english 2101c study guide · required work learning about drama 1. in preparation for reading and...

Adult Basic Education

English Language Arts

English 2101C

Study GuidePrerequisites: English 1101A, 1101B and 1101C

Credit Value: 1

Degree and Technical Profile/Business-Related College Profile Required English Courses

English 1101A

English 1101B

English 1101C

English 2101A

English 2101B

English 2101C

English 3101A

English 3101B

English 3101C

Table of Contents

English 2101C Study Guide

To the Student . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Unit 1Drama and Related Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Unit 2 Reports: Reading Scientific and Technical Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Unit 3 Written Communications and Writing Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Texts: Anthologies:Echoes 11, Oxford University PressEchoes 11 CD SetCollected Searchlights and Other Plays

Reference Books:Reference Points 11/12Canadian Students’ Guide to Language, Literature, and MediaCommunicate!

To the Student


The following questions and answers should help you use this Study Guide.

Who should do English 2101C?English 2101C is intended for those who are studying in the Degree and Technical Profile or theBusiness-Related College Profile of Adult Basic Education.

What is in the English 2101C Study Guide?The English 2101C Study Guide describes all the work that is required for the completion of thiscourse. There are 3 separate Units in this course - they are listed in the Table of Contents above(page 2).

How Should I Use the Study Guide?Before beginning to do the work in this Study Guide, you will need to talk to your instructor aboutthe course and the resources you will need to complete the work for the course.

The Study Guide provides important information and guidance which you will need to completeEnglish 2101C. You should work through the Study Guide page by page, consulting with yourinstructor as you go.

How is the Study Guide organized?The Study Guide is organized in two columns, as follows:

Required Work

This column provides a numbered list of allthe work you are required to do for the course.

You should note that there are 3 separateUnits in the course and the Required Workfor each Unit starts with the number 1.

Guidelines and Suggestions

This column gives you important informationand guidelines to help you complete theRequired Work in the left-hand column. You should always read this column beforebeginning the Required Work.

Important NoteThis Study Guide is intended to make it possible for you to work independently in the Adult BasicEducation class. If you use the Guide correctly, you may be able to work on your own for certainperiods of time. You should always make sure that your instructor is aware of what you doing,however, and you should feel free to ask your instructor for help and guidance at all times.

Unit 1 Drama and Related Writing


Required Work

Learning About Drama1. In preparation for reading and analyzingdrama, you should study pages 70-104 ofGuide to Language, Literature, and Media“Drama”.

1.1 Answer questions 1 - 4 on page 75.


Glossary of Literary Terms2. Review your personal glossary of literaryterms (drama) and add the following terms: •tragedy •comedy•satire•melodrama•asides•dramatic irony


This reading provides an overview of elementsand types of drama. It also includes excerptsfrom several plays which illustrate theseelements and types and which help you becomea more critical reader of drama.

As you read the excerpts, you should carefullyread the notes in the margins. These help youunderstand the techniques which the playwrightuses and, in some cases, they fill in thebackground for the excerpt.

These terms are all explained in the assignedstudy material from Guide to Language,Literature, and Media.

You may find it helpful to discuss the termswith your instructor before going on to readingand analyzing plays for this course.

Remember that you are not expected tomemorize definitions but, rather, to use yourknowledge of the terms in understanding andanalyzing drama.


Study Guide English 2101C

Required Work

Listen3. Listen to the recorded radio play, “OneOcean”, by Betty Quan on the Echoes 11 CD(Track 12).

Read and Discuss4. Read the radio play, “One Ocean”, by BettyQuan in Echoes 11, pages 182-187. 4.1 Discuss “One Ocean” with your instructoror in a small group organized by yourinstructor.

Write5. Answer questions 1 - 4 on page 188.


The play, “One Ocean”, was written to beperformed for radio broadcast. Radio plays aredifferent from stage plays in that there is novisual aspect to the play, except in theimagination of the listener. Apart fromdialogue, the only other element of a radio playis sound effects. It is the sound which gives thelistener the information needed to visualizewhat is happening.

