ESL 112 First Day Handout

ESL 112: Introduction to Academic Writing II

Spring 2016

Class: ESL 112 (Section K) Instructor: Yilan Liu

Time:  5:00-6:20 MW Office: 2022 FLB

Website: http://compass2g.illinois.edu Office hours: MW 4:00-5:00pm

   http://esl112yilan.blogspot.com/

Overview: This course is the second course in a two-course sequence for undergraduate international students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The course starts out with a unit on argumentative writing, where students review important concepts covered in 111 (rhetorical situations and strategies, PIE structure, avoiding plagiarism). The main focus of the course is to introduce the students to the practices of research-based writing for American academic audiences, such as developing a research question, searching library databases, creating an annotated bibliography, synthesizing sources, and drafting a research paper. Strategies for avoiding plagiarism will also be practiced in this process. Academic texts are used as a stimulus for discussion of a topic and/or as a source of support in writing assignments. Although oral skills are not the main component of this course, students can expect to practice oral English through group discussions, collaborative writing tasks, and peer review.

Grade Policy for the ESL Writing Service Courses:

Undergrads must receive a D- (60%) or above in order to receive the proficiency required for graduation. If you do not get above those marks, you have to retake ESL.

Your grade will be made up of the following components:

ESL 112 Major Assignments			Grading Scale
Argumentative Essay	15%		A+ (97-100)	A (94-96)	A- (90-93)
Pre-research Portfolio	15%		B+ (87-89)	B (84-86)	B- (80-83)
Annotated Bibliography (5 sources)	15%		C+ (77-79)	C (74-76)	C- (70-73)
Individual Research Paper (5-7 pages)	20%		D+ (67-69)	D (64-66)	D- (60-63)
Participation & Homework	10%		F (0-59)
Attendance	10%
2 Reflective Assignments	10%
Writer’s Help eBook Exercises (a minimum of 9 exercises and 6 LearningCurve quizzes)	5%

Required textbook: Writer’s Help 2.0 eBook

The required textbook for this course is an eBook (online textbook) called Writer’s Help 2.0. This handbook will be used throughout the course and will serve as a significant resource in three ways: to help you prepare for class, to provide you with extra help, and to offer you practice exercises for independent study. Because it’s an online textbook, you can access it on any computer with your individual username and password.

Please purchase this book by the 2nd day of the class. You can purchase an access code at the Union Bookstore, OR directly purchase it online through the course-specific URL your instructor provides you. Please note that you may purchase either 2-year or 4-year access at your own preference.

Student Assessment: There will be no final exam for this course. Your written assignments will be graded on organization, content, conventions and vocabulary/style. All writing assignments are due at the assigned time, and late papers will be penalized. We will employ a process method for completing papers, and you can expect to revise your drafts one or more times before it is considered “done” and ready to be graded.

Course Management System:

There are two websites used for this course. One is http://esl112yilan.blogspot.com/ where you can find lectures notes, class activities, all assignments and homework information. The other website is compass2g.illiinois.edu where you will submit all of your major assignments electronically. All electronic assignment will be due on the due date by 11:59 p.m. on the compass2g website, unless otherwise noticed.

Student Participation: This is an ENGLISH language class. Everyone is here to improve his/her language skill. You must therefore stick to speaking in ENGLISH at all times in the classroom. You are also not allowed to use any electronic devices (e.g. laptops, cell phones) while lectures or activities are in progress. Violating this rule will result in confiscation of your device until the class is over. Frequent violation of these classroom policies will result in a 0-point mark for your participation grade.

Homework and reading assignments may be given daily. Students are expected to come to class prepared to discuss homework and readings. Participation in class discussions and activities is expected and will contribute to the final grade—this includes encouraging the participation of others. A grade of zero will be given to all work missed due to an unexcused absence. A late submission of any work in this course is subject to a 15% score deduction.

