instructor when you are absent in order to get caught up.
9.Be respectful of your classmates and your instructor.
10.Get extra help when needed.
11.Do your best!
Special Needs:If you require accommodation based on a documented disability, have emergency medical information to share, or need special arrangements in case of emergency evacuation, please make an appointment with DRC (DisabilityResourceCenter.) If you would like to inquire about becoming a DRC student, you may call 564-2498 or go in person to the DRC program office in D125.
If you are a student with a documented autism spectrum disorder, there is an additional access program available to you. Contact or 425.564.2764. ASN is located in the Library Media Center in D125.
Other: Please refer to the Arts and Humanities Student Procedures and Expectations for all other information.
Student Concerns
Should you have concerns about any part of the class, please come to me with them. If for any reason you don’t feel comfortable coming to me, the usual next step would be to speak with the program chair, Ivan Breen (). You can also refer concerns to the Arts and Humanities Division Dean, Maggie Harada () or the Assistant Dean, Scott Bessho () in the Arts and Humanities division office (R230). An additional resource for concerns you find aren’t being addressed by faculty or administration is the Ombuds Office (
English Language Institute Department Policies:
Plagiarism and cheating
Students are in ELI classes to learn English and ELI teachers are here to help them. Cheating makes that harder for both the students and the teachers. There are different kinds of cheating: plagiarism, “borrowing” a classmate’s homework (partially or wholly), using an essay or a presentation from a previous quarter, using “cheat notes”, and copying answers from classmates’ papers during tests.
Plagiarism is using someone else’s words or ideas as your own in both writing and oral presentations. It is cheating and is not accept able in American classes.
Examples of plagiarism are:
- Copying from a Web page, book or article
- Buying papers
- Copying from another student
- Using a friend’s paper from a previous quarter
If you plagiarize:
- First time: your teacher will work with you so that you understand what not to
do
- Second time: Fail the assignment
- Third time: Fail the class and be reported to the Associate
Dean of Student Services. You will possibly be asked to leave the school
Affirmation of Inclusion
Bellevue College is committed to maintaining an environment in which every member of the campus community feels welcome to participate in the life of the college, free from harassment and discrimination.
We value our different backgrounds at Bellevue College, and students, faculty, staff members, and administrators are to treat one another with dignity and respect.
The Arts & Humanities Division of Bellevue College, committed to advancing pluralism, recognizes its students’ diverse religious beliefs. Those students who wish to observe a religious holy day should not be penalized for doing so. Whenever feasible, students should be allowed to make up academic assignments that are missed due to such absences. However, the student must notify the instructor in writing at the beginning of the quarter (no later than the end of week 2). Because religious holidays are scheduled in advance, instructors have the right to insist that course work be completed prior to an anticipated absence for religious observance.
Public Safety and Emergencies
Public Safety is located in the K building and can be reached at 425-564-2400 (easy to remember because it’s the only office on campus open 24 hours a day—2400). Among other things, Public Safety serves as our Parking Permits, Lost and Found, and Emergency Notification center. Please ensure you are signed up to receive alerts through our campus alerting system by registering at
If you work late and are uneasy about going to your car, Public Safety will escort you to your vehicle. To coordinate this, please phone ahead and let Public Safety know when and where you will need an escort.
Please familiarize yourself with the emergency postings by the door of every classroom and know where to go in the event of an evacuation. Your instructor will be asked if anyone might still be in the building, so check in before you do anything else. Emergency responders will search for anyone unaccounted for.
If a major emergency occurs, please follow these two rules:
1) Take directions from those in charge of the response - We all need to be working together.
2) Do not get in your car and leave campus (unless directed to) - Doing so will clog streets and prevent emergency vehicles from entering the scene. Instead, follow directions from those in charge.
Please do not hesitate to call Public Safety if you feel safety questions or concerns at any time.
Fall 2014 Calendar (subject to change)
Monday / Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday / FridayWEEK 1
Cont. Topics 3
Chap. 1 / Sept. 22
First Day / 23 / 24
Challenge
Test / 25 / 26
WEEK 2
Cont. Topics 3
Chap. 1, 9 / 29 / 30 / October 1 / 2 / 3
Current Events Discussion
WEEK 3
Cont. Topics 3
Chap. 9 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10
Current Events Discussion
WEEK 4
Cont. Topics 3
Chap. 9
Presentations / 13 / 14 / 15 / 16 / 17
Current Events Discussion
WEEK 5
Cont. Topics 3
Chap. 8
Presentations / 20 / 21 / 22
NO SCHOOL / 23 / 24
Mid-Qtr. Eval.
WEEK 6
Cont. Topics 3
Chap. 5 / 27 / 28 / 29 / 30 / 31
Current Events Discussion
WEEK 7
Cont. Topics 3
Chap. 6 / November 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7
Current Events Discussion
WEEK 8
Cont. Topics 3
Chap. 7 / 10 / 11
NO SCHOOL / 12 / 13 / 14
UP TOEFL
WEEK 9
Cont. Topics 3
Chap. 8 / 17 / 18 / 19
Elective
Sign Up Day / 20 / 21
Current Events Discussion
WEEK 10
Presentations / 24 / 25 / 26 / 27
NO SCHOOL / 28
NO SCHOOL
WEEK 11 / December 1
Final Exam
Listening / 2
Final Exams
Speaking / 3
Final Exams
Electives
Reading