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
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.
