course.goals
materials
assignments
grading
attendance
electronica
ethics
disability

last.updated
1.2.08

 

instructor kevin eric depew
office bal 4042
phone 757.683.4019
e.mail kdepew@odu.edu
web.page http://www.odu.edu/~kdepew
AIM kerdepew
skype k.e.depew
office hours m 3-4 & by appointment


quick links

calendar
blackboard (email, collaboration, and readings)
resources


course.goals

During the course of the semester, you will engage in many of the theoretical debates about teaching second language (L2) writers, as well as practical responses to these debates. In this course you will examine the social and institutional contexts that shapes the expectations placed on writing instruction, the cross-cultural issues that affect how L2 writers compose English texts, and some curricular strategies for designing assignments and assessing L2 writers' work. You will also have the opportunity to develop your own inquiry and develop it into a course lesson. With the knowledge you gain from this course, you will be prepared to enter the L2 writing discourse community and teach L2 writers.

Specific course objectives include...

  • understanding the scope of L2 writing as a field
  • learning how to responsibly address the needs of L2 writing students,
  • developing a sense of advocacy for L2 writers,
  • demonstrating your ability to theoretically, practically, methodologically, and/or pedagogically apply the principles you learn


course.materials

Readings will be retrieved from...

Recommended
Second Language Writing
Author: Ken Hyland
Cambridge University Press (2003)
ISBN: 0521534305

Teaching ESL Composition: Purpose, Process, and Practice
Authors: Dana R. Ferris & John S. Hedgcock
Lawrence Erlbaum Associates (2005)
ISBN: 0805844678

Understanding ESL Writers: A Guide for Teachers
Author: Ilona Leki
Boynton/Cook Heinemann (1992)
ISBN: 086709303


major.assignments

Projects Proposal (50 points): Early in the semester, you will draft a proposal outlining how you will fulfill the course requirements. Not only do you get the opportunity to understand whether the work you want to do is feasible, the proposal gives you the opportunities to focus your inquiries for the semester and receive guidance from the instructor.

Blog Entries (50 points): By reading above and beyond the assigned readings, you will have the opportunity to acquaint yourself with the field of L2 writing. For this assignment, you will find and review five academic articles/chapters related to L2 writing. Your research should be geared towards a problem or issue you are interested in and should inform the work you will do in the subsequent assignments. The blog entries that you compose will be made public to the discourse community.

Literature Review Essay (150 points): A literature review gives an author the opportunity to join the conversation on a specific topic. Each student will choose a L2 writing-related topic, review the scholarship on the topic, and develop an argument that positions themselves within the conversation.

Lesson/Workshop (50 points): You will be responsible for leading the class through a 75-minute lesson or workshop on a L2 writing-related topic; you will want to treat your audience as pre-service or in-service instructors.

Demonstration of Application (200 points): For this assignment you will demonstrate your ability to apply some of the principles that we learned throughout the semester by composing an appropriate text (e.g., an argumentative paper responding theoretical or practical issue, a pedagogical tool, workshop materials).

Three Means of Failing the Course related to Major Assignments

  • Not completing a major assignment
  • Major assignments will be given no credit if the assignment is not turned in prior to the instructor returning the respective assignment to the class. This becomes the equivalent of not completing a major assignment
  • An act of plagiarism (or other forms of academic dishonesty)


grading

Major Assignments

I will be looking for evidence of each student's progress towards professional level work. More specifically I will be looking for evidence of...

  • well supported and "original" work that responds to a specific context
  • an understanding of theories related to L2 writing, as well as the current discussions of their application
  • an ability to apply said theories
  • an ability to demonstrate a contribution to an academic discussion
  • addressing your audiences appropriately, including fulfilling generic expectations
  • professional and scholarly persona
  • prewriting and planning
  • professional quality work, in terms of mechanics, design, and protocol

Quizzes

While there are no quizzes scheduled for this course, the instructor reserves the right to introduce them into the course without warning if it becomes apparent that the course readings are not being done.

