Office Hours: By appointment

Phone:  617 858 1492

Zoom

Classroom

Google

Classroom

Class Notes:

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This class is designed for new English learners, including those who are not literate in their native language or in any alphabet.

Course Syllabus:

Basic ESOL Syllabus 2024-25

1. Introductions, greetings, English alphabet, numbers, classroom instructions, phone numbers and addresses

2. How are you feeling? Feelings and emotions, describe personal information, including address and phone number, fill out a basic form

3. Telling time, reading a schedule, and finding your way around e.g. bus schedule, ask about types of transportation, frequency, and ask for information about places in the community

4. Days of the week, months, describe an important date e.g. birthday, etc., usual activities on specific days of the week and month, holidays

5. Basic shopping, identify money and costs, common items of clothing, read price tags, methods of payment (cash, credit, debit, cash transfer apps e.g. Venmo and Zelle)

6. Family members and relationships: identify friends and family members, marital status, school requirements, interpret a simple note from a teacher

7. Food, diet and shopping options: preferences and specialty markets, navigating a supermarket, farmers’ markets, prices, containers, packaging, and weights and measures (English)

8. Basic health and wellness: parts of the body, common symptoms and ailments, seeking care and making a medical appointment, interpret labels on medicines (dosage etc.), when and how to use 911 for emergency

9. Shopping for clothes: colors and clothes, US Sizes (clothes and shoes), places to shop, dressing for the New England weather

10. At home: rooms and places in a home and apartment building, taking out the trash and recycling, ask about a rental, interpret a classified ad

11. Places in the community: bank, school, pharmacy, fire station, police station etc., use present continuous to describe common actions, ask for and give directions, use a city services website, use 311

12. Applying for a job – “yes, I can”: identify common occupations and jobs, describe duties of common jobs, describe job skills, use “can” and “can’t” to describe job skills, respond to questions about abilities and experience, interpret a help wanted ad.

Course Rubric:

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Criteria

Excellent (4)

Proficient (3)

Basic (2)

Needs

Improvement (1)

Not Evident (0)

Pronunciation:

Student's pronunciation is clear and easily understood. Accents are minimal and do not impede comprehension.

Student's pronunciation is generally clear and understandable, with occasional minor errors in pronunciation. Accents are noticeable but do not severely hinder communication.

Frequent pronunciation errors make it challenging to understand the student. Accents significantly impede comprehension.

Pronunciation errors are severe and make it nearly impossible to understand the student.

Student does not attempt to speak or communicate orally.

Vocabulary and Grammar:

Student effectively uses a wide range of vocabulary and demonstrates a good grasp of basic grammar. Occasional minor errors do not impede communication.

Student uses a variety of vocabulary and shows a basic understanding of grammar but may make frequent errors. These errors occasionally impact communication.

Limited vocabulary and grammar errors make it difficult to convey ideas clearly. Frequent errors hinder comprehension.

Vocabulary and grammar errors are numerous and severe, severely impacting communication.

Student does not attempt to use vocabulary or grammar in speech.

Listening Comprehension

Student consistently demonstrates a strong ability to understand spoken English, including various accents and speeds.

Student generally understands spoken English well but may struggle with rapid speech or unfamiliar accents.

Student has difficulty understanding spoken English, particularly with complex or fast-paced conversations. Frequent misunderstandings occur.

Student struggles to understand most spoken English and frequently misinterprets conversations.

Student cannot comprehend spoken English.

Communication Skills

Student communicates ideas clearly and effectively, using appropriate language for different situations.

Student generally communicates ideas but may struggle with organization or clarity in some situations.

Communication is often unclear, disorganized, or inappropriate for the context.

Communication is frequently unclear, disorganized, or inappropriate, hindering effective interaction.