Spanish-American Institute

404 Business Communications 72 Classes

Prerequisite(s): None

Textbooks: Laurie G. Kirszner et al, Writing First: Practice in Context, Bedford St. Martin's: 2000 (or comparable text).

Course Description: While developing English language skills, this course emphasizes the application of correct grammar and punctuation to letters, memos, reports, and other forms of personal and business communication.

Objectives: By the end of the course, students should be able:

• to recognize and solve common sentence problems in English;
• to understand how context affects meaning and to correct grammar and other writing choices;
• to recognize and use correct English grammar in context with an emphasis upon grammar and usage issues for ESL writers;
• to understand and use correct punctuation, mechanics, and spelling in business writing; and
• to use English language skills to develop letters, memos, and other common forms of personal-business and business communication.

Instructional Methods: Students will review English grammar and usage and will apply what they have learned to recognizing and editing common errors in paragraph and longer passages that require understanding of context and meaning as well as of correctness. Students will also compose short documents based on models.

Grading: The final grade will be based on an average of grades for class participation, assignments, and tests. Students will create a learning portfolio that includes assignment and test results.

Course Outline: Grading: The final grade is based on the following:

Class Participation	25%
Assignments	50%
Exams	25%
Total	100%

The grading scale is: A=90-100%, B+=85-89%, B=80-84%, C+=75-79%, C=70-74%, D=65-69%, F=60-64%

Contents:

Week	Topics	Assignments and Tests
1	Run-ons and comma splices. Develop a weekly vocabulary log with complete sentence definitions and illustrations. Vocabulary guidelines: write two complete sentences for each word, one that describes its meaning and one that gives an example of its use.	Read Chapter 21 directions for recognizing run-ons and comma splices. Vocabulary log: Begin a weekly vocabulary log, following guidelines provided by the instructor. Complete practice exercises 21-1 to 21-4, copying the entire passages and inserting correct answers where needed. Chapter editing practice: Rewrite the entire passage correctly. Write an original paragraph or more in response to the chapter's "writing first" question.
2	Sentence fragments.	Read Chapter 22 directions for recognizing run-ons and comma splices. Vocabulary log. Complete practice exercises 22-1 to 22-4, copying the entire passages and inserting correct answers where needed. Chapter editing practice: Rewrite the entire passage correctly. Write an original paragraph or more in response to the chapter's "writing first" question.
3	Subject-verb agreement.	Read Chapter 23 directions for recognizing run-ons and comma splices. Vocabulary log. Complete practice exercises 23-1 to 23-4, copying the entire passages and inserting correct answers where needed. Chapter editing practice: Rewrite the entire passage correctly. Write an original paragraph or more in response to the chapter's "writing first" question
4	Illogical shifts.	Read Chapter 24 directions for recognizing run-ons and comma splices. Vocabulary log. Complete practice exercises 24-1 to 24-4, copying the entire passages and inserting correct answers where needed. Chapter editing practice: Rewrite the entire passage correctly. Write an original paragraph or more in response to the chapter's "writing first" question
5	Dangling and misplaced modifiers.	Read Chapter 25 directions for recognizing run-ons and comma splices. Vocabulary log. Complete practice exercises 25-1 to 25-4, copying the entire passages and inserting correct answers where needed. Chapter editing practice. Rewrite the entire passage correctly. Copy and correct the entire passage. Write an original paragraph or more in response to the chapter's "writing first" question
6	Verbs: past tense.	Read Chapter 26 directions for recognizing run-ons and comma splices. Vocabulary log. Complete practice exercises 26-1 to 26-4, copying the entire passages and inserting correct answers where needed. Chapter editing practice: Rewrite the entire passage correctly. Write an original paragraph or more in response to the chapter's "writing first" question
7	Verbs: past participles.	Read Chapter 27 directions for recognizing run-ons and comma splices. Vocabulary log. Complete practice exercises 27-1 to 27-4, copying the entire passages and inserting correct answers where needed. Chapter editing practice: Rewrite the entire passage correctly. Write an original paragraph or more in response to the chapter's "writing first" question
8	Nouns and pronouns. Review for test.	Read Chapter 28 directions for recognizing run-ons and comma splices. Vocabulary log. Complete practice exercises 28-1 to 28-4, copying the entire passages and inserting correct answers where needed. Chapter editing practice: Rewrite the entire passage correctly. Test.
9	Adjectives and adverbs.	Read Chapter 29 directions for recognizing run-ons and comma splices. Vocabulary log. Complete practice exercises 29-1 to 29-4, copying the entire passages and inserting correct answers where needed. Chapter editing practice: Rewrite the entire passage correctly. Write an original paragraph or more in response to the chapter's "writing first" question
10	Grammar and usage issues for ESL writers.	Read Chapter 30 directions for recognizing run-ons and comma splices. Vocabulary log. Complete practice exercises 30-1 to 30-4, copying the entire passages and inserting correct answers where needed. Chapter editing practice: Rewrite the entire passage correctly. Write an original paragraph or more in response to the chapter's "writing first" question.
11	Using commas.	Read Chapter 31 directions for recognizing run-ons and comma splices. Vocabulary log. Complete practice exercises 31-1 to 31-4, copying the entire passages and inserting correct answers where needed. Chapter editing practice: Rewrite the entire passage correctly. Write an original paragraph or more in response to the chapter's "writing first" question.
12	Using apostrophes.	Read Chapter 32 directions for recognizing run-ons and comma splices. Vocabulary log. 2-1 to 32-4, copying the entire passages and inserting correct answers where needed. Chapter editing practice: Rewrite the entire passage correctly. Write an original paragraph or more in response to the chapter's "writing first" question.
13	Understanding mechanics.	Read Chapter 33 directions for recognizing run-ons and comma splices. Vocabulary log. Complete practice exercises 33-1 to 33-4, copying the entire passages and inserting correct answers where needed. Chapter editing practice: Rewrite the entire passage correctly. Write an original paragraph or more in response to the chapter's "writing first" question
14	Understanding spelling.	Read Chapter 34 directions for recognizing run-ons and comma splices. Vocabulary log. Complete practice exercises 34-1 to 34-4, copying the entire passages and inserting correct answers where needed. Chapter editing practice: Rewrite the entire passage correctly. Write an original paragraph or more in response to the chapter's "writing first" question
15	Review for test.	Test

rev. 2/04