English 3101A - Department of Advanced Education and Skills

Adult Basic EducationEnglish Language ArtsEnglish 3101ACurriculum GuidePrerequisites: English 2101A, 2101B, 2101CCredit Value: 1Required English Courses[Degree and Technical Profile and Business-Related College Profile]English Language Arts 1101AEnglish Language Arts 1101BEnglish Language Arts 1101CEnglish Language Arts 2101AEnglish Language Arts 2101BEnglish Language Arts 2101CEnglish Language Arts 3101AEnglish Language Arts 3101BEnglish Language Arts 3101C

Table of ContentsTo the Instructor ............................................................. 3General Learning Outcomes .................................................... 4Unit IUnit 2Unit 3Short Story and Related Writing ............................................ 5Novel and Related Writing ..................................................Written Communications and Writing Conventions ...............................Anthologies: Echoes 12Echoes 12 CDLand, Sea, and Time, Book ThreeReference Books:Reference PointsCanadian Students’ Guide to Language, Literature and MediaInstructor Resources:Echoes 12 Teacher’s ResourceLand, Sea, and Time, Book Three Teacher’s GuideRecommended Novels: See list of recommended novels, Unit 2.English 3101A Curriculum Guide Page 3

To the InstructorEnglish 3101AEnglish 3101A is the first in a series of three one-credit courses (English 3101A, 3101B, and3101C) developed to be equivalent to the provincial high school’s Academic English 3201. Eachcourse in the series has three Units covering distinct elements of literature and language. English3101A covers the short story and the novel in Units 1 and 2 respectively. Unit 3, “WrittenCommunications and Writing Conventions”, introduces précis writing and provides additionalinstruction and practice in writing formal letters. It also covers elements of punctuation (colonand semicolon) and parallel structure.New Approach for ABE EnglishEnglish 3101A, like all the new ABE English courses, combines language and literature. This isin contrast to the program which these new courses replace, where language and literature havebeen taught as completely separate courses and students have not necessarily had to studyliterature to graduate. Increased exposure to literature and experience with reading should helpstudents become more proficient writers; it should also develop the reading and analysis skillswhich are critical to success in other areas of Adult Basic Education as well as in future postsecondarystudies. Speaking, listening and viewing are also emphasized throughout the new ABEEnglish program as critical elements of communications and language arts.The new English program is developmental - each level of the program covers similar material,but with increasing complexity. This enables students to develop skills over a period of time. Itshould be noted that English courses at any given level do not have to be completed in order(A,B,C), although they normally would be - and both curriculum guides and study guidessometimes make notes or references on the assumption that the courses are being completed inorder. However, if there are opportunities for grouping students for the completion of particularcourses, students may benefit more by completing a particular course along with others than byfollowing the A, B, C order of courses.Study GuidesEach new ABE English course has guides for both the instructor and the students - a CurriculumGuide and a Study Guide. The Study Guides are written in a personal and accessible style and areintended to give students some degree of independence in their work. They contain all theRequired Work as well as Guidelines and Suggestions for the completion of the work.Instructors should note, however, that there is much material in the Curriculum Guides (Notes forTeaching and Learning) that is not included in the Study Guides, and this will have to beintroduced to students as needed, particularly where they start new topics.English 3101A Curriculum Guide Page 5

To the InstructorCurriculum GuidesEach English curriculum guide begins with a list of general learning outcomes for the course.Instructors should familiarize themselves with these outcomes and refer back to them as needed.The general learning outcomes are broken down into specific learning outcomes for each Unit ofthe course. Both the general and specific learning outcomes are achieved through the completionof Required Work.All the English curriculum guides are organized in two sequential sets of columns, as follows:Learning Out comesThis column lists the specific learningoutcomes for the Unit in 3 categories:Outcomes for Reading and Viewing,Outcomes for Speaking and Listening, andOutcomes for Writing and Other Ways ofRepresentingRequired WorkThis column contains a numbered list of thework required to be completed in order tomeet the specific learning outcomes.Students are also given this list of requiredwork in their Study Guides. Instructorsshould note that, although the RequiredWork is listed in the same order in bothGuides, the numbering system is differentbetween the Curriculum Guide and theStudy Guide.Notes for Teaching and LearningThis column provides explanations andinformation related to the required workand/or the resources. Instructors should findthis column especially helpful in planning forinstruction, assisting students with makingselections, and making the best use of theavailable resources.Suggestions for AssessmentThis column provides information related tothe use of the resources for the assessment oflearning outcomes. It also provides moregeneral suggestions and guidelines forassessment.Instructors should note that all the Required Work in reading, writing, speaking, researching, etc.includes assigned “Study” material. This is intended for the use of both the student and theinstructor. It is intended that instructors would use this material (as well as any other materialthey might choose) to introduce a particular topic to one or more students - following whichstudents would read the material on their own. Throughout both the curriculum guides and thestudy guides, group instruction and group discussion are encouraged.Page 6 Curriculum Guide English 3101A

