Winter 2014

English 93 (Item #1045, Section D)—Composition for Non-Native Speakers

Daily: 10:30am-11:20am/Room: R305

Instructor: Professor Ma

Office: R230S
Office Phone: 425-564-2647

Office Hours: MWThF 2:30-3:30pm (R230S) & by appointment

Course Description:

English 93 is designed to enhance skills in the areas of critical reading, writing, editing, and grammar. In this class, students will learn how texts produce meaning and actively read, analyze and write about these texts. We will explore different elements of the writing process, such as summarizing a text, responding to a text, raising thoughtful questions, making compelling arguments, and using examples and evidence to support our arguments. As a community of writers, students will actively critique each other’s work, supporting each other’s development as writers.

Class Philosophy:

I envision this class to be a positive, rewarding learning experience for all of us. Together we can create a safe and respectful academic environment to stimulate intellectual discussions and to foster dialogues. Each of us has a unique voice, and I hope that we can cultivate, nurture and celebrate each other’s and our own voice in class. Racist, sexist, or other comments intended to belittle or threaten others will not be tolerated and may be grounds for removal from the class.

Required Texts and Materials:

Ø Langan, John. English Brushup (EB), 5^th Edition.

Ø A selection of readings (posted on Canvas under Course Readings)

*You must bring the assigned text to each class. I do accept the use of E-books as long as you bring the assigned pages to class in a hard copy format.

**You must print out the assigned readings on Canvas and bring them to class. For each class period that you fail to bring your book/assigned reading, your participation grade will be deducted by five points.

Course Outcomes:

Upon successful completion of this course, students will acquire abilities and skills in the following areas:

Read and Think Critically

Compose

Revise

Editing

Demonstrate ability to make reading connections in writing

Use appropriate college level vocabulary and academic language

Summarize accurately

Demonstrate an awareness of themselves as learners of Academic Language

Actively participate in discussions concerning the interpretations of texts

Reflect, evaluate and draw conclusions about texts

Develop own writing process based on exposure to various established methods

Narrow scope of a topic for the purpose of development

Create organized, unified, well-developed text

Use a variety of writing strategies including but not limited to description, narration, illustration, comparison, contrast and analysis

Develop self-editing and/or error recognition skill

Improve the ability to respond to critique from teachers and peers

Improve the ability to critique their own work and others

Identify and break habits that detracts from effective writing

Use correct Word Forms

Use basic verb tenses and forms appropriately

Use correct suffixes to signal verbs, nouns, adjectives, and adverbs

Use accurate subject- verb agreement

Improve sentence structure and variety; recognizes and avoid fragments and run-ons

Improve ability to write concise sentences

Use correct punctuation and mechanics

Class Assignments Overview:

Course outcomes will be met and assessed through an array of class activities and the following assignments:

Essays: You will be responsible for four essay assignments and will have the opportunity to revise either the first or second essay. Rough drafts of all four essays will be peer reviewed in class. Should you choose to revise one of your essays, your revision must be significant, and your final grade for that particular essay will be the average of your original essay score and the score of your revision (I will provide you with more specific revision guidelines). Please note that you cannot pass the course without completing all four essays even if you have earned enough points on the other assignments.

Reaction Papers: We learn how to become effective writers by actively analyzing the effectiveness of other writers. To help you form a habit of active reading, this class requires you to write five short reactions papers, each corresponding to a short reading assignment done outside of class. Each reaction paper must follow standard MLA format (12-point font, Times New Roman, 1-inch margins, double-spaced, written in complete sentences) and must be at least 1-page (350-word) in length. More specific instructions are posted on Canvas under Files/Reaction Papers.

Mandatory Writing Lab Consultations: The Writing Lab, located in D-104, provides one-on-one consultations catered to your individual writing needs and goals. I highly encourage you to take advantage of this invaluable resource on campus. Tutors are available to meet with you by appointment or during drop-in hours. For more information, visit the Writing Lab’s homepage at http://www.bellevuecollege.edu/asc/writing/.

