Revised 12/2023

ESL 52 - Reading III (5 CR.)

Course Description

Helps students improve their reading comprehension and vocabulary development. Improves students’ reading proficiency to a level that would allow students to succeed in certificate and degree programs. Emphasizes applying and synthesizing ideas. Includes ways to detect organization, summarize, make inferences, draw conclusions, evaluate generalization, recognize differences between facts and opinions, and introduces other advanced comprehension strategies. May also include comprehensive library skills. Credits are not applicable toward graduation. Lecture 5 hours per week.

General Course Purpose

To develop a faster reading rate with better comprehension and retention of information in increasingly complex academic readings, and to develop increased comprehension of complex syntax and college entry level lexicon and idioms. 

Course Prerequisites/Corequisites

An English placement test recommendation for ESL Level 5 or successful completion of ESL 42.

Corequisite: ESL 51; corequisite is not required to be taken in the same semester

Course Objectives

Goal 1 - Students will acquire the reading, speaking, and listening skills necessary to succeed in entry- level college credit courses.

Objectives

Using entry-level college reading materials, students will be able to:

  • relate new information to prior knowledge
  • make predictions about the content of materials they are given to read
  • skim and scan for specific reading purposes
  • differentiate main ideas from major and minor supporting details in written materials
  • recognize text patterns and relationships between ideas
  • draw valid conclusions from a variety of graphic aids
    • maps
    • charts
    • graphs
    • diagrams
  • demonstrate increased word power on a continuous basis by successfully using context clues, the dictionary, and their knowledge of word parts
  • make inferences

Goal 2 - Students will integrate their reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills to promote thinking and learning.

Objectives

Using entry-level college reading materials, students will be able to:

  • identify and use pre-reading, skimming, scanning, and close reading processes
  • comprehend the literal meaning in different types of readings for different purposes
  • paraphrase and summarize text without plagiarizing or changing the substantive meanings

Goal 3 - Students will be able to independently apply active reading strategies appropriately.

Objectives

Using entry-level college reading materials, students will be able to:

  • differentiate among facts, opinions, assumptions, and generalizations
  • understand inferences in reading, writing, and speaking
  • identify the kind of information they need, locate relevant resources, and report the information in an organized way
  • demonstrate the ability to draw valid conclusions from a variety of reading tasks

Goal 4 - Students will increase their self-confidence in their ability to be effective readers.

Objectives

Using entry level college reading materials, students will be able to:

  • develop collaborative academic skills, such as discussion skills and negotiation
  • develop goal-setting strategies for academic success
  • identify individual strengths in reading

Goal 5 - Students will understand the role of reading in their academic, professional, and personal lives.

Objectives

Students will be able to

  • comprehend and appreciate a variety of written materials for various purposes
  • demonstrate the ability to assume a variety of roles as readers (decode, evaluate, analyze, make meaning from text)

Major Topics to Be Included

  • Comprehension skills
    • identifying main ideas
    • locating supporting details
    • recognizing organizational patterns
    • distinguishing fact and opinion
    • drawing conclusions and making inferences
    • writing summaries
    • analyzing literature
    • responding effectively to reading
  • Vocabulary development
    • using the dictionary
    • identifying and using word forms appropriately
    • using contextual clues
    • expanding vocabulary through extensive reading
  • Study skills
    • developing note-taking skills
    • informal outlining
    • paraphrasing
    • developing test-taking strategies
    • library use
    • computer use
    • research skills
    • study groups
    • understanding and following oral and written directions
  • Analysis of the reading process
    • recognizing and improving reading and learning habits
    • recognizing the need for flexible reading and processing rates