Attendance Policy for the ESL Writing Service Courses:

Students are required to attend all classes. If, for some reason, you must be absent, please contact the instructor before class. IF YOU ARE ABSENT, YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL NOTES AND ASSIGNMENTS. Two tardies (times late) count as one absence, no matter if it's 1 minute or 10. If you are tardy more than 20 minutes, it counts as an absence. After three absences, you will receive a verbal warning from the instructor. After four absences, the ESL Writing Director will be notified and you will receive a formal probation warning. After 5 absences, you may fail the course. Remember, students who are chronically absent or late are in danger of failing the course at the director’s discretion.

Plagiarism Policy for the ESL Writing Service Courses:

One of the main goals in this course is to teach you how to avoid plagiarism and how to uphold academic integrity principles. As you know, the consequences of plagiarism are serious. Plagiarism is one type of academic dishonesty which may result in a student’s suspension or dismissal from the University. At the very least, it will result in a failing grade in the course at the director’s discretion. Therefore, the work you turn in for this class MUST BE YOUR OWN. Do not plagiarize or you will receive an F on the assignment and in the course!

All students will be required to submit their major assignments to the Compass 2g UIUC SafeAssignment database in accordance with campus policies and procedures regarding academic integrity, which are set forth in the Student Code at Article 1, Part 4 (http://admin.illinois.edu/policy/code/article1_part4_1-401.html).

All students in ESL 112 must complete the ESL Plagiarism Prevention Tutorial and the Certification Test in order to demonstrate a thorough understanding of plagiarism before exiting the ESL Writing Service Courses. In order to pass the test, students should be able to:

• Identify general purposes and need for citations in academic writing 
• Recognize what is (not) intellectual property
• Differentiate plagiarism (including inappropriate paraphrase) and legitimate textual borrowing (paraphrasing, quoting, and summarizing)
• Define plagiarism and its possible consequences

The minimum passing grade for the Certification Test is 80%.

Atlas Computer Lab Policy:

Atlas is the campus service that provides the ESL Writing Service Courses with computer labs on the basis that we comply with the following policies:

1. You must have a reservation to use a room, and an instructor must be present for the duration of every class meeting.
2. Classes are expected to leave on time, and those in FLB must leave at least 5 minutes before we close (M-Th 8pm, F 5pm).
3. We do not permit food or drinks without lids in our classrooms.

Campus Emergency Operations Plan: The purpose of this plan is to provide operational guidance for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery actions to prevent or minimize injury and/or death to people and damage to property resulting from emergencies and/or disasters of natural, manmade or technological origin. It can be found online at http://police.illinois.edu/emergencyplanning/index.html. You are encouraged to sign up for emergency text messages at http://emergency.illinois.edu and you will receive information from the police and administration during emergency situations.

Disability Resources & Educational Services at UIUC

At the University of Illinois, students with disabilities can register with Disability Resources and Educational Services (DRES). International students are able to use the same services and assistance as domestic students.

Often, people think of disabilities as conditions where a person uses a wheelchair or has a sensory impairment, like being blind or deaf. Of course, DRES offers services to students with those disabilities, but students may also use DRES services for non-visible conditions, like ADHD, anxiety disorders, or learning disabilities.

Many students who have significant difficulties with attention, learning, mood, or anxiety may have problems in their classes as a result of these symptoms. In the U.S., these problems are viewed as medical conditions for which a person can receive support from a counselor or medication. In these situations, registering with DRES can help a great deal in your classes. You might also be able to receive extra time on an exam, receive help taking notes in your classes, or request an extension on work.

Some students may think of “disability” as bad, shameful, or something to be hidden. However, at the University of Illinois, we think of disability as simply another way that people can be different from one another. When it’s appropriate, students with disabilities should become registered with DRES to receive the support that they need.

If you are an international student and recognize that you have a problem with attention, learning, mood, or anxiety, you might want to become registered with DRES. If you have questions about becoming registered with DRES, you can contact Dr. Thomas-Stagg (jstagg@illinois.edu). When writing, please provide a little information about yourself and what concerns you are having. Dr. Thomas-Stagg might suggest seeking some kind of treatment (from the Counseling Center or McKinley Health Center), or he might suggest that you sign up for an academic screening so that DRES can learn more about you and make the best recommendation. For more information, you can visit the DRES website:  www.disability.illinois.edu.