To the InstructorResourcesAnthologies, reference books, and instructor resources for this course are listed on the Table ofContents page (page 2). Instructors may supplement these resources, as they deem appropriate. Itshould be noted that instruction and practice in Writing Conventions (Unit 3) may require theuse of reference books and instructional resources from all levels of the English program. Thesemay not be included in the list of resources for the course. However, they are listed in the Notesfor Teaching and Learning, Unit 3.Note: Lists of recommended novels, non-fiction books, and longer plays are included in therelevant Units of the curriculum guides.Recommended EvaluationCourse Work* 20%Assignments** 30%Final Exam (entire course) 50%100%The overall pass mark for the course is 50%*Course work includes answers to questions on assigned reading, participation in discussions,notes taken on assigned study material, practice exercises on writing conventions, and any otherRequired Work which would not be classified as an Assignment.**Assignments include all the print, oral or multimedia texts which students are responsible forplanning and creating. Throughout the English program, this would include essays and researchpapers, reports, book reviews, formal correspondence, oral presentations, résumés, posters, etc.It would be appropriate for final examinations to include:•demand reading and viewing of material which has not previously been studied;•demand writing based on the longer works (drama, fiction, non-fiction) studied in the course; and•demand writing based on the Written Communications component of the course, whereapplicable.Instructors may use the provincial public examination for Level 3 academic English as a guide forthe creation and grading of exams. Sample exams and grading standards may be viewed at thefollowing Department of Education web page:http://www.ed.gov.nl.ca/edu/k12/pub/courses/english3201.htmEnglish 3101A Curriculum Guide Page 7

General Learning OutcomesComprehensive LearningOutcome for Reading andViewing1. Students will be expected toselect, read and view withunderstanding, interpret andrespond personally and critically toa range of literature, information,media and visual textsGeneral Learning Outcomes forReading and Viewing Fiction1.1 Select texts to support learningneeds and range of special interests1.2 Read a variety of literary genresand modes representing a widegeographical and historical range1.3 Use the cueing systems and a varietyof strategies to construct meaning inreading and viewing complex andsophisticated print and media texts1.4 Show the relationships amonglanguage, topic, purpose, context andaudience1.5 Make connections between ownbeliefs and cultures and those reflectedin literary texts1.6 Analyze thematic connectionsamong texts and articulate anunderstanding of the universality ofthemes1.7 Articulate and justify points of viewabout texts and text elements1.8 Examine how texts work to revealand produce ideologies, identities andpositions1.9 Examine how textual features help areader/viewer to create meaningComprehensive LearningOutcome for Speaking andListening2. Students will be expected tospeak and listen to explore, extend,clarify and reflect; to communicateinformation and ideas effectivelyand clearly; and to interact withsensitivity and respect, consideringthe situation, audience and purpose.General Learning Outcomes forSpeaking and Listening2.1 Listen critically to analyze andevaluate concepts, ideas andinformation2.2 Ask discriminating questions toacquire, interpret, analyze, and evaluateideas and information2.3 Articulate, advocate and justifypositions on issues or texts in aconvincing matter, showing anunderstanding of a range of viewpoints2.4 Adapt language and delivery toaudience and purpose in informal andformal contexts2.5 Reflect critically on and evaluateown and others’ uses of language,recognizing elements of verbal and nonverbalmessages2.6 Demonstrate how spoken languageinfluences and manipulates, and revealsideas, values and attitudes2.7 Address the demands of speakingsituations, making critical languagechoices, especially of tone and styleComprehensive LearningOutcome for Writing and OtherWays of Representing3. Students will be expected to usewriting and other ways ofrepresenting to explore, clarify, andreflect; to create texts, using avariety of forms for a range ofaudiences and purposes; use a rangeof strategies to develop effectivewriting and other ways ofrepresenting and to enhance theirclarity, precision and effectiveness.General Learning Outcomes forWriting and Other Ways ofRepresenting3.1 Use writing and other ways ofrepresenting to explore, extend, andreflect on experiences with, and insightsinto, challenging texts and issues3.2 Use writing and other ways ofrepresenting to explore, extend, andreflect on values and attitudes3.3 Integrate information from manysources to construct and communicatemeaning3.4. Use the conventions of writtenlanguage accurately and consistently infinal products3.5 Use technology effectively to servecommunication purposes3.6 Make effective choices of languageand techniques to enhance the impact ofwritingEnglish 3101A Curriculum Guide Page 9

