Eng 094: Fundamentals of English

ENG 094-02:

FUNDAMENTALS OF ENGLISH

Syllabus

Sarah L. Dye, Professor of English

SRC 362

(847) 214-7538

CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION:

Open to the student desiring remedial assistance in the fundamentals of grammar usage and vocabulary. Through the use of programmed textbooks, students will receive a substantial amount of individual attention.

PREREQUISITE: Placement or instructor approval

OUTCOMES:

The course is designed for those students who have difficulty in composing coherent sentences or who wish to increase their understanding of and ability to analyze sentences. Students completing ENG 094 will be able to

Grammar Outcomes

1. Define and identify parts of speech

2. Identify and write basic sentence patterns

3. Analyze sentences, identifying the subject verb cores and modifiers, coordinators, or subordinators

Writing Outcomes

4. Combine simple sentences into compound and complex structures

5. Punctuate and capitalize sentences correctly

6. Revise sentences for economy and clarity, and

7. Demonstrate command of sentences in basic writing assignments.

8. Write in and out of class compositions

TEXTBOOKS:

Clouse, Barbara Fine. JUMP START!: A Workbook for Writers, 2nd ed. Boston: McGraw Hill, 2002.
Two 3 ½ inch formatted diskettes to be used for data
Recommended: Collegiate dictionary (hardback or paperback)

SUPPLIES:

Three-ring notebook (for syllabus, homework, and class work)
One-or two ball point or felt tip pens
Loose-leaf notebook paper
OPTIONAL: Plastic diskette case for data disks

ATTENDANCE POLICY:

Class attendance and/or scheduled instructor/student appointment meetings are important parts of success in any English course, including ENG 094. For that reason, each student is expected to be there for the fully scheduled class period each time the class meets or whenever an instructor/student appointment is scheduled. To provide for emergencies over the semester, students are allowed up to four absences each. Over four absences may affect an individual’s progress and final grade in the course. Please contact your instructor before or as soon after being absent from ENG 094 class.

GRADES AND COURSE EVALUATION:

Completion of the agreed upon custom designed contract in a timely manner will signal the student’s completion of ENG 094. The final grade is based upon the student’s successful completion of the following: Chapter exercises, Chapter tests, in- and out-of-class paragraphs compiled in a notebook portfolio, end-of-term assessment of the portfolio, and the student’s progress in skills. The instructor and each student will set and complete all chapters based on his/her diagnostic test results and individual needs.

OPERATION OF A NORMAL CLASS MEETING OR APPOINTMENT:

As college instructors, members of the English Department see themselves not as lecturers but as coaches, especially in individualized courses like ENG 094. ENG 094 is organized as a highly individualized course. Students will work at their own paces to achieve the course outcomes and those which they set based on their diagnostic tests and writing samples.

BEHAVIOR POLICY:

Students are expected to be respectful of themselves, the instructor, and each other. This means that behavior that violates this policy will not be tolerated. EX: making derogatory comments about other people, falling asleep in class, interrupting someone else who is speaking, monopolizing the discussion, asking questions or volunteering information unrelated to the topic, yelling, physical actions that can cause injury, sexual harassment, racial slurs, etc. If your behavior is unacceptable, you will be warned once; the second time you will be given a written statement of acceptable behavior and a time frame in which to comply; the third time you will be dropped from the class with a WF. Classrooms are not democratic situations, in most instances. The instructor is in charge and what constitutes acceptable behavior in one classroom may not in another. It is in your best interest to know your instructor’s behavioral expectations.

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES:

If you have a disability (physical, mental, emotional, or learning), you may be entitled to some accommodations, services, or support. The law that is in effect at the college level says that you do not have to reveal a disability. But it is often in the student’s best interest to notify the instructor and the Learning Skills Center of a disability, so that support can be arranged, if it is needed. If you do want any support services, you will have to provided documentation of the disability to the college through the Learning Skills Center. If you do not inform us of the disability, we are not required to make any exceptions to any standard procedure.

PLEASE NOTE: Elgin Community College will not compromise on any essential skill or requirement in a course or degree. All students are expected to meet these requirements, either with or without accommodations.

