| University Undergraduate Advising Handbook | |
SCHEDULING ENGLISH COMPOSITION COURSES
Testing and Placement Actions
English Composition Course Descriptions
English as a Second Language (ESL)
Writing Assistance
Test results for placement in English composition are reported to students on the Profile of Academic Abilities, made available to students through the First-Year Testing, Counseling and Advising Program (FTCAP). Copies of profiles may also be obtained from the appropriate deans' offices, from the operations section of the Division of Undergraduate Studies at University Park, 814-865-2578, and from the directors of academic affairs at other Penn State campuses. Placement test results may also be obtained through eLion. They become available at the start of the first semester or session in which the student is enrolled. Do not schedule English composition courses without reviewing these test results.
The student's profile will present one of the following four English composition placement actions:
"Schedule English 004 before scheduling English 015." The student must schedule English 004. He/she may schedule English 005 concurrently if this is recommended by the student's English 004 instructor.
"Consult with an adviser; schedule English 004 or English 015." The decision to enroll in English 004 or 015 is the student's responsibility. The adviser's responsibility is to encourage a thoughtful decision by using the Advising Placement Guide and providing the student with course descriptions of English 004 and 015. (Source: Jeremy Cohen, associate vice provost for Undergraduate Education, in consultation with others, including the Department of English, University Testing Services, and the University Academic Measurement Committee.)
"Schedule English 015." The student should schedule English 015.
"Schedule honors composition (English 030) or schedule English 015." The decision to enroll in English 015 or 030 is the student's responsibility. The adviser's responsibility is to encourage a thoughtful decision by using the Advising Placement Guide, below, and providing the student with course descriptions of English 015 and 030.
| English 004 | English 015 | English 030 | |
| 1. What was your verbal SAT score? | Verbal SAT less than 425 | Verbal SAT 425 or higher, but less than 600 | Verbal SAT 600 or higher |
| 2. What English courses did you take in your junior and senior years of high school? | Fewer than 2 years of AP or college preparatory English | 2 years of AP or college preparatory English | 2 years of advanced or AP English |
| 3. What type of writing did you do in your high school English classes? | Infrequently wrote essays of more than one paragraph with little feedback from the teacher | Frequently wrote essays of more than one paragraph in length with feedback from the teacher | Frequently wrote essays that required substantial amounts of writing with feedback from the teacher |
| 4. What were your grades in English in your junior and senior years of high school? | Mostly C or less | Mostly between C+ and B- | Mostly B or higher |
| 5. To what extent are you familiar with basic writing tasks such as planning, editing, composing, and revising? | I am unfamiliar with these tasks | I can perform these tasks with a fair degree of competence | I possess the skills needed to perform these tasks with confidence |
| 6. Do you consider yourself a confident and competent writer? | No | Yes | Very much so |
ENGLISH COMPOSITION COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
ENGL 004 Basic Writing Skills (See ESL 004 for students whose native language is not English.)
This is a 3-credit, one-semester course required of students whose test scores and previous writing experience suggest that they need more writing practice before entering English 015. (While credits earned in English 004 count in GPA and computations of full-time status, they do not count toward graduation requirements for any baccalaureate degree.) The underlying premise of English 004 is that the students who take it are inexperienced writers who need practice, not that they are incapable of college work. Students who take English 004 have the ability to conceptualize and organize ideas and to perform complex thinking, but they are unfamiliar with the world of formal writing. Like other composition courses, English 004 is designed to give students extensive practice in writing in order to improve their ability to invent substantial content and express it in fluent prose. It helps students learn the many functions of writing--to discover ideas, use language effectively, and communicate with and influence audiences. Along the way, students learn or review conventional practices of usage and punctuation. Students who complete English 004 should be able to do the following:
- understand how audience and purpose influence a writer's choices;
- flexibly employ the basic processes of writing—planning, editing, composing, and revising;
- develop multi-paragraph essays and arrange them coherently;
- use supporting detail based on personal experience and outside materials;
- demonstrate increased competence with varied sentence structures;
- understand and apply the basic conventions of syntax and mechanics;
- proofread competently and prepare acceptable manuscripts.
At the end of English 004, each student submits a portfolio of the semester's work to the instructor, who reviews it to make sure that the student is ready for English 015. A student who has not met the course objectives can be advised to repeat English 004, even if the student has earned a passing grade (usually a D) in the course.
