San Diego Community College

ELAC 25 Integrated Reading, Writing, Grammar I (6 Units)

Fall 2021

When: M/W 9:35 a.m.-12:45 p.m. Where: https://cccconfer.zoom.us/j/5862852618

Your Instructor Name: Alexandra Sadovnikova

Contact Information: asadovnikova@sdccd.edu or message me on our Canvas page.
I will try to get back to you within 24 hours during the week and 48 hours over
the weekend.
Office Location: Zoom ID 586 285 2618
Office Hours: M/W 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. by appointment only via Zoom
By going to the office hours, you are getting to know your professor and maintain the
relationship. During one-on-one meetings, you will have an opportunity to ask all questions that
seem not clear to you about assignments, reading, and quizzes and feel more comfortable and
connected to the class. You will understand your professor’s expectations and better grasp course
material.

Your Instructor Biography

My name is Alexandra Sadovnikova, and you can call me Alex. I am your instructor for
this semester. I am so excited to work with you, learn about you, and help you to be successful. I
like to help students to reach their personal and educational goals. If you will face any
challenges, feel lost, stress, or experience any difficulties, please let me know. We will find the
best possible solution together. Our classroom goals are learning new material, having fun, and
building a community of self-confident and happy learners.
I was in your students ‘shoes many times and struggled and experienced some
difficulties. Guess what!? I have never given up because I always had a specific goal to achieve.
I know two languages: English and Russian, and I am learning a third language, German.
I am passionate about teaching and learning languages, and I hope we will have a fantastic
educational and language learning journey together.
I love to travel and learn about different cultures. I do hiking, cycling, cooking, reading,
and watching movies in my free time.

NOTE: Make sure that you read the Syllabus during the first week of class. You are expected to
understand its content. The Syllabus and Schedule are subject to changes announced in the
course.

Course Description
This course provides non-native English speakers with the skills to integrate reading, writing,
and grammar at the intermediate level. Emphasis is placed on applying critical reading strategies
to various genres, writing paragraphs and multi-paragraph compositions based on assigned
readings, and analyzing and producing grammatical structures in context. This course is intended
for non-native speakers of English preparing for college-level coursework.

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Course Goals
Students who complete this course successfully will be able to:
• learn proper grammar and vocabulary usage
• write a successful college-level paper
• read, write and analyze texts
• develop arguments and strengthen critical thinking, reading, organizing, and writing
skills
• the purpose of ELAC 25 is to prepare you for ELAC 35

Required Texts, Materials, or Equipment

All readings and handouts will be provided. Students only need the Internet and Canvas.

Daily Work/Homework
The course goals and outcomes will be achieved interactively through both in and out of the
class assignments. You will need to:

1. Actively participate in class discussion, task, and other activities, including:

• classrooms note-taking
• pair, small group, and whole-class discussion
• role-play and debates

2. Complete in-class and homework assignments including:

• reading assignment in preparation for discussion
• reflective writing
3. Prepare and present an oral presentation.

Major Assignments Descriptions

Warm-up Writing
We will begin with small writing (3-5) almost every class by answering the question on
reading, discussion, or video. The practice activity helps to start engaging in the writing process
and gaining critical thinking by analyzing the classroom material.
Grammar Quizzes
After every grammar lecture, activity, and engagement class, we will have a quiz to
check your understanding and comprehension. It will give me an idea of students’ strengths and
weaknesses and address areas for growth.
Essays
Throughout the semester, we will have three writing assignments. You will have a chance
to work and rewrite each of them two times (2 Rough Drafts) before submitting a Final Draft.
We will work in groups or pairs and will give and receive feedback from your classmates. Use
that time wisely. We will discuss verb tenses, grammar, sentence structure, and punctuation. We
will learn different writing techniques. For every topic, we will have a vocabulary that you will
use in your papers. We will watch videos on topics that we will cover in class, and it can help us
use some definitions and terms in the papers.