For our class, you are required to visit the Writing Lab once to have your writing (thesis, outline, or draft) reviewed. While you may choose which assignment you want to be reviewed, I highly encourage you to visit the lab early to get feedback. Please ask the tutor to fill out a form from the writing lab to verify your visit.

English Brushup Practices: We will dedicate a portion of our class to improving our English grammar, mechanics and usage. You will be asked to complete numerous practices from our book English Brushup. These practices will be graded based on completion.

Mini-Grammar & Mechanics Tests: Grammar lessons will culminate into two mini-tests.

Other Assignments: We will also have frequent in-class writing exercises as well as quizzes correlated to our reading and discussion topics. I stress to you that vigorous thinking and exchange of ideas are prerequisite to powerful writing. It is implicit, then, that you actively engage this class.

Grading:

Assignment	Number of Pages	Total Points	Percentage
Essays:
Summary & Response	2-3	100	10%
Summary & Response	2-3	150	15%
Arguing a Position	3-5	200	20%
Analyzing an Advertisement	2-3	150	15%

SUBTOTAL ESSAY POINTS		600 Points	60%
Reaction Papers		100	10%
Participation		100	10%
Grammar Practices		30	3%
Mini-Grammar Tests		70	7%
Peer Reviews		80	8%
Writing Lab Consultation(1)		20	2%

TOTAL CLASS POINTS		1000	100%

Grade Breakdown:

930-1000

880-899

830-879

B+

780-799

730-779

C+

650-699

600-649

D+

900-929

A-

800-829

B-

700-729

C-

0-599

Attendance Policy:

Class attendance is a crucial component in such a process-oriented class. Any class work—in-class writing, quizzes, group work, peer reviews—cannot be made up due to absence. You are permitted three absences for any reason. After that, your final grade will drop by half of a letter grade for each absence (i.e. BàB-). Missing more than 10 class sessions will result in a failing grade. If you leave class early for any reason, you will be counted absent. Two tardies equal to one absence. It is your responsibility to verify that you have been marked late rather than absent.

You are also encouraged to get the contact information of at least one of your classmates to ensure that you obtain any class materials you may have missed due to absences. Please note that while I am happy to answer any questions you may have about a particular class that you have missed, I will not re-teach the class.

*I do excuse absences due to medical and family emergencies. Should such situations arise, please try your best to make arrangements with me early to have your work made up or submitted. In case of absences due to medical reasons, a doctor’s note is needed to have your absences excused.

Rough Drafts:

You are expected to bring two copies of a rough draft for workshop on the day the draft is due. Students who fail to bring rough drafts to class will not be able to participate in peer reviews. While I will not “grade” your drafts, I will check your rough drafts on the days they are due, so please make sure that you finish your drafts and meet the appropriate page requirements.

Canvas and Emails:

Announcements and assignment changes may be made through email and the Canvas system. All students are responsible for checking their Canvas accounts at least once every day. All emails will be sent to your Canvas account. If you do not generally use your Canvas account, it is your responsibility to make sure emails sent to your Canvas account are forwarded to you at an appropriate address.

*Please give me at least 24 hours to respond to your emails. If you want to schedule an appointment outside of office hours, please email me at least three days in advance so that I can make arrangements to meet with you. I do not respond to emails on Saturdays and Sunday mornings (i.e. if you email me on Friday, I will respond to you on Sunday afternoon).

A note about email etiquette: Emailing your instructor is not the same as texting your friend. When emailing an instructor, please address the instructor and write your name at the end. Write in complete sentences and avoid abbreviations that would not appear in a formal paper.

Class Policies:

Deadlines: All assigned work is due in a paper copy format at the beginning of class on the date specified by the syllabus. For each class period that you turn in a paper late, your grade for that particular essay will be deducted by 10% (i.e. if a paper is worth 100 points, you will lose 10 points for each class period after the due date; if a paper is worth 150 points, you will lose 15 points, and so on.). Except in the case of medical or family emergency, papers received more than two days past the due date will receive no point.

