AESL103 Reading Skills for International Students
Department of Language & Literature: American English as a Second Language
- I. Course Number and Title
- AESL103 Reading Skills for International Students
- II. Number of Credits
- 3 credits
- III. Number of Instructional Minutes
- 2250
- IV. Prerequisites
- AESL placement score of 3 or AESL083 (C or better)
- Corequisites
- None
- V. Other Pertinent Information
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This course will not satisfy the general elective category for students who entered their program or study in or after the 2007 Fall semester.
- Students are encouraged to take AESL101 and AESL103 concurrently. To meet course objectives, students are expected to spend a minimum of six hours a week completing homework assignments. These six hours are in addition to the three hours of class time.
- Approximately eighty-to-ninety percent of the final grade for the course will be based upon a student's performance on tests, in-class and out-of-class writings, and other written and oral assignments. Class participation and attendance will account for the remaining ten-to-twenty percent of a student's overall grade.
- VI. Catalog Course Description
- AESL103 is a reading course designed for intermediate level international students. Reading skills focus on reading comprehension and familiarity with American culture; vocabulary development, including word definition, denotation, connotation, and American idioms. Transferability determined by transfer institution.
- VII. Required Course Content and Direction
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Course Learning Goals
In this reading course, students will be able to
- connect American history and culture through reading;
- demonstrate basic comprehension skills: understand the main idea, recall specific facts, organize supporting detail, and make inferences;
- read and demonstrate comprehension of texts that are written for an audience whose primary language is American English;
- develop the ability to read independently to further enhance comprehension and vocabulary development;
- respond orally and in writing to assigned texts and a variety of authentic materials;
- develop vocabulary for fluency in written and oral communication, including the use of common American idioms and expressions;
- identify plagiarism and adhere to the principles of academic integrity;
- validate their use of the different learning resources available at Bucks County Community College, such as the Tutoring Center;
- develop advanced reading skills in order to earn a C or better in the course, and demonstrate progress by improving their performance on a final proficiency test.
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Planned Sequence of Topics and/or Learning Activities
Reading/Writing/Vocabulary Students will
- read texts that promote comprehension, discussion, and written evaluation of American history and cultural values and their effects on various institutions and aspects of American life;
- read a variety of authentic materials, such as newspapers, magazines, and internet articles in order to write summaries and personal reactions;
- read an American novel, biography, or collection of short stories for small group or class discussions, composition, or oral presentations;
- engage in self-selected free reading written in American English;
- complete teacher-prepared plagiarism exercise;
- interact out-of-class with other second language learners or native speakers to share and discuss written material;
Other learning activities may include, but not be limited to, the following: in-class and out-of-class collaborative activities, such as interviews, surveys, and small group or paired discussions.
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Assessment Methods for Course Learning Goals
Students will demonstrate what they have learned through quizzes, in-class and out-of-class writings, oral and written responses to text, presentations, conferences with the instructor, and a final proficiency test.
Students will complete numerous comprehension and vocabulary exercises in their textbooks and/or workbook. These exercises will be evaluated on a consistent basis.
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Reference, Resource, or Learning Materials to be used by Student:
Departmentally-selected textbooks and/or workbooks. See course syllabus.
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Review/Approval Date - 3/06; Revised 4/06; New Core 8/2015