Syllabus 2024 2025 WE1 ENS

Writing Expression – PEP Year 1
2024/2025
Instructor: Courtney Colborn
Email: [email protected]
Meeting day/times: Thursdays - 8:30 to 13:00
Course Description: This course is designed to provide first-year English language students
with the fundamental skills and knowledge necessary for effective writing and composition.
Through lectures, discussions, and practical writing exercises in-class and out of class, students
will further develop their understanding of key writing principles and be able to apply them in
various contexts.
Emphasis will be placed on crafting accurate and varied sentences (simple, compound, and
complex) and developing clear concise paragraphs. Key concepts covered will be the writing
process, word choice, cohesion, coherence, audience awareness, rhetorical moves, and critical
thinking. The course aims to equip future English language teachers with the necessary tools to
guide their future students in becoming proficient writers.
Course Objectives:
 Develop a solid understanding of basic writing principles, including grammar, punctuation,

and sentence structure.
 Enhance skills in organizing and structuring ideas for effective written communication.
 Improve critical thinking and analytical skills through the exploration of different writing
genres and styles.
 Apply audience analysis and rhetorical strategies to cater to specific writing contexts.
 Cultivate self-reflection and revision techniques to improve the quality of written work.
 Gain practical experience in providing constructive feedback and peer editing.
 Foster an appreciation for the writing process and its significance in personal and
professional growth.
Pre-requisites:
Students should be able to understand spoken directions in English, form basic sentences in
English, and know basic grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling rules.
Grades:
 Exams (midterm and final) 50%

 In-class writing and quizzes 20%
 Take home assignments and quizzes 20%
 Participation, writing and vocabulary journals 10%
Exams: Two cumulative exams will be given in January and in May (Exact dates TBA.) Exams will
include all material that has been covered in class. Questions will consist of multiple choice,
short answer, and paragraph writing tasks.
In-class writing assignments and quizzes: Students will have a mixture of formative and
summative assessments. Grading will take place on a random basis. Some assignments and
quizzes will be graded, some will not. Many assignments will have guided whole class review,
peer review, and/or self-review.
Take-home assignments and quizzes: There will be at least one take home assignment or
quiz most weeks. As with the in-class assessments, grading will happen on a random basis.
Participation, Writing and Vocabulary Journals: Students are expected to participate in

class and not be distracted by cell phones or side conversations. Free writing in a journal will be
completed daily in the first 10 minutes of class. In order to receive credit for this task, students
must arrive on time. Students will also keep a personal vocabulary journal to boost their
vocabulary knowledge. These journals will be checked periodically. It is the students’
responsibility to keep them up to date.
Absences: Missed in-class assignments and quizzes will not be able to be made up, nor will late
take-home assignments be accepted. All students will have the opportunity to drop their two
lowest scores for in-class and/or take-home assignments. Exams will not be able to be made up.
It is very important to be present on the day of the exam.
American Culture Minute: We will take from 5-10 minutes each class period to talk about a
different aspect of American Culture. If you have a topic that you would have questions about
you can email me and I can include it for the next term.
Introductions and Icebreakers
Week 1 Grammar Diagnostic
October 24th Class Rules
What is good writing?
Writing Diagnostic
Week 2 Journal Free Write – don’t be late!
October 31th NGSL & Vocabulary Journals; Parts of Speech
Sentence Structure: Word Order - Types of Sentences (simple, compound,
complex)
American Culture Minute – Halloween
November 7th Writing: Understanding the Writing Process
Sentence Structure: Simple and Compound Sentence Practice
Vocabulary: Word families/ Word forms/ Nouns/ Articles
American Culture Minute – Voting
November 14th Sentence Structure Review : Verbs & Prepositional Phrases
Writing: Brainstorming
Vocabulary: Collocations
American Culture Minute: Native Americans Heritage Month
November 21st Sentence Structure Review: Passive vs. Active
Writing: Topic Sentences
Vocabulary: Verbs
American Culture Minute – Primary, Middle, and Secondary
School
November 28th Sentence Structure Review: Modals
Writing: Main points & supporting points
Vocabulary: Transitions
American Culture Minute – Thanksgiving
December 5th Sentence Structure Review: Complex Sentence Basics
Writing: Coherence and Unity
Vocabulary: Adjectives
American Culture Minute – Shopping
December 12th Sentence Structure Review: Complex sentences with Adverbial clauses
Writing: Writing and Revising Paragraphs
Vocabulary: Adverbs
American Culture Minute – Winter Activities
Week 9 ** this class session will likely be on-line
December 19th Sentence Structure Review: Complex Sentences with Adverbial Clauses
Writing: Group Exam Practice
Vocabulary: Work on Vocabulary Journals
American Culture Minute – Christmas

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Writing Expression – PEP Year 1

Meeting day/times: Thursdays - 8:30 to 13:00

 Develop a solid understanding of basic writing principles, including grammar, punctuation,

 Exams (midterm and final) 50%

Participation, Writing and Vocabulary Journals: Students are expected to participate in

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