EL502:
Reading and Culture I (0 credits)
Chiyeko
Kristin Takayoshi, Adjunct Instructor in ESL
Fall 2005 Pasadena
DESCRIPTION:
This
10-week course strengthens academic reading skills through the study of
culture. Every week, students practice reading strategies that enable students
to read faster, build comprehension, and sharpen study skills. Students read a
variety of texts and perform reading tasks that are typical of seminary study.
In particular, students read to understand culture and cross-cultural communication.
Students discover insights into cultures and develop communication skills that
will enhance cross-cultural participation. Thus, reading stimulates dynamic
interaction of language skills and cultural learning.
LEARNING
OUTCOMES:
Language Objectives
· Applying pre-reading strategies to academic texts
· Skimming
texts to find main ideas
· Scanning
texts to locate specific information
· Increasing
academic reading rate and improving comprehension
· Identifying
meaning in new vocabulary through context clues/ word forms
· Recognizing
main ideas
· Identifying
supporting ideas
· Recognizing
implied main ideas and central point
· Understanding
organization and relationship of ideas
· Develop
effective study skills and critical thinking skills for reading assignments
·
Gain
exposure to a variety of Christian literature and themes common in seminary
Cross-Cultural Objectives
· Provide an understanding of mainstream American culture,
including cultural uses of English values, behaviors, and cultural diversity
within the United States
·
Increase
knowledge and communication skills to address cultural conflict &
adjustment
·
Describe
patterns of interpersonal and intercultural communication and culture that
contrast with American patterns
COURSE FORMAT: Students actively engage in
different types of academic reading, exercises, small group work,
presentations, lectures, and discussions.
REQUIRED
READING:
Langan,
John. Ten Steps to Improving College Reading Skills. (4th ed.) Townsend
Press, 2003.
Levine, Deena R. and Mara B. Adelman. Beyond Language: Cross-Cultural
Communication. ( 2nd ed.) Prentice Hall Regents, 1993.
Folse, Keith S. Intermediate Reading Practices: Building Reading &
Vocabulary Skills. (Revised edition) University of Michigan Press, 1993.
RECOMMENDED
READING:
Levine,
Deena R., Jim Baxter, and Piper McNutty. The Culture Puzzle: Cross-Cultural
Communication for English as a Second Language. Prentice Hall Regents,
1987.
Baudoin, Margaret E. et al. Reader’s Choice. (3rd ed.) Univ. of Michigan
Press, 1994.
ASSIGNMENTS:
This noncredit course is “Satisfactory” or “Not Satisfactory.” The
following requirements are designed to strengthen cultural and English language
fluency, particularly reading skills:
1. Class participation and preparation (weekly reading, oral and written
assignments)
2. Cultural Observation Report (250 words)
3. Reading Log of 1000 pages and 4 Reading Report Forms
4. Integration Paper (1250 words)
5. Big Book Group Project
PREREQUISITES:
None.
RELATIONSHIP
TO CURRICULUM: Meets partial requirements to advance within the ESL Program.
FINAL
EXAM: ESL Exit Exam.