Academic Catalog

NCLA 407A: THE GRAMMAR & RHETORIC OF APPLICATION WRITING

Foothill College Course Outline of Record

Foothill College Course Outline of Record
Heading Value
Effective Term: Summer 2023
Units: 0
Hours: 60-360 hours laboratory total per quarter.
Degree & Credit Status: Non-Degree-Applicable Non-Credit Course
Basic Skills, 1 Level Below Transfer
Foothill GE: Non-GE
Transferable: None
Grade Type: Non-Credit Course (Receives no Grade)
Repeatability: Unlimited Repeatability

Description

This course provides students support and practice in editing and revising the grammar and rhetoric of personal statements for college and scholarship applications. Students focus on using clear, relevant vocabulary; writing concisely and with correct sentence structure; maintaining appropriate tone; ordering information for impact; and expressing details pertinent to the audience. Students have the opportunity to improve their critical reading, vocabulary, grammar, and writing skills to craft essays typically required in applications to colleges and universities in the U.S.

Course Objectives

The student will be able to:

  1. Practice all aspects of the application writing process, from start to finish
  2. Practice grammar and mechanics
  3. Apply knowledge obtained to enhance application writing

Course Content

  1. Through individualized and group instruction, including one-on-one tutorials by a qualified instructor, an instructional aide, and trained peer tutors as available, receive help on all aspects of the application writing process from start to finish for a range of academic and professional application writing, such as college entry essays, scholarship essays, and program-specific essays
    1. Identify main parts of the prompt
    2. Brainstorm and draft ideas in response
    3. Ordering main points and details for impact and logic
    4. Edit for concision
    5. Proofread for accuracy and precision
  2. Practice grammar and mechanics
    1. Identify patterns of grammatical error and correct them
    2. Add relevant, appropriate vocabulary as needed for clarification
  3. Apply knowledge obtained in individual counseling appointments to enhance application writing
    1. Adjust tone as appropriate

Lab Content

  1. Practice and explore multiple strategies for clearly addressing a prompt for an application
  2. Practice and explore multiple strategies for organizing writing
  3. Practice identifying patterns of error and correcting grammatical errors
  4. Practice adding clear, relevant vocabulary as needed

Special Facilities and/or Equipment

1. Computer with reliable internet to access online resources.
2. When taught online: reliable internet access; access to computer with camera, microphone, and video conferencing (e.g., Zoom) capability.

Method(s) of Evaluation

Methods of Evaluation may include but are not limited to the following:

College or scholarship application essay
Professional application

Method(s) of Instruction

Methods of Instruction may include but are not limited to the following:

Work in groups
Individualized instruction
Work on computer
Workshops
Lecture
Tutorials

Representative Text(s) and Other Materials

Smith, Corrine, and Ann Merrell. College Essay Journal: A Mindful Manual for College Applications. 2022.

EBSCO Learning Express. Grammar Essentials, 3rd ed.. 2020.

Davis, Joseph E. “How to Be Yourself: The Studied Art of the College Application Essay.” 2021.

EBSCO Learning Express: Core English Skills, 2022 (available from the Foothill Library's subscription database).

Khan Academy. "Filling out the college application: Common application walkthrough." 2022: https://www.khanacademy.org/college-careers-more/college-admissions/applying-to-college/college-application-process/a/filling-out-the-college-application-common-application-walkthrough

Khan Academy. "Writing a strong college admissions essay." 2022: https://www.khanacademy.org/college-careers-more/college-admissions/applying-to-college/admissions-essays/v/writing-a-strong-college-admissions-essay

Sample college and scholarship essays and workforce job applications.

Types and/or Examples of Required Reading, Writing, and Outside of Class Assignments

  1. Completion of assignments—both online and handwritten/word documents
  2. Analyzing samples provided by instructor that showcase basic and more challenging prompts
  3. Drafting and editing of student's own applications and scholarship essays

Discipline(s)

English and English as a Second Language (ESL)