Reading and Composition for ESL Students Entering the HCSW Program

Reading Skills

Course texts will have a healthcare focus whenever possible.

Understand information and ideas in academic/professional texts such as textbook excerpts, case studies, reports, bulletins, and evaluations (up to 4 pages in length).  

• Use pre-reading strategies: review titles, subtitles, visuals; predict content; skim for key ideas/findings.
• Scan text for specific information/details.
• Identify purpose and/or issues, overall key idea, main ideas, and details.
• Distinguish facts from opinions.
• Identify text organization: text structure, sequencing, and links between paragraphs.
• Compare and contrast information from different sections/texts.
• Identify an author’s purpose, intent, mood and attitude in sections of the text.

Understand instructional texts (~5-10 paragraphs) and/or multistep instructions (~10-13 steps).

• Identify sequence and location signals.
• Recognize implied meanings.
• Infer correct sequence of steps.
• Follow written instructions to complete a task.

Interpret and/or present data from formatted texts such as graphs, diagrams, and charts.

• Identify the layout and organization of the text to find the information needed.
• Scan the text for specific information.
• Present information contained in charts, diagrams, and graphs in an alternate form.

Understand ideas and information in academic/professional/personal correspondence.

• Identify the organization/layout of the text.
• Identify key ideas, specific details, and implied information.
• Identify the writer’s purpose, mood, attitude, and relationship with the reader.
• Identify the register and style.
• Identify the context/situation.

Determine meanings of unfamiliar words/phrases in course materials.

• Use context clues within sentences and in surrounding sentences.
• Use word analysis (word families and affixes).
• Use an English-English dictionary, thesaurus, index, and/or glossary.

Find reference sources.

• Use library resources including catalogue and online databases.
• Use the Internet: create search strategies, use subject directories and search engines, and evaluate web sites.

Writing Skills

Writing assignments will have a healthcare focus whenever possible.

Write formal and informal compositions such as paragraphs and case studies.

• Write reflectively about course readings.
• Understand assignment instructions, including audience, purpose, and format.
• Address the purpose of the task.
• Generate ideas from readings.
• Develop and support one idea in a multi-paragraph (2-3 paragraphs) composition.
• Create composition outlines.
• Write topic sentences with specific controlling ideas.
• Develop unified, specific, fully-developed supporting details.
• Create coherence within and between paragraphs using appropriate transition signals and pronoun reference.
• Use appropriate text organization and discourse markers to signal chronological order, comparisons, contrasts, causes, or effects.
• Use reference sources such as dictionaries and thesauruses to select appropriate word choice/word forms.

Write summaries.

• Summarize ideas and information from readings.
• Summarize information in a table, graph, diagram, or patient chart.

Write formal and informal correspondence.

• Format the message appropriately.
• Clearly convey the intended message to the reader.
• Express main ideas and support them with details.
• Use language and content that is appropriate and relevant to the situation and audience.
• Use appropriate salutations and closings.

Complete formatted texts/forms.

• Identify the purpose of the form and its sections.
• Complete the form with all required information.
• Spell and use punctuation, capitalization, dates, and numbers correctly.

Revising

• Proofread, edit and redraft own work.
• Redraft and revise following peer and teacher feedback.

Accuracy

For explicit instruction and evaluation

Grammar

• Correctly form and use verb aspect (simple, progressive, perfect) and tense (past, present, future).
• Review differences in form and use of passive and active structures.
• Review form, meaning, and use of basic reported speech including tense rules.
• Review compound and complex sentence structures including adverb clauses (time, purpose, basic conditional, reason, etc.), noun clauses, and basic relative/adjective clauses.
• Expand range of cause/effect, conditional, and comparison/contrast connectors used to join ideas (conjunctions, subordinators, transitions).
• Identify and correct infinitive/gerund/base form errors.

Vocabulary

• Identify and correct plural/singular errors with frequently-used count and non-count nouns.
• Appropriately use a range of idiomatic language, cultural references, and figures of speech.
• Identify and correct errors in word forms (nouns, adjectives, adverbs).
• Identify and correct errors in spelling following common spelling conventions.

Register

Identify and use a range of different styles and registers appropriate for formal and informal academic and professional audiences and situations.

Self-monitor for accuracy

Apply knowledge of parts of speech, word choice, register, sentence elements, specified sentence types, and mechanics as specified for this level to identify and correct errors.

Study/Classroom Skills

Use study skills 

• Prepare for a variety of test formats including objective and essay tests.
• Prepare study notes and annotate text.
• Predict exam questions.
• Use word processing editing aids (spelling, grammar check, and thesaurus).
• Learn and memorize content and vocabulary from class materials.
• Use myDouglas and/or Blackboard for communication and coursework purposes.

Take responsibility for:

• Attendance and punctuality.
• Class work and assignments.
• Participation and teamwork.
• Proper classroom etiquette.