Des Moines Area Community College

ENGL 118 (Comp II) Course Competencies

PREREQUISITE: Composition I (ENGL 117)

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

Expository and persuasive writing developed through critical reading. The course explores structure, style, research, and documentation.

During this course, the student will be expected to:

1. Demonstrate critical reading and writing skills.

1.1 Practice active reading and rereading for the purpose of writing.

1.2 Summarize student and/or published written, oral, and/or visual texts for application to writing.

1.3 Paraphrase student and/or published texts for application to writing.

1.4 Review student and/or published texts for application to writing.

1.5 Interpret student and/or published texts for application to writing.

2. Analyze rhetorical patterns and theoretical approaches in student and/or published texts.

2.1 Identify rhetorical patterns in student and/or published texts such as compare/contrast or multiple points of view.

2.2 Determine theoretical approaches in student and/or published texts such as sociological, historical, or feminist.

2.3 Identify writer's point of view, bias, and slanted language.

2.4 Differentiate between persuasive techniques such as logical and emotional fallacies.

3. Apply concepts and/or techniques from primary and/or secondary sources in a new context.

3.1 Select appropriate concepts and techniques for persuasive and expository writing.

3.2 Adapt appropriate concepts and techniques for persuasive and expository writing.

3.3 Construct a new text with attention to audience and purpose.

4. Identify language nuances.

4.1 Produce vocabulary appropriate to context.

4.2 Differentiate between connotation and denotation.

4.3 Demonstrate sensitivity to discriminatory language.

5. Apply the rules of standard English grammar.

5.1 Construct syntactically sound sentences.

5.2 Use standard rules of punctuation and mechanics.

6. Evaluate individual writing process to allow flexibility in adapting writing task and situation.

6.1 Select appropriate early draft strategies.

6.2 Demonstrate an understanding of complex meanings of revision.

6.3 Practice appropriate revision strategies.

6.4 Appraise individual texts for appropriate editing.

7. Demonstrate standard documentation form.

7.1 Apply MLA or APA guidelines for documentation.

7.2 Recognize the MLA or APA definition of plagiarism.