Course Syllabus

JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "EN 105-2"
COURSE NAME: "English Composition II"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Spring Semester 2012

SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Sunstein Lauren
HOURS: TTH 16:00-17:15
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: Prerequisite: Placement via JCU English Composition Placement Exam
OFFICE HOURS: by appointment

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Like learning to speak a foreign language (or for that matter, learning a martial art, the tango, chess, or even checkers), learning to write academic English is a skill that can be improved with practice. No one is a "born writer": every writer struggles to translate the chaos and complexity of his or her thoughts into meaningful communication. Indeed, thinking and writing are inextricably connected. Although this statement may seem self-evident, it suggests the somewhat less obvious claim that better thinking leads to better writing (where "better" means clearer and more profound). This course, therefore, focuses on developing both your critical thinking and your writing skills in order to improve the organization, clarity, coherence, and elegance of your writing.

SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:

This course seeks to integrate three distinct, complementary approaches: a review of grammar and sentence-level work to improve your eloquence, work on critical reading to improve your ability to analyze, summarize and expand upon your reading, and experimentation with rhetorical modes to improve the organization and logic of your writing. The aim is to weave these three threads together into a sort of hammock that you can rely upon to support you in whatever writing you do in the future. It is up to you, however, to make it swing!

Specifically, we will be reading and discussing essays from your text and other sources, including op-ed articles from the New York Times, which will also serve to provide material for your writing. You will write four essays in class and another three at home. You will always know and prepare the topic for in-class essays in advance. At-home essays will be written first as a draft,which will be commented on by myself or a classmate and then rewritten to be graded. Class time will also be spent discussing and practicing the various rhetorical modes (illustration, cause and effect, compare and contrast, etc.). Finally, grammar and structural problems will be reviewed as needed.

HOMEWORK

Reading: You will read chapters in your text in addition to at least one essay a week. You may be asked to write a summary, identify and use new vocabulary, and/or to answer questions.

Always underline key phrases and sentences when you read to help you identify and focus on the main ideas.

Writing: All longer written assignments (paragraphs, essays and responses to readings) must be typed. Make sure you leave time to print them out before class, if necessary.

Late papers will be penalized.
Keep all your written work in a folder, which is essential for final evaluation.

Format for assignments written at home:

- Typewritten on standard (A4) paper

- Double-spaced to leave room for corrections

- Paragraphs indented but no extra spaces between them

- Name and date in the top left corner of the first page

- Title centered over the essay, appropriately capitalized

EXAMS

There is no official midterm. The final exam will be a 2 ½-hour composition during exam week.
Any changes from the syllabus regarding the dates of in-class writings will be announced at least one week in advance.

PROBLEMS AND HELP

Please speak to me at any point in the course if you are dissatisfied or feel you are falling behind.
Do not wait until it’s too late. Sooner is better than later.

You are also encouraged to seek extra help at The Writing Lab in the Guarini building.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:
In general, by the end of the course, you will be a more perceptive reader with a clearer understanding of what actually makes good writing. In your own writing, you will find yourself using a broader vocabulary and more varied sentence structures and taking advantage of the various rhetorical modes to improve essay organization and clarity. All this should increase your confidence and make writing more enjoyable for you as well.

TEXTBOOK:

Book Title	Author	Publisher	ISBN number	Library Call Number	Comments	Format	Local Bookstore	Online Purchase
The Longman Writer, 8th Ed.	Nadall, Langan, Comodromos	Longman	ISBN-9780205798391

REQUIRED RESERVED READING:

Book Title	Author	Publisher	ISBN number	Library Call Number	Comments
Rhetorical Choices	Gilyard, Holdstein, Schuster	Pearson Longman	0-321-44492-2

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:

NONE

GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:

Assignment	Guidelines	Weight
three in-class essays and four at-home essays	Beginning with a minimum of 500 words, essays will increase in length to about 700 by the end of the semester.	65%
final exam	2 1/2 hour composition of 600-700 words	20%
homework and participation	This includes primarily written homework, especially summaries, but also classroom participation and attendance.	15%

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:

Outstanding: GradeA/A- This is fluent writing which reflects a thoughtful response to the assignment. It is well organized with excellent development of its ideas. The writer is in control of the standard conventions of English prose and has few errors in the mechanics of writing.

Very good: Grade B/B- This is good writing that fulfils the assignment and shows evidence of thought and planning. It is well organized with good supporting details. Errors in the mechanics of writing do not detract from a reading of it.

Satisfactory: Grade C/C- This is satisfactory writing that fulfils the assignment. The writing is coherent but errors interfere with overall quality and/or the writer fails to demonstrate any particular strength that would mark this writing above average.

