Five ESL English Composition courses offered in Fall semester
- Multicultural English Composition I was designed to help meet the needs of the increased number of students who speak English as a second language.
- There will be no more than 20 students per class to help increase interaction between teachers and students.
By Nathan Feken, News Writing Student
For the fall 2008 semester, Multicultural English Composition I will be offered in five sections at OCCC.
This course was approved at a March 13 curriculum meeting, said Cheryl Stanford, Department of Language Arts director.
The course was designed to help meet the needs of the increased number of students who speak English as a second language.
Although this is a different type of English Com-postion I course, it will have the same standards as all the other sections. The same books and curriculum will be used in the course as well.
There will be no more than 20 students per class to help increase interaction between teachers and students.
Students will be exposed to a high level of interaction with instructors.
Having a class of all multicultural and international students allows students to feel more comfortable learning, knowing they are all struggling with the English language together.
A current student in the class, Edgar Matamoros, said the class “lets me not be shy and talk more fluently.”
Another student enrolled in the class, Yuli Evans, said, “I learn better with these students and I get to know other people from other countries.”
Mary Punches, who will teach a section of the course, said the class isn’t meant to be easier for students but makes students more comfortable.
Punches said the course will help with vocabulary building and writing errors.
Students will do lots of talking and give several oral reports, she said.
These assignments are geared to help improve the student’s proper speech in English.
A total of five sections will be offered in the fall, Stanford said.
All the sections are at different times to provide convenience for students interested in enrolling in the course.
The times being offered are 10 and 11 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday; 9:30 and 11 a.m. Tuesday and Thursday, and 5:30 p.m. Tuesday evening.
Stanford said, if students plan to transfer to other colleges, this course will transfer to area institutions.
