George Mason University English Language Institute

  Graduate Core -  Spring  2007

Monday- Wednesday-Friday
10:30-12:20 Krug 205
Tuesday & Thursday
11:50-1:20 Krug 205
 Adele Camus
Krug 201C
Office Hours: 10:30-11:30 am & 1:30-2:00 pm
Phone: 703.993.3660
E-mail: acamus@gmu.edu
web-site:  http://mason.gmu.edu/~acamus
Books: "A Writers Reference" (with workbook), Diana Hacker
"NorthStar Building Skills for the TOEFL iBT", Linda Robinson Fellag
"Newsweek" (provided each week by teacher)
Course Description:

















 This course is designed to help students develop the skills they will need to be successful in graduate academic courses.   Students will focus on three major areas.
1. reading  students will improve their critical reading skills so that they can comprehend and   analyze academic materials at close to native reader speed.   They will practice the following skills:  previewing and predicting, understanding new vocabulary, finding main ideas, skimming and scanning, highlighting, mapping and notetaking, distinguishing fact from opinion, understanding an author's purpose, drawing inferences, analyzing and critically  appraising what they have read.   In addition to textbook readings, students will read news articles and a pleasure reading book, as well as materials related specifically to their fields.
2. writing  During the first half of the semester, students will practice techniques for note-taking, paraphrasing, summarizing and synthesizing.   They will also practice writing short compositions (including TOEFL and GRE)  in which they present and analyze facts and diverse points of view.   They will learn to write in a style appropriate to a U.S. academic setting, paying attention to the use of correct grammar, punctuation and paragraph form and good organization and development.   Students may engage in individualized computer grammar practice to improve any areas of grammar in which they have particular problems.   During the first half of the semester, students will complete a resume, a graduate school admissions essay and a book review. During the second half of the semester, students will write a short (5-8 page) research paper related to their future fields of study. 
3. discussing  Students will practice sharing their opinions and ideas in a variety of informal and formal situations.   They will also make oral presentations of their book reviews and their research paper.
Course Objectives: 1.   To acquire the skills necessary to research and write a short but well developed and organized academic paper with correctly formated citations and bibliography
2.     To acquire the ability to make well developed and organized cohesive arguments during class discussions and oral presentations.
Course Requirements: 1.   Resume
2.   Goals Statement (college application essay)
3.   Developmental writing practice::  paraphrasing, summarizing, synthesizing
4.   Pleasure book:  written book report + oral presentation
5.   Research Paper: on topic related to students' fields of study; must include at least  five sources, citation in text;
      bibliography, and oral presentation using power point
6.  TOEFL / GRE writing every Friday:  students discuss organization and content, and write essay in LDC, teacher will use   
      official TOEFL and GRE grading scales to assess student writing.
7.   Rate Builders:  twice a week to improve reading speed
8.  Newsweek Assignments:  Class chooses articles and answers and discusses study questions provided by the teacher.
There will be homework every day.   It may be reading or writing or grammar practice, or a combination of any or all of these.
Quizzes and Tests: There will be quizes and tests throughout the semester but no midterm or final exam.
Course Expectations:

 Attendance:  Students must not miss more than 10 classes to get a passing grade.   Students arriving more than 10 minutes late for class will be marked absent for the first hour of class
Completion of Assignments:  Students are expected to make up any class work or assignments that are missed
Final draft of research paper must be handed in by the deadline in order to receive a passing grade.
Honor Code: "Student members of the George Mason University community pledge not to cheat, plagiarize, steal, or lie in matters related to academic work".   http://www.gmu.edu/departments/unlife/pages/honorcode.html
cell phones:  cell phones must be turned off or set to vibrate during class
 If you feel your learning goals are not being met, please see me and I will do my utmost to help you achieve them.
Course Grading Criteria:

Students will receive a letter grade of A (90-100%), B (80-89%), C (70-79%) or NG (0-69%).   An NG will also be assigned for inadquate attendance (missing more than 10 classes), or failure to complete required assignments (final draft of research paper by assigned deadline), or handing in a plagiarized paper.
The cummulative points for the grade are weighted at follows:
5%   resume
10% goal statement
10% developmental writing practice, Newsweek asssignments and class participation
15% pleasure book:  written book report + oral presentation

50% research paper: written + oral presentation
10% TOEFL and GRE writing



<>GRADUATE CORE  BOOK REPORT ASSIGNMENT

WEEK ONE
Choose a book you think you would enjoy reading.   It can be fiction or non-fiction but not a textbook.   Bestseller paperbacks can be purchased cheaply from Borders or the GMU bookstore.   Bring the book to class with you next Monday January 29 and be prepared to discuss what you think the book is about and why you chose it.


WEEK TWO - FIVE
Be prepared to discuss as much of the book as you have read in class on Friday February 9 and Friday February 23.   You should summarize the main points of the plot so far and what you think will happen next.   Also be ready to give your opinion of the book so far,   Has your opinion changed since you started the book?   Your discussion group will ask you questions about what you have read so far, so you must be prepared to answer them.  

WEEK SIX
Write a book report due Monday February 26.   This should be a one or two page multi-paragraph report.
The first paragraph should introduce the book and your opinion about it.   Give the title, author and kind of book (e.g. mystery, biography).   Give a brief idea of what you think about the book in one or two sentences.   Mention the main characters and subject matter or basic plot of the book.
The next paragraph(s) should expand on your introduction, giving explanations and examples.   Why did you like or dislike the book?   Was the book too easy/difficult?   Too short/long?   What about the vocabulary?   Give a summary of what the book is about.   Was the subject/characters interesting?   Predictable?   Unbelievable?   Which parts of the book did you like best/least?   Why?
The last paragraph should give a brief conclusion about why you would or would not recommend this book to other students in the class.

WEEK SEVEN
You will give a brief (2-4 minute) oral book report in class during the beginning of  the week of Monday March 5.   Sign up for which day you will present your report will be on Friday  March 2    First in class gets first choice pf presentation date.  You can refer to brief notes on a notecard which you have made from your written book report, but you may NOT read from your written book report!   You should be prepared to ask other presenters questions about their books and also to answer questions about your own book.


GRAD CORE TERM PAPER REQUIREMENTS

You need to write a 5-8 page research paper on the academic topic of your choice.   It will be due April 20.   It should be 5-8 double spaced typed pages.   There should be a cover page at the front and a bibliography at the end.   (These are in addition to the 5-8 pages).   You should use at least 5 sources which will be sited in the text and referenced in the bibliography.   You should use a variety of kinds of sources (books, journals and internet).   You can use any of the standard systems for citing and bibliography.   I suggest you use the system required by your graduate department.   You need to complete all the stages mentioned below and hand them in on the Friday of the week mentioned.   Points will be deducted from your grade for each assignment that is handed in late. 


WEEK  NINE
Find a topic and narrow it down to one on which you will be able to write a paper of the appropriate length.  You may want to use a variety of brainstorming techniques (free-writing, mapping, listing to help you choose an appropriate topic).   Do some initial research to ensure that your topic is feasible. Hand in a paragraph informing me what you think you will be writing about in your paper. (March 23)  

WEEK TEN
Do extensive research, and take notes on note-cards or in a computer file.  Each card, or page on the computer, should have the title of the article, the journal or book, the author, the date, and the page number.   On the other side of the card, or on the same page of your computer file, write a paraphrase of the point you are interested in.   Write a different card, or page, for each point even if they are from the same article.  Hand in an outline of what you plan to write and the sources you plan to use so far.   (March 30)  

WEEK ELEVEN
Continue to do more research and note-taking, and refine your outline.   Write a rough first draft (it doesn't have to be complete or typed) and hand it in   (April 6)

WEEK TWELVE
Write your second draft (typed) and hand it in.   (April 13)  

WEEK THIRTEEN
Write your third and final draft.   Do the cover page and bibliography.   Hand in the finished product   (April 20)  

WEEK FOURTEEN
Make a Power Point Presentation (about ten minutes long) of your research paper to present to the class.   Hand in print copy of Power Point presentation.   (April 27)  

WEEK FIFTEEN
Make the Power Point Presentation to the class.   (May2-May 3)


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