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TEAE 4501/5501/6501 Syllabus

Course Syllabus

TEAE 4501/5501/6501 - Modern English Grammar

3 Credit Hours

Course Information

Course Description:

Modern English Grammar will familiarize students with the basic structure of English, particularly those areas that cause most difficulty for non-native speakers. The course has several goals: to become familiar with grammatical terminology and practice identifying and labeling sentence structures; to develop an understanding of how English syntax works to convey meaning; and to become familiar with various techniques of teaching grammar to those whose first language is not English. Students will complete weekly assignments that include identifying and addressing errors in authentic student texts, analyzing sources of errors and their relative significance, and evaluating resources available for ESL students. Students will take weekly quizzes on specific grammar structures and participate on a discussion board and a final exam. Students registered at the graduate level will complete additional readings and quizzes.

Course Outcomes:

The primary objective of this course is to give students an understanding of grammatical features of the English language which are most troublesome to non-native speakers.

Students will also learn

• How to explain to the ESL learner those elements of the language which are routine and intuitive for native speakers of English,

• How to provide effective feedback on grammar problems,

• How to accurately assess the grammatical competence of ESL students, and

• How to evaluate ESL grammar texts with respect to their linguistic bases.

Prerequisites & Co-requisites:

None

Course Topics:

Nouns, articles and quantifiers

The verb system

Tense and aspect Question formation 

Adjectives and adverbs

Comparative and superlative forms

Modal verbs

Prepositions

Verbal’s: infinitives and participles

Conjunctions

Reported and direct speech

Conditionals

Passive constructions

English sentence structure

Teaching approaches

Error correction

Specific Course Requirements:

None

Textbooks, Supplementary Materials, Hardware and Software Requirements

Required Textbooks:

Please visit the Virtual Bookstore to obtain textbook information for this course. Move your cursor over the "Books" link in the navigation bar and select "Textbooks & Course Materials." Select your Program, Term, Department, and Course; then select "Submit."

Supplementary Materials:

None

Hardware and Software Requirements:

Minimum hardware requirements can be found here.

Minimum software requirements can be found here.

Common applications you might need:

Web Resources:

Purdue OWL Online Writing Lab (for APA, MLA, or Chicago style)

The Writing Center Online Writer's Handbook

Student Resources:
  • Technical support information can be found on the TN eCampus Help Desk page.
  • Smarthinking virtual tutoring is available FREE of charge. to access Smarthinking, visit the course homepage and select Smarthinking under Course Resources. You also view sample sessions to see what Smarthinking offers and how it works.
  • Information on other student issues or concerns can be located on the TN eCampus Student Resources page.

Instructor Information

Please see "Instructor Information" in the Getting Started Module for instructor contact information, virtual office hours, and other communication information. You can expect to receive a response from the instructor within 24-48 hours unless notified of extenuating circumstances.

Participation, Assessments, & Grading

Testing Procedures:

Students will complete weekly quizzes on eLearn as well as a final exam. 

Grading Procedures:

Undergraduate students:

22 Weekly quizzes,@ 100= 2200 points

2 Dropbox assignments @ 100 = 200 points

Final exam @ 200 = 200 points.

10 Discussion Boards @ 100 = 1000

Total= 3600 points

Graduate Students:

22 Weekly quizzes @ 100 = 2200 points

4 GS quizzes @ 100= 400 points

2 Dropbox assignments @ 100 = 200 points

Final exam @ 200= 200 points 10 Discussion Boards @ 100 = 1000

Total= 4000 points

Successful students

will demonstrate knowledge of the grammatical system of English as well as an understanding of the acquisition processes of language learners and appropriate strategies for teaching grammar based on the age, skill level and goals of the learners.

Grading Scale:

93-100---A (UG-3348-3600points; GR 3720-4000)

86-92--B (UG 3096-3347 points; GR 3440-3719)

78-85--C (UG 2808-3095 points; GR 3120-3439)

70-77 --D (UG 2520-2807 points; GR 2800-3129)

Assignments and Projects:
Class Participation:

Students must participate on a Discussion Board in lieu of classroom interaction. . Feedback on weekly assignments may include requests to re-do the assignment to demonstrate better mastery of the skills and knowledge. 

