University of San Diego English Language Academy

Intermediate Grammar Class

(Spring, 2015)
Instructor: Wangmei Zhou
Email: wangmeizhou@sandiego.edu
Class Location: English Language Academy Room 106
Class Day/Time: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 1:30-2:30 p.m.
Course Description
This course is designed for intermediate English as second/foreign language learners who are
preparing to enter an American university or college. The course will focus on spoken and
written grammar necessary in academic discourse by integrating form, meaning, and use in
context. Students will be prepared to understand and use appropriate grammar for social
interactions and academic discussions. Students will be provided the opportunity to practice,
apply and demonstrate grammatical knowledge in interactive activities.

Course Objectives/ Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:
Understand the forms, meaning, and use of grammar points including present, past, and future
verb tenses, count and non-count nouns, articles, subject-verb agreement, tag questions, gerund
and infinitives, clauses
Recognize and differentiate the main grammar points in spoken and written forms taught in this
course
Analyze grammatical structures they have studies in different contexts
Use appropriate grammar in spoken and written form
Explain the form, meaning, use to peers and others who are not in this class

Student Responsibility
Turn cell phones into silent mode and put it in the cell phone lot during class.
Respect the teacher and your fellow students by being attentive in class.
Plan your time using the course calendar as a reference for upcoming assignments.
Have all homework assignments completed before coming to class.
Talk to me if you have any problems with any of the material being covered.
Use this class as an opportunity to maximize learning. Active participation is highly appreciated.

Textbook
Cooper, A., & Eckstut-Didier, S. (2015). Grammar Explorer 3. Boston, MA: Sherrise Drean.
(Link to this book: http://ngl.cengage.com/search/productOverview.do?
Ntt=grammar+explorer+3|

8979148311706347095132107795565182354&N=200+4294918395&Ntk=NGL
%7CP_EPI&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial)
Course Assignments/Requirements
Attendance and Engagement
Students are expected to attend every class without tardiness and actively contribute to class
discussions and activities. Students are also expected to truly listen, reflect, consider, and
respond respectfully to their classmates. If one anticipates an absence, he/she should notify the
instructor via email prior to the class. After 3 absences, the grade will drop 1 letter (for example,
an A drops to a B), and if one misses any more class, you may fail the course.
Textbook Exercises
Students will be assigned to complete some exercises in the textbook after each session. Students
are expected to individually finish assigned exercises at home and ready to be checked by the
instructor before the class begins. Students are encouraged to discuss the grammar exercises with
their classmates, but not to copy others work.
Quizzes
After completing a grammar point in a week, students will be given a 10 to 15 minutes quiz at
the end of that week. The quiz usually consists of Part A and Part B. Part A will ask students to
use correct form of the grammar they just learned in a sentence. Part B will ask them to write 3
to 5 sentences responding to the given questions using appropriate grammar. After each quiz, the
instructor will involve students in discussing the content of the quiz to make sure that students
understand the use of that grammar structure. The instructor will also provide further feedback in
their paper quizzes.
Short Essay
Students will have one short essay to write during this semester. Each essay should have 3 to 5
paragraphs. The essay should be double spaced and maximum 2 page long. Students should have
clear ideas, nice organization, and almost no grammar error to get a full credit for this
assignment. To better support students, they will be encouraged to write three drafts and the
instructor will give feedback to each of the draft.
The essay prompt is: What is a goal that you have achieved? How did it affect you?
Grammar Structure Presentation
Students will form 3 groups by themselves, 3 to 4 students/group, to start this project. After
forming a group, each group will discuss what grammar point they are going to present in the
class. It could be the grammar point that they are having difficulty in using, or that they are
interested in. Each group then need to find an article from newspaper, novel, or magazine, or a
song lyrics, a script from TV show, etc., to locate their focused grammar points. They need to
analyze the use of the grammar structure they focus on and create sentences with the similar use
of that grammar point. They need to put their ideas in PowerPoint and share it with the whole
class. The PowerPoint should at least include: the grammar structure they focus on, the source

they use (article, lyrics, or script, etc.), the use of that specific grammar structure, the reproduction of that grammar structure. Each group will be given 10-15 minutes to present.
Final Exam
At the end of this semester, students will take a final exam about the grammar they have studied.
The final exam includes four parts: concepts of grammar, multiple choices of appropriate
grammar use, grammar editing, and grammar analysis.
Rubric for Short Essay
Areas