Grade Scale

Your final grade (500 points ) and assignments will be graded using the following point scale* :
  A =92-100 % A -= 90-91.9 % B+ = 87-89.9 %
  B = 82-86.9 % B- = 80-81.9 % C+ = 77-79.9 %
  C = 72-76.9 % C- = 70-71.9 % D+ = 67-69.9 %
  D = 62-66.9 % D -= 60-61.9 % F = 0-59.9 %

* = The instructor reserves the right to adjust this scale based on the students' performance throughout the semester. Any adjustments will 1) apply to the entire class and 2) never deny a student the grade that s/he earns based upon this posted scale.


attendance

Students are required to attend every class. If you miss a class, for whatever reason, you are responsible for making up any missed work.

  • you are allowed the equivalent of the two absences, excused or unexcused. More than two absences will result in failing the course. The following criteria is used to determine equivalency:
    • being late to class will be marked as a tardy and noted when your final grade is tallied.
    • students who miss between fifteen and eighty minutes will receive a half-absence
    • students who miss more than eighty minutes will receive a full absence

    If you plan to be absent the day a submission is due, you are encouraged to make arrangements to submit the work before the class or to submit the work through email at the earliest possible time. The last day to submit work for credit is the first day that you return from an absence. As a general rule, a student missing a class assignment because of observance of a religious holiday or participating in any official extracurricular activity shall have the opportunity to make up missed work by following the guidelines above.


electronica

Electronica refers to technology-related issues.

E.mail Accounts
Having an email account is required; a lot of information for this class will be exchanged via email and Blackboard including some assignment submissions and class updates. You will want to establish a consistent email account that you will use throughout the entire semester.

Because Blackboard's "Send Email" function "talks to" your ODU account, it is recommended that you work with this account. At the very least, you are required to forward your ODU mail to the account you use most. To get an ODU account go to OCCS.

You are responsible for making sure that files and messages are successfully received by the instructor and your peers; other email providers cannot provide this security. Also you will want to be aware that some evaluated course work will be returned via email; if you are concerned about other parties reading these messages, please develop an account that is dedicated to just you (or come talk to the instructor).

E.mailing Protocol
When emailing the instructor or the class list make sure that you include a subject line that includes the nature of the email. A subject line, such as "assignment" is vague. Instead be specific and state whether it is a "assignment submission," "need assignment clarification," or "assignment problem."

Also use the priority setting rhetorically; in other words, make your email message stand out when you really need to draw the recipient's attention to your message. Do not use the priority setting on your standard assignment submissions.

Protecting Your Work
Backup your document files frequently. Also save all email transmissions for this course. Keep your files on your home machine, floppy disks, cds, campus h-drive, and/or flash drives (aka jump drives, thumb drives). You can also email documents to yourself as a means of backing up your work. The excuse "that was my only copy" is not a valid one. Some tips for protecting your work–and yourself–are:

  • Save all English 680 work until the course is over
  • Maintain copies of drafts and work-in-progress
  • Create folders on your hard drive and in your INBOX (email) for this class.
  • Keep copies of your email messages related to the course as a record of your work. For all messages that you send to the instructor, you should either have the message sent to your "Sent" folder in your email account or cc: yourself the message so that you have a copy for verification

Electronic Ethics and Respect
Electronic media allows us some freedoms that print media does not allow. Consequently, it is also subject to abuse. Please be respectful of your peers throughout the semester by not displaying, viewing, or posting web pages, files, or emails that may make others uncomfortable. Violations of this respect can be considered harassment according to university policy and will be handled as such.


ethics&plagiarism

As per the University's Honor Code, you must do your own original work in this class–and appropriately identify that portion of your work which is collaborative with others, or which is borrowed from others, or which is your own work from other contexts. Whenever you borrow graphics, quote passages, or use ideas from others, you are legally and/or ethically obliged to acknowledge that use, following appropriate conventions for documenting sources. In this class, the most serious form of academic dishonesty is to recycle another individual's major project under your own name.

If you have doubts about whether or not you are using your own or others' writing ethically and legally, ask the instructor. Follow this primary principle: If in doubt, ask. Be up front and honest about what you are doing and about what you have contributed to an assignment.


documented.disability

If you have a documented disability, make sure you register with Disability Services (757. 683.4655). Once you do so, feel free to talk to the instructor about any special accommodations that you may need to fulfill the requirements of this course.


course.evaluations

At the end of the semester, you will have an opportunity to evaluate the instructor and the course. This is very important for helping the instructor and the department assess the course. Please take the time at the end of the semester to do these online evaluations.

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