You should pay particular attention to thesound effects as you listen. You should alsolisten very carefully to the dialogue. Accents,tone of voice, and changes in tone and loudnessare all ways in which the actors get the storyacross in a radio play.

If you read the play as you listen, you will seewhere reference is made to sound effects andyou will hear those sound effects on therecording.

If there are others doing this play at the sametime, you may listen and discuss in a smallgroup. If you are doing the play alone, youmay discuss it with your instructor.

You should read the play at least twice beforeanswering the questions. This will help you tobetter understand the full meaning of the playand to find details that support your answers.

Your answers to all questions on the playsshould be written in short essay style. Youshould edit each answer to ensure that it iscoherent and that there are no mistakes ingrammar, punctuation or spelling.



Required Work

Short Play - Read and Write6. Read the complete play, “Salt-Water Moon”,by David French.


The Echoes 11 anthology has only an excerptfrom this play. Your instructor will provideyou with a copy of the complete play, whichyou will be able to keep for yourself and use to make notes on if you wish.

Unlike the radio play, “One Ocean”, which youhave just listened to and read, there is aconsiderable amount of description of the stageand the characters in “Salt-Water Moon”. Whereas a radio play requires you to imaginewhat the characters look like and what thesetting looks like, a stage play spells this out indetail. This is intended for the people who putthe play on the stage and the actors who act inthe play. However, if you are reading a play, itis very important for you to pay close attentionto the descriptions.

From listening to the radio play, you willrealize that a play is intended to be brought tolife in order to be fully appreciated. When youare listening to “One Ocean”, the accents of theactors let you know that they are Chinese; theyalso suggest an exotic atmosphere and setting. You might not get this from simply reading theplay.

As you read “Salt-Water Moon”, you will notethat the characters speak with a Newfoundlandaccent. You should try and imagine theirvoices as you read. If there is somebody elsereading this play at the same time, you maywant to get together and practice reading thedialogue of one of the characters aloud.



Required Work

Short Play - Read and Write (continued) 6.1 Answer questions 1, 2 and 4 on the play,“Salt-Water Moon” (Page 151, Echoes 11).

Longer Play - Read and Write7. Select and read one longer play from a list ofplays provided by your instructor.

7.1 Answer questions, assigned by yourinstructor, on the selected play.


You should read the play at least twice beforeanswering the questions. This will help you tobetter understand the full meaning of the playand to find details that support your answers.

Your answers to all questions on the playsshould be written in short essay style. Youshould edit each answer to ensure that it iscoherent and that there are no mistakes ingrammar, punctuation or spelling.

You should select a play based on personalinterest. In order to make a selection from thelist provided by your instructor, you shouldfind out what you can about each of theavailable plays. There may be informationprovided with the play (reviews or commentson the cover, preface, introduction, etc.). Youmay also find a review in the library or on theInternet, or you may find out about the play bytalking to others who have read it.

You should read the play at least twice beforeanswering the questions. Your answers shouldbe written in short essay style and revised forcoherence and accuracy.



Required Work

Visualizing a Stage Set8. Sketch a stage set for a scene selected fromone of the plays you have read.


Your instructor will provide you withguidelines and assistance for sketching a stageset for a scene.

You should locate and label on your page theposition of entrances, exits, furnishings, andany props required for the scene you haveselected, as described in the stage directionsgiven in the play. You are not required to doany drawing for this exercise, though you maydraw the set if you wish.

Unit 2 Reports: Reading Scientific and Technical Writing


Required Work

Learning About Reading Technical Writing1. In preparation for reading and writing reportsand other technical and scientific texts, youshould study pages 183-221 of Guide toLanguage, Literature, and Media, “Analyzingand Responding to Reports”.


Although this section of Guide to Language,Literature, and Media is called “Analyzing andResponding to Reports”, it provides importantinformation and guidance on reading any typeof scientific or technical material.

