Teaching Experience
Red Rocks Community College - Department of English
Course: Composition I (ENG121)
This course emphasizes the planning, writing, and revising of compositions, including the development of critical and logical thinking skills. This course includes a wide variety of compositions that stress analytical, evaluative, and persuasive/argumentative writing, as well as digital/visual literacy. Class sessions often function as writing workshops where students propose initial ideas, share drafts, elicit feedback, and reflect critically on that feedback. At the semester’s end, students put together portfolios that illustrate their journeys as writers and critical thinkers.
In this section of ENG 121, students explore the idea of community. This idea of community leaves a lot of room for interpretation, which is the point. It can be defined by location (i.e. geographic region or country); it could be identity (i.e. ethnic, gender, or sexual orientation); it could be interest (i.e. hobby, occupation, or politics). For most of us, our communities comprise a combination of all three, location, identity, and interest. You will choose a community that you identify with. This community underpins all the writing for this course. The writing students do in this class seeks to accomplish a particular goal on behalf of a particular community to which they belong.
Course: Composition II (ENG122)
This course expands and refines the objectives of English Composition I. This course emphasizes critical/logical thinking and reading, problem definition, research strategies, and writing analytical, evaluative, and/or persuasive/argumentative compositions that incorporate research.
In this section of ENG 122, students explore issues related to social justice and advocacy. Social justice issues result from unequal access to resources, unfair treatment of individuals and communities based on race, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability, class, etc., and laws and policies that support exclusion, segregation, and inequality. Using different modes of rhetorical communication and argumentation (print, digital, and visual), students create texts that raise awareness, participate in debates, and advocate for their selected issue. At the end of the semester, students submit a portfolio of their work.
Community College of Aurora - College Preparatory ESL Program
Course: Advanced Composition (ESL053)
Syllabus
This course reviews paragraph organization and helps students develop the skill of writing essays using selected rhetorical modes. This class emphasizes accurate use of advanced grammatical structures and includes summarizing, paraphrasing, and research writing. Within a framework of weekly reading, guided writing workshops, and instructor feedback, students practice the kinds of reading and writing necessary to be a critical reader and writer. At the end of the semester, students present an online portfolio of their best work.
Course: Advanced Grammar (ESL023)
This course reviews intermediate grammar structures and introduces advanced structures with increased emphasis on written communication. Students are given the opportunity to demonstrate the following competencies: article use, simple and perfect tenses, active and passive voice, gerunds and infinitive complements, complex sentences, noun clauses, and hypothetical statements. Through project-based learning, students work together to publish a class newspaper and present their own TedTalks on subjects they’re familiar with.
Pace University - Dyson College of Arts and Sciences, Department of English
Course: Critical Writing (ENG120)
This course is designed to build on the writing skills and strategies students learned in English 110 or previous writing courses they have taken. Whereas English 110 is an introduction to academic writing and argument, English 120 focuses more on advanced strategies for argumentation and research. Within a framework of weekly reading, guided writing workshops, and instructor feedback, students practice the kinds of reading and writing necessary to be a critical reader and writer.
Course: First-Year Composition (ENG110)
This course emphasizes critical reading, writing, and thinking. Students learn to approach the writing, revising, and editing of well-organized and coherent analytical essays as a series of tasks and learn to develop strategies for effectively accomplishing each stage of the writing process. In addition, students learn basic research skills, including methods of documentation and the use of library and Internet resources.
Pace University - English Language Institute
Course: Graduate Academic Skills (GP084)
This course is a 14-week intensive, skill-oriented program of study designed to prepare international graduate students for the demands of graduate-level course work in an American university. The major assessments were an annotated bibliography, literature review, and a primary research project with data commentary.
Course: Pre-Graduate Academic Reading (GP091)
This 14-week intensive course is for ESL students preparing for study in or already studying at an English-speaking college or university needing to improve reading, writing and critical thinking skills. The focus of this course is on reading and high order critical thinking skills with a minor emphasis on writing as a measure of assessment.
Baruch College, Continuing & Professional Studies
Course: Intensive TOEFL Preparation (Speaking & Listening)
The TOEFL measures the proficiency level of non-native speakers of English. Colleges and universities, as part of the admission requirement, require English language proficiency. This course focuses on effective techniques and strategies for the Listening and Speaking sections of the TOEFL. Students will learn a variety of listening and speaking skills useful in academic and social contexts. Grammar, vocabulary building, idiomatic expressions and pronunciation will also be emphasized with the purpose to give students the ability to produce language pragmatically.
The City College of New York, English Language Institute
Course: Advanced English for Academic Purposes
This 15-week intensive, skill-oriented program of study is designed to prepare international undergraduate and graduate students for the demands of studying in an American university. Students complete a variety of assignments such as research papers, book reviews, debates, individual presentations, as well as group business proposals and pitches.
Throughout the course, my students also learn how to create and manage an E-Portfolio to showcase their work.
Student E-Portfolio Examples:
Westchester Community College, English Language Institute
Course: Level 2 Semi-Intensive ESL
For my Level 2 Semi-Intensive ESL course, I utilized an integrated-skills, communicative language approach. Students were encouraged to collaborate in task-based learning activities in the classroom as well as interact online outside of class on a class blog. In addition to traditional assessments, students were asked to keep a writing portfolio to showcase their improvement throughout the semester.
The English Language Institute (ELI) at Westchester Community College offers ten levels of instruction and services over 5,000 ESL students. ELI courses range from beginning level English to preparation for TOEFL and English for academic purposes. ELI students come from all over the world to work and study in New York.
Columbia University, Community English Program
Course: Level 4, Intermediate ESL
Course: Advanced Studies
The Community English Program (CEP) is a unique and integral part of the TESOL and Applied Linguistics Programs at Teachers College, Columbia University. It provides English as a second language and foreign language instruction to adult learners of diverse nationalities and backgrounds. In addition, the CEP serves as an on- site language education lab in which TESOL and Applied Linguistics faculty and students enrolled in the programs teach the courses and use the CEP as a setting for empirical inquiry. Teachers College believes that observation and classroom research are the best way to learn about teaching and gain insights into how teaching might take place. Thus, observation and classroom research are encouraged and teachers should use it as a tool for learning. Ongoing assessment and program evaluation contribute to make the CEP a better program. -- Adapted from the CEP Website
University of Science and Technology Beijing
Course: Academic Speaking and Writing
Course: Business English
The University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB) was founded in 1952. It is considered one of the most influential key national universities sponsored by the Chinese Ministry of Education. USTB is renowned for its study of metallurgy and materials science. Its main focus is on engineering; at the same time it maintains a balanced program of science, management, humanities, economics and law. All students are required to pass the College English Test as a prerequisite graduation. - Adapted from the USTB website
Zigen Migrant Center
Course: Adult Beginning English
Course: After School English Program for 7 to 10-year-olds
Zigen (滋根) is a Chinese NGO with branches in Hong Kong, Taiwan and the U.S., though most of its international efforts are oriented toward work in mainland China. Zigen has offices in a half dozen provinces and primarily works with issues affecting rural villagers, women’s education, and migrant workers. The primary goals of the Beijing branch are to increase society’s respect for migrants living in Beijing, to promote a positive, productive dialogue between migrants and non-migrants, and to increase communication between the two communities. They do this through various activities, such as operating a lending library, offering English classes and scholarships to local students, holding movie nights and chess tournaments.