HomeMy WebLinkAboutALP-006Revised Spring 2016
Bergen Community College
Division of Humanities
Department of ESL and World Languages
Course Syllabus
ALP 006: American Language Foundations: Reading
Semester and year:
Course and Section Number: (e.g. ALP 006-xxx)
Meeting Times and Locations:
Instructor:
Office Location:
Phone:
Departmental Secretary: (optional)
Office Hours:
E-mail Address:
Course Description
ALP-006 American Language Foundations: Reading is a course for English language learners
with little or no prior exposure to English. This course provides them with instruction in
pronouncing written words and understanding simple written texts. It also introduces students to
the most common vocabulary of English and develops their ability to use this vocabulary.
3 lec., 3 non-degree credits. Prerequisite or Co-requisite: ALP-004/005
Course Texts and/or Other Study Materials:
Read This! Fascinating Stories from the Content Areas by Daphne Mackey
ISBN: 978-0-521-74786-8
and
2. Beginning Reading Practices by Keith Folse
ISBN: 0-472-08394-5 (The University of Michigan Press)
and
3. Longman Dictionary of American English
ISBN: 0-13-170344-7 (Pearson Longman)
Student Learning Outcomes:
As a result of meeting the requirements in this course, students will:
Apply reading strategies and vocabulary skills to understand and respond to texts.
Infer meaning of words from sentence and paragraph content.
Use an English-English dictionary to learn definitions;.
Apply basic information literacy skills to find information in an electronic encyclopedia.
Recall and use new vocabulary from readings.
Means of Assessment: To determine the extent to which students have achieved the learning
outcomes, teachers will evaluate:
Participations in class discussions
Homework assignments
Quizzes and tests
A departmental final exam
A research project or book report
At the end of the course, all students take a course-wide final examination. Practice final exams
are made available to acquaint the students with test format and content. The final exam is a
multiple choice test. It counts for 30% of a student’s grade.
Course Content
This course reviews and introduces students to reading skills and strategies that students need at
a beginner level of English.
1. Previewing, skimming, scanning;
2. Recognizing how new information is related to prior knowledge or experience.
3. Identifying signal words (finally, furthermore, in addition) that provide clues to
organizational formats such as time order, compare/contrast.
4. Drawing conclusions and make inferences based on explicit and implied information.
5. Determining the meaning of unfamiliar words by using context clues, a dictionary, a
glossary, and structural analysis (roots, prefixes, suffixes) of words.
6. Using new vocabulary appropriately
7. Demonstrating a level appropriate use of library services.
8. Accessing and retrieving information from one encyclopedic resource.
9. Using information in an ethical and legal manner.
Special Features of the Course (if any) [to be designated by the instructor]
E.g. the use of learning technologies in the course (Internet, PowerPoint, Echo, etc.)
Grading Policy (to be designated by the instructor)
A student’s final grade for the course is based primarily on his/her performance on the required
work for the course (homework, reading tests, research projects, etc…), class participation, and
on his/her overall mastery of the material covered in the course.
Sample grading policy
Class participation: 10%
Homework Checks: 5%
Research projects: 20%
Quizzes / Tests: 35%
Final Exam: 30%
Grade Breakdown: A 90-100
B+ 86-89
B 80-85
C+ 76-79
C 70-75
D 65-69
F 64-below
Attendance Policy: (to be designated by the instructor) Sample:
Students are expected to attend class regularly and punctually. Attendance will be taken at each
class session. If students occasionally arrive late, they should enter quietly, and not disturb the
class. If students miss class, they should find out what they missed. It is probably a good idea
for students to exchange telephone numbers with other students as a way to find out about
missed classes
.
Poor attendance will affect a student’s grade. If a student’s absence exceeds one and a half times
the number of weekly meetings, the student’s grade will be lowered by one full letter grade. If a
student is absent excessively, the student can expect to fail the course. Lateness counts, too. Two
late arrivals will equal one absence.
Statement on Accommodations for Disabilities
Bergen Community College aims to create inclusive learning environments where all students
have maximum opportunities for success. Any student who feels he or she may need an
accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the Office of Specialized
Services at 201-612-5269 or via email at ossinfo@bergen.edu for assistance.
Student and Faculty Support Services
ELRC (English Language Resource Center) Room E-156 201- 612-5292
http://www.bergen.edu/elrc
The Office of Specialized Services (for students
with disabilities)
Room S-131 201-612-5270
www.bergen.edu/oss
The Sidney Silverman Library – Reference
Desk
Room L-226 201-447-7436
http://www.bergen.edu/library
Sample Course Outline & Calendar (to be designated by the instructor)
Note to Students: The following Course Outline and Calendar is tentative and subject to
change, depending upon the progress of the class
Week(s) Topic/Activity/Assignments
1 Introduction; Part of Speech; Opposites; Connectors
2 Unit 1 --Communication
3 Unit 1 -Communication
4 Summarizing, Paraphrasing; Details
5 Unit 2-- Technology
6 Unit 2- Technology
7 Finding Main Idea; Vocabulary in Context; Conclusion
8 Unit 3- Mathematics
9 Unit 3--Mathematics
10 Noun/ Pronoun Referent; markers this, that, these, those
11 Unit 4 - Business
12 Unit 4- Business
13 Unit 5- Engineering
14 Unit 5 - Engineering
15 Final Exam