There are five sample reports in these pages:

•“Sheltering the Deep: Exploring Canada’s Marine Protected Areas”• “Struck by Lightning”• “A Matter of Trust”• “Halt! Who Goes There”• “We Are Canadian”

You should read carefully through the wholeassignment first, including each of the samplereports, to get a sense of the complete subjectof technical writing. You will be required tore-read two of the sample reports and answerquestions on them at a later stage. You willalso be required to re-read other sections of thisreading assignment for note-making and study.

This method - reading the whole assignmentfirst and re-reading significant sections forcloser study - is the way that you shouldapproach all scientific and technical material,including your Science textbooks and, in somecases, your Mathematics text as well.



Required Work

Making Notes2. Following a complete reading of pages 183-221, make a set of clear and concise notes onthe main informational points on reports ingeneral. [See Guidelines for Note-Making,page 11 of the Study Guide]


After you have completed one full reading ofpages 183-221, you should start at thebeginning and read the material again, makinga set of notes as you read. What you should tryand achieve with this set of notes is a generaloverview of how to read and analyze differenttypes of scientific and technical material. Thefive reports that are included in these pages areused as examples of types of scientific andtechnical writing. Each report illustratesdifferent ways of presenting scientific andtechnical information. The actual content ofthe reports should not be included in yournotes. However, you could take note of thedifferent ways in which the sample reportspresent information.

You should organize your notes into topics(main ideas) and subtopics (supportinginformation or details).

Note: When you begin to make a set of notesfor study and reference, you should have a veryclear idea of why you are taking the notes. This will help you decide what is important foryour notes and what is not.



Guidelines for Note Making

1. The notes you make for this assignment

should be useful to you in all your reading

of scientific and technical material. You

should start with a fresh booklet, exercise

book or binder, so that you can keep the

notes for future reference. You may add

other items to your notes as you complete

this Unit.

2. You should label your notes clearly

(subject, textbook, pages).

3. You will need to fully understand the

material before you can decide what the

points are that you should note. Your notes

should include only main ideas and the

significant details. However, they should

be clear and thorough enough that you can

read and understand your notes without

referring back to the text.

4. Your notes should be numbered

according to the topic and subtopics. You

should note the page or pages that the notes

on the main topic are taken from.

5. You should leave lots of space betweennotes in case you find other information whichyou may want to add later.

6. As far as possible, the notes should bewritten in your own words. You mayparaphrase the author’s words or you may takea paragraph of writing and jot the maininformation and ideas in point form.

7. Your notes should be concise, so that theymake it easier for you to study the subject.

8. Your notes should be written neatly so thatyou can read and understand them withouthaving to refer back to the text.



Required Work

Graphic Text3. Re-read and study closely pages 194-197.


Pages 194-197 describe the various types ofvisuals which you may find in reports or in anykind of scientific or technical writing. Theseinclude:

•visual texts which are another way ofpresenting information - for example, throughcharts, diagrams, illustrations and sidebars

•type features or typography - for example,font size, coloured type, bolding, and italics

•Other visuals which give you direction as youread are called “signposts” in this book. Theyinclude such things as headings andsubheadings, bullets, and captions.



Required Work

Graphic Text (continued) 4. Using one of your Science or Mathematicstextbook(s), locate the following:

–4 different types of visual texts (illustrations,photographs, graphics, charts, diagrams,sidebars, and boxes)

–4 different types of typography or typefeatures (font size, font type, bolding,underlining, italics, capitalization, colour,shading)

–4 different types of signposts (headings,subheadings, bullets, arrows, boxes, rules,borders, loops, asterisks, captions)

Form of Reports5. Re-read “Understanding Form”, pages 202-203 and study the report, “A Matter of Trust”,pages 204-207, noting the marginal notes ontopic, introduction, body and conclusion.


You should choose only one book for thisexercise.

As you locate and identify each of the visualtexts, type features and signposts, you shouldmake note of the following:

1. Note the title of the book in which you havelocated the various features.

2. Note what feature you have found (i.e.illustration, bolded text, bullets).

3. Note the page number on which the featureis located.

4. Explain the role or function that the featureplays in helping you understand theinformation on the page.

This material provides information on how tostructure a scientific report to include anintroduction, a body and a conclusion. Thesample report, “A Matter of Trust”, usesmarginal notation to identify the introduction,the body and the conclusion. The notes alsosay what each part does in this report. Thisexample will be useful to you as you structureyour own assigned report for this Unit.



