Low Intermediate Listening and Speaking

ELIC 23 | ELIC 923
Section 1429 | Section 2715
Mondays/Wednesdays 9:35-10:50AM
Founders Hall 252

Spring 2026
Modesto Junior College

Welcome
to ELIC 23/923!

Dear Scholar,

I'm Kate Hey, and I will be your instructor for ELIC 23|923. Whether you are a new or returning student at MJC, I am very excited to have you in my class. I have put this site for you to show you what our class is about.

I wish you a fun and productive semester! Remember, if you have questions, comments, suggestions or problems at any time during the semester, please talk to me.

See you in class,

Kate

PS. You're welcome to call me Kate or Professor Hey.

About this Course

How and when to attend our first week of class

Our first class meeting is on Monday, January 12th. We will meet in Founders Hall (East Campus) room 252 at 9:35 am. This is a 16-week course.
I'm looking forward to seeing you in person!

How this course works

ELIC 23|923 is for students whose first language is not English. Focus is on aural comprehension of short lectures, effective participation in group discussions, introduction to academic note-taking, development of discipline-based vocabulary, delivery of short presentations, as well as identification and production of pronunciation features of American English, including: the sound system, word endings, and word stress.

We will meet in person twice a week - on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9:35-10:50am. You will also be asked to do some work online.

Assignments and due dates

You will submit some assignments in Canvas and you will be asked to bring some assignments to class. Clear instructions will be given in class and due dates will be posted in Canvas in weekly modules.
Important note: Please do not send your assignments to me via email as these may not count towards your grade. Instead, follow instructions in Canvas on how to submit assignments.

Communicative Activities: There will be activities where you will be asked to interact with one another, so your attendance in class is very important. These may include pair-work and group activities, short presentations, etc. This is the best time to practice your English, so please make sure to participate in them.
Q&A Café – This is an open discussion forum for students to post questions about the course and to interact with one another. This is a space where students can virtually ask questions to the entire class. If you know the answer to any of the questions, please help your classmate by answering it. I’ll check in on the discussion to help with any unanswered questions periodically.

Week 1 Success Kit

Due Dates for Week 1

Attend our first class meeting on Monday, January 12 at 9:35am in Founders Hall (East Campus) room 252.
Sign in to our class in Canvas - Due: January 14 or before.
Go through the Start Here module and take the Syllabus Quiz (doing so will open the Week 1 module) - Due: January 16 or before.
Complete the Week 1 module - Due: January 18.

Materials for Week 1

Access to a Free Online Dictionary

Canvas account

Access to computer/internet

Comunication Essentials

Preferred Communication Method

To contact me, please email me at heyk@yosemite.edu or call at (209) 575-6416 to leave a voicemail. The best way to reach me is through email; I usually respond within 24 hours (I may take a bit longer on the weekends).

Office Hours

I will hold weekly office hours where everyone is encouraged to join if you have time. During the office hours, I will answer any questions you may have regarding that week’s material. Please bring your questions, and let’s talk!

My office hours this semester:

Monday/Tuesday 9-9:30AM
Mondays 12:30-1:00PM
Wednesdays 12:30-2PM
Tuesdays/Thursdays 1:45-2:15PM

In Yosemite Hall room A210, on:
Mondays/Wednesdays 6:00-6:30PM

Use Q&A Discussion

Q&A Discussion can be found in modules in Canvas. This is a non-graded discussion where you can ask your questions regarding this course and get them answered by peers or me. This space should only be used for questions you want to be public to the entire class. If you have a question for only me, please email me at heyk@yosemite.edu.

Our Pact

This is what you can expect in this class:

I will create a friendly and inclusive classroom community that thrives on encouraging support.
I will treat everyone respectfully.
I will guide with empathy and provide relentless flexibility (a slogan I try to live by).
I will carefully design assignments to create opportunities to learn.
I will be an active presence and participate throughout the course in regular announcements, updates, discussions, and in specific, actionable, and prompt feedback.

What I expect of you:

You will approach the content with playful curiosity and a willingness to try new things.
You will build supportive relationships with colleagues through encouragement and authenticity.
You will participate frequently and engage the material early and actively each week.
You will ask questions when you don't understand something in class.
You will work using academic honesty.

Teaching Philosophy

I am very excited that you are a part of this course. My goal is to create a trusting and inclusive learning community where you play an important role as a member. You will have an opportunity to learn listening and speaking skills in this class and also learn from and about your classmates who come from different countries and represent different parts of the world. Together, by constant encouragement and support, we will do our best for you to succeed in this course to become successful English language learners.

Our Mutual Goals

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon satisfactory completion of this course, you, the student, should be prepared to:

Deliver well-organized oral presentations on academic subjects to a large group at a low intermediate level of speaking proficiency.
Identify main and supporting ideas from a lecture or interview.
Use effective academic discussion techniques to exchange information and ideas at a low intermediate level of speaking proficiency.
Identify and produce basic features of pronunciation, including: consonants and vowels effectively as syllables in simple words, common patterns of stress, -ed and -s word endings, and basic intonational patterns.

Keys to Success

Come to class on time and stay until the end. It’s important for your success in this class. If you are going to miss class, please email me at heyk@yosemite.edu and let me know. If you miss two weeks without notifying me, you may be dropped from the class.
Please participate in class. Participating means raising your hand, asking questions, giving answers and working together to learn. Have your homework completed on time and be ready to discuss it.
Check CANVAS on a regular basis for announcements and homework assignments.
Please, turn off and put away cell phones while in a class meeting. Cell phones can be a distraction and our focus in class is on learning.
Try not to miss any quizzes or tests. If you miss a quiz or a test, you receive zero “0” points. If you miss the final exam, you may not pass the class.
Try not to miss any classes. Make appointments outside of our class time. However, I understand that emergencies happen. If you miss a class, it is your responsibility to contact a classmate and check Canvas to find out what was covered in class and what homework assignment needs to be completed.

Drop Policy: Enrolled students who have not logged in to Canvas to complete the Course Introduction Module within the first 2 days of class may be dropped from the class. In addition, if a student misses class meetings and does not contribute to class for the first week (this includes submitting assignments, participating in discussion board and email), the student may be dropped from the class. You must email me ahead of time if you are unable to participate in class.

Avoid plagiarism/cheating at all cost. Unauthorized use of artificial intelligence (AI) is considered a form of plagiarism. This means that AI-assisted work is not allowed in this course, except when the instructor approves of its use and the student acknowledges using it. Any plagiarized work will receive zero points and will be reported to the Dean of School of Language Arts and Education.
Watch the due dates for assignments. Submit your work before it is due.
Please, use English only while interacting with your classmates. It will help you develop your English skills. If you have trouble understanding something, tell me so I can help you.

Grading

Forecast your success

Quizzes (listening+vocab): 20%
Presentations:                  25%
Voice Recordings :               20%
Homework/
Participation/Preparation: 10%
Final Exam (speaking + listening): 25%

Support Network

Please know that I am here to help you. I want you to succeed in this class, so please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, worries or concerns. Let's work together to ensure your success in class.

If you have a physical, psychiatric/emotional, medical, learning or other disability that may affect your ability to carry out assigned course work, Accomodations and Support Center is here to help you. The Accomodations and Support Center team will review your concerns and work with you to determine what accommodations are appropriate. They can also refer you to care providers if you are not certain whether you have a disability. All of your information is kept confidential. They will give you information to share with me so I can ensure your needs are accommodated in this course.
Location: East Campus, Student Services, Room 112
Phone: 209 575-6225
Email: mjcdsps@mjc.edu
There is no need to struggle on your own! Tutoring is free at MJC and can help you succeed in your class. Sign up for an appointment or sign up for a workshop.
Location: East: L &LC; West: Yosemite Hall Rm. 235
Phone: East: (209) 575-6346 West: (209) 575-6676
Website: http://www.mjc.edu/instruction/library/
Your Student Success Specialist is Elida Miranda; she can be reached at (209) 575-7773 or mirandae@mjc.edu
Check out all Student Services that MJC offers!
Location: East: Student Services Building: Admissions Windows
Phone: (209) 575-6789
Website: http://www.mjc.edu/studentservices/
To get help with Canvas, call our Online Helpdesk at (209) 575-6412

Tips for Course Management

Quizzes: Quizzes will be announced, so there will be time to prepare for them. They will cover new vocabulary and listening and speaking components of the class.

Homework: You will be asked to do your homework every week. Do it neatly and on time. Due dates will be posted in each assignment. Only two late assignments will be accepted this semester. Some homework will be assigned online.

Electronic Recordings: Electronic recordings will help you practice your pronunciation and will help me determine how much you have learned. All voice recordings will be required to have a camera on.

Presentations: You will give 3 presentations this semester. You will present in a group and individually.

Academic Honesty

Cheating is not tolerated in this class and will result in “0” points for the assignment. Cheating may include but is not limited to plagiarism, unauthorized use of AI, copying homework or answers on a test, talking during a test, looking at someone’s test, allowing someone to look at your test or copy your homework, etc. There will be appropriate disciplinary measures taken for anyone who chooses to cheat.

Artificial Intelligence Policy

Important Dates

First Day of Class: January 12

No Class/Dr. M.L. King Jr. Day: January 19

Refund Date: January 25

Drop without W Date: January 25

No Class/Washington Day: February 16

Pass/No Pass Date: April 25

Last Day to Drop Date: April 6

Final Exam: Monday, April 27 from 10AM-12:50PM

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