Excellent

Good

Needs
Improvement

Grammar/Phrase Structure (20%): Correct

form and usage of grammatical structures and
function words. Word choice demonstrates
accuracy, variety, and fluency.
Content/Organization (50%): Correctly
interprets and responds directly and
completely to the writing topic. States a
thesis. Paragraphs are logically organized
with clear and appropriate topic sentences as
well as sufficient supporting sentences that
effectively use transitional language.
Clause and sentence structure (20%):
Complete, accurate, varied.
Mechanics (10%): Control of spelling,
punctuation, capitalization, and format.
Excellent: 45-50

Good: 35-44 Needs Improvement: Under 35

TOTAL: ______________

Area

Rubric for Grammar Structure Presentation

Excellent
Good

Content (50%): Students choose

the grammar structure
thoughtfully. They appropriately
analyze the use of grammar in the
source and re-produce the
structure correctly and creatively.
Organization (25%): Students
present information in logical,

Needs
Improvement

interesting sequence which

audiences are engaged.
Delivery (25%): Students deliver
the presentation with good eye
contact, body language, and
technology (visual/audial) that
audiences are highly involved.

Excellent: 45-50

Good: 35-44 Needs Improvement: Under 35

TOTAL: ______________

Assessment Plan and Grading Criteria

Week

Attendance and Participation

15%

Textbook Exercises

15%

Quizzes

15%

Short Essay

20%

Grammar Structure Presentation

20%

Final Exam

15%

Date
1/26

Week #1
1/28
1/30
2/2
Week #2
2/4
2/6
2/9
Week #3
2/11
2/13
2/16
Week #4

Course Outline
Assignments Due
Reading: The Family Life of
Lowland Gorilla
Textbook Exercises
Quiz #1
Reading: The Shrinking
Families of Brazil
Textbook Exercises
Quiz #2
Reading: Notes from the
Twins Days Festival
Textbook Exercises
Quiz #3; Short Essay Draft#1
Reading: Paul Nicklens
Polar Obsession

Class Topics
Simple Present and Present
Progressive
Stative Verbs

Simple Past and Past

Progressive
Present Perfect

2/18
2/20
2/23
Week #5
2/25
2/27
3/2
Week #6
3/4
3/6
3/9
Week #7

Week #8
Week #9

3/11
3/13
3/16
3/18
3/20
3/23
3/25
3/27

Week #10
Week #11

4/6
4/8
4/10

Week #12

4/13
4/15
4/17
4/20

Week #13
4/22
4/24
4/27
Week #14
4/29
5/1
5/4
Week #15
5/6
5/8

Textbook Exercises
Quiz #4
Reading: Helen Thayer: A
Lifelong Adventure
Present Perfect Progressive
and Present Perfect
Textbook Exercises
Quiz #5
Reading: Daring. Defiant.
Free
Past Perfect and Past Perfect
Progressive
Textbook Exercises
Quiz # 6;
Short Essay Draft #2
Reading Due: Will Robots
Be Our Friends One Day?
Will, Be going to, Present
Progressive, and Simple
Textbook Exercises
Present
Quiz # 7
Reading: Clever Clothes
Future Time Clauses
Textbook Exercises
Quiz # 8;
Short Essay Draft #3
Reading: Jobs for the Future
Future: Progressive, Perfect,
Textbook Exercises
and Perfect Progressive
Quiz # 9
Spring Break and Easter Holiday. (No Classes.)
Spring Break and Easter Holiday. (No Classes.)
Reading: Mars on Earth
Negative Yes/No Question,
Statement Questions
Textbook Exercises;
Short Essay
Reading: Borge Ousland,
Norwegian Explorer
Tag Questions; Answers to
Tag Questions
Textbook Exercises
Quiz # 10
Reading: How Long Will
You Live?
Nouns, Articles, and SubjectVerb Agreement
Textbook Exercises
Quiz # 11
Reading: The Mysteries of
Sleep; Medical Riches in the
Gerunds and Infinitives
Rainforests
Textbook Exercises
Quiz # 12
Grammar Point
Demonstration
Review and Final Exam
/
Final Exam