Course Outline for English As A Second Language 15A
Advanced ESL Reading and Composition 1

Effective: Fall 2025
SLO Rev:
Catalog Description:

ESL 15A - Advanced ESL Reading and Composition 1

5.00 Units

ESL 15A is the first semester of a one-year advanced ESL reading and writing course that prepares students for English 1. Students do active and careful reading of nonfiction texts, oral and written discussion of ideas in texts, as well as academic vocabulary development. Students write essays in response to readings by synthesizing ideas, developing arguments, and integrating evidence from readings and discussions.
Prerequisite: ESL 110C or Eligibility for ESL 15A as determined by ESL placement test.
4930.87 - English as a Second Language - Integrated
Pass/No Pass
Type Units Inside of Class Hours Outside of Class Hours Total Student Learning Hours
Lecture 5.00 90.00 180.00 270.00
Laboratory 0.00 18.00 0.00 18.00
Total 5.00 108.00 180.00 288.00
Measurable Objectives:
Upon completion of this course, the student should be able to:
  1. use pre-reading techniques to facilitate understanding of texts, including
    a. access background knowledge in the subject area;
    b. establish own purpose for reading the material;
    c. assess the difficulty of the text, including vocabulary, sentence structure, and concepts;
    d. before reading, form appropriate questions and use structural cues about how the textbook or essay is organized;
  2. take charge of reading, apply strategies to unlock the meaning from texts, including
    a. identifying passages that are causing difficulty to comprehension;
    b. developing strategies to work through difficult passages;
    c. Using such text features as text structure, transitions, captions, charts, graphs to facilitate understanding;
  3. effectively use annotation;
  4. distinguish fact from opinion;
  5. generate ideas for writing based on the reading, using a variety of pre- and post-reading and prewriting techniques;
  6. organize coherent essays around central ideas;
  7. provide evidence primarily from the reading to support points;
  8. write sentences without gross errors that impede communication;
  9. proofread her/his own prose.
Course Content:
Course Content (Lecture):
 
Reading
  1. Pre-reading techniques, such as predicting and previewing the organization of a text, to facilitate understanding 
  2. Active and critical reading, including the effective use of textual annotations, as demonstrated through any of the following methods:
    1. answering questions
    2. paraphrasing
    3. making inferences
  3. Oral and written discussion of ideas in texts
  4. Textual connections to self, other texts, and the world
  5. Main ideas vs. supporting details
  6. Fact, opinion, and inference
  7. Figurative language
  8. Characteristics of style (point of view, tone)
  9. Author's purpose and audience
  10. Texts from a variety of academic disciplines and cultural backgrounds cultural backgrounds with an emphasis on American culture
  11. Academic vocabulary development
  12. Grammatical relationships of ideas and their connections to meaning
Writing
  1. In-class and out-of-class essays in response to the readings
  2. Language appropriate for an academic audience
  3. Methods of clear and effective organization of ideas
  4. Transitions, cohesive devises, and signal words
  5. Effective thesis statements
  6. Effective use of evidence to support each point
  7. Analysis and synthesis of ideas to strengthen an argument
  8. Clarity in experssion of concrete and abstract ideas
  9. Multiple-draft writing
  10. Peer review discussions
  11. Targeted grammar instruction based on patterns of errors
 
Course Content (Laboratory):
 
Reading
  1. Research of unfamiliar references and vocabulary when they impede understanding
  2. Developing plans to approach difficult texts
  3. Developing a flexible reading style which adjusts reading rate according to the purpose and difficulty of material
 
Writing
  1. Informal responses such as journals, free writes, and discussion forums
  2. Integrate quotations, paraphrases, and summaries in support of arguments using MLA guidelines.
 
 
Methods of Instruction:
  1. Group Activities
  2. Lecture/Discussion
  3. Written assignments
  4. Online Assignments
  5. Presentation
  6. Distance Education
  7. Reading Assignments
Assignments and Methods of Evaluating Student Progress:
  1. Read the first 3 chapters of your book Geography of Bliss. Use your active reading handout as a guide and carefully annotate the text. Make a list of all unfamiliar references to share with the class. Respond carefully to the discussion questions for these chapters and be prepared to present your ideas to your discussion group in the next class.
  2. (Warriors Don't Cry) Continue working on your reading response chart. Read Melba's letter to the newspaper on p. 87-88. Choose two to four passages from her letter and write your reaction to what Melba says in the "What Melba Says" / "What I Think" format.
  3. Deliver a group presentation on your book. Briefly summarize what happens in your assigned chapters. Teach the class about 2-4 U.S. cultural or historical references and 3-5 new vocabulary words. Do not attempt to cover everything; you will have fifteen minutes. Each member of the group must be involved equally in some way. Each group will hand in one sheet of presentation outline (this could be bullet points/outline). Suggestions: - Have the class do some kind of activity before or after your group teaches the chapters. - You can act out a section or read aloud parts of the chapters. - Allow time for questions. - A visual medium such as PowerPoint and images is always good.
  4. Lab activity-Reading 1. Make a group of four. 2. Take five minutes to preview Chapter 7 silently. 3. Discuss: After previewing the text, what do you think this chapter will be about? What do you guess the author is going to say about this subject? 4. Read the first six pages of the chapter together. Take Turns reading aloud while the others read silently. Everyone should read. 5. When you finish a page, STOP. 6. Talk together: What is the author saying on these pages? What parts weren't clear? If your whole group doesn't understand something, raise your hands. 7. When all of your group feels that they understand the page, write a brief sentence that tells what the page is about. 8. Read every page the same way until your group has read and understood the first six pages. 9. Raise your hands, and I will give you a page of questions about these pages to answer as a group.
  1. 2-3 out-of-class essays requiring at least 750 words (3 pages) per essay with multiple drafts
  2. 1-2 in-class essays requiring 300-500 words
  3. Weekly reading assignments with annotation and personal response journals
  4. Reading and vocabulary tests on previously read material
  5. In-class reading and writing final examinations
  6. Weekly lab assignments
  7. Presentations
Upon the completion of this course, the student should be able to:
  1. Identify main ideas, supporting details, and writer’s purpose in level-appropriate readings;
  2. Demonstrate an understanding of level-appropriate texts through written or oral responses.
  3. Write clear and effective, well-organized, well-developed, and logically sound sentences, paragraphs, and essays, using textual analysis and citing sources appropriately.
Textbooks (Typical):
  1. Moore, Wes (2011). The Other Wes Moore Spiegel & Grau.
  2. Beals, Melba Patillo (2007). Warriors Don't Cry (2007). Melba Pattillo Beals.
  3. Pollan, Michael (2015). The Omnivore's Dilemma (Young Reader's). Dial Books.
Abbreviated Class Schedule Description:
This is the first semester of a one-year advanced ESL reading and writing course for academic purposes. Emphasis is on critical reading techniques and writing analytical essays as well as on grammar and vocabulary development.
Prerequisite: ESL 110C or Eligibility for ESL 15A as determined by ESL placement test.
Discipline:
English as a Second Language (ESL)*