Basic English Writing
Fall 2009 Course Description
The ability to write readable English is hard to achieve for non-speakers of the language. However, it has become increasingly essential for people in Taiwan to possess this ability. It is especially important those students planning on studying at the graduate level or going abroad to achieve competence with written English. This class is aimed at students who want to learn how to write English and students who already can write English but wish to write more effectively.
Specifically, the course will teach various types of written work, ranging from ordinary compositions to summaries to short reports. The students will learn many rules and strategies that should help them write correctly and clearly. By the end of the semester, each student should be able to write English with much more confidence and ease. Their success, however, will depend to a great extent on their taking the class seriously and devoting enough time and energy to developing the skills taught.
During the semester, the students will be required or encouraged to:
1. Read the textbook carefully and do most of the exercises in it;
2. Turn in all the homework assigned by the teacher;
3. Read English novels, newspapers and magazines; and 4. Memorize a short English article every week.
Books
1. A Course in Basic Writing (文鶴 ISBN 0-314-20404-0)
2. A good all-English dictionary that contains many example sentences Course Policies
1. Attendance and class participation are necessary. It is impossible to succeed in this course without regular attendance. Being absent frequently is not acceptable and accumulating more than four
unexcused absences will result in failure of the course or a very low course grade. Turning papers in late will also seriously affect your final grade. If you miss a class meeting, it is your responsibility to call a classmate, find out what you missed, and come to the next class prepared. If, because of an emergency, you cannot come for an exam, you should call a classmate or a school assistant immediately and ask him/her to tell me.
2. Homework must be turned in on the due dates. To improve your writing skills, I will give you a great deal of work to do at home. All papers must be given to me in class or e-mailed to me by the assigned dates. Ten points will be deducted for each piece that’s turned in late.
3. Keep a backup of each assignment you write in case it gets lost.
4. Plagiarism (copying) is a serious offense which will not be tolerated.
Students must not copy from another student or from a website.
Contacting the Teacher
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Communication is important for success in this class. Students are welcome to communicate with me—either by speaking to me in the classroom or by emailing me at [email protected] (be sure to type the address correctly).
Course Grade
Exercises, tests and homework: 60 % Mid-term Exam: 20%
Final Exam: 20%
My Personal Website:
I have a personal teaching website. Its address is:
http://brucechu7674.myweb.hinet.net/
Photo:
Each and every one of you must turn in a photo of yourself taken within the past six months. The photo should be turned in within two weeks, may be sent in by email.
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