WHAT IS ESL?

SAM's ESL is a skill based compulsory subject that all students take during the course of their one year study of the program. This subject is not a learning subject where you will be asked to memorize notes. It is a skill base subject meaning you will learn specific language and thinking skills that you will then apply in a variety of situations. 

     WHAT SITUATIONS?

• writing essays for specific purposes (e.g. info-domain, or research study)
• writing creative pieces such as narrative (stories), letters (persuasive) and reflective
• analyzing and synthesizing information from a variety of sources (used in research and viva)
• critically thinking about issues and being able to discuss these issues in depth after having analyzed the information given and researched (themes used for issue analysis and text productions, plus Investigative Study )---YEAP! You will have to talk in class.

   FAQ'S about ESL

1. Is ESL very hard?

          No, not if you practice to enhance your talents in writing and thinking.

2. Can I get an A in ESL?

Yes, follow instruction, learn the skills, practice them regularly, analyze your errors and learn to think critically.

3. Can I fail ESL? How?

Yes.

·        Don’t attend classes regularly.

·        Don’t do your homework.

·        Don’t hand in assignment on time.

·        Do everything at the last minute.

·        Don’t follow instructions.

·        Don’t practice the skills you have learned.

·        Don’t ask questions when you don’t understand.

·        Don’t put in any effort and think it is only an English class.

4. Do I have to write a lot of essays?

Yes, some essays. For each skill you learn you will practice the skills in writing. You will collect your written work in a Writing Folio so that you can use it to revise the learnt information or skill. This will also help me know your strengths and weaknesses.

5. Do I have to do grammar exercises over and over?

No, at this point I will assume that you have a reasonable grasp of grammar and that you will be able to write comprehensible sentences. You can use grammar exercises provided in class or in this web page to refresh your memory in some grammar skills.

6.  I have never done a research paper in secondary school. How can I cope with one now?

I will never throw you into the deep end of the pool and ask you to swim by yourself. I will throw you a float and teach you to swim (great metaphor huh!) However, I will never spoon feed you as this will be your research paper and not Miss Prem’s. This means that I will teach you step by step on how to do a research paper. For example, how…

·        to choose a topic.

·        to write a proposal.

·        to do the research productively.

·        to take useful notes.

·        to use citations correctly and to write a good bibliography.

·        to compile the information and present it intelligently.

These are techniques you will use in university and you will learn it in ESL.

7.  My English is very weak and I have difficulty in writing simple essays that others can comprehend. How can I pass ESL?

• Do your best.

• We do not have the time to do the A, B, C’s of English. Practice one skill at a time till you perfect it. Practice your basic writing skill and do some grammar exercises( I have a website attached for you to practice at your own pace).

•  Ask me when you don’t understand ( I assure you I do not bite and I will not know you are lost if you don't tell me.)

• Follow the instructions I give you in class.

• Join a study group where you can learn from your friends (it benefits the good students too so they should help you).

• Use good exam techniques and learn ways to score.

• Hard work does payoff.

• Don’t ever give up.

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