Stephen van Vlack
Sookmyung Women`s University
Graduate School of TESOL
Teaching Writing
Policy (Spring 2007)
Overview: This three-hour-per-week course is designed to provide students with instruction in the foundations of English composition and how to teach writing/composition in the English language. In addition to focussing on skills development, the classroom will endeavor to serve, as always, as a model environment for the student teachers.
Objectives: This course has two main objectives: to get the students to be better writers of English; and to get them to be better teachers of writing. By the end of the course all students must be able to write a well-formed paragraph/essay complete with a topic sentence (thesis statement), and well organized supporting statements. Students should also be able to take the materials they are using in their schools and create effective exercises for the development of writing skills from them.
Text and Materials:
• Scott, Virginia (1996). Rethinking foreign language writing. Boston: Heinle and Heinle.
• Raimes, Ann. (1983). Techniques in teaching writing. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Kroll, Barbara (ed.) (1990). Second language writing: Research insights for the classroom. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Winter Reading
Weissberg, Robert. (2006). Connecting speaking and writing. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press.
• In addition to the main texts there will also be a large amount of other materials for which the students will be held responsible. These will come in the form of handouts and photocopies provided by the instructor. Do not lose them or forget to bring them to class.
Additional Materials: Students must bring to each class their journal and two folders, one to hold all their writing assignments, and the other to hold any papers that the instructor gives out. A college-level English-English dictionary as well as a thesaurus are strongly encouraged to be used and brought to class.
Methodology
English Only: The working language of this class is English. This means all official aspects of the course including all assignments, presentations and in-class discussion will be conducted in English only. As this is a multilingual classroom, students are expected to follow international standards on language use and sensitivity. Failure to do so will result in a lower participation grade.
Classroom: Various approaches will be employed in the classroom. Direct lecturing will kept to a minimum while group work, in-class activities, and direct and indirect questioning will be stressed. Remember students, the classroom is supposed to serve as a model. Be critical and observant of what your instructor does.
Attendance: Students are expected to attend all scheduled classes. Two or more absences will result in a significantly lowered final grade. Being late twice is counted as an absence. Arriving more than half an hour late is also counted as an absence. Students themselves are responsible for all material covered and assigned in class during their absence. If you are going to be absent and know it beforehand, make sure you contact your teacher as far in advance as possible, but bear in mind that there is no such thing as an excused absence.
Assignments
Homework: Students will be given three types of homework for each class. They are, first, writing up answers to focus questions from the reading, second, formal writing assignments designed to cover certain types of writing contexts, and third, journals. All assignments, unless you are told otherwise, must be typed and handed in during class on the day they are due.
Journals: In addition to the normal writing homework, students are expected to keep a journal throughout the course. Students are required to write in the journal at least five times per week and the journal must be brought to each class so that it can be read an commented on by other students.
Exams
Midterm Exam: The midterm is due on the 8th week of class (April 23rd). It will be both in class and take home and will cover the material that has been covered in the first seven weeks of the class.
Final Exam: The final exam will be a take home exam. It will cover all the material covered in the course. It is due no later than June 20th (this date is subject to change).
Grades: Final grades will be based on performance in the following categories.
Assignments 30%
Participation 20%
Journals 15%
Midterm Exam 15%
Final Exam 20%
Important Notes
-Late assignments will not be accepted for marks and missed in class work cannot be made up. If, however, you know in advance that you will be late or absent make sure you contact the teacher and maybe something can be worked out.
-The penalty for plagiarism and cheating is automatic failure. Don`t try it.
Instructor - Stephen P. van Vlack
Office - Sookmyung Professional Center 410
Tel. - 710-7761
E-mail - [email protected]
• There is also a web page to accompany this course. The address of the page is:
http://www.geocities.com/utlaagt
The web page will be updated on a weekly basis. Make sure you go to there each week to upload any new information. Also, feel free to explore all the options there, such as the web board and links.