Unit 1 Short Story and Related WritingOutcomes for Reading and ViewingFiction (Short Story)•Examine how specific text elements developtheme•Explore various perspectives on a theme•Analyze characterization– Analyze comparisons and contrasts betweencharacters, where applicable– Analyze character development, whereapplicable•Assess the narrator’s and/or writer’s viewpoint•Interpret title in relation to various elements ofthe text (setting, character development, theme,etc.)•Explore the context of time, place andcircumstance to extend understanding•Analyze symbolism•Analyze stylistic techniques•Respond personally and critically to visualtextOutcomes for Speaking and Listening• Engage in discussion of complex textsRequired Work - Short StoryShort Story Study1. Study pages 138-160 of Reference Points11/12, “A Closer Look at Narrative Fiction”.Glossary of Literary Terms2. Review personal glossary of literary terms(fiction) and add the following terms:2.1 mood2.2 first person point of view2.3 third person point of view2.4 omniscient narrator2.5 limited omniscient narrator2.6 ironyIntroductory Short Story3. Listen to the recorded short story, “Going tothe Moon”, by Nino Ricci on the Echoes 12CD (Track 11).4. Read “Going to the Moon” (Echoes 12,pages 210 - 217).4.1 Discuss the story with the instructor or in asmall group organized by the instructor.4.2 Answer questions 1 - 4 on page 218.• Articulate verbally interpretation of literarytexts(Continued on following page)English 3101A Curriculum Guide Page 11

Unit 1 Short Story and Related WritingOutcomes for Speaking and Listening(continued)•Listen critically to analyze and evaluatetechnique, meaning and effect of literary texts• Consistently demonstrate active listening andan ability to engage respectfully with others inconversation and discussionOutcomes for Writing and Other Waysof Representing• Write personal and critical responses toliterature and related visuals–Compose responses which arecomprehensive and coherent–Support interpretation of a text withappropriate references to the text• Apply elements of description and narration, asappropriate• Use different methods of expository development,as appropriateRequired Work (continued)Selecting and Reading Short Stories5. Select and read a minimum of 3 other shortstories from Echoes 12, Unit 3.5.1 Answer the questions on Meaning andForm and Style in the Responding section ofeach story selected.6. Select and read a minimum of 2 short fictiontexts from Land, Sea and Time, Book Three.6.1 Answer questions - provided from theLand, Sea and Time, Book Three Teacher’sGuide.Selected short stories should represent a geographicand historical range, as specified in General LearningOutcome 1.2 (Fiction and Poetry).Visuals - Study7. Study pages 245-248 of Reference Points11/12, “Photographs”.Viewing8. View and respond to a visual selected fromany source and relate it (either in writing ororally) to a short story studied in this Unit.Note: This may present an opportunity for twostudents to collaborate on preparing andpresenting a short oral presentation.Page 12 Curriculum Guide English 3101A

