Intensive English Program

Service Learning
Monterey Institute of International Studies
ESLA 8180, Content Elective II Winter 2011

Instructor: Mike Garnett Office Hours: By appointment (room C218)

Class Schedule: Mon., Tues., Wed., & Office Phone: 647-3500

Thurs. 2:30-3:30 pm Cell Phone: 831- 402-4481

Classroom: C115 Email: mike.thejetties@gmail.com

Course Description:
Improve your English and empower your heart! We volunteer because we believe that helping
others makes the world a better place. This course combines community service with language
learning and is designed to provide you with lots of opportunities to practice your English with
native English speakers in your community.

You will be encouraged to take your language learning outside of the classroom as you volunteer
with a local community group or member. Learning English while doing community service
provides you with real and meaningful reasons to improve your English. It also strengthens your
personal and social responsibility.

Furthermore, your choices and experiences with community service will help shape the course.
At the end of the session, you will be responsible for presenting an individual or group
project that depicts your language learning and community service experiences.

Throughout the course, we will be using the website of the Service Learning Institute at
California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB). The website (http://service.csumb.edu/)
contains contact information for local community groups who are in need of volunteers, as well
as information about service learning in the greater Monterey Bay area.

Course Objectives:
• To meet your language learning and service learning goals by regularly seeking your feedback
and using it to improve the course syllabus.
• To improve the fluency and accuracy of students’ speaking and writing, while also improving
student’s listening and reading comprehension.
• To develop the ability of students to critically reflect on the value of service learning when
learning English.
• To expose students at all levels of technical expertise to what is possible for language learning
with technology integration.
• To increase every students’ experience and confidence while working with native and non-
native speakers of English in and out of the classroom.
Course Project and Assignments:
In the beginning of the course, assignments will focus on:

• Learning about service learning and volunteering opportunities in our community.

• Making the connection between service learning and language learning.
• Maximizing language learning opportunities while volunteering/interacting with native English
speakers.
• Critical reflection.

After this initial period, you will be responsible for planning and completing your own Language
& Service learning project by working with your teacher, classmates, and community
organization. You will structure your project by following the guidelines below. My role is to
guide you through the process and help facilitate each step:

Step 1: Agree on a theme for the project

Step 2: Determine the final outcome
Step 3: Structure the project
Step 4: Prepare for the language demands of Step 5 (may include a focus on fluency and
accuracy, background knowledge, blogging training, etc.)
Step 5: Volunteer and write about your experiences
Step 6: Prepare for the language demands of Step 7 (may include a focus on fluency and
accuracy, genre writing, technical training, etc.)
Step 7: Re-read your writing and critically reflect on your experiences
Step 8: Prepare for the language demands of Step 9 (may include a focus on fluency and
accuracy, training on presentation skills, technical training on iMovie, etc.)
Step 9: Present final product
Step 10: Evaluate the project

Course Grades:
Your grade for this course will be determined by the following criteria:
Student Products and Actions Weighting

Attendance & Active Participation in and out of the classroom 40%

Project Work (Total Grade) 60%

• Preliminary Activities (10%)
• Planning Activities (10%)
• Blogging Activities (10%)
• Reflective Assignments (10%)
• Project Presentation (10%)
• Peer Review (10%)
Student Responsibilities:
1. Attendance and active participation are required. Coming to class, being prepared, and
participating will help you improve your English. If you are going to be late or miss a class
or appointment, please contact or email the appropriate party in advance. Being absent or
late to class or an appointment without a good reason will result in a lowered grade.

2. Turn in assignments on time. Late assignments may result in a lowered grade. If you know
you will be turning in an assignment late, email me in advance and we can discuss your
options.

3. You will have fun and stay positive throughout the course, making sure that your interests
and goals are being met. This includes helping others stay positive by making them smile and
helping them to meet their goals.

Teacher Responsibilities:
1. I will facilitate your project work and encourage you every step of the way. I will be your
support in and out of the classroom and to the best of my ability will make sure you are being
challenged and kept happy.

2. I will provide you with feedback on your use of English (e.g., speaking, reading, listening and
writing) in the classroom, and will help you reflect on your language use and language
experiences out of the classroom so that you can benefit from them as much as possible.

Materials:
You will need to bring a notebook or folder with plenty of college rule paper to write on. When
needed, I will ask you to bring a laptop to class. If you are working in a group, only one of you
needs to bring a laptop, unless I state otherwise.
Course Schedule: Some changes to the schedule may occur as we progress through the session
Mon. Tues. Wed. Thurs. Fri.