PROCEDURE:

1. Go to counseling and sign a release to have documentation of your disability sent for.

2. Make an appointment with Annabelle Rhodes in the Learning Skills Center for an interview Contact Ms. Rhodes in SRC 108 or call (847) 697-1000 ext. 7220.

PORTFOLIOS:

ENG 094 is a “work in progress,” meaning that the course is custom-designed and based upon the individual needs of each student. At the same time, the student builds a portfolio of sentences, paragraphs, practice exercises, and pre-/post-tests. Many students have had experiences with preparing portfolios of work from K-12 classes or from performance-based college courses like commercial art. This semester each student will prepare a portfolio of work done in ENG 094. The purpose of the portfolio is to provide a dynamic picture of each student’s progress in this course. In addition, the knowledge and insights gained from developing the portfolio allow the student to analyze the value of his/her accomplishments and to plan the work to be done not only in the next ENG course but also in other writing-intensive courses to be taken at the college in the future. For that reason, each student keeps his/her portfolio at the end of the semester after the final student/teacher conference.

Current educational research suggests that the portfolio system allows students to monitor their own growth in a course and to take responsibility for their own learning. In other words, use of the portfolio empowers adult learners.

ESSAYS AND THE WRITING PROCESS:

Each writing assignment in ENG 094 requires the student writer to complete the three-step writing process of pre-writing, drafting, and rewriting, and to show written evidence of each step. The use of computer word processors makes it possible to overwrite an earlier version of an essay, thus destroying evidence of an earlier or rough draft. As a result, the student should print out “hard” or paper copies of each stage of the process. These materials are to be turned in with each writing assignment on the scheduled due date. The materials will be returned to the student after the instructor evaluates the writing assignment.

Students will write five to ten planned and/or impromptu writing assignments of varying lengths.

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT PLAGIARISM STATEMENT:

Plagiarism is the presentation of another person’s written words or ideas as one’s own. At its worst, it is deliberate dishonesty, as in the case of copying another student’s work and presenting it as one’s own; or in the case of copying work from a book or article and presenting it as one’s own. Such a blatant, deliberate act amounts to academic theft, and is a highly serious offense within the college community. The English Department recommends that a student guilty of deliberate plagiarism receive an automatic grade of “F” for the entire course in which the plagiarism occurs.

Another kind of plagiarism may sometimes be the result of ignorance, fear, or insecurity. This kind of plagiarism presents the words or ideas of other persons or writers without proper quotation marks, documentation, acknowledgment or citation of the source. For example, all words copied from another source must always be placed in quotation marks and correctly documented by author and page. Failure to do so is a form of plagiarism. Also, ideas and information which are not “common knowledge” -- that is, broadly known to most high school graduates, or easily accessible in works such as atlases or dictionaries -- must be documented by author and page. The English Department recommends that a student guilty of this type of plagiarism, whether intentional or out of ignorance, will receive an “F” on the assignment in which the misrepresentation occurs.

Cases of plagiarism or suspected plagiarism will be handled between the student and the instructor in the course. Subsequent action may include notification of the appropriate dean and/or the counseling service.

ASSIGNMENTS:

As has been stated earlier, ENG 094 will be highly individualized. You will work at your own pace to achieve the course objectives and those which you set based upon your diagnostic test and writing sample.

To begin, you will complete two tests – one is a diagnostic test geared to your textbook, and the other is a writing sample. We will use these tests to develop an individualized program of study over the semester. Also, to help you learn effectively, your instructor will ask you to set specific goals to achieve in your writing during the semester. As soon as we analyze your tests, you will be able to set your goals in writing and refer to them periodically during the course of the semester.

You will be completing chapters in JUMP START! each week. We will be completing some chapters together; others you will be completing on your own. Before doing any individual exercises in your text, make sure you have read the explanation and samples carefully. As soon as you complete an exercise, check your answers using the answer key which you may borrow from the instructor. If you have two or more wrong, return to the explanation and samples. Review your answers. If you are still uncertain, make a note to yourself and ask your instructor when you get to class or during an individual appointment with the instructor.

