Course

Reading/Writing Intermediate Level

Faculty
Language, Literature & Performing Arts
Department
English Upgrading
Course code
ENGU 0355
Credits
6.00
Semester length
15 weeks
Max class size
18
Method(s) of instruction
Tutorial
Course designation
None
Industry designation
None
Typically offered
Fall
Summer
Winter

Overview

Course description
This is an integrated reading and writing course. It is designed for students who need to develop comprehension of academic text and the expression of ideas in a variety of formats including academic essays and reports. The course is appropriate for students who are preparing to write the GED exams, to enter vocational or career programs at a college level, or to enter the sequence of preparatory courses for university transfer reading and writing work. Reading work in this course will emphasize summing up main points, analyzing points of view and responding critically. Reading material used will be at an introductory college level. Writing work will require students to make use of information, concepts and analyses from their reading work and to employ these in developing academic organization, content and language in their writing.
Course content

Writing

Where appropriate, students will receive instruction concerning:

  1. Strategies
    • generating ideas and accessing information  
    • setting purpose and recognizing needs of the audience
    • planning design and organizing material
    • initial drafting techniques
    • obtaining and handling feedback
    • redrafting and editing
    • proofreading and producing final copy
  2. Standard Written Expression
    • mechanics and punctuation (end marks, commas, apostrophes, quotation marks, semi-colons, and capital letters, etc.)
    • usage errors (verb forms, agreement, inflections, pronoun reference, and fractured idioms, etc.)
  3. Syntactic and Semantic Control
    • sentence construction (simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences)
    • sentence variety (use of infinitive phrases, appositives, and other adjectival and adverbial constructions)
    • avoiding sentence errors (fragments, run-ons, faulty parallelism, dangling modifiers, etc.)
    • use of abstract and specific language
    • choice of appropriate words (formality, connotation, precision, etc.)

Reading

Students will receive instruction in the following areas, using reading materials selected from a variety of academic contexts covering a range of topics:

  1. Identifying main idea
  2. Differentiating main ideas from supporting details
  3. Drawing inferences and determining implications
  4. Distinguishing fact from opinion
  5. Identifying cause and effect
  6. Recognizing author's tone, intent, and point of view
  7. Paraphrasing
  8. Making generalizations
  9. Summarizing
  10. Making comparisons and synthesizing ideas from different sources
  11. Compiling a brief report based on a lengthy article or book
  12. Critically evaluating ideas in text
  13. Conducting library research
  14. Participating in class discussion
  15. Developing flexibility in reading speed
  16. Using context to determine meaning
  17. Making a short oral presentation
Learning activities

Classroom instructional mode will vary with instructional goals.  Lecture, large-group discussion, small-group discussion and learning activities, cooperative learning, and individual learning activities may be employed.

Lab tutorial and scheduled individual appointment time will be available as appropriate.  Student-directed learning outside of the classroom will also constitute a component of instruction.

Means of assessment

Assessment will be in accordance with the Douglas College Evaluation Policy using a mastery model of evaluation.

Progress will be monitored in an ongoing and cumulative fashion by the instructor, based on written and oral demonstrations of skill.  Course credit will be granted on the basis of achievement of course objectives as demonstrated by satisfactory completion of course assignments. Satisfactory progress and undertaking of independent learning are expected.  Specific feedback will accompany completed assignments, and more general feedback on progress will be provided periodically by the instructor as appropriate.

A minimum of 40% of the grade is allocated to 3 reading-based papers (minimum of one in-class).  No more than 60% of grade is allocated to additional various reading and writing assignments such as quizzes, summaries, paragraphs, journals, responses, tests, debates, oral presentations, etc.

Instructors may use a student's record of attendance and/or level of active participation in the course as part of the student's graded performance. Where this occurs, expectations and grade calculations regarding class attendance and participation will be clearly defind in the instructor Course Outline.

Learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of the course students will be able to:

Writing

  1. develop confidence and experience using the process of writing;
  2. augment experience and effectiveness at composing a variety of practical writing assignments;
  3. gain initial experience with forms of writing that promote the development of analytical and critical thinking abilities;
  4. gain initial experience with the techniques and styles of essays and reports;
  5. improve awareness and control of the degrees of language formality suitable for different writing tasks;
  6. improve ability to make appropriate word choices;
  7. demonstrate growth in ability to create texts characterized by effective unity, organization and support;
  8. demonstrate growth in ability to convey feelings, ideas and opinions in appropriate written formats;
  9. demonstrate initial competency constructing multi-paragraph composition.

Reading

  1. develop and practice effective strategies, skills, and approaches to reading that are directed at the improvement  of comprehension of academic text;
  2. broaden and deepen general as well as content-specific knowledge in order to improve comprehension;
  3. demonstrate comprehension of text both orally and in written form;
  4. participate in group discussion and work cooperatively in an academic setting.
Textbook materials

Students may be required to purchase a textbook, coursepack, and/or computer disks.

Requisites

Prerequisites

ENGU 0256

or

ENGU placement test and interview

or

English Studies 12 or English First Peoples 12 with a minimum final grade of "C-"

Corequisites

No corequisite courses.

Equivalencies

No equivalent courses.

Course Guidelines

Course Guidelines for previous years are viewable by selecting the version desired. If you took this course and do not see a listing for the starting semester / year of the course, consider the previous version as the applicable version.

(Current)

Course Transfers

These are for current course guidelines only. For a full list of archived courses please see https://www.bctransferguide.ca

Institution Transfer details for ENGU 0355
There are no applicable transfer credits for this course.

Course Offerings

Summer 2025

CRN Days Instructor Status
Maximum seats
18
Currently enrolled
18
Remaining seats:
0
On waitlist
0
Building
Coquitlam - Bldg. B
Room
B2150
Times:
Start Time
18:30
-
End Time
21:20
Building
Coquitlam - Bldg. B
Room
B2150
Times:
Start Time
18:30
-
End Time
21:20
Building
Online
Room
ONLINE
Times:
-
Section notes

ENGU 0355 050 - This course is primarily for students looking to enter Early Childhood Education and/or Child and Youth Care courses and programs. Registration in this course requires overrides provided by the ENGU Coordinator. This course is tuition-free for domestic students. This course will require regular access to a computer and the internet.