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 I will give you a grade on a Final Draft, and you will have a chance to rewrite your
paper. When you rewrite the paper, I will ask you to submit the answer: Why do you think this
version is better than the previous one?
In-Class Writing
Throughout the semester, we will have one writing in the class on the topic covered in the
class before. I will allow you to use a dictionary, reading, lecture, and video summary. It is
nothing to worry about. We will have a discussion, brainstorming, and pre-writing before writing
the paper in the class.
Final Paper and Final Presentation
At the end of the course, we will have a paper (2 pages) and a presentation (5 min) on the
Major Assignment Project. Students will choose to write about the most challenging or the most
exciting assignment of the semester. Then, we will do the presentation. We will write and discuss
technology usage, reading, watching the video, or other valuable sources that help you to
complete the assignment. For Final Presentation, we will use a PowerPoint, Google Slides, or
other technology of your choice.
Class Participation
You are expected to show up on time, stay for each class session, and be present, actively
participating in classroom activities. If you know you will be absent or late, please let me
know as soon as possible. The absence will seriously affect the quality of your work and
grade. You are responsible for getting material(s) or assignments you might have missed
from a classmate. If you need to miss more than one class session, contact me immediately.
Your course participation grade will be lowered for missing more than one session. You
may lose 5 participation points for every class session missed after your first absence or if
you do not attend the entire session.
Group work and building the community
We may not all agree on the same beliefs, values, or opinions, but we can invite an
intelligent debate based on textual support or reasoning while showing respect toward
others. In short, let us apply the golden rule: “Treat others as you would like to be treated.”
Your learning community is a group that helps you study, learn, revise, and
improve. One aspect of this course is for us to support each other. In these groups, you
will share strong lines and notes from your reading to help you write better essays. You
will also be required to bring in rough drafts and share those with your community. You
will listen to your group, and they will listen to you; you will help each other with writing.
You will see how having a support group on a smaller scale will help you feel comfortable
writing and revising.
Peer review
Your classmates will first read your rough draft essays in writing workshops at
certain times in the semester. I will let you know ahead of time if you need an extra copy
for a classmate to read. You will either read with a partner or in a group. The feedback that
you get from your group will help in your writing process, editing, and rewrites. It is a
good idea to keep an ungraded copy and the graded copy of your essay until the end of the
semester to track your grade (it is crucial to take responsibility for tracking your grade).

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Course Grading
A standard grading scale will be used: A= 90-100%; B= 80-89%; C=70-79; D= 60-69; 59 and
below not passing. We will need a 70% or above to pass this course.

Warm-up Writing 10%

Class Participation 5%
In-Class Writing 10%
Rough Drafts and Rewrites 10%
Final Drafts 20%
Quizzes 15%
Final Research Project 15%
Presentation of Final Research Project 15%

All work (including homework) done outside of class must be word-processed/typed. If you
do not own a computer, you can use one of the Computer Center computers at the library, and
then you can print out your paper. If the Computer Center option does not work for some reason
or has some difficulties working with the computer, please come and talk to me. We will find a
way to resolve this issue together.
Course Policies and Information for Students
1. ATTENDANCE POLICY
• Each student is expected to attend every class meeting. In the absence, it is the student’s
responsibility to inform the instructor.
• You are responsible for the material missed whether the absence is considered excused or
unexcused. Any student who does not attend the class for three lecture days will be dropped
following college policy.
• Instructors must drop any student who fails to attend the first class meeting if the class is
at maximum enrollment and other students are waiting to enroll.
• After the add/drop period of the term, you will be dropped if you miss more than two
weeks of instruction (the weeks do not have to be consecutive), in which case you will
receive a “W” or an “F” depending on the date that you are dropped.
• A tardy is defined as arriving after the start time up to 5 minutes late. If you are more
than 5 minutes late, this will count as a tardy. Two tardiness will count as one absence. This
tardy policy also applies to students leaving before the end of class or returning late from a
break. Students are expected to be in class for the entire class period unless permission to
leave is granted in advance by the instructor. Note that exams cannot be taken if you are
more than five minutes late.

Please note:
● It is the student’s responsibility to drop all classes they are no longer attending. Please
check the college website or contact the admission for further information.

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 ● The instructor’s discretion is to withdraw a student after the add/drop deadline
(September 15) due to excessive absences. After missing three classes, I will drop you.
● Students who remain enrolled in a class beyond the published withdrawal deadline, as
stated in the class schedule, will receive an evaluative letter grade in this class (A, B, C,
D, F).