Required Work

Reading Strategies6. Re-read “Tips on Reading Reports”, page191, and discuss it with your instructor.

6.1 Make notes by re-writing “tips” in yourown words

6.2 Use notes to create a personal guide for usein reading in your other subject

Re-Read, Analyze and Write7. Re-read the report, “Sheltering the Deep”,pages 184-190.

7.1 Answer questions 1 - 5 on page 190

8. Re-read the report, “We Are Canadian”,pages 216-220.


Making Notes From a Textbook 9. Using a textbook assignment from your Science course, make a set of notes that youwould use to complete a written assignment onthe material or study for a test.


You will have made some brief notes on thissection already in your note making exercise(Required Work 2). For this exercise, you arerequired to re-write the reading “tips” in yourown words for your own use in readingscientific and technical material in your othersubject areas.

As you re-read and analyze the two reports forRequired Work 7 and 8, you should keep inmind these “tips” for reading.

Your answers to these questions should bewritten in short essay style and proofread foraccuracy.

Your instructor will provide you with atextbook assignment for this exercise. Youshould refer back to the Guidelines for Note-Making on page 11 in this Study Guide. If youare not currently studying a Science course,your instructor will give you other materialfrom which you can make notes.



Required Work

Writing a Scientific/Technical Report10. Write a Science lab report.

or

Your instructor may assign other Sciencematerial on which you could write atechnical/scientific report.

10.1 Use word processing software for theproduction of the final draft of the report.


It is very important that your report is writtenin a format which is appropriate to the subjectof the report and appropriate toscientific/technical writing.

If you are writing a Science lab report, yourinstructor will provide you with the properformat.

If you are doing another type of report, youmay need guidance in choosing or developingan appropriate format.

You will need to make appropriate use ofheadings and subheadings and any additionalfeatures that will help you explain the materialyou are presenting. For example, you mayneed to include a chart or diagram, a map, ora drawing. You might find bullets orasterisks useful to help you organize lists. You will need to use bolding, underlining oritalics to draw attention to important parts ofthe report or important words. You may alsochoose to make some words larger.

Unit 3 Written Communications and Writing Conventions


Required Work

Learning About Writing Persuasive Essays1. In preparation for writing an essay, youshould review Reference Points, Pages 60-67(The Writing Process, Stages of the WritingProcess, the Writing Product, Methods ofEssay Development).

2. Study pages 154-155 of Communicate!,“Model Essay #2: Persuasive Essay”.

2.1 Complete question 1, page 156.


You will have already studied these pages inpreparation for writing your composition inEnglish 2101A. A brief review of this materialwill help prepare you for the writingassignment in this Unit.

Page 154 provides a clear explanation of whata persuasive essay involves. Page 155 providesan example of a persuasive essay where thewriter argues that accidents relating to snowwould not occur if people recognized thedangers and took preventive measures.

Question 1 on page 156 requires you to analyzethe essay in terms of :•what the writer’s viewpoint is •what arguments or evidence she uses tosupport her viewpoint•what conclusion she draws

By studying this essay closely and analyzing itin terms of the above, you should be wellprepared to take a point of view on a particulartopic or issue and develop your own argumentin the form of a persuasive essay.



Required Work

Choosing a Topic For a Persuasive Essay3. Choose a topic or issue that you have anopinion about and that you feel you can makean argument for or against.


You should choose a topic or issue that youknow something about. The issue should besomething that people have different points ofview on. Your objective in writing the essay isto persuade the reader to agree with your viewon the issue. You will need to provideevidence to support your position. This mayrequire some reading or research. You willneed to be careful that your topic is not toocomplex to be addressed in a short essay. Youshould discuss your choice of topic with yourinstructor.



