Communication Skills

1. 1. Course Title: Communication Skills
   2. Course Prefix/Number: ENG 101
   3. Credit Hours: Three (3)
   4. Description:
      The importance of writing has perhaps increased in the last decade or so, thanks to trends in technology. Most folks communicate via email, text, or social media, and hence many millions of pieces of information are flowing between us through the written word every day. In matter of business, when every second counts, strong writing makes the differences between smooth operations and clumsy footing. This course teaches fluency in writing, reading and critical thinking skills, which includes freewriting, generating and organizing ideas, developing powerful paragraphs, conceptual skills for essays, editing, grammar, vocabulary and effective reading.
   5. Student Learning Outcomes:
      

      Learning outcomes The learner will:	Assessment criteria The learner can:
      1. Write as communication and expression	1.1 Understand the process of freewriting 1.2 Generate and organise ideas 1.3 Develop and craft powerful and purposeful paragraphs
      2. Build a strong foundation	2.1 Overview parts of speech; 2.2 Understand simple and compound sentence structure; 2.3 Use grammar effectively.
      3. Understand sentence mechanics and academic conventions	3.1 Use punctuation patterns, language and style, and vocabulary skills; 3.2 Explain research skills for quoting, paraphrasing and citing sources.
      4. Build reading skills the hands-on way	4.1 Build reading skills.

   6. Grading Scale: Your letter grade in this course will be determined by calculating your score on all assignments and exams as a percentage of the total possible score, on a standard grading scale:
      

      Your Letter Grade	Your Score as % of Total
      A	90–100
      B	80-89
      C	70-79
      D	60-69
      F	0-59

      Assignments 40%

      As part of the requirements, students must complete short assignments based on these studies. There will be 2 assignments, each attracting 20% of total course grade.

      Assignment (Essay) 20%

      Students are also required to turn in an essay assignment.

      Guidelines for the essay assignment:

      • Word limit: 1500 – 2500
      • The assignment should be typed using Times New Roman, 12-point size, double spaced, and 1″ margins.
      • The assignment should be edited for spelling and grammar.
      • References to be provided using the APA guidelines.

      Exam 40%

      There will be a Final exam. The exam will be based on material covered in the textbook readings and lecture notes.

   7. Topic
      Freewriting: Thoughts into Words Generating and Organizing Ideas: Your Raw Materials
      Developing Powerful Paragraphs: A Structure for Ideas Writing for a Purpose: Essay Strategies and Structures
      Building an Essay: Concepts and Skills Writing for a Purpose: Essay Strategies and Structures
      Research skills for quoting, paraphrasing and citations Guide to APA Referencing
      Simple sentence structure Using commas correctly Compound sentence structure
      Catching run-ons Complex sentences Fixing fragments
      Sentence types, nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs Reading skills

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