Course Title: Intensive English Program (IEP) III
Reading Comprehension
Department and Number: English IEP 3
Credit: Non-credit
Prerequisite(s): None
Semester: Fall 2009 – Tuesdays 12:30—2:00, 2:15-3:45, 4:-5:15
Instructor: Dr. Sylvia Y. Schoemaker Rippel
Email: sysr@lincolnuca.edu
Course-related email for the semester: profs360@gmail.com
Office hours and location: T, Th 11:45-12:30 and by arrangement, room 307
Office phone: 510-628-8036
Instructional Materials and References
Required text:
Richards, Jack C. and Samuela Eckstut-Didier. Strategic Reading 1: Building Effective Reading Skills. Los Angeles, CA: Cambridge University Press, 2006. ISBN: 0521555809
Recommended texts:
Dictionary, thesaurus
Description
Students will improve reading comprehension and rate; they will increase vocabulary through assigned readings, word study exercises, and discussions. Readings deal with a variety of subjects, including American culture, and academic and personal issues.
Course Objectives
Students will develop reading skills for functional communicative purposes, in context-centered study and expansions.
University learner goals 1 -6, and specifically in English: To develop the ability to communicate effectively in English, orally and in writing, and to read with understanding (1.1) and institutional goals, especially 1, (1.1-1.4), 2.
Students will demonstrate improved discrete and holistic reading comprehension skills through targeted quizzes, tests (pre and post) and exercises (class and text-based).
Instructional Methods
A cooperative learning model is employed. Small group and individual discovery exercises and presentations will augment lectures, discussion and applications.
Topical Outline
Reading selections are of immediate academic and socio-cultural relevance. Among topics included are: music, money, work, sports, weather, culture, Internet
| Week | Tuesdays | Unit | Topic | Reading I | Reading II | Reading III |
| Wk 1 | 25-Aug-09 |
| Introduction |
|
|
|
| Wk 2 | 1-Sep-09 | Unit I | Music | Music and Moods | Louis Armstrong |
|
| Wk3 | 8-Sep-09 | Unit I | Music |
|
| Biology of Music |
| Wk 4 | 15-Sep-09 | Unit II | Money | Dangers in Shopping | How to be a Millionaire | Pity the Poor Lottery Winner |
| Wk 5 | 22-Sep-09 | Unit III | Work | Your First Job | Job Satisfaction | Are You a Workaholic? |
| Wk 6 | 29-Sep-09 | Unit IV | Sports | Do Pro Athletes Make Too Much Money? | Extreme Sports | Frequently Asked Questions about the Ancient Olympic Games |
| Wk 7 | 6-Oct-09 | Review | Review | Review | Review | Review |
| Wk 8 | 13-Oct-09 | Midpoint Exercises | Midpoint Exercises | Midpoint Exercises | Midpoint Exercises | Midpoint Exercises |
| Wk 9 | 20-Oct-09 | Unit V | Weather | Keeping an Eye on the Weather | Nature's Weather Forecasters | Could You Survive a Natural Disaster? |
| Wk 10 | 27-Oct-09 | Unit VII | Clothes | Dressing for Success | Casual Dress in the Workplace | T-shirts Out; Uniforms In |
| Wk 11 | 3-Nov-09 | Unit VIII | Culture | Adventures in India | Body Language in the US | Cross-cultural Differences |
| Wk 12 | 10-Nov-09 | Unit IX | Outer Space | Living in Space | The Planets | Space Tours Not So Far Off |
| Wk 13 | 17-Nov-09 | Unit X | Animals | The Terrible Toads | Exotic Animals -- Not as Pets! | Let's Abandon Zoos |
| Wk 14 | 24-Nov-09 | Presentations | Presentations | Presentations | Presentations | Presentations |
| Wk 15 | 1-Dec-09 | Review | Review | Review | Review | Review |
| Wk 16 | 8-Dec-09 | Post tests | Post tests | Post tests | Post tests | Post tests |
Assessment Criteria & Method of Evaluating Students
As participants in a course that is part of the non-credit IEP program, students do not receive letter grades. Instead, successful students will earn a completion report from their instructors based on their course work, progress, post-test measures, and individual profiles. Students successfully completing the program with the prerequisite instructor recommendations will receive a Certificate of Completion. The following table lists some of the primary areas evaluated for progress indication purposes:
| Class attendance and Participation | 25% |
| Exercises and Quizzes | 15% |
| Projects | 15% |
| Homework Assignments | 15% |
| Presentations | 15% |
| Final Review Tests | 15% |
| Total | 100% |
The following letter grade / point scale is provided for informational purposes only. While individual assignments may be evaluated on such a scale, no final letter grades will be assigned beyond the complete/incomplete evaluations as discussed above.
100-95 | A |
| 94-90 | A- |
| 89-87 | B+ |
| 86-84 | B |
| 83-80 | B- |
| 79-77 | C+ |
| 76-74 | C |
| 73-70 | C- |
| 69-67 | D+ |
| 66-64 | D |
| 63-60 | D- |
| 59 or < | F |
Date Syllabus was Last Reviewed: February 2009
