Course Outline for English As A Second Language 15B
Advanced ESL Reading and Composition 2

Effective: Fall 2025
SLO Rev:
Catalog Description:

ESL 15B - Advanced ESL Reading and Composition 2

5.00 Units

ESL 15B is the second semester of a one-year advanced ESL reading and writing course that prepares students for English 1. Students do intensive reading of advanced academic 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 from multiple sources, developing arguments and counterarguments, and integrating evidence from readings and discussions.
Prerequisite: ESL 15A.
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. read actively and critically, and effectively use textual annotation;
  2. identify and discuss abstract concepts found in readings;
  3. form and explain legitimate inferences from specific data;
  4. synthesize ideas and information to develop their own viewpoints on a topic;
  5. organize ideas clearly and effectively in writing;
  6. formulate a controlling idea to focus writing;
  7. support each point with adequate and varied evidence;
  8. tailor writing to address a specific audience;
  9. develop sentences to relate and emphasize ideas;
  10. detect and correct major mechanical and grammatical errors.
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
  11. Academic vocabulary development
  12. Grammatical relationships of ideas and their connections to meaning. 
  13. Critical analysis of essays as well as book-length works (primarily non-fiction) and works from other media covering a range of academic disciplines and cultural backgrounds
  14. Study of how authors' ideas might be elaborated upon, illustrated, modified and countered by other works/viewpoints
  15. Identify relevant passages of source material to cite

Writing

  1. In-class and out-of-class essays in response to the readings
  2. informal responses such as journals, free writes, and discussion forums
  3. Language approrpriate for an academic audience
  4. Methods of clear and effective organization of ideas*
  5. Transitions, cohesive devices, and signal words*
  6. Effective thesis statements
  7. Effective use of evidence to support each point
  8. Analysis and synthesis of ideas to stregnthen an argument
  9. Integrate quotations, paraphrases and summaries in support of arguments using MLA guidelines
  10. Clarity of expression of concrete and abstract ideas
  11. Multiple-draft writing
  12. Peer review discussions
  13. Self-editing skills
  14. Targeted grammar instruction based on patterns of errors
 
Course Content (Laboratory):
 
