DEVELOPMENTAL WRITING: ENGLISH 060
In General
ENGL 060 (English Language Study) will help the student to become more confident and successful in completing various writing tasks, such as short-answer tests, brief response papers, and brief personal essays. Students are placed into the course based on their College Placement Test scores. Although the instruction is designed primarily as preparation for English 095 (Writing Fundamentals), the material will be helpful to anyone desiring an overview of basic writing. Specific course outcomes appear below.
The course work is divided into two areas:
(1) Written assignments. The course's written assignments are developed through several stages: gathering information, outlining, drafting, and revising. Drafts are critiqued by both the instructor and peers. Periodically, the instructor collects a portfolio of the student's best written work for grading.
(2) Review of English grammar and usage. A textbook/workbook is purchased for the class. As students complete the book's chapters, they review fundamental concepts such as subjects and verbs, clauses and phrases, pronouns — and, most importantly, how to proofread for common errors.
Time Requirement for the Classes and Help Available
The class meets in a classroom for three hours a week. There, time is spent in lecture, discussion, informal quizzes and check drills, small-group work, and in-class practice, and instructor-student conferences. Writing assignments are also provided and explained during classroom time.
Another two hours per week are spent in the computer writing lab (Room 409), with the instructor and an instructional assistant. There, students word process papers, conduct Internet research, and confer with the instructor and fellow students about their draft papers. Students are expected to put in at least two additional lab hours per week (Some word processing can be done at home).
On campus, the writing lab is open from 7 am to 8 pm Monday through Thursday, until 4:30 pm Fridays, and from 2 to 8 pm on Sundays.
Course support is provided by the instructor, the instructional assistant, and peer tutors who are available by appointment (see instructor for referral).
Textbook and Materials Required
A paperback textbook is required each quarter. The cost of the text is between $30 to $50. Also required are a 3.5-inch floppy disk and a simple three-ring report cover or binder for portfolios. Obviously, paper and writing tools are also necessary. A small stapler will be helpful, but it is not required.
ENGL 060 is a basic composition course designed to develop those writing/sentence skills necessary in both everyday writing ans subsequent college writing through classroom exercises, group problem-solving, and short writing assignments. Skills gained in this course should help students improve their ability to perform such tasks as writing short-answer tests, brief responses to readings, and other brief papers. Designed as preparation for ENGL 095. 5 lecture hours. Prerequisite: Placement in ENGL 060.
Course Outcomes
ENGL 060 addresses several of Grays Harbor College's Desired Student Abilities, focusing most directly on:
A. Literacy: Skills in writing
B. Critical Thinking: Analysis, synthesis, problem-solving, creative exploration
C. Using Resources: Use of computers and other information technology
Specific outcomes include the following:
1. The student will improve facility and confidence in written English composition, gaining in ability to:
- Utilize the steps in the writing process
- Formulate a main idea
- Organize discussion to support that main idea
- Gather and present evidence to support ideas
- Provide transitional signals to aid the reader
- Proofread for and correct common, serious errors in punctuation and sentence structure (fragments, run-on sentences, pronoun agreement errors, etc.)
- Evaluate his or her written work and the work of other students to find areas for improvement, utilizing this feedback and instructor feedback to revise
2. The student will be able to define and apply key terms and concepts of basic English grammar and punctuation (subject, verb, clause, phrase, sentence types, etc.)
3. The student will be able to perform basic word processing and use research databases to locate basic information about a writing topic
4. The student will be able to summarize information and paraphrase it accurately
5. The student will be able to work cooperatively with others to master course skills and plan and revise written projects.