English as a Second Language Low Intermediate Syllabus for 2020-2021
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Week 1

Low Intermediate

    Day 1

Personal Information

Listen & Speak: Talking to Neighbors

Grammar: Review of Simple Present and Simple Continuous

    Day 2

Personal Information

Read: Immigrant Success Stories

Grammar: Review of Simple Past, used to

Watch & Speak: Help for Immigrants

    Day 3

Personal Information

Grammar Review: Future with will and going to

Life Skills: A Social Media Profile

Write a Biography

    Day 4

Education

Listen & Speak: A Student-Teacher Conference

Grammar: Review of Present Continuous for Future

Week 2

    Day 1

Education

Read: Student Services

Grammar: Present Perfect with ever and never

      Day 2

Education

Watch & Speak: A Parent-Teacher Conference

Grammar Present Perfect with recently, lately, already, and yet

    Day 3

Education

Life Skills: A Report Card

Write an email to a teacher

    Day 4

Getting a Job

Listen & Speak: Talking to a Career Counselor

Grammar: Gerunds

Read Gender and Jobs

Week 3

    Day 1

Getting a Job

Grammar: Gerunds and Infinitives

Watch & Speak: A Job Interview

    Day 2

Getting a Job

Grammar: Present Perfect with for and since

Life Skills: An Online Job Ad

Write a thank you email after a job interview

    Day 3

Money Matters

Listen & Speak: Making a Budget

Grammar: Comparatives

Read: Online Shopping

    Day 4

Money Matters

Grammar: too and enough

Watch & Speak: Smart Shopping

Grammar: Indefinite Pronouns

Week 4

    Day 1

Money Matters

Life Skills: A Pay Stub

Write a letter of recommendation

      Day 2

Health

Listen & Speak: Healthy Eating

Grammar: Quantifiers

Read: The Dangers of Sugar

    Day 3

Health

Grammar: Present Perfect Continuous 

Watch & Speak: Getting a Physical

    Day 4

Midterm Exam

Week 5

    Day 1

Health

Grammar: Adjectives with -ed and -ing

    Day 2

Health

Life Skills: A prescription Medicine Label

Write a description of eating habits.

In the Workplace

Listen & Speak: Customer Service

    Day 3

In the Workplace

Grammar: Polite Requests/Permission

Read: Handling Criticism

    Day 4

In the Workplace

Grammar:Reported Commands and Requests

Watch & Speak: Being a Good Employee

Week 6

    Day 1

In the Workplace

Grammar: Advice, Suggestions, Possibilities, and Necessity

Life Skills: A Flyer

Write an email to a supervisor.

      Day 2

In the Workplace

Listen & Speak: Calling 911

Grammar: can, could, and be able to

Read: Accident in the Home

    Day 3

In the Workplace

Grammar: Past Continuous

Watch & Speak: Safety in the Workplace

    Day 4

In the Workplace

Grammar Past Continuous and Simple Past

Life Skills: An Accident Report

Write a description of an accident.

Week 7

    Day 1

In the Community

Listen & Speak: Community Events

Grammar: Future Real Conditional

Read: A Community Garden

    Day 2

In the Community

Grammar: Noun Clauses

Watch & Speak: Getting to Work

    Day 3

In the Community

Grammar:Future Time Clauses

Life Skills: A Service Alert

    Day 4

In the Community

Review parts of an essay.

Write a problem-solution essay. 

Week 8

    Day 1

Government and Law

Listen & Speak: Following the Law

Grammar: Simple Present Passive

Read: Martin Luterh King, Jr.

      Day 2

Government and Law

Grammar Simple Past Passive

Watch & Speak: Sexual Harassment

Grammar: both...and, either...or, neither...nor

    Day 3

Government and Law

Life Skills: A Legal Brochure

Write a biography

    Day 4

Final Exam

3. Course Description:

Amarillo College’s non-credit English as a Second Language (ESL) Program is provided through the Adult Education & Literacy Program called Career Ready You (CRU). It welcomes students from around the world and offers opportunities for people who want or need to learn English. The low- intermediate level provides 8 weeks of instruction in listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

4. Course Goals:

Upon successful completion of the low-intermediate ESL course, students will be able to…

• construct meaning from oral presentations and literary and informational text through level-appropriate listening, reading and viewing by…

  • determining a central idea or theme in oral presentations and spoken and written texts;

  • retelling key details;

  • answering questions about key details;

  • explaining how the theme is developed by specific details in texts; and

  • summarizing part of a text.

• participate in level-appropriate oral and written exchanges of information, ideas, and analyses, in various social and academic contexts, responding to peer, audience, or reader comments and questions by…

  • participating in conversations, discussions, and written exchanges about familiar topics, texts, and issues;

  • building on the ideas of others;

  • expressing their own ideas;

  • asking and answering relevant questions;

  • adding relevant information and evidence;

  • restating some of the key ideas expressed;

  • following rules for discussion; and

  • asking questions to gain information or clarify understanding.

