ESL 105 is a 9 hour course consisting of  reading, grammar, and writing components.  Your semester grade will be the average of percentage grades received in each component.  Greatest emphasis is given to the writing component, where a student's grammatical knowledge should be applied.

An undergraduate must earn a C in English 101 to advance to English 102. Undergraduate students who are successful in ESL 105 earn 3 hours of credit in English 101.

OFFICE HOURS:  1:30 to 4:30 p.m. MW
                               Other times by appointment

TEXTBOOKS: Hodges’ Harbrace Handbook, 14th Ed.
Models for Composition: A Practical Guide for Effective Writing, 4th Ed.

SUPPLIES:  A good, current dictionary (preferably an all-English dictionary if your skill allows   you to use one) In any modern language, usage does change and, of course, the many advances in technology mean new terms have been invented which old dictionaries don’t explain; thus any dictionary which claims to be a “college” dictionary is preferable.

A report folder containing metal brads AND pockets, not just pockets, to serve as your Writing Portfolio, which is evaluated at semester's end for a grade.

Looseleaf paper and at least 2 new blank computer disks formatted for a PC
A  notebook for class notes

Pencils, pens, and colored markers of several colors

COURSE OBJECTIVES
To introduce non-native speakers and writers to what is expected in regard to sentence structure, grammar, and style in academic written English as well as to practice a variety of  rhetorical modes. Another goal is to work on improving students’ reading comprehension.

Examples of rhetorical modes that could be covered during the study of composition this semester include narration, description, example, process analysis, definition, comparison and/or contrast, classification/division, and argument/persuasion. Some writing assignments will utilize only one of these modes, while others may combine more than one. We will cover as many of these modes as time allows, but no less than five.
 

 CLASS ATTENDANCE
Attendance is important!  ESL 105 meets two consecutive class periods on MWF (with me as instructor of the grammar and composition components) plus one class period on TT (with Dr. McKeithen as instructor for the reading component). Students missing over 10% of the scheduled class hours MTWTF will be reported to their dean as having excessive absences. Seeing that this is a 9-credit-hour class,  you should give it high priority!

See the current ULM Catalog for the university’s attendance policies.

Some in-class work cannot be made up if missed, but most work can--if  the student has a valid excuse. If you have been absent, see me or contact me immediately to inquire about submitting excuses and/or arranging to make up the work missed.
 

       GRAMMAR & COMPOSITION COMPONENTS 9:00-9:50, 10:00-10:50 MWF
                                                               (Mrs. Oliver)
Typically there will be a short 10 minute break at the end of  the first 50 minutes of  the almost 2-hour class MWF, but occasionally class may extend through the usual break time because of specific classroom work in progress which requires more than 50 minutes to complete.
Students are expected to come to class on time, prepared to work.  If you are unavoidably late, please enter the room quietly and get to work as quickly as possible with the minimum of class disturbance. You can see me after class to explain. I will count you as absent if you leave the class during the break and do not return. (Discuss special problems with me before you just disappear.)
 Assignments should be handed in promptly on the date due, at the time I ask for them--usually at the very beginning of class. If there is a problem, see me for permission to submit the work later.

If extra points are offered for a special in-class task, those absent on that day or arriving after the class has begun the task may NOT make these points up.
 

                                                        (60%) WRITING COMPONENT
The writing component counts as 60% of your total grade in ESL 105.  The purpose of this component is to guide students to write clearly worded, well-organized, well-developed essays free of major grammatical problems.  A number of writing exercises and writing assignments (some graded, some not graded) will be given during the semester so that students may practice the principles of  good academic writing covered in class.

Your Writing Portfolio, which must be complete and revised where assigned, counts for one essay grade.  Points are deducted from the Portfolio grade for late assignments, incomplete assignments, missing assignments, or failure to revise when instructed to do so. (By the way, I  expect you to make revisions in a timely manner.) It is your responsibility to keep up with your assignments for the Writing Portfolio after the papers have been returned to you; don’t lose them.

30% of this writing grade comes from 5 grades, namely 4 graded and revised essays done on assigned topics (after we have reviewed quite a bit of grammar and punctuation first) plus the Writing Portfolio grade. Graded compositions will be written in-class. Writing them out-of-class and merely typing them or re-copying them in class is cheating. You will have the chance to revise each of them; two of them will be written and revised in-class; two will be written in-class and revised out-of-class.

30% of this writing grade consists of your score on an essay written in-class on the date and time scheduled for the final exam.  To receive a passing grade, this essay must have fairly good organization, adequate reasoning, fairly good sentence structure without major errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling.  You will be allotted 1 hour and 50 minutes to write it, and you may bring a dictionary, your textbook, and reference material approved by me.  (The last regular class meetings prior to the final exam will be used to prepare for this composition, such as  choosing subjects, making outlines, etc.)

A brief extemporaneous piece of writing, without the use of a dictionary, is also required of each student in the ESL program at the end of the semester so that I can compare it with your initial sample given on the Michigan Test as a means of assessing our program. This writing assignment does not affect your semester grade but should show how your written English has improved through taking this course.
 

There will also be some opportunities to earn “bonus points,” extra points to add to your lowest quiz grades. However, you must be present in class when these opportunities come up because bonus questions or bonus quizzes may not be made up.

If you attempt a bonus opportunity but answer incorrectly,  it does not count against you; you will just receive a grade of NC , which means “no credit.”  Some NC grades result from quizzes wherein you are obviously just guessing and have made not only correct responses but also incorrect guesses. In such cases you will receive credit for what is correct, but points will then be deducted for the incorrect responses before a total of bonus points can be awarded, if any.
 

                                 (20%)  READING COMPONENT, 9:30-10:45 TT
                                                            (Dr. McKeithen)
 Dr. McKeithen will inform you of what his requirements are for the Reading Component when you meet with him.