Participation: Having regular attendance is only the first step to active participation. Active participation means that you consistently engage class materials in a thoughtful and proactive manner. It means that you attend and contribute to class discussions regularly, listen to the ideas of others attentively, and raise questions either in class or office hours. If you are participating in these activities, it shows me that you are prepared and thinking about the course material.

Disruptions to class: The following scenarios are considered disruptive to class: cell phone going off, text-messaging, chatting, talking out of turn, disruptive late arrival or early departure with no valid reasons, shuffling before a class ends. Every student has one warning during the quarter for disruptive behavior during class. After the first warning, we will schedule a meeting outside of class. If disruptive behavior persists, you will be referred to the Vice President of Student Services. You may NOT use your laptop, phone and other electronic devices at any time unless you have made special arrangements with me.

Paper Format:

ü On the due date of each final draft, submit your paper both on Canvas and as a hard copy. When submitting a hard copy of your paper, submit your final draft of the essay on top, followed by your rough draft, any pre-writing and/or invention work you may have done, and the peer reviews by your classmates.

ü All essays must be typed and double-spaced with 1’’ margin on all sides. Use a 12 pt. font; Times New Roman is preferred.

ü No cover pages or binders please.

ü Always give your essay a title that is appropriate and gives an insight into what the essay is about. (Do not title essays “Arguing a Position” and the like.)

ü Email attachments will not be accepted unless you have made special arrangements with me prior to the due date. A paper is considered late until a paper copy is turned in. Please note that under no circumstances should you email your rough drafts to have them peer reviewed.

ü Please note again that you cannot pass this course without completing all four essay assignments.

Disability Resource Center (DRC):

The Disability Resource Center serves students with a wide array of learning challenges and disabilities. If you are a student who has a disability or a learning challenge for which you have documentation or have seen someone for treatment and if you feel you may need accommodations in order to be successful in college, please contact the DRC staff as soon as possible.

The DRC office is located in the Library Media Center (D126) and may be reached at 425-564-2498. Deaf students can reach the DRC by video phone at 425-440-2025 or by TTY at 425-564-4110. You may visit the DRC website for application information and other helpful links at www.bellevuecollege.edu/drc

If you have an apparent or non-apparent disability and require assistance in case of an emergency situation, such as a fire, earthquake, etc., please meet with the instructor to develop a safety plan within the first week of the quarter.

Plagiarism:

Plagiarism occurs when a writer claims someone else’s language, idea or structure as his or her own without clearly or sufficiently acknowledging the source. Plagiarism and cheating will result in a failing grade for the class, academic probation, and/or dismissal from the college. All essays submitted to this class will be verified by turnitin.com. If you are having trouble, do NOT copy someone else’s work. Come see me.

Student Code:

“Cheating, stealing and plagiarizing (using the ideas or words of another as one’s own without crediting the source) and inappropriate/disruptive classroom behavior are violations of the Student Code of Conduct at Bellevue College. Examples of unacceptable behavior include, but are not limited to: talking out of turn, arriving late or leaving early without a valid reason, allowing cell phones/pagers to ring, and inappropriate behavior toward the instructor or classmates. The instructor can refer any violation of the Student Code of Conduct to the Vice President of Student Services for possible probation or suspension from Bellevue College. Specific student rights, responsibilities and appeal procedures are listed in the Student Code of Conduct, available in the office of the Vice President of Student Services.” The Student Code, Policy 2050, in its entirety is located at: http://bellevuecollege.edu/policies/2/2050_Student_Code.asp

Finally…Some General Advice for Student Success (6 P’s to Academic Success):

ü Be punctual

ü Be prepared

ü Be present

ü Be persistent

ü Be proactive

ü Be patient

Please feel free to ask me any questions you may have about this syllabus or any part of this course. I very much look forward to working with you this quarter.

Good luck!