As soon as you get to class, get the instructor’s answer key to finish correcting the exercises you have completed. If you have achieved at least 70% on most of the exercises and you feel ready to take a test on the chapter, ask your instructor for the test. Take it, either you or the instructor will correct the test, and if you achieve at least 70%, you may go on to the next chapter. If you do not get at least 70%, you may restudy and retake the test.

In addition to chapter exercises, you will write at least one paragraph or short essay every two weeks. You will use the writing assignments at the end of each textbook chapter. As you will see, there are three stages to each writing assignment: before the rough draft, writing the rough draft, an after the rough draft. Make sure that you follow each step and save all your writing to turn in with your final copy. You must use a word processing program for all your paragraph writing which will enable you to work on the computers in our classroom during class time. (NOTE: The classroom computers and many computer labs on campus have Microsoft Word 97 or Office 97; the English Department encourages you to use this word processing program. If you have MS Word at home and it is a higher or newer version of Word, you will need to save your work “down” to a lower version or to save it as a text file. Ask your instructor how to do this.) You will file all paragraphs in the appropriate section in your notebook which will serve as your portfolio for ENG 094.

CLASS SCHEDULE

Spring Semester 2003

Tuesdays, 7:00 PM – 9:55 PM

SRC 374

ENG 094-02 Sarah L. Dye

January 21Introduction to the course

People Search Collaborative Exercise

Writing Sample

January 28Lesson: The Writing Process and Paragraphs

Diagnostic Test

Evaluating Diagnostic Test

February 4Goal One Chapter Exercises

Goal One Chapter Test

February 11Paragraph One Due

Peer Response Exercise with Paragraphs

Goal Two Chapter Exercises

February 18Goal Two Chapter Test

Goal Three Chapter Exercises

February 25Goal Three Chapter Test

Paragraph Two Due

Peer Response Exercise with Paragraphs

Goal Four Chapter Exercises

March 4Goal Four Chapter Test

Goal Five Chapter Exercises

March 11Goal Five Chapter Test

Goal Six Chapter Exercises

March 18Goal Six Chapter Test

Paragraph Three Due

Peer Response Exercise with Paragraphs

Goal Seven Chapter Exercises

March 25No class meeting / Spring Break

April 1Goal Seven Chapter Test

Goal Eight Chapter Exercises

April 8Goal Eight Chapter Test

Paragraph Four Due

Peer Response Exercise with Paragraphs

Goal Nine Chapter Exercises

April 15Goal Nine Chapter Test

Goal Ten Chapter Exercises

April 22End-of-course Essay Writing

(This essay will be used in part to determine your readiness for the next course in the English composition sequence. It will be evaluated by a team of English professors.)

NO absences on this night, please!

April 29Goal Ten Chapter Test

May 6Individual Conferences (TBA)

May 13Individual Conferences (TBA)

ENG 094 JUMP START! COURSE GOAL WORKSHEET

NAME: ______

DIRECTIONS: In the space provided below and/or on the back of this sheet, develop goals which you need to pursue over the course of this semester. Your instructor will share with you the results of the JUMP START! diagnostic test you took and the writing sample paragraph you wrote. Have your instructor sign this sheet to indicate agreement with the goals and time frame you have designed.

******************************************************

GOALTIME FRAME DATE COMPLETED

10.

Ok’ed by instructor:______

Date: ______

ENG 094 Writing Assignments Goal Sheet

(NOTE: The instructor will initial and date each assignment as you complete it. Bring the writing assignment and this sheet to her for evaluation each time.)

Paragraph #Topic1st DraftFinal Draft Grade Date

1Writing Sample x

______

Number of paragraphs completed _____

Information Sheet

ENG 094-02 Sarah L. Dye

Name:______

Address:

(including zip code)

Telephone Number(s):______

______

Email Address: ______@______

Major:______

Previous ENG/ESL courses?Where taken? When?

List other courses you are taking this semester:

Work Schedule / Place / Number of hours worked:

I have read the course materials mailed or handed to me and understand the policies and preferences around which the professor has designed this section of ENG 094. I agree to work within the structure of the course as it has been described in these materials.

Signed ______

Date:______

NOTE: COMPLETE & GIVE TO MS. DYE BY END OF 1st CLASS MEETING.