Reading and Vocabulary Development – ESL 152

Intensive English Program- Spring 2002

Course Syllabus

Instructor: Jaqueline Wachter

Office: Carriage House

Office Phone: 5313 Email: wachtej@juniata.edu or jfwachter@teacher.com

Home Phone: 766-3389

Overview

This course will offer specific strategies for improving reading comprehension and rate by using authentic materials (media and college-related texts). Vocabulary development will be an important component of the class, so that you are better able to understand more complex written information. Through on- campus interviews and discussion groups, students will understand the norms and expectations of the U.S. academic environment.

General Objectives

READING

• Apply pre-viewing strategies to predict meaning and scope of a written text
• Apply post reading strategies to assess comprehension
• Increase reading rate to 200-300 words per minute (reading intensively)
• Increase comprehension to 85-90% (of material read intensively)
• Distinguish between factual and non-factual information
• Distinguish between important and less important items
• Read critically and determine author’s point of view
• Distinguish among ideas, examples and opinions
• Summarize a written text
• Read quickly for the main idea (skimming)- assess and review
• Read quickly for a specific piece of information (scanning)- assess and review

VOCABULARY BUILDING

• Deduce unknown words from context
• Put “core” (not related to a specific field or subject matter) vocabulary into active use at the rate of 12 words per week
• Correctly pronounce new vocabulary and create own lexical associations for new words
• Create and manage a vocabulary storage system

NORTH AMERICAN ACADEMIC CULTURE

• Understand values and expectations of the North American academic culture
• Become aware of the norms of classroom behavior, student-to-student relationships and student-to-student relationships
• Demonstrate ability to locate and understand information about academic requirements, grading and credit system

STUDY SKILLS

• Develop and/or refine a time management system
• Refine study habits consistent with individual learning styles and preferences

MATERIALS

Baker-Gonzalez and Blau, Building on Understanding (Longman)

Heyer, Sandra, More True Stories (Longman)

Miscellaneous articles from newspapers and magazines

ATTENDANCE

Class attendance is assumed. Any UNEXCUSED absence is one mark off your final grade. Three lates= one absence. Poor attendance will significantly affect your overall grade. Consistent attendance is also extremely important for syllabus updates, in-class exercises, group work, videos, lecture material not covered in the text, and exam reviews. Excellent attendance will certainly be rewarded. Do not let a borderline grade be determined by poor attendance.

YOU WILL NEED:

• An English-English dictionary
• Package of 3x5 Index Cards
• Spiral bound notebook = Reading Response Journal
• A section of another notebook for taking notes or a section of a 3 ring binder
• A pocket folder for handouts, or a section of a 3 ring binder

ASSESSMENT

A question covering content taught on the previous class or based on assigned reading will be asked at the beginning of each regular class meeting (exam days excluded). Students who correctly answer the question will receive .5 point, those who miss the question will receive .0 points ad those students who are absent (or late) will be deducted .5 points. The cumulative total of these points will account for (maximally) 5% of your grade for the semester.

5%

There will be three or four Tests to assess your mastery of the reading strategies and other information presented.

Four Tests (10% each) 40%

You will learn to develop your own vocabulary storage system and there will be weekly quizzes on vocabulary.

14 quizzes (2% each) 28%

In the last few weeks, you will work on an Independent Reading Project, which will involve reading a portion of a college textbook, in your choose field of study. Vocabulary and Journal Responses will be related to this reading.

15%

Throughout the semester, you will read several short stories (British and American Short Stories) as well as a novel. You will react to the readings by writing your response in your Reading Response Journal each week (10 weeks). Once a week, you will join a discussion group to assess your understanding of the story. At the end of the semester, your group will write a summary of the story and give a presentation about the chosen book.

12%