Reading
  1. Research of unfamiliar references and vocabulary when they impede understanding
  2. Identify relevant passages of source material to cite
Writing
  1. 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. Reading - (Hern) "Speed Dating" for an assigned reading: A set of index cards is prepared in advance by the teacher or student discussion leaders. Each card features a question asking students to explain and/or comment on a specific, important part of the assigned reading. Students pair off in rows facing each other. Each pair gets a card with a question on it. They discuss for 2-3 minutes, then switch partners and cards. The process is repeated...
  2. Reading - (Land) “Click/Clunk” (Annotating during the first read) Click: As we read, sometimes the author’s words really click, meaning we feel like we understand enough that we can identify several strong lines and a few burning questions, even in the first read. The focus questions provided in class may guide you through the reading and help you find more clicks. Clunk: Other times, we will be reading along, turning pages but we have lost focus and can't remember what we just read. This is what I call a clunk, a blank out. When we clunk, the main questions we ask are things like "what's going on" or "what does this word mean"? It is worth noticing when we CLUNK and marking those sections with a quick margin note like "huh?" or "IDGI!" In class, we can come back to the tough parts. You might also circle 1-3 vocabulary words that CLUNK as you read. Burning Questions: Many questions arise when we read. Sometimes the questions will be answered quickly if we push forward with our reading and other times the answers will require us to pause & reflect more deeply on the world. We may wonder why a writer included certain information. We may want to digest exactly what he is trying to say in a specific line. We may want to challenge what we think the writer is saying by asking “Yeah, but what if ...” or “yeah, but if we do that won’t there be consequences like...”. Other times we may notice that a text connects to ideas we are learning in other classes. All of these are excellent, noteworthy types of “burning questions.” They linger. They require us to pause and to think because they usually don’t have simple answers. They are wonderful to bring to class discussion. Directions: 1. On your first read, find at least 2 spots in the reading that CLICK for you, and at least 2 that CLUNK. 2. Mark your CLICKS by underlining strong lines and by writing short, burning questions or comments connected to a focus question. 3.Mark your CLUNKS with a note like “huh?” Feel free to use some other fun abbreviation to express your confusion. Text speak encouraged.
  3. Reading - 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. - Visual medium is always good such as PowerPoint and images.
  4. Writing - (Zappa) Your final paper is an argumentative essay based on Catfish and Mandala and at least one (and no more than two) outside sources. Please choose from the following topics: •history, patriotism, and war: look at the connections between these, their effects, and what we can learn from them •gender identity: the dynamic of the “outsider” including sexual and gender or sexual orientation and homophobia •cultural identity: what is culture? Focus on the complexity of belonging to more than one; do NOT simply compare the externals of the cultures (i.e., food, clothing, art, etc.)
  5. Writing - (Tenn) For this assignment, you will work in close response to Dave Eggers' book Zeitoun. You will need to integrate key portions of the book into your essay by both paraphrasing and directly quoting (minimum of 4 direct references to the text). You may also include personal experience or observation, though it should not take over the paper (no more than one paragraph). Please choose one of the following topics: a. Dave Eggers is devoting all his profits from this book to help rebuild New Orleans and "foster interfaith understanding." Considering what Zeitoun shows us, where and how was a lack of interfaith understanding (and the often related lack of intercultural understanding) hurting our country during the time of the book? Is this issue still significant today? For your conclusion, you might make a recommendation as to how the Zeitoun Foundation could use money from book sales to most effectively improve interfaith understanding in America. b. Should Zeitoun's actions be considered heroic? Why or why not? Note: for this topic, you must define heroism, and consider Zeitoun's decisions and actions, from August 26, 2005 on, from many angles and perspectives. Also consider: what life experiences and character traits does Zeitoun possess that lend themselves to heroism or subtract from it? How do they help or interfere in a time of crisis?
  6. Writing - (Magallon) In A Place to Stand, Jimmy Santiago Baca describes his life and the people and events that he feels shaped the course of his life. For this essay you must identify the key events or influences in Baca’s life, both positive and negative. You also must identify how he was ultimately able to turn his life around in prison. Finally, decide whether Baca had enough positive experiences and opportunities to be able to turn his life around before landing himself in prison. Be sure to consider Gilligan’s theory about violence in your argument as well. Lab Time ? Collaborative writing ? Small group activity ? Start of class: Write a prompt for a reading journal entry on the board, for e.g.: ? In the opening chapters of Zeitoun, we see how he got established in New Orleans and how he and his family interact. Using 3 specific examples, please briefly discuss what we learn about him with regards to his culture, his religion, and his family. Then answer: how do these examples characterize him, i.e., how do we know something about who he is? ? Students are given 15 minutes to respond; Tell them explicitly that grammar will not be checked, that this should be more of a "brain dump" that asks what they think of the reading. ? In small groups, read your journal entries to each other. Try to clarify or answer each other's questions as they arise, or feel free to ask me. Choose one of the examples, among your group, that seems most important to the story. Then find an exact quote (if that's not already clear), and one of you go up and put it on the board (including the page number). Be ready to explain to the class WHY you chose this quote, i.e., what you learn from the text and why this one seems important. ? Ask that students decide who will speak for the group and that peers help give that speaker notes, if necessary, to distill (and of course, remember) the discussion. ? Student designed discussion questions Individual work (15 -20 minutes): Please come up with 5 discussion questions based on the reading for today. · Try to come up with questions that are open-ended and lead to a productive class discussion · Avoid questions that require a simple answer: “What hospital does Henrietta Lacks go to get treated for her illness?” Instead, ask “how” and “why” questions: “Why does Henrietta Lacks go to Johns Hopkins to get treated even though it is far from her home?” This might lead to a discussion on race and segregation in the 1950s, and how Johns Hopkins was one of the only few hospitals/ research centers that provided services for African Americans. · Have a general idea of what answer(s) and what kinds of discussion you expect from the class. Group Work (20 minutes): Share your discussion questions with your group. As a group, agree on which questions (4 or 5) you liked the most. Write the questions on the board. Class Discussion (30 minutes): As a class, we will go through the questions, discuss them, and decide on the top 8-10 discussion questions.
  1. Written assignments
  2. Quizzes
  3. Lab Activities
  4. Homework
  5. Final Examination
  6. Exams/Tests
  7. Class Work
Upon the completion of this course, the student should be able to:
  1. Explain, support, and apply abstract concepts found in readings.
  2. Formulate a controlling idea to focus their writing and to support each point with adequate and varied evidence.
  3. Demonstrate sentence-level fluency and control of grammar.
  4. Organize a paper so that it is unified and coherent.
  5. Respond to a topic, demonstrate critical thinking, comprehension and use of text to support ideas.
Textbooks (Typical):
  1. Birkenstein, Cathy and Gerald Graff. (2021). They Say, I Say: The Moves that Matter in Academic Writing W.W. Norton & Company Inc..
  2. Eggars, D (2010). Zeitoun Vintage.
  3. Gladwell, M (2008). Outliers Little, Brown and Company.
  4. Schlosser, E. (2001). Fast Food Nation Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
  5. Skloot, R. (2010). The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Crown/Archetype.
Abbreviated Class Schedule Description:
This is the second 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 15A.
Discipline:
English as a Second Language (ESL)*