Reading Skills

Course Description

The aim of the reading component of this course is twofold. Students will form a basic core of reading skills (skimming, scanning, making inferences, recognizing patterns) and learn to apply these skills in an extensive reading environment. Additionally, the subject matter of the articles students will be reading will form a foundation for understanding light science materials written in English. Furthermore, in the writing component, students will develop the fundamental building blocks for the English writing skills needed in science and engineering communities.

Course Goals

Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:

• quickly get the gist of and find specific information in a reading passage
• identify the main ideas of a reading passage and summarize them
• take an active role in academic discussions by expressing opinions and asking questions
• identify the essay structure and paragraph structures of an academic essay
• write opening and closing statements, thesis statements, topic sentences, summaries and transitions in an academic essay
• write a properly-formatted body paragraph in a four-paragraph academic essay

For more detailed information, check the Can-do Goals for this course.

Grading Criteria

Grades will be based on the following:

6 Pre-reading Exercises	These exercises are graded on a 4.0-0 scale. If all requirements of the task are completed at an exceptional level, you will receive 4.0 points; if they are fully met, you will receive 3.0-3.5 points; if they are adequately met, 2.0-2.5 points; if they are only partially met, 0.5-1.5 point; if you do not participate in the task or are absent, 0 points.	24 points
6 Post-reading Exercises		24 points
6 Extensive Reading Exercises	5.0 points each	30 points
2 Writing Workshops	5.0 points each	10 points
2 Writing Assignments	6.0 points each	12 points
Late to class, using your cell phone, chattering in Japanese, sleeping in class, no text, no dictionary	minus 1 point

Text

Reading and Listening Skills AD/IH English Expeditions, Seibido Publishing Co., Ltd.

Note: You are required to purchase a copy of this text for this class. Any possession of a copy of this text (even if it is your own copy) from a previous semester will be considered a violation of academic honesty.

English-English Dictionary

You are required to bring an English-English dictionary to class every day. See the list of recommended dictionaries below for more information.

Course Schedule

Class	Pre/Post Reading	Exercise	Workshop	Writing Assignment	Agenda
1	Orientation
2	Unit 1 Pre-reading	Exercise
3	Unit 1 Post-reading	Return & Review
4	Unit 2 Pre-reading	Exercise
5	Unit 2 Post-reading	Return & Review
6	Unit 3 Pre-reading	Exercise
7	Unit 3 Post-reading	Return & Review
8	Unit 4 Pre-reading	Exercise
9	Unit 4 Post-reading	Return & Review
10	Unit 5 Pre-reading	Exercise
11	Unit 5 Post-reading	Return & Review
12			Writing Workshop I
13			Writing Workshop II	1st Draft
14	Unit 6 Pre-reading	Exercise
15	Unit 6 Post-reading	Return & Review		Final Draft

Course Can-do Goals

Reading Skills

1. I can read authentic text that is 1–2 pages long and moderately complex.
2. I can quickly find the information that I’m looking for in an authentic 1–2 page text.
3. I can quickly get the gist of an authentic 1–2 page text.
4. I can read and understand both concrete and abstract language, dealing with facts, opinions and feelings.
5. I can sometimes infer the meaning of a new word by the context or by the use of prefixes and suffixes in the word.
6. I can paraphrase and summarize the main points of a reading section.
7. I can use an English dictionary for ESL learners for confirmation and to be more precise.

Recognizing Writing Structure

1. I can recognize the structure of a four-paragraph essay.
2. I can recognize the different parts of an introductory paragraph.
3. I can recognize the different parts of a body paragraph.
4. I can recognize the different parts of a concluding paragraph.
5. I can recognize a thesis statement.
6. I can recognize a topic sentence.
7. I can recognize supporting sentences.
8. I can recognize a transitional sentence.
9. I can recognize a summary sentence.

Utilizing Writing Structure

1. I can write a properly organized four-paragraph essay.
2. I can write a properly organized introductory paragraph.
3. I can write a properly organized body paragraph.
4. I can write a properly organized concluding paragraph.
5. I can write a clear and concise thesis statement.
6. I can write a clear and concise topic sentence.
7. I can write clear and concise supporting sentences.
8. I can write a clear and concise transitional sentence.
9. I can write a clear and concise summary sentence.

Speaking Skills

1. I can participate in a small group discussion and express my opinions, feelings and reservations about a topic.
2. I can correct myself or rephrase what I said when I know that people do not understand me.
3. I can use a variety of sentence structures and idioms.
4. I can ask people to repeat when I don’t understand.
5. I can use a number of strategies to keep a conversation going.

Academic Skills

1. I can identify the important parts of a lecture and take notes in English.
2. I can follow written instructions in class.
3. I can follow verbal instructions in class.
4. I can work with others in a group to develop a consensus.
5. I can use a thesaurus properly.



Program-wide Standards

Grading Scale

94% or more, A+; 84-93%, A; 74-83%, B; 60-73%, C; below 60%, F

NOTE: At the end of your second semester, you will be taking a TOEIC®L&R IP Test. You will then be re-streamed for your second-year courses based on the results of this achievement exam, your placement test, and the numerical average of all of your first-year English courses. Therefore, it is important to strive for not only a high letter grade, but also for the highest numerical grade that you are capable of.