Late Policy:

Course Ground Rules

The following two statements (1., 2.) were derived from the TBR System-wide Student Rules document, released January 2012:

RULES OF THE TENNESSEE BOARD OF REGENTS STATE UNIVERSITY AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM OF TENNESSEE SYSTEMWIDE STUDENT RULES CHAPTER 0240-02-03 STUDENT CONDUCT AND DISCIPLINARY SANCTIONS

Read the document in its entirety here.

1. Standards of Conduct:

  • Students are required to adhere to the same professional, legal and ethical standards of conduct online as on campus. In addition, students should conform to generally accepted standards of "netiquette" while sending e-mail, posting comments to the discussion board, and while participating in other means of communicating online. Specifically, students should refrain from inappropriate and/or offensive language, comments and actions.

2. Review the TN eCampus Academic Integrity/Academic Honesty Policy:

  • In their academic activities, students are expected to maintain high standards of honesty and integrity. Academic dishonesty is prohibited.

Such conduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • an attempt by one or more students to use unauthorized information in the taking of an exam
  • to submit as one's own work, themes, reports, drawings, laboratory notes, computer programs, or other products prepared by another person,
  • or to knowingly assist another student in obtaining or using unauthorized materials.

Plagiarism, cheating, and other forms of academic dishonesty are prohibited.

Students guilty of academic misconduct, either directly or indirectly through participation or assistance, are subject to disciplinary action through the regular procedures of the student’s home institution.  Refer to the student handbook provided by your home institution to review the student conduct policy.

In addition to other possible disciplinary sanctions that may be imposed, the instructor has the authority to assign an "F" or zero for an activity or to assign an "F" for the course.

Other Course Rules:

Students are expected to:

  • Participate in all aspects of the course
  • Communicate with other students
  • Learn how to navigate in Brightspace
  • Keep abreast of course announcements
  • Use the assigned course management (Brightspace) email address rather than a personal email address
  • Address technical problems immediately:
  • Observe course netiquette at all times.

Guidelines for Communications

Email:

  • Always include a subject line.
  • Remember without facial expressions some comments may be taken the wrong way. Be careful in wording your emails. Use of emoticons might be helpful in some cases.
  • Use standard fonts.
  • Do not send large attachments without permission.
  • Special formatting such as centering, audio messages, tables, html, etc. should be avoided unless necessary to complete an assignment or other communication.
  • Respect the privacy of other class members

Discussions:

  • Review the discussion threads thoroughly before entering the discussion. Be a lurker then a discussant.
  • Try to maintain threads by using the "Reply" button rather starting a new topic.
  • Do not make insulting or inflammatory statements to other members of the discussion group. Be respectful of other’s ideas.
  • Be patient and read the comments of other group members thoroughly before entering your remarks.
  • Be cooperative with group leaders in completing assigned tasks.
  • Be positive and constructive in group discussions.
  • Respond in a thoughtful and timely manner.

Library

The Tennessee Virtual Library is available to all students enrolled in TN eCampus programs and courses. Links to library materials (such as electronic journals, databases, interlibrary loans, digital reserves, dictionaries, encyclopedias, maps, and librarian support) and Internet resources needed by learners to complete online assignments and as background reading will be included within the course modules. To access the Virtual Library, go to the course homepage and select the Virtual Library link under Course Resources.

Students with Disabilities

Qualified students with disabilities will be provided reasonable and necessary academic accommodations if determined eligible by the appropriate disability services staff at their home institution. Prior to granting disability accommodations in this course, the instructor must receive written verification of a student's eligibility for specific accommodations from the disability services staff at the home institution. It is the student's responsibility to initiate contact with their home institution's disability services staff and to follow the established procedures for having the accommodation notice sent to the instructor.

Syllabus Changes

The instructor reserves the right to make changes as necessary to this syllabus. If changes are necessitated during the term of the course, the instructor will immediately notify students of such changes both by individual email communication and posting both notification and nature of change(s) on the course bulletin board.

Disclaimer

The information contained in this syllabus is for general information purposes only. While we endeavor to keep this information up-to-date and accurate, there may be some discrepancies between this syllabus and the one found in your online course. The syllabus of record is the one found in your online course. Please make sure you read the syllabus in your course at the beginning of the semester. Questions regarding course content should be directed to your instructor.


Last Revised on April 28, 2017