Below Average: Grade D/D- This is below-average writing which exhibits major problems in writing. Itmay involve a difficulty with the presentation of ideas, or it may reflect poor control of the conventions of standard English prose or be marred by enough errors in the mechanics of writing to seriously distract the reader.

Unsatisfactory: Grade F - This is writing that fails to fulfill the assignment. It does not succeed in presenting its basic ideas, either because of poor organization and lack of clarity or because of a lack of control over the basic conventions of standard English usage.

-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Attendance and class participation are critical to your progress and to your grade. In accordance with English Department policy, your grade may suffer if you miss more than five classes. If you miss more than six classes, including for illness or other legitimate reasons, you may be asked to leave the course, regardless of your grades.

Late arrivals are disruptive. Three late arrivals will be counted as an absence. You are responsible for all work done or assigned in your absence.
Assignments should either be emailed to me personally or brought to the next class.

Attendance is mandatory for all announced in-class writings. No make-ups will be given unless specific arrangements are made with the instructor before the day of the test or essay.

ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.

STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.

SCHEDULE

EN 105 SCHEDULE

SPRING 2012

Week One_______________Session Focus_____________________For Subsequent Class_____

Tues Jan 17 Introduction to Course “In Praise of the Humble Comma”

Sample writing Answer questions

Thurs Jan 19 Critical Reading Ch. 1, p. 1 – 10

Sentence structure p. 96-100

Comma use “Our Human Pleasures”

(handout)

Week Two____________________________________________________________________

Tues Jan 24 Discuss “Human Pleasures” Write summary “Human Pleasures”

Summaries “The Miracle of Melancholia”

p. 224

write summary

Thurs Jan 26 Coherence Paragraphs p. 56-66

Effective paragraphs Illustration, Ch. 12 p. 195-210

“Tweens” p. 212

Week Three____________________________________________________________________

Tues Jan 31 Illustration

Discussion Study p. 34-54

Brainstorming Outline exercise

Thur Feb 2 Topic/Thesis sentences “The Fourth of July” p. 178

Outlines answer questions

Outline for In-Class 1

Week Four____________________________________________________________________

Tues Feb 7 Discuss “Fourth of July” Revised outline for IC-1

Group work for IC-1

Thurs Feb 9 In-Class Essay 1 Process, Ch. 14 p. 264-279

exercises

“Your New Computer” (handout)

Week Five____________________________________________________________________

Tues Feb 14 Return IC -1 Write AH-1

Editing workshop

Thurs Feb 16 At-Home 1 due Classification

Ch. 13, p. 230-244

Week Six_______________________________________________________________________

Tues Feb 21 Return AH-1 “Propaganda Techniques”

Classification p. 246-251

Thur Feb 23 Parallelism “American Dream for Sale”

(Prose Reader, p. 317)

Week Seven (Midterms)_____Session Focus_______________For Subsequent Class____

Tues Feb 28 Paraphrases “Naked Ambition”

Quotations (handout)

Thurs March 1 Discussion “About Men” (handout)

“Men We Carry in our Minds” p. 253

Prepare outline IC - 2

Week Eight____________________________________________________________________

Tues March 6 In-Class Essay 2 “Sex, Lies, and Conversation”

(Rhetorical Choices, p. 454)

Thurs March 8 C-C exercises Compare-Contrast, Ch. 15

relative clauses p. 298-313

Write AH 2 draft

Week Nine____________________________________________________________________

Tues March 13 At-Home Essay 2 draft due “Punch and Judy”

“Grant and Lee” (RC, p. 416)

Thurs March 15 Return draft AH-2 Argument Ch. 18 p. 398-409

“Who Killed Benny Paret?” (RC)

SPRING BREAK ------------------------------------ Revise AH 2

Week Ten______________________________________________________________________

Tues March 27 At-Home Essay 2 due Related readings

Argument exercises

Thurs March 29 Discussion Prepare IC-3 outline

Week Eleven_____________________________________________________________________

Tues April 3 In-Class Essay 3 Definition Ch. 17

p. 363-376

Thurs April 5 Definition “Beyond the Pleasure Principle”

Relative clauses p. 378

“Santa Ana” (handout)

Week Twelve___________________________________________________________________

Tues April 10 Revision Workshop Write AH-3 draft

Thurs April 12 At-Home Draft 3 due Revise AH-3

Peer review

Week Thirteen_________________________________________________________________

Tues April 17 At-Home Essay 4 due Prepare outline IC-4

Discussion

Thurs April 19 In-Class Essay 4 TBA

Week Fourteen________________________________________________________________

Tues April 24 Discussion – topics for final exam

Thurs April 26 Wrap-up

NOTE: This schedule is partial and subject to change.

In general, however, count on having rather demanding reading and/or writing homework for every class.