2. PENALTIES FOR LATE WORK and REQUESTS FOR EXTENSIONS

You can turn one writing up to one week (yes-one week) late without any penalty.
Note that this option may only be used for out-of-class essays (unless due on the last day of
class).
Late papers lose 2 points per class session. Only under extenuating circumstances
(e.g., hospitalization, sickness with paper proof provided) I will accept late work if you have
already used your Free Pass. Makeup for in-class work may not be possible if you are absent
that day unless prearranged with me. Most assignments require classroom presence to be
completed and cannot be made up.

3. POLICIES ON MISSED QUIZZES and LOWEST ESSAY GRADE: No makeup quizzes

unless students have some urgent situation (hospitalization or sickness); the paper should be
provided. I will drop the lowest quiz and essay grade at the end of the semester because I
believe it will help many of you to have a better grade and less stress in completing those
assignments.

4. CELL PHONE: Turn off or set your cell phones to vibrate. Please refrain from texting
during class unless it is an emergency.

Misconduct

● This college values honesty, academic integrity, and community. Our goal is to guide our
students in maintaining academic excellence, in addition to fostering a sense of belonging
to our learning community.

● Faculty may require a student who disrupts the classroom to meet with the Dean before
the next class meeting.  Instructors may exclude a student on the day of the disruption
and an additional day due to misconduct. Don’t worry! We will be discussing this on the
first day of class and throughout the semester!

● Further disciplinary action may be pursued by the instructor or college administration.

Academic Cheating and Plagiarism

● As a student at this college, your completion of any work should be entire of your own
accord without any activity that includes copying, cheating, plagiarizing, utilizing outside
resources (including class notes or classmates), or any other forms of academic
misconduct such as aiding and abetting dishonesty, classroom disturbances, unacceptable
collaboration.

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 ● Understanding failure to comply with these standards will be considered a violation of
the Student Code of Conduct under Board Policy 3100 and may result in student
disciplinary action. Academic dishonesty of any type, such as cheating and plagiarism,
can result in one or all of the following:  a failing grade on the assignment, a failing grade
in the class, and/or formal disciplinary action by the college.

 Always cite your sources when you present ideas and/or language that you have not
developed yourself, including material from class lectures and discussions.

Violation of this policy includes collaborating on assignments where collaboration is

not allowed and/or utilizes notes, texts, etc., on any assignment where such materials
are not allowed.

Disciplinary Action Procedures

1. When a student conduct violation has occurred, the first attempt to resolve the
misconduct will be an informal consultation between the student and the instructor (or
college staff member).

2. If the situation is unresolved, the Dean will meet with the instructor and the student(s)
involved.

3. If the situation remains unresolved, the instructor will complete a “Report of Student
Misconduct” and file the report with the Dean of Student Services.

Resources for Students

1. DISABILITY RESOURCES:
• This course is intended to be accessible to all students, including students with
disabilities. Students with disabilities who may need academic accommodations should
discuss options with the instructor during the first two weeks of class.
• If you encounter a problem accessing anything in this course, please contact me
immediately by email and contact the college’s Disability Support Programs and Services
(DSPS) office.

2. WRITING ASSISTANCE: This college offers FREE tutoring for all college students
across the Tutoring and Computing Centers curriculum. For face-to-face tutoring, visit
the writing center located in the LRC (library) 2nd floor. You may drop-in or make an
appointment at http://www.sdmesa.edu/academics/ academic-support-
programs/tutoring/writing center/schedule-appointment.shtml. You can also take
advantage of online tutoring through NetTutor on Canvas by uploading your essays or
having a live tutor session. Please allow for a 48-hour turnaround time if uploading an
essay for review. For more information on the writing center, go to the Writing Center
website.

Located at LRC- 210 (second floor of the library)

M-Fri 9am - 8pm/Sat 10am - 3pm
24/7 Online Writing Tutoring is available through NetTutor

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 Make a face-to-face appointment or online help on the Writing Center website.