Unit 1 Short Story and Related WritingNotes for Teaching and LearningSelecting and Reading Short Stories1. Students should be encouraged to selectshort stories from both Echoes 12 and Land,Sea and Time, Book Three based on personalinterest. Instructors should note that Land, Seaand Time, Book Three does not list texts bygenre, so students will need guidance in theselection of short stories from this anthology.For a list of short stories, and a commentary oneach, see pages 37-39 in the Land, Sea andTime, Book Three Teacher’s Guide.Instructors should be aware that there isadditional material in the Land, Sea and TimeTeacher’s Guide to support teaching (AuthorInformation, Commentary).2. Students should be encouraged to re-readstories for different levels of understanding3. Students should be encouraged to read morethan the minimum required texts to extendtheir exposure to fiction and commitment to alifelong reading experience.Viewing4. Both Echoes 12 and Land, Sea and Time,Book Three provide visuals which are linked toshort fiction. If students are guided to select avisual which is linked to a story they arestudying, this will increase the educationalvalue and reduce the amount of work they arerequired to complete. Both Teacher’s Guidesalso provide background information onvisuals and, where they are linked to stories,there is support material for the linkage.Suggestions for AssessmentGeneral Assessment GuidelinesThrough completion of the Required Workfor this Unit, students will be working towardsthe attainment of the three categories ofspecific learning outcomes concurrently:Reading and Viewing, Speaking andListening, and Writing and Other Ways ofRepresenting.Instructors will find that the Land, Sea andTime, Book Three Teacher’s Guide andEchoes 12 Teacher’s Resource provide ampleresources for the assessment of outcomes. Ineach case, the organizing concept of both thetext and teacher’s resource is the achievementof those specific outcomes. Both providetools for the direct assessment of learningthrough reading and viewing, writing andrepresenting, and speaking and listening.They also provide valuable materials forextension activities (author information,related visuals, etc.).Instructors will have to provide students withquestions on the short stories selected fromLand, Sea and Time, Book Three. They areprovided in the Teacher’s Guide, along with“Multi-Dimensional Exploration” activities.In general, assessment for this Unit shouldinclude:•asking students to read sections of storiesaloud to demonstrate their understanding ofmeaning and the conventions of prose writing(Continued on following page)English 3101A Curriculum Guide Page 13

Unit 1 Short Story and Related WritingSuggestions for Assessment(continued)•asking students to answer questions andcomplete written exercises provided in thetexts and teacher resources•asking students to discuss the stories they arereading with the instructor and/or otherstudentsIt is important that students are able to:•include specific references to support theirinterpretations•reflect on their responses and interpretations,taking their own and others’ cultural contextsinto consideration•reflect upon themes and issues revealed inshort stories and continually examine theuniversality of issues that are part of thehuman condition•distinguish between fiction and non-fictionPage 14 Curriculum Guide English 3101A

Unit 2Novel and Related WritingOutcomes for Reading and ViewingFiction (Novel)•Examine how specific text elements developtheme•Analyze characterization– Analyze the relationship between characters– Analyze comparisons and contrasts betweencharacters, where applicable– Analyze character development, whereapplicable•Assess the narrator’s and/or writer’s viewpoint•Interpret title in relation to various elements ofthe text (setting, character development, theme,etc.)•Explore the context of time, place andcircumstance to extend understanding•Analyze symbolism•Analyze stylistic techniquesOutcomes for Writing and Other Waysof Representing• Write personal and critical responses toliterature–Compose responses which arecomprehensive and coherent–Support interpretation of a text withappropriate references to the textRequired Work - NovelNarrative Fiction ReviewReview: The study material completed for theshort story in Unit 1 of this course (Pages 138-160 of Reference Points, “A Closer Look atNarrative Fiction”) will also prepare studentsfor reading the novel. Unless the novel isstarted at the same time as the short stories,students should be encouraged to review thissection.Select, Read and Analyze a Novel1. Select and read a novel from the followinglist:•The Stone Angel (Margaret Lawrence)•Lord of the Flies (William Golding)•Schindler’s List (Thomas Keneally)•River Thieves (Michael Crummy)•The Afterlife of George Cartwright (JohnSteffler)(See Notes for Teaching and Learning, #6, forinformation on each of the recommendednovels.)1.1 Discuss the novel with the instructor or ina small group organized by the instructor.2. Complete content and comprehensionquestions on the novel. (See Suggestions forAssessment.)(Continued on following page)English 3101A Curriculum Guide Page 15

