Course Outline for English As A Second Language 210
Preparation for Academic ESL Reading

Effective: Fall 2019
SLO Rev: 11/06/2018
Catalog Description:

ESL 210 - Preparation for Academic ESL Reading

54.00 Hours

May be repeated 99 time(s)
This noncredit course in Academic ESL reading is part of a 3-course noncredit certificate of competency in Preparation for College ESL, which serves as preparation for ESL 110A, the first course in our credit sequence. Students who take this course may not have the necessary language proficiency in English or be ready for the academic rigor of our college credit ESL program. Students will gain reading, vocabulary, and study skills, computer literacy, and become familiar with U.S. college classroom culture. This course is free and may be repeated until mastery in the skill is met. Recommendation to take the course will be through ESL placement process. May be taken concurrently with ESL 220 and ESL 230.
4930.85 - English as a Second Language - Reading
Pass/No Pass/Satisfactory Progress
Type Hours
Lecture 54.00
Total 54.00
Measurable Objectives:
Upon completion of this course, the student should be able to:
  1. Use a variety of reading strategies to approach and comprehend a new reading
  2. Read and respond in writing to short nonfiction articles and short novels of about 400 headwords (Lexile level: 400-600L)
  3. Identify the main idea of an article or paragraph
  4. Begin to connect themes from an article or novel to their own lives
  5. Correctly identify parts of speech, including nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs
  6. Begin to understand how common prefixes/suffixes can change the meaning of words
  7. Begin to understand how to use context to identify the meaning of new words
  8. Begin to understand pronoun references, especially as they relate to understanding important details in a reading
  9. Navigate Canvas LMS to check homework, grades, and send/receive messages from an instructor
  10. Navigate Class-Web to read and understand course descriptions, class schedules/timetables, and register for a course
  11. Effectively organize course materials and handouts
  12. Effectively manage time for an academic ESL class
  13. Participate in a beginning-level academic discussion about a reading
  14. Navigate campus resources like the library, tutoring center, health center, counseling, and instructor office hours
Course Content:
  1. Reading/Vocabulary (70%)
    1. Pre-reading techniques, such as previewing, scanning, and predicting
    2. Reading for main ideas and synthesizing information from a text
    3. Making connections to their own lives, American culture and the world
    4. Reading short nonfiction articles on topics related to American culture and a variety of academic disciplines
    5. Reading short novels of about 400 headwords (Lexile level: 400-600L)
    6. Discovering the meaning and parts of speech of new words through context and using an English-English dictionary
    7. Understanding the grammar in simple and compound sentences and their connections to meaning in a reading
    8. Understanding pronoun references and their connections to meaning in a reading
    9. Responding to a reading through asking/answering questions in discussion groups, journaling, notetaking, and short paragraph writing
  2.  Computer Literacy (15%)
    1. Navigating Canvas LMS to check homework and grades, and send/receive messages from an instructor
    2. Navigating Class-Web to read and understand course descriptions and class schedules/timetables, and register for a course
  3. Classroom Culture/Study Skills (15%)   
    1. Organizing course materials and handouts for a college class.
    2. Managing time and course expectations for an academic ESL class.
    3. Actively participating in an academic discussion about a reading.
    4. Navigating, touring, and reporting about campus resources like the library, tutoring center, health center, counseling, and instructor office hours.
Methods of Instruction:
  1. Group Activities
  2. Lecture/Discussion
  3. Class and group discussions
  4. Textbook reading assignments
  5. Written assignments
  6. Distance Education
Assignments and Methods of Evaluating Student Progress:
  1. In your vocabulary journal, write down 5 new words from the article, including their parts of speech, your guess at the meaning using context, the dictionary definition, and your own sentence using each word.
  2. Read the text and underline two or three key words or phrases in each paragraph. Focus on phrases that answer WH-questions about the most important ideas. Work with a partner to write a main idea sentence for each paragraph.
  3. Choose one journal topic to respond to. Make a connection between the story and your own life experience. Use your best grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
  4. Read the ESL class schedule for next semester. Choose one class. Find this information: The name of the class is _________________. It meets on ___________________ (days). It meets in _______________________(classroom). There is/is not a lab. The instructor's name is ____________________.
  5. Work with a small group. Choose a college resource we have discussed and visit this place with your group. Report to the class: 1. Where is it? 2. When is it open? 3. What do they do? How do they help students?
  1. Attendance
  2. Demonstration of practice and skills
  3. Homework
  4. Journals
  5. Portfolios
  6. Quizzes
  7. Final Examination or Project
  8. Written assignments
Upon the completion of this course, the student should be able to:
  1. read short nonfiction articles and short novels and demonstrate comprehension;
  2. navigate Class-Web and Canvas LMS and demonstrate ability to read and locate information;
  3. effectively organize course materials and effectively manage time for an academic ESL class
Textbooks (Typical):
  1. Vicary, Tim. (2013). The Piano Man, Oxford Bookworms, Stage 1 Oxford University Press.
  2. Coerr, Eleanor (2004). Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes, Puffin Modern Classics.
  3. Yep, Laurence (2000). The Magic Paintbrush Harper Collins.
  4. Yep, Laurence (1997). The Ghost Fox Scholastic.
Abbreviated Class Schedule Description:
This FREE, non-credit, academic ESL reading and vocabulary course is part of a three course noncredit Certificate of Competency in Preparation for College ESL. Upon completing this course, students will be ready to read at a level appropriate for ESL 110A, the first course in our ESL credit courses. Students will be placed into noncredit courses by the ESL placement process. Students may take ESL 210 concurrently with ESL 220 and ESL 230 to earn their Certificate of Competency and to be fully prepared for ESL 110A.
Discipline:
English as a Second Language (ESL)*, English as a Second Language (ESL): Noncredit, or