ESL 500 First Day Handout

ESL 500: Oral and Written Communication

Fall 2015

Class: ESL 500 (Section C1)                                                 Instructor: Yilan Liu

Time: MW 6:30-7:50 pm                                                      Office:  FLB 2022

Website: http://esl500yilan.blogspot.com                          Office hours: MW 1:00-2:00pm

Overview: This is the first course in a two-course sequence for international graduate students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It is an all-skills course with both writing and oral components designed to help students succeed in an English-medium academic environment. The primary focus is on paragraph development and organization of American academic writing. Students also practice reading strategies for research articles from different disciplines through summarizing and synthesizing practices. Strategies for avoiding plagiarism and APA style citation will be introduced and practiced with source-based writing assignments. As final projects, students will produce a written critique of a research article and an oral critique of a research object from their discipline.

Grade Policy for the ESL Writing Service Courses:

Letter grades are based on performance of students on class assignments and participation in class. A passing grade for this course is a grade of “B-” or higher. Grades are recorded as “S” (satisfactory) or “U” (unsatisfactory) on the student transcript, but instructors will grade on a letter grade scale throughout the semester.

Your grade will be made up of the following components:                                       

ESL 500 Major Assignments			Grading Scale
Diagnostic Essay Process Assignment	15%		A+ (97-100)	A (94-96)	A- (90-93)
Synthesis Essay (1-2 pages)	20%		B+ (87-89)	B (84-86)	B- (80-83)
Critique Essay (2-3 pages)	25%		C+ (77-79)	C (74-76)	C- (70-73)
Oral Presentation	15%		D+ (67-69)	D (64-66)	D- (60-63)
Participation (Homework, in-class activities)	10%		F (0-59)
Attendance	10%
2 Reflective Assignments	5%

Required textbook: There is no required textbook for this course.

Note: Previous students have used an eBook (online textbook) called Writer’s Help, which you can purchase if you are interested in an optional, supplementary resource for this course. This handbook can serve as a resource in three ways: to help you prepare for class, to provide you with extra help, and to offer you practice exercises for independent study. Because it’s an online textbook, you can access it on any computer with your individual username and password. You can purchase the “access code” for this book by getting a physical access code card with a free student guide at the UIUC Bookstore, OR you can purchase a virtual access code on the Writer’s Help website at: http://pages.mail.bfwpub.com/WritersHelp/Student_Ordering_Info/

Student Assessment: There will be no final exam for this course. Your written assignments will be graded on organization, content, conventions and vocabulary/style. All writing assignments are due at the assigned time, and late papers will be penalized. We will employ a process method for completing papers, and you can expect to revise your drafts one or more times before it is considered “done” and ready to be graded.

Course Management System:

There are two websites for this class: one for instructions (major), and the other for assignment submission. The major course website can be found at: http://esl500yilan.blogspot.com; assignments and homework information will be posted here. The other website that you will submit all of your individual work electronically is Compass 2G, which can be found on the course website. All essays will be due electronically on the due date by 11:59 p.m. on Compass 2G.

Student Participation: This is an ENGLISH language class. Everyone is here to improve his/her language skill. You must therefore stick to speaking in ENGLISH at all times in the classroom. If you speak languages other than English in class, your participation grade on that day will be 0. You are not allowed to use any electronic devices (e.g. laptops, cell phones) while lectures or activities are in progress. Violating this rule will result in confiscation of your device until the class is over. Violation of this classroom policy will also result in a 0-point mark for your participation grade on that day.

Homework and reading assignments may be given daily. Students are expected to come to class prepared to discuss homework and readings. Participation in class discussions and activities is expected and will contribute to the final grade—this includes encouraging the participation of others. A grade of zero will be given to all work missed due to an unexcused absence. Late homework will NOT be accepted.

Attendance Policy for the ESL Writing Service Courses:

Students are required to attend all classes. If, for some reason, you must be absent, please contact the instructor before class. IF YOU ARE ABSENT, YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL NOTES AND ASSIGNMENTS. Two tardies (times late) count as one absence, no matter if it's 1 minute or 10. If you are tardy more than 20 minutes, it counts as an absence. After three absences, you will receive a verbal warning from the instructor. After four absences, the ESL Writing Director will be notified and you will receive a formal probation warning. After 5 absences, you may fail the course. Remember, students who are chronically absent or late are in danger of failing the course at the director’s discretion.

Plagiarism Policy for the ESL Writing Service Courses:

One of the main goals in this course is to teach you how to avoid plagiarism and how to uphold academic integrity principles. As you know, the consequences of plagiarism are serious. Plagiarism is one type of academic dishonesty which may result in a student’s suspension or dismissal from the University. At the very least, it will result in a failing grade in the course at the director’s discretion. Therefore, the work you turn in for this class MUST BE YOUR OWN. Do not plagiarize or you will receive an F on the assignment and in the course!

All students will be required to submit their major assignments to the Compass 2g UIUC SafeAssignment database in accordance with campus policies and procedures regarding academic integrity, which are set forth in the Student Code at Article 1, Part 4 (http://admin.illinois.edu/policy/code/article1_part4_1-401.html).

Atlas Computer Lab Policy:

Atlas is the campus service that provides the ESL Writing Service Courses with computer labs on the basis that we comply with the following policies:

1)    You must have a reservation to use a room, and an instructor must be present for the duration of every class meeting.

2)    Classes are expected to leave on time, and those in FLB must leave at least 5 minutes before we close (M-Th 8pm, F 5pm).

3)    We do not permit food or drinks without lids in our classrooms.

Campus Emergency Operations Plan:

The purpose of this plan is to provide operational guidance for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery actions to prevent or minimize injury and/or death to people and damage to property resulting from emergencies and/or disasters of natural, manmade or technological origin. It can be found online at http://police.illinois.edu/emergencyplanning/index.html. You are encouraged to sign up for emergency text messages at http://emergency.illinois.edu and you will receive information from the police and administration during emergency situations.

Disability Resources & Educational Services at UIUC

At the University of Illinois, students with disabilities can register with Disability Resources and Educational Services (DRES). International students are able to use the same services and assistance as domestic students.

Often, people think of disabilities as conditions where a person uses a wheelchair or has a sensory impairment, like being blind or deaf. Of course, DRES offers services to students with those disabilities, but students may also use DRES services for non-visible conditions, like ADHD, anxiety disorders, or learning disabilities.

Many students who have significant difficulties with attention, learning, mood, or anxiety may have problems in their classes as a result of these symptoms. In the U.S., these problems are viewed as medical conditions for which a person can receive support from a counselor or medication. In these situations, registering with DRES can help a great deal in your classes. You might also be able to receive extra time on an exam, receive help taking notes in your classes, or request an extension on work.

Some students may think of “disability” as bad, shameful, or something to be hidden. However, at the University of Illinois, we think of disability as simply another way that people can be different from one another. When it’s appropriate, students with disabilities should become registered with DRES to receive the support that they need.

If you are an international student and recognize that you have a problem with attention, learning, mood, or anxiety, you might want to become registered with DRES. If you have questions about becoming registered with DRES, you can contact Dr. Thomas-Stagg (jstagg@illinois.edu). When writing, please provide a little information about yourself and what concerns you are having. Dr. Thomas-Stagg might suggest seeking some kind of treatment (from the Counseling Center or McKinley Health Center), or he might suggest that you sign up for an academic screening so that DRES can learn more about you and make the best recommendation. For more information, you can visit the DRES website:  www.disability.illinois.edu.