Spanish-American Institute

502 Business English 120 Classes

Prerequisite(s): English 501 (level VI) or equivalent

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

Course Description: Business English teaches English language skills designed to help students communicate more successfully in a business environment. The course emphasizes writing as a process of development that includes drafting, writing, editing, and reading for clear expression and correct language use.

Objectives: By the end of the course, students are expected:

• to understand the process of writing;
• to use different patterns of development;
• to understand the difference between correct writing and effective writing;
• to understand how context affects meaning, grammar, and other writing choices;

• to recognize and solve common sentence problems in English;
• 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 know how to write error-free, effective documents.

Instructional Methods: Students will be guided through the writing process, followed by practice in context activities that allow them to apply each new writing concept to their own writing. Classes will include analysis, grammar, reading, and writing practice in context.

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%

Course Outline:

Weeks	Topics	Assignments and Tests
1-2	Using the text: parts of the book, glossaries, profiles, visuals, charts, margin information, objectives, summaries, key terms, and other learning aids. Focus on paragraphs: using invention strategies, selecting and arranging ideas, drafting a paragraph, and revising; self and peer editing; fine-tuning your paragraph; revising for unity, and coherence. 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.	Vocabulary log: Begin a weekly vocabulary log, following guidelines provided by the instructor. Complete assigned writing practice exercises from chapters 1-2. Complete assigned grammar and usage practice exercises, copying the entire passages and inserting correct answers where needed. Chapter 21 editing practice: rewrite the entire passage correctly. Write an original paragraph or more, as assigned.
3-5	Paragraph development patterns: exemplification and narration paragraphs. Close reading from exemplification and narration selections. Sentence fragments.	Vocabulary log. Complete assigned writing practice exercises from chapters 3-4. Complete grammar and usage practice exercises 22-1 to 22-4, copying the entire passages and inserting correct answers where needed. Chapter 22 editing practice: rewrite the entire passage correctly. Write an original paragraph or more in response to an assigned "writing first" question.
6-8	Paragraph development patterns: description and process paragraphs. Close reading from description and process selections. Subject-verb agreement. Review for test.	Vocabulary log. Complete assigned writing practice exercises from chapters 5-6. Complete grammar and usage practice exercises 23-1 to 23-4, copying the entire passages and inserting correct answers where needed. Chapter 23 editing practice: rewrite the entire passage correctly. Write an original paragraph or more in response to an assigned chapter's "writing first" question. Test, week 8.
9-11	Paragraph development patterns: cause and effect and comparison and contrast paragraphs. Close reading from cause and effect and comparison and contrast selections. Avoiding illogical shifts.	Vocabulary log. Complete assigned writing practice exercises from chapters 7-8. Complete grammar and usage practice exercises 24-1 to 24-4, copying the entire passages and inserting correct answers where needed. Chapter 24 editing practice: rewrite the entire passage correctly. Write an original paragraph or more in response to an assigned chapter's "writing first" question.
12-14	Paragraph development patterns: classification and definition paragraphs. Close reading from classification and definition selections. Subject-verb agreement	Vocabulary log. Complete assigned writing practice exercises from chapters 9-10. Complete grammar and usage practice exercises 23-1 to 23-4, copying the entire passages and inserting correct answers where needed. Chapter 23 editing practice: rewrite the entire passage correctly. Write an original paragraph or more in response to one of the chapter's "writing first" questions.
15-17	Paragraph development patterns: the argumentation paragraph. Close reading from argument selections. Writing effective sentences: the simple sentence. Verbs: past tense. Review for test.	Vocabulary log. Complete assigned writing practice exercises. Complete practice exercises as assigned, copying the entire passages and inserting correct answers where needed. Chapter 26 editing practice: rewrite the entire passage correctly. Write an original paragraph or more in response to an assigned chapter's "writing first" question Test, week 16.
18	Writing effective sentences: the compound sentence. Verbs: past participles. Dangling and misplaced modifiers	Vocabulary log. Review one of the readings at the end of the book: § Select one of the author's compound sentences. § Rewrite as two simple sentences. § Then explain why it works better as a compound sentence. Complete practice exercises, as assigned, copying the entire passages and inserting correct answers where needed. Chapter 25 and 27 editing practice: rewrite the entire passage(s) correctly. Write an original paragraph or more in response an assigned chapter's "writing first" question
19	Writing effective sentences: the complex sentence. Nouns and pronouns.	Vocabulary log. Review one of the readings at the end of the book: § Select one of the author's complex sentences. § Rewrite as two simple sentences and one compound sentence. § Then explain why it works more effectively as a complex sentence. Complete practice exercises, as assigned, copying the entire passages and inserting correct answers where needed. Chapter 17 and 28 editing practice: rewrite the entire assigned passage(s) correctly.
20	Writing effective sentences: sentence variety. Using parallelism. Adjectives and adverbs.	Vocabulary log. Review one of the readings at the end of the book: Select a paragraph that displays sentence variety. Rewrite the paragraph using only simple sentences. Then explain why using sentence variety works more effectively than using only simple sentences. Complete practice exercises, as assigned, copying the entire passages and inserting correct answers where needed. Chapter 18, 19, and 29 editing practice: rewrite the entire assigned passage(s) correctly. Write an original paragraph or more in response to an assigned chapter's "writing first" question
21	Using words effectively. Grammar and usage issues for ESL writers.	Vocabulary log. Review one of the essays at the end of the book: § Write down at least three words that you think the author uses effectively. § In complete sentences, explain why you think so. Complete practice exercises as assigned, 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 an assigned chapter's "writing first" question.
22	Writing for exams: careful reading, time budgeting, revising and editing. Reacting to reading exercise. Using commas and apostrophes Understanding spelling.	Vocabulary log. Appendix A, section 2. Review one of the essays at the end of the book: Write down the author's thesis statement. List the arguments the author uses to support the essay. Write a paragraph of more summarizing the essay, using the above information. Complete practice exercises from chapter 31-34, as assigned, copying the entire passages and inserting correct answers where needed. Chapter editing practice: rewrite one or more of the assigned passages correctly. Write an original paragraph or more in response to an assigned chapter's "writing first" question.
23-24	Avoiding plagiarism Understanding mechanics. Review for test	Vocabulary log. Appendix B, section 6. 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 an assigned chapter's "writing first" question. Test, week 24. .

rev. 2/04