DVS 031: Beginning English Language Acquisition

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Class Program
Basic Education for Adults (BEdA)
This basic skills level course is for students whose first language is not English. Participants study speaking, listening, reading, writing, employability skills, and mathematics in English, so they may perform a variety of basic tasks requiring communication at work, at home, and in their community. Students must be at least sixteen years old to enroll in the Basic Skills Program or 21 years old or older to enroll in the HS21 program. (Formerly DVS 030,031,032,034,035,037)

Prerequisites

This course is designed for students with a CASAS score below 190 in reading and/or below 189 in listening
Course Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the course, students should be able to demonstrate the following knowledge or skills:

Reading/Writing Skills: Identify the main topic in simple written texts. Retell a few key details. Mathematical Skills: Write, interpret, and solve math problems with very simple math information. Employability Skills: Handle routine entry-level jobs that do not require long verbal instructions and can easily be demonstrated. Listening/Speaking Skills: Identify the main topic in oral presentations and simple spoken words. Participate in short conversations and respond to simple questions.
Course Content Outline
Instruction for class lessons will include strategies using increasingly complex texts based on College and Career Readiness Standards. Skills and strategies will be contextualized into BBCCs Areas of Interest and into HS21+ coursework
  1. Work in small groups to exchange ideas and solve simple work-related problems.
  2. Use reading strategies in identifying main ideas and supporting details in simple sentences.
  3. Demonstrate the proper ways to greet people “good morning”, “How are you today?”
  4. Ask questions and understanding the answers in a polite way.
  5. Practice taking telephone messages and writing the message, so another person is able to understand the message.
  6. Listening to simple conversations and engage in the exchange of ideas.
  7. Calculate solutions to basic math problems at an appropriate level with emphasis on whole number operations. Use a math calculator to assist in solving math problems.
  8. Memorize the months of the year, the alphabet, written numbers up to thousand, and personal information used in filling out job applications.
  9. Prepare to take the citizenship test by identifying pictures of past presidents, capitol buildings and be familiar with laws in the communities and United States.
  10. Employability skills: practice the soft skills, such as showing up for work on time (or class), the proper way of calling in when sick, and asking for information or assistance.
  11. Fill out simple employment forms, such as timecards
Department Guidelines

After 45 hours of instruction, students will be evaluated using the CASAS listening, reading, and math standardized test. Classes are taught in a 3:1 ratio of lecture to lab hours.

College and Career Readiness Standards (CCRS) for BEdA Program: Instruction is aligned to the following CCR Standards:

A-B in Reading based on the CCRS Anchors

  • 1 (Read closely to determine what the test says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it),
  • 2 (Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas),
  • 3 (Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text),
  • 4 (Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone),
  • 5 (Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text [e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza] relate to each other and the whole,
  • 6 (Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text),
  • 7 (Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words),
  • 8 (Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence),
  • 9 (Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take, and
  • 10 (Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently).

A in Writing based on the CCRS Anchors

  • 2 (Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content),
  • 3 (Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details and well-structured event sequences),
  • 5 (Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach),
  • 6 (Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others),
  • 7 (Conduct short as well more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation),
  • 8 (Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism), and

A in Math based on the CCRS
A-B in Speaking and Listening based on the CCRS Anchors

  • 1 (Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively),
  • 2 (Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally),
  • 3 (Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric),
  • 4 (Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience),
  • 5 (Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information and enhance understanding of presentations), and
  • 6 (Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and communicative tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate).

A-B in Language based on the CCRS Anchors

  • 1 (Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking),
  • 2 (Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing,
  • 3 (Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening),
  • 4 (Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases by using context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting general and specializes reference materials, as appropriate),
  • 5 (Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings, and
  • 6 (Acquire and use accurately a range of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when encountering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression).