English 403—Professional and Technical Writing for ESL Students
Spring 2008, Washington State University
Section 02: MWF 11:10-12:00, Avery 106

ATTENTION!
This class is designed for those students who are degree-seeking undergraduates at Washington State University. Enrollees must be either speakers of English-as-a-second-language or bilinguals. All persons enrolled in this class must have completed the Junior Portfolio and received the results. If "needs work" has been assessed, you are expected to have either finished that "needs work" or enrolled in it concurrent with your enrollment in this course.

Overview of the Course
English 403 is a professional and technical English class for ESL and bilingual speakers. The two goals of this class are:

• to prepare learners for real world experiences, both written and oral, that they will encounter in securing employment or positions in post-baccalaureate programs and
• to prepare learners to write in a variety of formats at an advanced academic and professional level.

Syllabus / Course Policies Requirement
You are required to read this syllabus, ask questions, and sign the online course policies located at http://www.wsu.edu/~gordonl/ESL. Click on Services for Students, then on ESL Program Policies, then on General ESL Policies. You are required to read these policies carefully and then sign your name (electronically) to the bottom of the policies. In doing so, you will create a permanent record that you have read and claim to understand the policies.

Required Texts and Materials

• Easy Access, 4th edition—Keene and Adams (ISBN: 0073203378)
  Note: This book is available at Crimson and Gray, not The Bookie.
• A working WSU e-mail address
• eLearning access https://elearning.wsu.edu

Avery Microcomputer Lab (AML)
As a student in this class, you have access to the Avery Microcomputer Lab throughout the semester. For more information on the AML, please see the website at http://www.aml.wsu.edu/. On certain days (see course schedule), we will meet in the AML instead of our regular classroom.

Course Objectives and Outcomes
At the conclusion of the course, the student should meet the C-1 competencies stated in the Descriptors from the Common European Framework (excerpts taken from the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, teaching, assessment, Cambridge University Press, 2001).

WITH RESPECT TO GENERAL SKILLS THE STUDENTS CAN EXPRESS THEIR OWN IDEAS, REFLECTIONS, AND UNDERSTANDINGS COHERENTLY IN WRITING AND SPEAKING. SPECIFICALLY, THEY:

• Can understand demanding, longer texts, and recognize implicit meaning.
• Can express themselves fluently without much obvious searching for expressions.
• Can use language effectively for academic and professional purposes.
• Can produce clear detailed text on complex subjects, showing controlled use of organizational patterns, connectors and cohesive devices.

WITH RESPECT TO SPECIFIC SKILLS THE STUDENTS:

Speaking

• Can give clear, detailed descriptions of complex subjects, integrating sub-themes, developing particular points and rounding off with an appropriate conclusion.
• Can give a clear, well-structured presentation of a complex subject, expanding and supporting points of view at some length with subsidiary points, reason and relevant examples.
• Can express himself/herself fluently and spontaneously, almost effortlessly. Has a good command of a broad lexical repertoire, allowing gaps to be readily overcome with circumlocutions. There is little obvious searching for expressions or avoidance strategies; only a conceptually difficult subject can hinder natural, smooth flow of language.
• Can contribute to complex group discussions, even on abstract, complex, unfamiliar topics.

Writing

• Can write, revise, and present clearly organized professional and technical papers in a variety of formats and for a variety of audiences.
• Can write clear, well-structured expositions of complex subjects, underlining the relevant salient issues.
• Can express own ideas, opinions, and reflections coherently in writing.
• Can edit own work using all available reference tools—including Easy Access and the dictionary.
• Can accomplish high-quality secondary research and incorporate it into own work.
• Can use writing processes, including revision, to produce technical and professional documents.

Listening

• Can understand enough to follow extended speech on abstract and complex topics beyond his/her field, though he/she may need to confirm occasional details, especially if the accent is unfamiliar.
• Can easily follow complex interactions between third parties in group discussion and debate, even on abstract, complex unfamiliar topics.
• Can understand in detail speech on abstract and complex topics of a specialist nature beyond his/her own field, though he/she may need to confirm occasional details, especially if the accent is unfamiliar.
• Can easily follow complex group discussions, even on abstract, complex unfamiliar topics.

Reading

• Can understand in detail a wide range of lengthy, complex texts likely to be encountered in social, professional, or academic life, identifying finer points of detail including attitudes and implied as well as stated opinions.

[Copyright 2004 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. Educational Testing Service, ETS, the ETS logo, TOEFL, TSE, TWE and TOEIC are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service.]

Attendance, Late Work, and Makeup Work Policies
For detailed information about the attendance policy in ESL classes, please see the ESL Help Desk at http://www.wsu.edu/~gordonl/ESL/.

• The ESL program and the university believe that attendance is important to promote learning. In some university classes, particularly language classes, regular attendance is very important for you to progress in your learning of the subject matter. Therefore, attendance in this class will be taken from the first day of the semester.
• If you miss MORE than 5 classes, you will not pass the class. It is your responsibility to drop or withdraw if there are further absences. If your name is on the roll book at the end of the semester and you have gone over the limit of permitted absences, you will receive an F in the class regardless of the grade you have earned in the class.
• If you arrive late or leave early, you will be marked as "tardy." Two tardies count as 1 absence.
• There are no "excused" absences and thus no makeup work. If you go beyond the 5 absences noted above, drop the class and take it in a semester when you can devote your time to it.
• You are responsible for knowing the policies and other information found on this syllabus and for following the schedule of assignments. Specific information on assignments and their due dates will always be available on the course website as well as in eLearning.
• I will not answer questions with answers easily found on the syllabus or on assignment sheets. Such questions include: What are we going to do on [date]? What did we do on [date]? Is it important for me to come to class? Can you excuse me from class? How can I makeup class that I missed? Can I turn this work in late?
• You can fail this class for lack of preparedness. I DO assign F grades for lack of preparedness. If you come to class unprepared for the work we will do in class that day, you may get an F for preparedness for that day. I will notify you of that F by email. Here are some examples of reasons (this is not a complete list) I give Fs: the student was told to have a book ready to use in class and did not have that book; the student was told to have work ready to turn in and did not have that work; the student was confused and disruptive in class; the student was seen doing his/her homework work for the class (or homework for another class) in class. If you receive three Fs for preparedness, you will fail the class.

Academic Integrity
As an institution of higher education, Washington State University is committed to principles of truth and academic honesty. All members of the University community share the responsibility for maintaining and supporting these principles. When a student enrolls in Washington State University, the student assumes an obligation to pursue academic endeavors in a manner consistent with the standards of academic integrity adopted by the University. To maintain the academic integrity of the community, the University cannot tolerate acts of academic dishonesty including any forms of cheating, plagiarism, or fabrication. Washington State University reserves the right and the power to discipline or to exclude students who engage in academic dishonesty.

I expect you to know and adhere to the policy on academic honesty explained in the General ESL Policies section of the ESL Help Desk at http://www.wsu.edu/~gordonl/ESL/.

Statement on Disabilities
Students with Disabilities: I am committed to providing assistance to help you be successful in this course. Reasonable accommodations are available for students with a documented disability. Please go to the Disability Resource Center (DRC) during the first two weeks of every semester to seek information or to qualify for accommodations. All accommodations MUST be approved through the DRC, located in the Administration Annex Bldg, Room 205. To make an appointment with a disability counselor, please call 335-3417.

Classroom Environment
You are all adults, so please make every effort to act accordingly. Arrive on time to class and do not behave disruptively during class discussions and workshops. Be prepared to complete in-class assignments and engage in fruitful discussion with your classmates. While in class, turn off your cell phones or put them on silent mode. Additional electronic devices, including laptops, are not permitted.

Course Website and Instructor E-Mail
You can access the website for this course at http://www.academicsandbox.com/S08/E403_02/. At the website, you will find this syllabus as well as copies of handouts given in class and many other useful resources. You should never have to track me down to get copies of handouts you may have misplaced or missed, as that information will be available to you 24/7 online.

If you have a question and cannot come to my office hours, e-mail me at: julie_meloni@wsu.edu.

Please remember that an e-mail is a professional communication. Use proper salutation, grammar, complete sentences, and so on. I check my university e-mail account during the weekday daytime hours. Typically, I will respond to your e-mail within 24 hours (weekdays). If you do not receive a reply in that timeframe, send a query to see if I received your original message. Do not expect to reach your instructors 24/7 via e-mail. Plan your work accordingly so that questions and concerns can be addressed in a reasonable timeframe.

Grades
This course demands student involvement. If you do not take an active participation in your own learning process, the grade you earn will illustrate this. Your instructor does not negotiate grades.

All grading in the ESL Program follows the rubric outlined in University Regulation 90. For further information, see http://www.registrar.wsu.edu/Registrar/Apps/AcadRegs.ASPX and search for Regulation 90. In brief, A/B/C/D is defined as follows:

• A: Consistently excellent work
• B: Superior work
• C: Satisfactory
• D: Minimally passing-effort and achievement less than satisfactory

Your work in class will be assigned numeric grades. When letter grades are assigned at the end of the term, the following ranges will yield the corresponding letter grade:

Assignments
There are four major projects in this class. Each project involves one or more actual papers. A detailed assignment sheet for each project, complete with expectations and due dates, will be provided in class.

• Project 1: Specifications, Instructions, and Procedures (10%)
• Project 2: Translating Technical Documents (20%)
• Project 3: Employment Portfolio (40%)
  • Your employment portfolio will include a cover letter, two résumés (one general, one specific to a job or internship), an interview recording, a background dossier on the company to which your application/inquiry is addressed, and proof of having secured two professional or academic references you can use for future applications.
• Project 4: Annotated Bibliography/Literature Review (20%)

An additional 10% of your grade will be calculated from class participation and in-class writing assignments and other activities.

General Class Schedule
The following schedule reflects scheduled off days, project due dates, and classroom changes. A detailed schedule of assignments will be provided as the semester progresses. I will notify you ahead of time if any dates changes; consider this a tentative schedule.

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