• speak and write about level-appropriate complex literary and informal texts and topics by…

  • delivering short oral presentations; 

  • composing written informational texts; and

  • developing a topic with a few details about familiar texts, topics, or events.

• construct level-appropriate claims and support them with reasoning and evidence by…

  • constructing a claim about familiar topics;

  • introducing the topic;

  • providing sufficient reasons or facts to support the claim; and

  • providing a concluding statement.

• conduct research and evaluate and communicate findings to answer questions or solve problems by…

  • carrying out short research projects to answer a question;

  • gathering information from multiple provided print and digital sources;

  • paraphrasing key information in a short written or oral report;

  • including illustrations, diagrams, or other graphics as appropriate; and

  • providing a list of sources. 

• analyze and critique the arguments of others orally and in writing by…

  • explaining the reasons an author or a speaker gives to support a claim; and

  • identifying one or two reasons an author or speaker gives to support the main point

• adapt language choices to purpose, task, and audience when speaking and writing by…

  • adapting language choices and style according to purpose, task, and audience with developing ease in various social and academic contexts;

  • using an increasing number of general academic and content-specific words and expressions in spoken and written texts; and

  • showing developing control of style and tone in spoken and written texts.

• determine the meaning of words and phrases in oral presentations and literacy and informational text by...

  • using context, questioning, and a developing knowledge of English and their native language(s) morphology

    • determine the meaning of general academic and content-specific words and phrases and frequently occurring expressions in spoken and written texts about familiar topics, experiences, or events.

• create clear and coherent level-appropriate speech and text by…

  • recounting a sequence of events with a beginning, middle, and an end;

  • introducing and developing an informational topic with facts and details;

  • using common transitional words and phrases to connect events, ideas, and opinions; and

  • providing a conclusion.

• demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English to communicate level-appropriate speech and writing by…

  • using simple phrases; 

  • using simple clauses; and

  • producing and expanding simple, compound, and a few complex sentences.

Texas Adult Education & Literacy ESL Content Standards:

Upon successful completion of the low-intermediate ESL course, students will have addressed the following content standards:

Subarea: 1. Listening Skills: English Language Learners (ELLs) become increasingly able to comprehend what they hear, to retrieve information, and to make inferences and connections. The Ells listen to speakers in a variety of contexts with a variety of English accents.

Content Standards:

1. Distinguish sounds and intonation patterns of English with increasing ease.

2. Demonstrate understanding when listening to spoken language in different situations and spoken with a variety of regional accents.

3. Listen to, follow, and give directions and/or instructions.

4. Listen to and participate in a variety of settings (e.g., academic, work, and social) and situations (e.g., conversation, teamwork, meetings, presentation, and interviews).

5. Participate in and comprehend conversations face-to-face or via electronic media.

6. Comprehend questions in order to engage in conversation.

7. Use comprehension strategies such as indicating misunderstanding, repeating and rephrasing, or asking for help as appropriate for the communication context.

8. Exhibit knowledge and appropriate interpretation of cultural conventions in conversation, such as the use of titles, eye contact, registers, and expected responses (schemata).

Low-intermediate ELLs apply increasingly complex listening strategies to comprehend conversations that include new vocabulary. Thus, they are able to participate in information gap listening activities.

Benchmarks:

1. Listen actively, determine new meanings of new vocabulary, and interpret complex spoken communication.

2. Listen to, identify main facts and supporting details, and comprehend messages from mass media communication (e.g., radio, movies, and TV) and other spoken communication.

3. Listen actively and comprehend information and provide a response to a question that requires making inferences from spoken language.

4. Recognize abbreviated phrases, including informal language, slang, and idioms, when listening to a conversation (e.g., Want some?, Like it?, Heard that?).

Subarea: 2. Speaking Skills: ELLs are able to speak in a variety of situations and settings using increasingly challenging vocabulary and language complexity with increasing fluency and accuracy.

Content Standards:

1. Communicate needs verbally using increasingly complex words and phrases.

2. Give directions to places and instructions for accomplishing specific tasks.

3. Demonstrate an increasing range of English vocabulary appropriate for speaking in informal and formal settings.

4. Produce spoken communications at each proficiency level that demonstrates increasing language complexity.

5. Demonstrate appropriate speaking skills and strategies for persuading and discussing.

6. Demonstrate appropriate speaking skills and strategies for seeking and relaying information.

7. Demonstrate appropriate speaking skills and strategies for expressing feelings and emotions.

8. Demonstrate appropriate speaking skills and strategies for collaborating and solving problems.

9. Construct an oral argument presenting a particular point of view and providing evidence to refute an opposing point of view.

Low-intermediate ELLs can initiate and engage in simple conversations that include descriptions, personal opinions, and inferences on familiar topics..

Benchmarks:

1. Engage in simple conversations (e.g., ask about personal information such as name, address, and phone number) using wh- questions.

2. Provide descriptions, arguments, and simple inferences when using spoken language.

3. Provide and defend an opinion to support a point of view on familiar topics or situations.

4. Carry on extensive conversations in a social narrative context (e.g., a description of family-related weekend activities).

