Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Upon completion of the course students should be able to:

1. Read, understand, and respond to level-appropriate text.
2. Write six to eight related sentences in paragraph form.
3. Manage basic interactions in the present tense and with a limited number of past tense verbs.
4. Arrive in future classes on time with the necessary materials, exhibit appropriate classroom behavior, and complete homework assignments
5. Use language lab software, the internet, voice-mail and keyboarding skills to continually develop English language skills.

These activities and methods are required every term:

Short lectures and explanations

Readings appropriate to the level

One-paragraph writing assignments

Dictations

Listening activities and exercises

Short conversation practice

Pronunciation activities and exercises

Pair and group work

Written and oral grammar practice

Exercises and activities using the internet and language learning software

Quizzes and tests

These assessment strategies are required every term:   Short quizzes, including spelling tests Comprehensive tests In-class writing assessments Informal oral assessments Completion of homework Attendance and class participation

A.  Life Skills Content B.  Reading C.  Writing D.  Speaking and Pronunciation E.  Listening F.  Grammar G.   Vocabulary H.   Study Skills I.    Technology   A.    Life Skills Content   1.     develop an understanding of American educational settings and practices 2.     gain knowledge of salient aspects of American community life, such as health, housing, transportation, recreation, law enforcement, government, consumer economics, employment, and emergency procedures 3.     discuss topics related to American culture, such as holidays, history, citizenship and geography 4.     discuss the content of selected high-interest stories and simplified narratives 5.     understand issues relating to discrimination 6.     set realistic goals as a student and community member   B.   Reading   1.     use reading comprehension strategies, such as prediction and scanning, to read short stories and articles on familiar topics 2.     ask simple questions to guide reading 3.     read for specific purposes and recognize various written formats, such as forms and applications 4.     interpret visual aids, such as maps, simple graphs, tables, and charts 5.     understand and follow written directions 6.     answer questions to demonstrate reading comprehension 7.     compare an idea or theme from a reading to one’s own experience   C.   Writing   1.     write six to eight related sentences in paragraph form about a familiar topic; be able to do this in about 20 minutes with 70% grammatical accuracy 2.     write simple statements and questions with S + V, S + V + DO, S + to be + complement 3.     use capital letters, periods, and question marks 4.     use margins, paragraph indenting, and double-spacing 5.     write clearly and on the lines 6.     fill out simple forms   D.   Speaking and Pronunciation   1.     express needs and describe events within a familiar context in pairs and small groups 2.     introduce self and/or a classmate 3.     clarify by requesting feedback or repeating information 4.     read aloud to practice forming English sounds, words, and sentences 5.     use common verbs in the past, present and present continuous tenses in affirmative and negative statements and questions 6.     pronounce consonants, vowels, and targeted consonant blends 7.     recognize common sound/letter associations and produce them 8.     pronounce ­-s and -ed endings 9.     identify syllables and understand syllable stress 10.  use correct intonation in questions and statements   E.   Listening   1.     listen for main ideas and relevant details in conversations 2.     understand basic conversation conventions in American culture 3.     use knowledge of context and make predictions based on prior information 4.     check comprehension by using listening strategies, such as clarifying and restating, 5.     answer comprehension questions 6.     write dictated sentences 7.     understand and follow instructor directions 8.     recognize basic verb tenses (simple present, simple past and present continuous) 9.     understand common contractions and reduced speech 10.  understand ordinal and cardinal numbers   F.   Grammar

          1. Phrases and Clauses

a.use simple sentences, questions, and short answers

b.use compound sentences with conjunctions  and  and but

           2. Verbs and Related Structures a.     use the verb  to be in the past and present b.     use there is/there are c.     use the simple present, simple past, and present continuous tenses d.     use some regular and irregular past tense verbs e.     form yes/no and wh- questions with short and long answers f.      form negative sentences g.     apply spelling rules for suffixes -ing, -ed, and -s h.     use the modals can  and should            3. Other Parts of Speech a.     use plural forms of regular and irregular nouns b.     use the possessive form of common and proper nouns c.     use subject and object pronouns as well as possessive adjectives d.     use adverbs of frequency e.     use common prepositions of place and time f.      use demonstratives (this, that, these, those) g.     be able to identify and name basic parts of speech (noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, preposition) and sentence structure (subject, verb, object)   G.   Vocabulary   1.     develop vocabulary appropriate to topic, e.g. health, transportation, recreation 2.     understand and use classroom vocabulary 3.     understand and use common terms related to technology 4.     spell and pronounce common vocabulary correctly   H.   Study Skills   1.     bring appropriate materials to each class 2.     use accompanying multimedia materials (e.g. audio CD, CD-ROM) for class texts 3.     record and complete homework assignments correctly and on time 4.     arrive in class on time 5.     notify instructor of an absence 6.     exhibit appropriate classroom behavior 7.     know how to ask for help and advocate for oneself 8.     use a variety of learning strategies, e.g. flashcards, online resources 9.     work together effectively in small groups and pairs 10.  begin to recognize and avoid cheating   I.   Technology   1.     type short sentences 2.     use language lab software to practice English language skills 3.     use the internet to practice English language skills 4.     use voice-mail to leave messages