Unit 2Novel and Related WritingOutcomes for Writing and Other Waysof Representing (continued)• Refine and edit writing, through severaldrafts, to ensure coherence and accuracyRequired Work (continued)Literary Essay Study3. Study pages 75-79 of Reference Points11/12, “Critical Writing and Literary Analysis”.Write a Literary Essay4. Compose a literary essay of at least 750words (approximately 3 typewritten pages,double-spaced), critically responding to thenovel. The literary essay should be constructedusing the student sample of literary analysis(page 78-79 of Reference Points11/12) as aguide.4.1 Use word processing software to type thefinal draft of the literary essay.Page 16 Curriculum Guide English 3101A

Unit 2Novel and Related WritingNotes for Teaching and LearningSelecting a Novel1. Within the recommended list of novels,students should be encouraged to select a novelbased on personal interest. The instructor willneed to ensure that students are aware of theways in which they might find out whether anovel is of interest to them. Students shouldbe aware of the kinds of information that maybe presented in or on the book itself (apromotional “blurb”; introduction; preface,chapter headings). Students should also beaware of the usefulness of book reviews andthe possible sources for these (Internet,newspapers, magazines). Finally, studentsshould be encouraged to seek the views ofothers who have already read one or more ofthe novels or of somebody who has read anovel they are particularly interested in.List of Recommended Novels2. Instructors should note that the list of novelsis a list of recommendations. The list is notprovided to the student in the English 3101AStudy Guide, but must be presented to thestudent by the instructor. Instructors may addother novels to the list for students to choosefrom, but should use the following guidelinesin selecting other novels to add:–It must be a novel (not a non-fiction book).–It must have literary merit.–The reading level should be appropriate forthe course.(Continued on following page)Suggestions for AssessmentContent and Comprehension QuestionsInstructors will need to develop questions oneach of the novels. These questions shouldassess as many of the Outcomes for Readingand Viewing Fiction (Novel) as possible.Students should not be given questions on thenovel until they have read it completely atleast once. They should be guided to re-readsections, as needed, to answer the content andcomprehension questions.Note: Instructors should be aware that most ofthe recommended novels appear on one ormore Internet web sites. Some publishers’web sites provide substantial backgroundinformation as well as teaching and learningmaterial. These may be very helpful, not onlyin providing additional learning material forstudents, but also in the development ofassessment material.Literary EssayStudents should be required to write at leasttwo rough drafts of the literary essay revisingfor meaning and clarity and discussingchanges with the instructor as they do this.They should also be required to edit andproofread the literary essay to correct anyerrors in spelling, grammar and punctuation.The essay should be assessed on the basis ofthe guidelines for literary analysis provided inReference Points 11/12, pages 75-76.English 3101A Curriculum Guide Page 17

Unit 2Novel and Related WritingNotes for Teaching and Learning(continued)–The story should be of interest and relevanceto adults.Note: For information on the list ofrecommended novels, see #6 below.Reading the Novel3. Depending on the novel selected and theknowledge level of the student, instructors mayneed to provide an introduction to the novelbefore the student begins to read it. In somecases, an understanding of the context and/orbackground of the novel is critical tocomprehension from the very first page. Whereappropriate, students may be guided toundertake some background research prior tobeginning their reading of the novel.Suggestions for Assessment(continued)General Guidelines for AssessmentFor both the questions and the literary essay, itis important that students are able to:•include specific references to support theirinterpretations•reflect on their responses and interpretations,taking their own and others’ cultural contextsinto consideration•reflect upon themes and issues revealed in thenovel and continually examine the universalityof issues that are part of the human condition4. Students should be encouraged to identifyand re-read portions of the novel which may beeither critical to understanding the story ordifficult to comprehend.5. Where possible, students should be giventhe opportunity to discuss the novel with otherswho may be reading it or with the instructor.Page 18 Curriculum Guide English 3101A

Unit 2Novel and Related WritingNotes for Teaching and Learning(continued)Information on Recommended Novels6. There are 5 novels recommended for thiscourse:Stone Angel by Margaret Lawrence (1964)This novel is told form the point of view of aninety year old woman named Hagar Shipleyfrom a Canadian prairie town. Through herreflections, we follow her life as a rebelliousbride and later a grieving mother, and wesympathize with her as she resists being movedinto a nursing home. The CBC’s CanadaReads website describes Hagar Shipley as “oneof the most memorable characters in Canadianfiction”.Stone Angel is used in the provincial highschool curriculum.Schindler’s List by Thomas Keneally (1982)This novel is a work of fiction based on thetrue story of a German industrialist and warprofiteer, Oskar Schindler, during World WarII and the Nazi occupation of Poland.Schindler, who owned a factory, outwitted theNazis to protect his Jewish factory workers,thus saving over 1,100 Jews from the deathcamps. The novel is made up of a series ofstories about different people, which take placeover a period of time.Schindler’s List is used in the provincial highschool curriculum.English 3101A Curriculum Guide Page 19