Student Services Support

This college journeys tool provides free access to over 30 support programs and services
to help you succeed. The “Your College Journey” tool is a short survey asking various questions
about your demographics and educational goals. Based on your responses, the application will
then provide you with a list of recommended programs and services that may help you with your
academic journey here at this college. You can complete the survey today on the Your College
Journey website.

Disclaimer

The instructor reserves the right to make modifications to this information throughout the
semester.

Preliminary Schedule of Topics, Readings, and Assignments

Date Topics/Assigned Readings/Homework Major

Assignments and
Deadlines
Week 1 Setting the Frame, Syllabus. Review Syllabus
Meet your professor, classmates, and be introduced to the topics Needs Analysis
08/23 covered during the semester.
and
08/25
Icebreaker Activity. Reading Discussion: What does it mean to be a 09/01 Vocabulary
college student? Vocabulary Quiz. Present Simple & Present Quiz
Week 2
Continuous. Grammar Exercise.

08/30
and
09/01

Week 3
09/06 No class on September 6. Holiday: Observance of Labor Day.

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 Warm-up Writing on College Student Characteristics. New 09/08 Grammar
Vocabulary List. Resources on Campus. Their importance in student Quiz
09/08
life. Grammar Quiz (Present Simple & Present Continuous).
Sentence Structure and Punctuation.
Intro Writing. Working in Groups. Discuss ideas on College Life. 09/13 First Draft.
Reading Analysis in Class.
Week 4
09/13
and
09/15
Warm-up Writing. Working in a Group on Draft: College Life. 09/20 Second
Draft.
Week 5 Present Perfect Grammar. Grammar Exercises.

09/20
and
09/22
Week 6 Warm-up Writing on Weekend Activities. Simple Past & Past 09/27 Grammar
Continuous. Grammar Quiz on Sentence Structure and Punctuation. and Sentences
Watching a Movie on Stress Management in Class. Discussion in Structure Quiz
09/27 groups. Class Discussion.
09/29 Final Draft
and Due

09/29
Week 7 Warm-up Writing on Stress Management. Various Stressors. New
Vocabulary. List of techniques on how to handle stress. Class
Discussion.
10/04
and
10/06
Week 8 Quiz on Vocabulary. Discussion in Groups on Reading and Video on 10/11 First Draft
Stress Management. Compared to Sources. What do they have in
10/13 Vocabulary
common/differences? What do you think is the most central theme?
Quiz
10/11
Working with a Partner. Feedback on Writing.
and

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 10/13
Week 9 Grammar on Simple Future and Future Continuous. Working in a 10/18 Second
Group and Giving Feedback to Your Group Member. Stress Draft.
Management.
10/18
10/20 In-class
and
writing
10/20
Week 10 Writing Warm-up. Grammar Quiz. Reading on Education. Answer 10/25 Grammar
the Questions. Classroom Discussion. Kahoot! Verb Tenses Usage. Quiz
10/27 Final Draft
10/25
and
10/27
Week 11 Vocabulary. Watching a Movie on Education. Working with a
Partner. Compare Reading and Video. Commonalities, Differences.
Should everyone go to college?
11/01
and
11/03
Week 12 Warm-up Writing. Vocabulary Quiz. Working in Groups. Discuss 11/08 Vocabulary
Your Position on College Education. Compare with Your Partner. Quiz
11/10 Final Paper
11/08
First Draft
and
11/10
Week 13 Warm-up Writing. Watching a Documentary on the Importance of 11/17 Final Paper
College Education. Going Through All Verb Tenses Covered During Second Draft
Semester.
11/15
and
11/17
Thanksgiving Break-No Classes 11/22-11/26
11/22

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 and
11/24
Week 14 Classroom Discussion on Final Paper. Questions. Grammar. Final Paper
Suggestions. Final Presentation Discussion. Questions.

11/29
and
12/01
Week 15 Final Paper. Working in Group on Final Presentation 11/29 Final Paper
Due
Final
11/29
Presentation
and Group 1

12/01 12/01 Final

Presentation
Group 2
Week 16 12/06 Final
Presentation
Final Presentation. Student’s Feedback to Each Other.
Group 3
12/06
12/08 Final
and Presentation
Group 4.
12/08

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