In this chapter . . .
Writing Strategies is a three-credit-hour developmental writing course, the first in the sequence of JCCC’s developmental writing courses, and thus does not count for degree requirements. Writing Strategies is designed for students who lack basic sentence writing skills. The course focuses on grammar, sentence patterns, sentence writing, and basic paragraph development. A required workbook provides students with practice and application of grammatical terms and concepts taught in class. Plurilingual students will, as a rule, not be in English 102; instead they are placed in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses that focus on language issues specific to plurilingual speakers. Like English 102 students, those completing the upper-level EAP courses will likewise move next into English 106 Introduction to Writing if they successfully complete their courses.
Students work to improve sentence skills through grammar study, weekly writing practice, and instructor feedback. Students learn how to punctuate effectively a variety of sentence types and work to improve key paragraphing skills such as composing topic sentences, concluding sentences, enhancing paragraph development, and organizing paragraphs with transitional words.
Course Outline available at https://catalog.jccc.edu/coursedescriptions/engl/#ENGL_098
Syllabus Template available at https://canvas.jccc.edu/courses/28369/files/14857235?module_item_id=4169958
A typical classroom may include a diverse population of all age ranges. Oftentimes, a class will also have a sizable number of students requiring Access Services due to a physical impairment (hearing for example) or a learning disability. Since the introduction of the EAP program, the number of non-native speakers enrolling in 102 has dropped; however, a few may appear in the course from time to time. The students’ writing skills will vary, and the instructor will need to adapt the pedagogy to meet students’ needs. Instructors should include one-on-one instruction time in course planning and should expect frequent office hours visits from struggling students.
Indeed, English 102 students often need more time and multiple opportunities to succeed on the same task than is typical for a college-level class. A slower, workshop-based instructional model is especially important the first two weeks of the semester for students to feel they can succeed in the class. Throughout the semester, students benefit from frequent group activities that help them learn skills together, form a sense of community, and offer them the opportunity to ask questions of each other about basic class requirements (like when or how to submit an assignment).
The students may have jobs and family obligations that take priority over their homework assignments. It will be important to be empathetic, but equally essential to stay consistent with requirements and expectations. Emphasize that attendance and homework assignments are necessary to help them improve their writing and for successful completion of the course.
Instructors must be prepared to provide classroom instruction that explains, clarifies, and gives numerous examples of the grammatical terms and writing concepts listed in the course objectives. Because developmental students often lack knowledge of learning strategies, explicit teaching of note-taking skills, study skills, good student behaviors, and how to use campus resources like computer labs, the Writing Center, and the Academic Achievement Center are especially important.
The Academic Achievement Center in particular offers numerous courses geared towards developmental students, ranging from Study Skills and Vocabulary Development to individual tutoring in reading. Complementing the AAC, the Writing Center likewise offers individual tutoring as well as numerous self-paced one-credit hour courses on topics that range from Practical Writing Skills to English Grammar Review.