5. Speak in ways that clearly communicate the topic, main ideas, and essential ideas.

6. Demonstrate some understanding of the differences between standard and non-standard spoken English vocabulary and grammar.

Subarea: 3. Reading Skills: The ELL reads a variety of texts at different levels of complexity for a variety of purposes with an increasing level of comprehension and fluency.

Content Standards:

1. Implement a variety of reading comprehension strategies (e.g., predicting, inferring, comparing, and contrasting) and know when they are appropriate to use.

2. Identify the central ideas or hypothesis and supporting details.

3. Read critically to analyze information and make connections to interpret authors’ purpose and viewpoints.

4. Read from a variety of genres for different purposes (e.g., to accomplish a personal or work related task, for academic work, or for pleasure).

5. Acquire vocabulary and grammar knowledge progressively according to student proficiency to build strong mastery of the English language.

6. Increase background knowledge, concepts, and skills by reading in diverse texts.

7. Demonstrate ability to interpret a variety of texts, including visual and quantitative.

8. Use digital resources to locate evidence to answer a question, solve a problem, or support an argument.

Benchmarks:

Low-intermediate ELLs can read texts representing different genres to answer basic comprehension questions, identify main ideas and supporting details, and make simple inferences.

1. Identify elements of different reading genres and use text structure to help in comprehension.

2. Read and comprehend multi-paragraph texts on a variety of topics and in a variety of text types (e.g., newspaper and magazine articles, how-to materials, and literature).

3. Identify the intended audience and purpose for a variety of text types.

4. Make connections between related information across different sections of a text, from different texts, or presented on different platforms (e.g., print or electronic media).

5. Compare and contrast what has been read, considering factors such as presentation format (print or electronic media), point of view, accuracy, etc.

6. Interpret simple analogies, idioms, and other rhetorical devices when reading a text about familiar topics.

7. Accurately paraphrase and summarize information that has been read in print or in electronic media.

8. Use a variety of strategies (e.g., concept mapping, outlining, underlining, and annotating) to assist in comprehension.

Subarea: 4. Writing Skills: The ELL writes in a variety of forms with increasing ease, accuracy, and complexity to address effectively specific purposes and audiences.

Content Standards:

1. Fill out a variety of forms, applications, and contracts for everyday life and work purposes by hand or electronically.

2. Write for a variety of purposes (e.g., reminder lists, notes, email, academic papers and reports, letters or other documents to persuade, complain, or express opinions).

3. Write across a variety of genres (e.g., description, argumentation, fiction, persuasive, and workplace).

4. Write using appropriate format and structure for different purposes (e.g., outlines, memos, letters, reports, procedural lists, work-related documents).

5. Use a multi-step process to compose, revise, and edit a variety of texts.

6. Write with logic, organization, and accuracy.

7. Consider context, audience, and purpose (e.g., reader’s perspective, cultural influence, social norms, etc.) when writing.

8. Acquire vocabulary and grammar knowledge progressively according to student proficiency to build strong mastery of the written English language.

9. Integrate graphics or multimedia to support written compositions or oral presentations. 

Benchmarks:

Low-intermediate ELLs can write with an audience in mind and for personal and work-related communication.

1. Write compositions that show consideration of audience and purpose (e.g., work related versus personal correspondence).

2. Write short compositions that show understanding of different genres.

3. Use transition words and phrases appropriately and with correct punctuation (e.g., however, next, then, and after),

4. Understand vocabulary knowledge and show understanding of how idioms, figures of speech, juxtaposed words, and comparisons enrich one’s writing.

5. Use words that are appropriate for informal (colloquial or slang) written discourse or formal written discourse

6. Engage in all steps of the writing process (e.g., drafting, editing, and publishing) to create a range of short compositions.

7. Write supporting points or details for a statement, position, or argument on a familiar topic.

8. Recognize word families (e.g., verbs and nouns, adjectives and adverbs, etc.) to develop vocabulary in writing.

5.  Due to COVID, we have changed in-class lessons to tech-supported and/or face to face classes.  We will use Burlington English as our curriculum.  BE is an online curriculum.  

**There is no cost for the students to attend class.  Students will need internet access, a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or computer to access Burlington English.

** Digital Component:

Students are encouraged to utilize USA Learns in addition to Burlington English to enhance English acquisition.

Support Services: 

**Service: Tutoring 

Location: Ware Student Commons, 1st Floor, room 113A 

Contact: Jeannie George (806) 371-5432     j0309552@actx.edu 

**Service: Career Navigator 

Location: Ware Student Commons, 3rd Floor, Room 314 

**Contact:  Christina Gonzales 305 B ccconzales@actx.edu  806 371 5913

                 Ryan Frances 305 G     rfrancis@actx.edu 806 371 5927

                Kathryn White 305 F     kbowen@actx.edu 806 345 5687

**Service: Workforce Solutions Panhandle 

Location: Student Services Center, Room 236 

Contact: Roxanne Morgan (806) 350-1644     rmorgan@wspanhandle

**Sequence of Courses Leading to the attainment of a GED certificate/enrollment into post secondary education: