Policies

The following policies are designed to help promote your success in the course:

Required Materials

There are no required textbooks for this class. You will have readings, videos, and audio clips assigned as daily in-class activities or homework. You can access these materials via this course website (print materials will also be provided in class).

Occasionally, you may need to bring a laptop or tablet to class. I will notify you in advance if this is the case. If you do not own one of these technologies, you can rent a device from the D.H. Hill Library on a 4-hour rental basis. If supplying these technologies will be difficult, please be in touch with me so that we can make arrangements.

Grading

Your work will be evaluated on a normal letter grade scale. Please note that I do not round up grades. However, you can earn extra credit for participating throughout the semester in one on-campus program and using one online resource (details provided in class).

How can I know my grade?

I keep track of grades and attendance in a Google Spreadsheet. You can email me at ANY time and I will be happy to send your grade to you. You can also use the Course Grade Estimator to closely estimate your grade.

Presentations, class discussions, recordings, and other major assignments will be evaluated on a normal letter grade scale. Presentations and discussions will be evaluated according to detailed rubrics provided in class, which reflect the course’s overall grading heuristic:

Careful, meticulous work; very few errors. Demonstrates good improvement.

A+: 97-100 | A: 93-96.9 | A-: 90-92.9

Careful, thoughtful work; a few errors. Demonstrates improvement.

B+: 87-89.9 | B: 83-86.9 | B-: 80-82.9

Average work; multiple errors. Evidences some improvement.

C+: 77-79.9 | C: 73-76.9 | C-: 70-72.9

Incomplete work; excessive errors. Evidences little improvement or effort.

D+: 67-69.9 | D: 63-66.9 | D-: 60-62.9

Unsatisfactory/missing work. Evidences little/no improvement or effort.

F: 59 or below

Daily work will be graded on the following scale:

✔ (3 points) = completed, accurate, thoughtful work

✔— (2 points) = partially completed or partially accurate work

X (0 points) =missing or incorrect work

Attendance

Attendance is required and will be taken daily, since active participation in discussions and conversations is crucial to improving communication skills. In our M/W class, you are permitted TWO “free” absences without penalty. Each unexcused absence beyond these two will reduce your overall course grade by five points.

You will need to provide documentation (e.g. a doctor’s note) for an absence to be excused. Generally, absences are excused in the case of illness, injury, death or illness in the family, required university duties, court attendance, or religious observances, in accordance with the University Attendance Policy.

Tardiness

We begin class immediately. Arriving late to class means you are tardy; three tardies count as one unexcused absence, unless you have been in touch with me beforehand. If you arrive late, be sure to speak with me after class so that you are counted present and can receive any necessary information. This is your responsibility.

Target Language Use

The purpose of this class is to develop your English proficiencies in speaking, writing, listening, and reading. Therefore, please speak in English during the entire class meeting. Doing so will improve your fluency, prepare you for future classroom settings, and contribute to a positive class environment in which everyone can participate.

Technology Use

Please participate actively and pay attention during class. If you choose to use your phone/laptop during class time for purposes unrelated to our class (texting, social media, online shopping, homework for other classes or for our class, etc.), you earn an unexcused absence for that day, which counts toward your total absences.

Accommodations

If you experience extended medical or family emergencies during the semester, please consult with me as soon as possible about seeking an accommodation or drop. I am also happy to make reasonable accommodations for students with verified disabilities; however, to take advantage of available accommodations, you must first register with Disability Services.

Late Work

You are responsible for any announcements and assignments you miss because of an absence. Check the website and your e-mail regularly. If you have questions about an assignment, get the name and contact information of a classmate whom you can ask.

Daily assignments

Daily homework and in-class assignments should be typed and printed and brought to class on the due. Assignments not printed and submitted at the beginning of class are late and will receive the grade of 0. In-class assignments can be made up only in the case of excused absences and at my discretion.

Daily assignments are accepted late ONLY in the case of a documented excused absence on the assignment’s due date. If you would like to submit daily assignments you missed because of an excused absence, you are responsible for arranging with me when and how you will make up the work.

Discussions

Discussions, by their nature, cannot be made up. If you have a documented, excused absence on the day of a discussion, you may discuss possible options with me for earning alternative credit for the missed discussion.

Presentations, recordings, quizzes, exams

Make-up quizzes, recordings and presentations will be arranged only if you 1) notify me prior to the scheduled time of the quiz/exam/presentation, and 2) present written documentation of an excused absence (see the Attendance policy and the NC State Attendance policy).

Academic Integrity

Practicing spoken English with other English learners and receiving language correction/help from native English speakers outside of class are effective ways to improve your language abilities. However, asking someone to write your presentation(s) and/or having them give excessive assistance in preparing an assignment are highly counterproductive to your learning in this class.

Further, when you present the words or ideas of someone else (either published or unpublished) in your writing or formal presentations, you must fully acknowledge your sources. If you are ever unsure if what you are presenting or writing constitutes plagiarism, please ask me or the Undergraduate Tutorial Center (UTC).

The NC State Policies, Regulations, and Rules on Student Discipline set the standards for academic integrity. In this course and all your other courses, you are expected to adhere to these standards. Plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty will be handled through NC State’s judicial system and may result in failure for the project or for the course. See the Office of Student Conduct for more information on academic integrity.

​Privacy

According to FERPA policies, I will only discuss your work and progress with you—not with anyone else (including your parents). You should not in any way discuss or share other students’ grades or work. Moreover, revealing or sharing another student’s course work (with a friend, on social media, etc.) is considered a form of academic dishonesty prohibited by the Code of Student Conduct. This applies even if another student willingly shares such information with you (such as through peer review).

Some FAQs

Can I bring food or drink to class?

I will have coffee or tea with me each day, and you are welcome to bring drinks in a covered or closed container. However, please do not eat food or snacks in class.

How should I contact you?

You are welcome to ask me short questions before or after class, although these are busy times and I generally cannot give in-depth answers. For longer questions and more thorough answers, come to my office hours. You can also email me at any time. I try to respond to emails within 24 hours, although I take time off on weekends. I will only respond to professionally-written, well-edited emails.

Can I use dictionaries and other resources?

I encourage you to use any print and online resources you find useful. Several useful resources are linked on the course Moodle. The English-only dictionaries Merriam-Webster or Ludwig.guru, will help you expand vocabulary more effectively than translation dictionaries because they provide each word in relation to other English words/phrases.