English 401 Class Syllabus

The English School

English Class 401
Mon/Wed/Fri, 9 a.m. 10:30 a.m.
Fall Semester, 2016
Credit Hours: 4

Mr. Andrew Hirsh

Phone Number: 404-555-1234
Email: ahirsh@school.edu
Office: Room 203

Prerequisite: English 101, 201 &

301
Introduction
Welcome to English 401. I am your instructor, Mr. Hirsh, and we will be
working together throughout the fall semester. In this class, you will build on
the English skills you learned in English 101, 201 and 301. We will place a
strong emphasis on speech and writing so that, by the end of the course, you
will be able to converse and write in English with ease.
Course Theme
Language is the road map of a culture. It tells you where its people come
from and where they are going. -- Rita Mae Brown
Participation
Each student will be expected to actively participate every time we meet.
Active participation includes raising ones hand to answer questions,
volunteering to assist with classroom chores, asking questions and working
with ones fellow students.
Attendance
Attendance will be taken at the beginning of every class. Students will be
allowed three excused absences throughout the course; any unexcused
absence will result in a zero for the day. If a student is more than five minutes
late for a class, he or she will receive half-credit for the work completed that
day. Excused absences include the following:
1. Absences to take part in official school activities
2. Absences for personal or family emergencies
3. Absences for medical reasons (must provide note from doctor or
parent)
Academic Honesty
Students are expected to complete their work with the utmost care and
dignity. Cheating is expressly prohibited. If a student is caught cheating,
punishment may include, but not be limited to, detention, suspension and a
failing grade.
Code of Conduct
Our school is committed to fostering a safe and inclusive atmosphere for

every student. To create a positive learning environment in the classroom,

everyone will be expected to treat each other with respect, dignity and open
mindedness.

Course Description
In this course, we will take the steps necessary to make sure you, the
students, become fluent English speakers. This will be done through
extensive speech, grammar, reading and writing exercises, quizzes, tests and
projects. Technology will play a big role in the classroom, as well. Students
will use the internet to record their own speech, listen to native English
speakers and complete various writing/research assignments.
Grading will be done on the letter system:
A+: 97-100
A: 93-96
A-: 90-92
B+: 87-89
B: 83-86
B-: 80-82
C+: 77-79
C: 73-76
C-: 70-72
D+: 67-69
D: 63-66
D-: 60-62
F: 0-59
Grading weight:
Daily Participation: 10%
Homework: 15%
Quizzes: 15 %
Projects: 15%
Tests: 20%
Final Exam: 25%
Learning Objectives
Students will
review lessons from English 101, 201 and 301
develop an understanding of proper pronunciation and cultural norms
during person-to-person communication
apply their knowledge with daily exercises and activities
analyze their own work and the work of their classmates to make them
better evaluators
display their knowledge through quizzes, tests and group projects
formulate original essays and conversations

Required Reading
Using English Expressions for Real Life: Stepping Stones to Fluency for
Advanced ESL Learners, by Thomas Celentano
Advanced English Grammar for ESL Learners, by Mark Lester