Attendance Policy

Students are expected to attend class regularly. Failure to attend class regularly may result in a reduction of the student's overall grade. Students will be penalized 3 'demerits' for each absence and 1 'demerit' for each 30-minute period they're late. Students who accumulate more than 15 'demerits' (the equivalent of 5 absences) will receive an unsatisfactory grade ('F') for the course, regardless of their actual score. As a rule, no make-up work will be given for unexcused absences.

NOTE: Students who fail to take the TOEIC®L&R IP Test will have 5 points subtracted from the total score of EACH English class they are enrolled in.

English-English Dictionaries

You are required to bring an English-English dictionary to class every day. The following is a list of quality paper dictionaries for English language learners. You may use any other dictionary or you may elect to use an electronic dictionary.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, Oxford University Press.
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Longman Press.
Collins Cobuild English Dictionary, HarperCollins Publishers.

Online FAQs

A bilingual set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) has been prepared for each course, as well as a general set for the entire curriculum. You can access these FAQs from the menus on your English Expeditions home page. Please read all of your FAQs before your second meeting.

Extra-Credit Points

The English Expeditions extra-credit system is tied to your TOEIC®L&R IP Test results, in order to encourage all students to practice their TOEIC-IP® test-taking skills. For more information on the TOEIC®L&R IP test, see the TOEIC® Exercises section of your Online Education text. The extra-credit point system is as follows:

Semester One	Semester Two	Semester Three	Semester Four
No extra-credit points are available.	Score higher on your first-year TOEIC®L&R IP Test than you scored on your placement test.	No extra-credit points are available.	Score higher on your second-year TOEIC®L&R IP Test than you scored on your first-year test.

NOTE: Extra-credit points are only available for regularly matriculating (no genkyuufukki) students in all levels of English 3, English 4, English 7, English 8, and Super-Advanced and Advanced-level English 10.

The Extra-Credit points available are outlined in the chart below.
Note: TOEIC® Bridge-IP scores will be converted to TOEIC®L&R IP Test scores for all calculations.

No Academic Honesty Violations	TOEIC-IP Exam				Extra- Credit Points
	Took Exam	Score Gain	Score > 200	Score < 20% Drop
					6
					0
					0
					-5
					-5
					-5

The Academic Honesty Policy for S&E English Classes

The following will be considered violations of our academic honesty policy:

1. Copying any answers from another student's exercise, doing any exercises together with other students, or using a textbook from previous years. Exercises are to be completed entirely on your own.
2. Showing any portion of your exercise to another student.
3. Using any form of 'cheat sheet' in performing an exercise, quiz, etc.
4. Taking copies of an exercise, quiz, etc. (including unused copies) outside of the classroom. (This includes taking pictures of the exercise, quiz, etc.)
5. Using writing instruments or telephones during feedback of an in-class exercise, quiz, etc.
6. Copying answers from another student's exercise, quiz, etc. while it is being administered.
7. Copying any portion of a homework exercise from another student.
8. Allowing any portion of your homework exercise to be copied by another student.
9. Copying (or closely paraphrasing) portions of a homework assignment from other sources (printed matter, the Internet, etc.) and presenting it as your own, regardless of whether you acknowledge the source. This includes using translation software to translate any portion of your submission into English.
10. Sharing Rainbow or English Expeditions User IDs or Passwords with another student.

Any of the above violations will result in a score of 0 for ALL exercises on that day, as well as forfeiting your chance for extra-credit.

理工学部英語授業における「不正行為」に関する取り決め

不正行為は、いかなる理由があれ一切認められません。以下のような行為は、不正行為とみなします。

1. 他者に（たとえ一部でも）課題の答えを写させてもらった場合 （課題を複数で一緒にやること、そして、過年度のテキストを使用することも含みます／課題は必ず独力でやること）
2. 他者に（たとえ一部でも）課題の答えを写させた場合
3. Quiz, Exercise等において、カンニングペーパー等を使用した場合
4. Quiz, Exercise等の答案(未使用のものも含む)を不当に持ち帰った場合 (カメラ付き携帯等による撮影も含みます)
5. Quiz, Exercise等のフィードバックの際、筆記用具、携帯電話等を手にした場合 (正答を盗もうとしたとみなします)
6. その他、Quiz, Exercise等の実施を妨害する行為、他者の受験を妨害する行為、 替え玉受験等も、不正行為とみなします。
7. Homework Assignmentにおいて、他者のAssignmentの一部または全部をコピーした場合
8. Homework Assignmentにおいて、他者に自身のAssignmentの一部または全部を コピーさせた場合
9. Homework Assignmentにおいて、書籍やWWWのサイトから得た情報をそのまま、 もしくは改ざんの後、断りなく(引用を明記せずに)、自身のAssignmentに盗り入れた(すなわち著作権を侵害した)場合(英語の授業で課されるassignmentの多くは、引用を明記する、しないにかかわらず、一切の引用を認めていません) 。これには翻訳ソフトの使用も含みます。一旦日本語で書いて、それを翻訳ソフトを利用して翻訳して提出することは、それがたとえ一文であっても許されません。
10. RainbowやEnglish ExpeditionsのユーザーIDやパスワードの授受があった場合

上記、および上記に類する「不正行為」があった場合は、当該学生の当該科目における、その日の得点を0点にするとともに、Extra-credit pointsはすべて無効になります。