Jan. 10 11 12 13 14
-Continuum -Review the -Prepare for -Interview
Activity SL blog: Experienced Experienced
-Read Essential Who are we? What Volunteers Visit Volunteers
Elements handout are we about? -Write About Us -Film Speaking/
-Discuss Service Class Photo page on blog Listening DVD
Learning

17 18 19 20 21
No Class: -1st reflection due -Finalize About -SL Blog jigsaw
Martin Luther King (About Us) Us page -Review
Jr. Holiday -Review syllabus/ -Discuss Project Collaborative
course Framework Learning’s 5 A’s
-Prepare for SL -Vocabulary
blog jigsaw game: Taboo

24 25 26 27 28
-First draft of 2nd -Unconditional -Continue compiling -Languaging
reflection due Positive Regard list of interesting Activity (report
(Evaluation of First 2 Activity SL sites patterns)
Weeks) -Languaging -Languaging -Continue
-Peer Critique Activity (notice & Activity (Find compiling lists of
-Read For Pete’s record differences) Patterns) SL sites
Sake -Begin compiling -Vocabulary Game:
lists of SL sites Taboo

31 1 2 3 4
Feb. -Report list of -Prepare for SLI -Prepare for SLI -SLI Leadership Ss
volunteering sites Leadership Ss Visit Leadership Ss Visit Visit: Q&A Session
-Focus on Listening -Final draft of -Report Step 2 -Assign Reflection
Skills and Strategies 2nd reflection due -Vocabulary
-Review Speaking/ -Begin Planning game: Taboo
Listening DVD Project (Step 1)

7 8 9 10 11
-3rd reflection due -Complete Step 3 -Share personal -Finish revising
(about SLI visit) -Design and write pages on blog introduction of
-Read Belonging personal pages. -Peer feedback on personal page on
chapter -Report final list of personal pages blog
-Discuss Compassion volunteering sites -Vocabulary Game:
-Begin Step 3 Taboo

14 15 16 17 18
-Begin Preparing for -Role play: -Call Community -Report chosen Begin Volunteering
Volunteering & Explorational organizations, gather volunteering & Writing about
Maximizing Benefits Phone Call to information, & appointments your experiences
(Listening & community make appointments -Research your (Step 5)
Speaking) (Step 4) organizations -Reflect on phone community
calls with worksheet organization
-Vocabulary Game:
Taboo
 Mon. Tues. Wed. Thurs. Fri.

Feb. 21 22 23 24 25
-Focus on Maximizing -Reflect on -Continue Step 4 -Speaking and -1st draft of 4th
Experience Volunteering -Speaking and Listening Game reflections due
-Short presentations on Experiences, Listening Game -Vocabulary throughout the
Community Organizations Share reflections -Continue Game: Taboo following weeks
-Continue Step 4 with peers, Plan Volunteering (about your
Throughout the week on maximizing (Step 5) volunteering
language learning. experiences and
language
learning)

Mar. 28 1 2 3 4
-Critically reflect on -Continue -Final Draft of 4th -Vocabulary Continue
volunteering experiences Revising reflection due Game: Taboo Volunteering
with peers (Step 6) reflection 4 - Reread your -Continue Step 7,
-Begin revising reflection 4 writing and revise writing on
critically reflect your personal
on all of your SL page
experiences (Step
7)

7 8 9 10 11
Prepare for presentation of -iMovie? -Presentations of -Vocabulary Continue
personal page -Youtube? personal page due Game: Taboo Volunteering
(Step 8) -Animoto? -Practice
-Keynote/ Presentations?
PowerPoint/
Prezi?

14 15 16 17 18
Presentations Presentations -Evaluate your ESL Graduation
(Step 9) (Step 9) project and the
course (Step 10)
-Last day of class

More about the positive aspects of adding a service learning component to language courses:

Practice with Pragmatics (focusing on language use and context)

Service learning...
...connects students with a variety of native English speakers in collaborative
relationships, of a social justice quality, in and outside of the classroom.
...offers students ‘real life’ English practice.
...affords students real and meaningful language learning purposes.
...encourages reflection on language use in real contexts, where students
respond to the courses’ themes by drawing from their own research and
experiences.
...integrates the four skills (speaking, listening, reading & writing) in
communicative activities/tasks.
...language tasks become authentic responses to important issues raised by
students’ experiences.
 ...promotes language development by assisting students in producing and
publishing accurate and fluent English.

Supporting Agency (action or transformative teaching and learning)

Service learning...
...encourages students to create the courses’ themes and content by eliciting
their goals, needs, and interests; course content is also comes from students‘
real-time experiences with volunteering.
...encourages students to make their own choices by helping them design their
learning environment and by facilitating their volunteering relationship with a
community member/group.
...strongly encourages participation, though it remains voluntary.
...presents serving as a form of field research that enhances students’ in-class
work.