READING Spring 2010 Dr. Yun-Pi Yuan LA301; 2905-2560; 001234@mail.fju.edu.tw Office hours: Tue. 1~ 4:30 pm; Weds. 1~ 4:30 pm; Thur. 8~ 12, 1~4:30 pm; Fri. 1~ 4:30 pm; or by appointment
In this class you will continue to improve your reading ability in English by reading as much as you can, at a level which is not difficult for you
. Class will proceed as in the first semester, with reading in class plusother reading activities.
SCHEDULE
1 2/26 Reading2 3/5 Literary Devices preparation / Reading
3 3/12 Reading [Vocabulary War question DUE, by email]
4 3/19 Reading [MLA format list DUE]
5 3/26 Vocabulary War / Reading
6 4/2 Reading [1st Total Pages & Reading Journal + Reading Record DUE]
7 4/9 Reading 8 4/16 Reading
9 4/23 Midterm exam
10 4/30 Cultural Clues / Reading [Cultural Clues notes DUE]
11 5/7 Reading [2nd Total Pages & Reading Journal + Reading Record DUE]
12 5/14 Reading [MLA format list DUE]
13 5/21 Literary Devices / Reading [Literary Devices notes DUE]
14 5/28 Vocabulary Quiz / Reading 15 6/4 Reading
16 6/11 Reading [COPY of Reading Record for final exam DUE]
17 6/18 Final exam [3rd Total Pages & complete Reading Journal DUE, including Reading Record]
GRADING
1. Total number of pages read (at least 6 books, including 2 nonfiction books)
……...
30%
2. Reading Journal & Reading
Record………
25%
3. Exercises, vocabulary quiz (scheduled and unscheduled)
………...
25%
5. Midterm
exam………...
10%
6. Final
exam……….
10%
7. Attendance: Each unexcused absence = -2 points from semester grade; Each unexcused lateness = -1 point; five unexcused absences = failing grade. Any form of cheating (including plagiarism) = failing grade.
OTHER REQUIREMENTS AND PROCEDURES
1. Borrow and return books directly from the department library (times to be announced), with the assistance of the staff. Return books as soon as you finish them. Other people may be waiting to read them.
2. READ OUTSIDE OF CLASS , not only in class. Remember the more you read, the more you will improve, and the higher grade you will have for total number of pages read.
3. Participate actively in conferences with the teacher—talk about what you think about the book you’re reading, what the book is about, how the book relates to what you know and what you have read before, and any questions you have. Bring your reading journal (with the reading record) & your book to the conference.
4. ALWAYS bring A BOOK TO READ, your READING JOURNAL & READING RECORD to class.
5. Write journal entries as soon as you finish reading a book. Pages of a book you read will not be counted unless you write two entries for the book. (The same rule applies to any book that you give up reading).
Always turn in your journal with the READING RECORD. Any journal without a reading record will not be accepted. DO NOT PLAGIARIZE. (See MLA Handbook, 6th ed., Chapter 2: Plagiarism.)
6. All borrowed books (from the dept. materials room) must be returned to LB303 on J une 16 (Wednesday), before the final exam; otherwise, you will not be allowed to take the final exam.
7. Always come to class ON TIME.
8. Homework assignments are due ON TIME at the BEGINNING of class. Late homework is not accepted without
evidence of a serious reason for being late. If you have an excused absence, find out what you missed, and make it up .
9. It is fine to listen to music with earphones while reading in class; however, anytime the professor or a student is addressing the class, or we are doing an activity, all earphones must be out of your ears, or you’ll be counted absent.
10.
What to do if you feel sleepy while reading in class: see 9 (music); get up and move around; chew gum (quietly);
write in your Reading Journal; write some Vocabulary Notes; talk to the professor about your reading.
I
n your READING JOURNAL: Reading Record; at least two responses to each book you read; Vocabulary Notes.Response types: summary (keep it short), personal response (What do you think about the book? How does it make you feel? What does it make you think about? Do you have related experience or memories? What did you learn? How would the story be different if you were the main character? Copy out sentences or short passages you like, and explain why you like them. Draw a picture based on the book, with an explanation. Describe how to
adapt the book for a movie, including the actors to use, the locations for filming, background music, parts of the book to leave out, and so forth. Write a different ending, with an explanation.) Vocabulary Notes: After you have finished reading for the day, or finished a chapter or a whole book, go back and scan the text for words that are
new for you. Choose 5-10 words each time. Write them in your notes, with the source, the meaning (a definition, synonym, antonym, or even a picture), the sentence you found the word in, and any other relevant information.
These notes will be the basis for your individual vocabulary quiz.
R e ading Record SAMPLE :
Author Title Place of
Publication:
Publisher, Year
Readin g level
Start date/
Finis
Level for you
(Easy/Good
Rating (Excellen t/
Pag
es
h date
/
Kind of hard/
Too hard)
Good/
Fair/Lous y)
1 Saint- Exupéry, Antoine de
The Little Prince
San Diego:
Harcourt Brace, 1943.
Origina l
9/19- 10/9
Kind of hard
Good 97
2 Dahl, Roald Charlie and the Chocolat e Factory
NY: Puffin- Penguin, 1964.
Origina l
10/7- 10/1
7
Good Good 155
3 Twain, Mark
The Adventur es of
Hucklebe rry Finn
Taipei: Caves, 2006
Simplifi ed (Graded 1)
10/1 6- 10/2
2
Easy Excellent 94
4 Foster, Thomas C.
How to Read Literature Like a
Professor
NY: Quill- HarperCollins20
03.
Origina l (non- fiction)
10/2 4- 11/2
1
Kind of hard
Excellent 307
5 Hardy, Thomas
Tess of the d’Urbervi
lle
Oxford: OUP, 2008 (1891).
Simplifi ed (Graded 6)