Required Work

Writing a Persuasive Essay 4. Write a short persuasive essay promotingyour point of view. (500 words, 2 double-spaced pages)

4.1 Use processing software for thecompletion of the final draft of your essay.


In writing your persuasive essay, you shouldfollow these steps:

1. Decide the position that you are going toargue.

2. Write a clear statement of your position(thesis statement).

3. Create a plan for the body of the essay toinclude at least three paragraphs which provideevidence in support of your position. Eachparagraph should present one supporting detailor reason. (Your plan could be in the form of anumbered outline or a thought web/idea map.)

4. Complete any necessary research to supportyour position.

5. Draft the body of your essay.

6. Write an effective conclusion.

7. Revise your essay for content. You shouldespecially make sure that your position on theissue is clearly stated and that your argumentsare logical and strongly support your position.

8. Proofread your essay to eliminate any

errors in spelling, grammar and

punctuation.

You should discuss each draft of your essay

with your instructor.



Required Work

Learning About Writing Formal Letters5. Review Reference Points 11/12, Pages 303-307, “Letters - External BusinessCorrespondence”.

Writing Formal Letters 6. Write at least two formal letters in theappropriate format. Your formal letters shouldinclude the following two types:

6.1 A letter to accompany the return of aproduct to the manufacturer for repair orreplacement under warranty

(Letter assignments continued on the followingpage)


You will have read these pages in preparationfor writing formal letters in English 2101A. Reviewing it now will remind you of thecorrect format to use in your letter writingassignments in this Unit.

A letter returning merchandise to themanufacturer should:•identify the product you are returning,including serial number if applicable•state the nature of the problem •state the date of purchase and the terms of thewarranty•state what you are requesting (i.e. repair,replacement, refund)

Your formal letters should be written in thefull block style as set out on pages 304 and 305of Reference Points.

You should edit and proofread your lettersthrough several drafts. Discuss each draft withyour instructor. Your letters will be assessedfor content as well as format, so you shouldtake care with language and tone and ensurethat your spelling, grammar and punctuationare accurate. You should use word processingto complete the final draft of each letter. If youuse word processing for all drafts it will beeasier to revise and edit.



Required Work

Writing Formal Letters (continued) 6.2 A letter of referral for a friend or a personwho has worked for you

6.3 Use word processing software to type thefinal draft of your letters.


A letter of referral is written to recommendsomebody for a job. It may also be written forother reasons, including to recommendsomebody for membership in an organization. A letter of referral is only written if someonerequests you to do so. You would only write aletter of referral if you knew a person enoughto be able to say that you believed that theycould do the job or could be a responsiblemember of an organization.

Before you begin to write a letter of referral,you will need to think of a situation where youmight be asked by somebody to write a letter ofrecommendation. Some possible scenariosmight include:

•a friend who is applying to join anorganization or a group to which you alreadybelong

•a person who has worked as a baby sitter foryou or who has worked for you in some othercapacity (i.e, has painted your house, built adeck, etc.)

•a friend who is applying to work for anemployer that you are currently working for orthat you have worked for in the past

When you have selected a scenario, you willneed to think about what characteristics orqualifications would be needed for the job orposition and whether you would be able to sayif your friend possessed these characteristics orqualifications.



Required Work

Writing Conventions7. Examine discriminatory language.

7.1 Complete practice exercises on usingunbiased language, as assigned by yourinstructor.

8. Examine misplaced and dangling modifiers.

8.1 Complete practice exercises on misplacedand dangling modifiers, as assigned by yourinstructor.

9. Examine the effective use of adjectives andadverbs.

9.1 Complete practice exercises on theeffective use of adjectives and adverbs, asassigned by your instructor.


Your instructor will provide you withinformation about each element of WritingConventions (Required Work 7 - 9) to bestudied in this Unit. You should be sure thatyou understand how each of the elementsstudied relates to your own writing.

Your instructor will give you practice exercisesfor each of 7.1 to 9.1. Your performance onthe practice exercises will be counted for asmall part of your mark for this course. Moreweight will be given to your ability todemonstrate that you have understood theseWriting Conventions by using them correctly inyour essays and compositions, answers toquestions on literature, and formalcorrespondence.

english 2101c study guide · required work learning about drama 1. in preparation for reading and...

Documents