Unit 2Novel and Related WritingNotes for Teaching and Learning(continued)Lord of the Flies by William Golding (1954)This novel is about a group of young boyswhose plane crashes on a deserted island.After a while surviving on the island, theybreak into two feuding bands. Several of theboys revert to an uncivilized state, and crueltyand murder result.Lord of the Flies is used in the provincial highschool curriculum.River Thieves by Michael Crummey (2001)This is a fictional account of the extinction ofthe Beothuk Indians based on real historicalevents. Set in the early 1800s in the Exploitsregion of Newfoundland, the novel focuses onDavid Buchan, the British naval officer whocame to Newfoundland to establish friendlycontact with the Beothuk and the Peytons, afamily of settlers who were involved in the fateof the Beothuks.The Afterlife of George Cartwright by JohnSteffler (1992)This novel is based on the life of the Labradorexplorer, Captain George Cartwright, wholived in Labrador between 1768 and 1786 andkept a journal of his experiences there. Theauthor uses some of Cartwright’s actualjournal entries mixed with his own fictionalones to create a fascinating story of life inLabrador in the eighteenth century.Page 20 Curriculum Guide English 3101A

Unit 3Written Communications and Writing ConventionsOutcomes for Written Communicationsand Writing Conventions• Express a writer’s ideas in own words• Interpret ideas expressed in prose• Summarize clearly and concisely• Use different forms of writtencommunication, as appropriate• Tailor written presentation to purpose andintended audience• Refine and edit writing, through severaldrafts, to ensure accuracy and consistency• Design texts that are aesthetically pleasingand appropriate to the purpose•Use the conventions of written languageaccurately and consistently in final product•Use technology effectively to servecommunication purposesRequired WorkPrécis Study1. Study pages 28-30 of Reference Points11/12, “Learning by Writing a Précis”.Reading to Write a Précis2. Read the following in preparation for writinga précis:2.1 “The Development of the EnglishLanguage”, Appendix C, Reference Points11/12 (Pages 373-386)2.2 “History of the English Language”,Chapter 10, Guide to Language, Literature,and Media (Pages 338-355)Write a Précis3. Choose one of the two above readings andwrite a précis.Formal Correspondence4. Review Reference Points 11/12, Pages 303-307.5. Write a minimum of two formal letters inthe appropriate format. Formal letters shouldinclude:5.1 A letter requesting somebody to write areference letter to support a job application5.2 A letter of acknowledgment in response5.3 Use word processing software to type thefinal draft of each letter.English 3101A Curriculum Guide Page 21

Unit 3Written Communications and Writing ConventionsOutcomes for Written Communicationsand Writing Conventions (continued)Required Work (continued)•Demonstrate understanding of complexgrammatical structures, precise and variedword choice, and complex and varied sentencestructures for the communication of ideasWriting Conventions6. Review the following areas of punctuation:•colon•semicolon(See Notes for Teaching and Learning.)6.1 Complete practice exercises in usingcolons and semicolons. (See Notes forTeaching and Learning.)7. Examine the use of parallel structure. (SeeNotes for Teaching and Learning)7.1 Complete practice exercises in usingparallel structure. (See Notes for Teaching andLearning)Page 22 Curriculum Guide English 3101A

