English 111 Ashkenas
Texts:
THE ESSAY CONNECTION, edited by Lynn Z. Bloom
(8th edition)
Office telephone: 845-6242.
Office e-mail:
dashkenas@nvcc.edu
Web page address
http://www.nvcc.edu/home/dashkenas
Office hours: TBA.
Course prerequisites: You must have placed
into 111 (WITHOUT LAB) on the Placement Test, or you must have taken and passed
the required developmental or ESL preparation courses. You may not take English
111 simultaneously with more advanced English classes (112 or above), with one
exception: You may take 111 concurrently with English 135, College Grammar. I’m
not responsible for any difficulties you encounter with the course as a result
of being improperly placed.
Attendance: Don’t miss more than 3 classes.
If you do, especially if you don’t discuss the matter with me and/or cannot
complete all the coursework, you may wind up with an "F" in the
class. But even if you don’t fail, you should assume that ANY absence could
adversely affect your grade. Students often fail assignments because they don’t
get a full set of directions, but think the sketchy idea they do get is
adequate. So listen: YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE
FOR ANY MISUNDERSTANDINGS YOU HAVE ABOUT COURSE REGULATIONS OR DIRECTIONS FOR
ASSIGNMENTS. This is ALWAYS true, so long as the majority of your classmates
did not have the same misunderstanding you did about what was happening.
An additional note regarding the “W” and “I”
grades: College-wide rules regarding the
assignment of these grades have changed since the spring semester. I’m no longer permitted to give these grades
on the final grade roll, as was once my custom for students who were unable to
finish the course work or who were at risk for failing the class. Here’s what this means to you: You should assume that you may no longer get
a “W” in this or any other class after the last date to withdraw without grade
penalty, which is published in the fall Schedule of Classes. (This semester it’s October 27th.) You may get an “I” only in the event of a
last-minute emergency, and then only if we discuss the problem and you sign a
form with me in advance. DO NOT ASSUME
THAT I WILL GIVE YOU A GRADE OF “W” OR “I” AUTOMATICALLY. THE COLLEGE NO LONGER PERMITS ME TO DO THIS.
Types of assignments: Expect both in-class
and out-of-class work, and expect some of your grade to be based on in-class
writing. Out-of-class papers may be rewritten once for a possible improvement
of ONE LETTER GRADE ONLY. Expect at least some of your writing to be based on
your experiences and your creative ideas and common sense rather than on
research or readings from our reader, THE ESSAY CONNECTION. When assignments
are based on research or reading, you’re required to give an original
interpretation of or fresh insight into this reading, not just repeat in your
own words what others say. Expect one longer paper (about 5 typed double-spaced
pages or 1200 words minimum) that requires you to form an opinion on a
controversial issue from reading several articles on the subject. Your research
sources must include essays from your reader, THE ESSAY CONNECTION, and/or
other materials distributed in class.
Procedures for submitting assignments: All
papers written outside class must be handed in within one week of the official
due date to avoid a late penalty of one letter grade’s deduction. Papers two
weeks late or more won’t be accepted, and will count as an "F." When
you hand your paper in, put your full name and the time and day of your class
(or the section number) on the cover page. Double-space all papers always,
whether typing or writing.
KEEP ONE HARD COPY OF ALL PAPERS HANDED IN.
While I never intentionally lose papers, it sometimes happens by accident.
Since I have let you know in advance that I want you to keep a back-up copy,
you're expected to do so.
Any paper handed in becomes the property of
the instructor and may be used anonymously in the present or future in a lesson
or on the web page as an illustration, unless you write on the paper that he
doesn’t want it used for discussion and/or reproduced. Common sense dictates
that I may spend more time on your paper, though, if you allow me to use it to
benefit others.
Skills a student should have before entering
English 111: This is not a remedial or developmental course. I assume that you
have college-level reading comprehension, and that you are fluent enough to
write readable English on an impromptu basis in class and unassisted (except by
a translation dictionary). I assume that you do not need someone else to
correct your English for you at home. (Indeed, that would be a breach of
academic honesty, according to College policy.) I assume that you have a large
working vocabulary in English and that you can command English grammar, syntax,
and basic idioms.
Skills developed in English 111: Here we work
mainly on "whole essay" issues, such as unity and coherence, clarity,
consistency, originality, rationality, concrete detail. Assuming basic
competence in use of the language, we learn how to generate more meaningful and
original content. A section on the criteria governing the assignment of letter
grades explains what features an "A", "B", or "C"
essay should have. Assume that the course works toward the goal of making
everyone able to write an "A" essay if he wants to.
You'll see some links listed below. Not all of them are currently in use. I’ll explain the ones that are later. Thanks.
CRITERIA GOVERNING THE ASSIGNMENT OF SPECIFIC LETTER GRADES.
Rules for paraphrase and critique
Examples of paraphrase and critique
Interpreting facts in arguments.
Point-Counterpoint Outline for a Pro-Con Debate
Ways to combine different point-counterpoint debates to discuss one topic