ENG101: English Fundamentals (3 credits)

Rationale

ENG101 is a foundational GenEd course in which students will develop critical thinking, persuasive argument, and study skills through reading, critiquing, and interpreting texts in speaking and writing assignments. The contents will cover the four basic English language skills (reading, writing, speaking, and listening) required for students’ needs, and will teach students in the sequential steps of the writing process, from pre-writing strategies to planning/outlining to writing and revision. Through course elements such as (1) weekly writing and reading, (2) formal essay assignments, (3) clear assessment criteria, and (4) personalized feedback, students will build fluency, confidence, and good habits of work and mind. This will help them build a strong foundation for the challenging writing and thinking tasks they will take on during their time at BRAC and beyond.

Students are required to keep an online ‘Writer’s Notebook’ where they will reflect on and respond to the weekly readings, and seed ideas for future assignments. Short formal writing assignments are embedded throughout the course, building toward a longer essay assignment with the opportunity for revision. Students will practice ‘workshopping’ their writing through peer feedback, individual sessions with the instructor, and consultation with the Writing Centre (online or in-person).

Prerequisite of the Course

The prerequisite for this course is ENG091: Foundations Course in English unless you have been placed directly in ENG101 in the admission test.

Course Aims & Outcomes

Academic Process:

1. To learn to comprehend and engage with a variety of texts (e.g. academic readings, literature and audio-visual media).

2. To perform close and critical readings of an assigned text.

3. To learn to distinguish researched claims and facts from beliefs and opinions.

4. To demonstrate their understanding of academic integrity by making use of appropriate referencing strategies in their course work.

5. To use writing as a medium for interpreting and reflecting on lived experience and global events.

Writing:

1. To understand, at a foundational level, the necessary elements of academic writing and practice executing them towards mastery.

2. To understand that writing is a recursive process (prewriting, writing and rewriting) and to demonstrate the ability to take a piece of writing through the different steps of the writing process.

3. To develop fluency in writing, i.e. the ability to write quickly and easily generate thoughts and ideas.

4. To learn to be a good reader and constructive editor by reflecting on and assessing others’ writing (through the peer review process).

5. To write a persuasive essay using appropriate claims, counter-claims and evidence relevant to the topic.

Elements of the Course

1. Weekly reading and writing, including a writer’s notebook, to build fluency and critical analysis skills (reconstructing, examining and analysis) through regular practice.

2. Formal writing assignments with opportunities for revision, to develop an understanding of the structure, content and style required of formal writing.

3. Clear criteria for writing shared with students and reinforced through assessments, written comments and individual student-instructor conferences explicitly addressing those criteria,

4. Personalized feedback given and received through peer and instructor workshops as part of the revision process to motivate students and build confidence and control.