Unit 3Written Communications and Writing ConventionsNotes for Teaching and LearningPrécis Study1. Reference Points 11/12 (pages 28-30)provides a very good explanation of thefunction of the précis in report writing andresearch essays. It also provides a clear stepby-stepprocedure for writing a précis and asample précis. Students may read thisindividually but, ideally, the instructor wouldpresent the material and supplement it withshort practice exercises.Précis Writing Assignment2. The précis writing assignment is based ontwo reports on the development of the Englishlanguage. Students are required to read both,from which they will select one to create aprécis. The reports differ in style andcomplexity but each has particular advantagesin terms of the précis writing exercise. It isimportant that students complete both readingsbefore making their choice.Formal Letters3. Students will have studied Reference Points11/12 (pages 303-307) in English 2101A. Theyshould be encouraged to review it prior towriting their letters for this course. Instructorsshould be aware that Reference Points givesonly one format for formal letters - full blockformat. It is recommended that students beencouraged to perfect this format and use it tothe exclusion of all others.Suggestions for AssessmentPrécisThe précis should be assessed in terms of theextent to which students have followed the 10-step process outlined in Reference Points11/12, page 28-29. In particular, Steps 4-10could be used as an assessment checklist. Theprécis should be, as Step 10 states, “acoherent, smooth-flowing composition withadequate transition between ideas. The ideasshould flow in the same order as the original”.The précis of the selected article should beapproximately one-third the length of theoriginal article.Formal CorrespondenceAt this level, students should be expected toadhere strictly to the conventions of theprescribed format for formal correspondence.The main focus of the assessment of theircorrespondence should be the extent to whichit achieves its purpose. In particular, thefollowing should be assessed:–accuracy–conciseness–tone–languageEnglish 3101A Curriculum Guide Page 23

Unit 3Written Communications and Writing ConventionsNotes for Teaching and Learning(continued)Suggestions for Assessment(continued)Writing Conventions4. Students at this level should have masteredthe fundamentals of writing conventions andterminology (including parts of speech,sentences, verb tenses, end punctuation, andsubject-verb agreement). However, studentswho demonstrate weakness in thesefundamentals should be required to dostructured review and practice.Instruction in writing conventions should beapproached as direct teacher-to-studentinstruction as far as possible. Grouping ofstudents should also be used as far as possiblein order to facilitate meaningful discussion ofthe conventions being taught. Students doingEnglish 3101A may be grouped with studentsdoing English 3102A for instruction inwriting conventions, as they are studying thesame material.Writing ConventionsInstructors should always use some kind ofdiagnostic measure to determine whetherstudents need instruction and practice in anyaspect of writing conventions. This willnormally be done through examining students’writing but, in some cases, it may be donethorough the use of a pre-test.Although student performance on practiceexercises and summative tests in writingconventions will be considered for a portion ofthe grade in this section of English 3101A, theprimary focus of assessment for gradingpurposes should be on the application ofwriting conventions in the finished work.Students should not be expected to completepractice exercises on any element of writingconventions without having first had therelevance of the component to their writingexplained and demonstrated by the instructor.While efforts have been made to select themost appropriate reference texts, no text canprovide sufficient explanation for the studentsto make the necessary connection to their ownwriting.Page 24 Curriculum Guide English 3101A

Unit 3Written Communications and Writing ConventionsNotes for Teaching and Learning(continued)5. Required Work 6 has students examine theuse of the colon and semi-colon. Explanationsfor colons and semicolons can be found inResource Lines 9/10 (pages 335-336), Guide toLanguage, Literature and Media (page 149)and Reference Points (pages 352-353; 365). Itis recommended the material in these texts beused as the basis of direct instruction with agroup of students.For Required Work 6.1, students will need topractice using the colon and semicolon. Whileany good language reference text may providepractice exercises in this, the following maybe recommended from the ABE Englishresource materials:“Colons”, Passages 12 Language Master 24“Colons ”, Communicate! Blackline Master5-13“Colon”, Crossroads 10 Language Master 39“Semicolon”, Crossroads 10 LanguageMaster 36“Semicolons”, Passages 12 Language Master246. Required Work 7 has students examine theuse of parallel structure. Explanations ofparallel structure can be found in ReferencePoints (pages 357-358), and Communicate!(pages 87-88). It is recommended that thematerial in these texts be used as the basis ofdirect instruction with a group of students.(Continued on following page)English 3101A Curriculum Guide Page 25

Unit 3Written Communications and Writing ConventionsNotes for Teaching and Learning(continued)For Required Work 7.1, students will need topractice using parallel structure. While anygood language reference text may providepractice exercises in this, the following may berecommended from the ABE English resourcematerials:“Parallelism”, Communicate! BlacklineMaster 4-17“Parallelism and Subject-Verb Agreement”,Communicate! Blackline Master 4-17“Parallel Structure”, Passages LanguageMaster 11Page 26 Curriculum Guide English 3101A