English as a Second Language 015: COMPOSITION FOR AMERICAN ACADEMIC COMMUNICATION II
Satellite televisions and computer networks are providing unprecedented levels of intercultural communication, especially in English. Yet, communicating successfully in English also requires more than just vocabulary and grammatical structures. We also need to shift our frames of reference to understand the different beliefs and values that underlie how people communicate in academic English. This course intends to develop your ability, in Paolo Freire's words, to not only read the word but to read the world. As a multilingual user of English, you will become aware of your own frame of reference while becoming aware of others.
What will I learn in this course?
This is a composition course for intermediate/advanced level nonnative speakers of English. Students will become familiar with the various stages in the process of writing and develop strategies for reading and writing various models of American academic discourse. Overall, students should be able to use what they have learned in this course to successfully participate in academic reading and writing tasks throughout their university experience in the United States. Students will participate in a variety of reading and writing tasks that will enable them to do the following upon completion of this course:
- Define the subject, purpose, audience, and appropriate organizational structure for written compositions
- Revise and reshape their writing to improve ideas, organization, language use, vocabulary and mechanics
- Identify and correct structural and grammatical errors within their written texts
- Select sources, take notes, and acknowledge sources to support ideas
- Use the library to conduct library research
- Become better writers in preparation for their college career.
This course meets the General Education Composition(GWS) requirements. See your advisor if you have questions about how this course can be used in your program of study.
Are there any prerequisites for this course?
Grade of C or higher is required in ESL 004 as a prerequisite for ESL 015.
I've never taken an online course before. What is it like?
This course is taught completely online. We'll use Penn State's course management system, ANGEL, for ESL 015, and you will be able to communicate with the professor and your classmates through chat, e-mail, and threaded discussions within ANGEL.
You do not need to come to campus at any time, and you do not need a proctor or remote testing site.
However, an online course is not easier than on-campus course. In fact, it takes a lot more self-discipline. You must be willing and able to commit the same amount of time as you would for attending class and studying for a traditional course. You must also be a motivated, organized student who feels confident about reading to learn and who is comfortable working independently. If you're wondering whether an online course is right for you, take this short survey to find out more about how online learning is different.
What are the technological requirements for this course?
- have access to a computer that meets the ANGEL technological requirements.
- be comfortable with navigating the Internet
How is the course structured?
ESL 015 has 12 lessons. The course is organized around three major assignments. The beginning of the course is designated for the first essay assignment, analyzing an advertisement. The middle period of the course is allocated to the second assignment, a critique of an argumentative essay. In the last unit we learn to write a research paper. Various important concepts in academic writing will be woven into each lesson. These three formal essays will be worth 70% of your course grade. Other assignments include homework, peer review and a personal journal, which together will be worth 30% of your course grade.
Where can I get more information?
For more information about ESL 015 Online, see a recent course syllabus. To register, visit the Office of the University Registrar. At the beginning of each semester, all enrolled students should access ESL 015 at the site of Penn State's course management system, ANGEL.
“To get the right word in the right place is a rare achievement. To condense the diffused light of a page of thought into the luminous flash of a single sentence, is worthy to rank as a prize composition just by itself...Anybody can have ideas--the difficulty is to express them without squandering a quire of paper on an idea that ought to be reduced to one glittering paragraph.”
Mark Twain
“Mad world! Mad kings! Mad composition!”
William Shakespeare
"Writing is as much a work in progress as the writing itself."