ENGL 005 Writing Tutorial
If a student enrolled in English 004 or English 015 demonstrates the need for individualized assistance, the instructor may recommend that the student register for English 005, a 1-credit, structured tutorial in English composition. English 005 is scheduled concurrently with English 004 or English 015. A student may take this course with both English 004 and English 015 if these course instructors feel it is appropriate.
English 005 may not be used to satisfy the basic minimum requirements for graduation in any baccalaureate degree program.
ENGL 015 Rhetoric and Composition (See ESL 015 for students whose native language is not English.)
This is a 3-credit, one-semester course required of all Penn State undergraduates except those who pass English 030, Honors Freshman Composition. The subject matter of English 015 is rhetoric, that is, the effective use of language. The basic purpose of this course is to enhance the student's rhetorical sophistication and writing skill, particularly with regard to argumentative prose. The goal is to prepare the student not only for success in academic writing but also for effective participation in and critical understanding of the public and professional discourses of the "real" world beyond school. Students should become better able to assess the opportunities and limits afforded by any given rhetorical situation--the audience, occasion, issue, forum, and genre for the writing that is to be produced--and to respond appropriately with well-conceived argumentation in effectively presented prose. This goal is achieved by direct instruction in rhetorical principles, practices in rhetorical analysis of various kinds of documents, frequent intensive practice in writing expository and argumentative prose for a variety of audiences and situations, and the creation of occasions that call for meaningful discussion and purposeful writing. Students who complete English 015 should be able to do the following:
- engage in the invention, drafting, and revision processes of writing;
- understand and employ in their writing the notion of rhetorical situation: audience, occasion, issue, and wider cultural context;
- understand and employ a variety of invention processes;
- understand and employ the basic types of arguments and the evidence requirements of each;
- engage in persuasive reasoning using different kinds of proofs and appeals;
- learn how to arrange essays effectively to guide readers through complex structures;
- develop a flexible and effective command of style;
- acquire library skills: the Penn State Library is responsible for offering orientation and instruction in the use of library resources; English 015 offers one or more assignments that require the use of library resources.
ENGL 030 Honors Freshman Composition
Students who have performed exceptionally well on the Penn State English placement test are encouraged to schedule English 030 in place of English 015. English 030 is designed for students who are especially skillful writers, who are anxious to try sophisticated writing
strategies and to be challenged with complex texts. English 030 satisfies 3 of
the 9 credits required for all baccalaureate degree candidates in General
Education writing/speaking skills.
ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE (ESL)
A student whose native language is not English may elect to schedule an ESL course in place of an English composition course. To determine if a student's native language is not English, authorized advisers can check ISIS. If a student has either a TOEFL score on AUZU (under the student's name) or a "Y" in the EXCPTN field on AUOG (lower left), then the student's native language is not English. The Advising Placement Guide, developed by the Department of Applied Linguistics provides talking points to assist ESL students in choosing English composition courses.
ESL 004 (formerly SPCOM 004) Basic English as a Second Language: Basic Writing
This 3-credit course substitutes for English 004. It is designed for students whose native language is other than English. Students participate in a variety of writing tasks including preparing descriptions, writing summaries of readings, preparing drafts, and writing compositions. ESL 004 prepares students to take ESL 015, the English as a Second Language (ESL) substitute for English 015.
ESL 004 may not be used to satisfy the basic minimum requirements for graduation in any baccalaureate degree program.
ESL 015 (formerly SPCOM 015) English as a Second Language: Rhetoric and Composition
This course, which substitutes for English 015, is designed for students whose native language is other than English. ESL 015 is designed to familiarize students with the stages in the process of writing English as a second language (ESL) and to develop strategies for reading and writing various models of academic discourse. Students who have completed ESL 015 with a grade of C or higher may schedule this course to satisfy 3 of the 9 credits required for all baccalaureate degree candidates in General Education writing/speaking skills.
Additional information on ESL 004 and 015 is available from the Department of Applied Linguistics, 814-865-7365. Information on English composition courses is available from the English Composition Program, 814-863-3066.
Tutoring is available for all students at the Undergraduate Writing Center, 814-865-6383.
The University may make changes in policies,
procedures, educational offerings, and requirements at any time. Please
consult a Penn State academic adviser for more detailed information.
This page is part of the University Undergraduate Advising Handbook, which is maintained by the Division of Undergraduate Studies, DUS@psu.edu.
Reviewed: May 2008
Last Update: July 2007