ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE PRESCRIPTION SYSTEM

What is the Prescription system?  A set of grammar practice lessons taken from many sources to help students work on points of grammar they find particularly challenging  Each student needs practice in different grammar skills  Each student will have different practice lessons

How do I know which lessons to do?  You have been given a prescription pretest which helps to decide the lessons you need to work on  In your lab folder, you will find a Prescription Record Sheet with the numbers and names of your assigned prescriptions

How many lessons do I have to do?  You will work at your own speed  You must finish at least 10 prescriptions in a semester in order to get credit for your lab work  You are required to spend at least 2 hours per week working in the ESL lab

Where do I find these lessons?  There are Prescription booklets in the ESL lab  These booklets contain:  Prescriptions  Directions  Assignments  Pages you are to work on

How do I do the lesson?  You will bring a marble notebook to be kept in your folder in the filing cabinet  Each time you come to the lab:  Check in with the tutor (they are at the ESL desk to help you understand the lessons and offer other assistance you may need)  Ask for your folder  Look in the Prescription booklet to find your prescribed assignment  Ask the tutor for the number of the book you need  All your work MUST be written in complete sentences

How will I know if I did the work correctly?  Tutors are available to answer any questions you may have  After you complete the exercises for each prescription:  Ask the tutor to check your work  The tutor will mark any errors you have and give you a chance to try again  The tutor will check your corrections and explain any points you are having difficulty with  The tutor will initial and date your notebook and the record sheet when your work is completed

Is that all?  Each prescription lesson has two parts :  Exercises  Writing Practice  When your exercises are completed, you will test your ability to use what you have practiced by writing a paragraph using the prescription grammar skill  You will need to make a special effort to control your writing so that you use the grammar skill you just practiced correctly in the paragraph

Is that all? (continued)  The tutor will check your paragraph  If there are errors, you will be asked to correct them  The tutor will then check your corrections and explain any points where you are still having difficulty  Be sure the tutor initials and dates your notebook and the record sheet so you may continue on to the next prescription!

What if I do not understand the grammar point?  Inform your instructor  If your instructor is not available, inform the ESL tutor  The tutor will talk to the teacher  The teacher or the tutor will sit down with you and explain what you don’t understand  If needed, they will arrange for further work to help you master the points that are difficult for you

Is there anything else I need to do?  You must remember to keep track of the time you spend in the ESL lab. There is a page inside your folder on the right for this purpose. On it:  Mark the Date, Time In and Time Out  Make a note of what prescription you worked on so you will know where to start the next time  The tutor will total and mark the time when he/she initials your folder

Important Announcement!  DO NOT GO ON TO A NEW PRESCRIPTION UNTIL YOU HAVE FINISHED BOTH THE EXERCISES AND THE WRITING PRACTICE OF THE LESSON YOU ARE WORKING ON. WORKING ON SEVERAL DIFFERENT LESSONS AT ONCE WILL CAUSE CONFUSION.

Do I get a grade for my Prescription work?  The Prescription work will count as 15% of your final grade. Steady, continuous effort counts more than amount of work completed. It is better to learn a few lessons thoroughly than to rush through many which you only partially master!

Record Keeping: Prescription Record Sheet The left column is for the number and the name of your lesson which your teacher will assign The middle column is for the tutor to mark how you have done on your work The right column is for the tutor to initial and date when your work is completed

Record Keeping: Time Log Each time you come into the ESL lab, you will record: Date Time In Time Out Activity: Prescription number worked on The “comment” section is for your teacher/tutor The “checked by” column is for total lab time and tutor initials

Other things you will find in your folder This correction chart will help you to understand the marks that the tutors or your instructor will make on your Prescription work. Keep it in your folder so you may refer to it

Other things… (continued) The Reminders will help you to remember how to label your work in your notebook. It will also help you remember to:  Write in complete sentences  Complete all your work before moving on

What else about your folder?  Your marble notebook must be kept in your folder  Your folder must be kept in the lab

You Can Do It!  Make time to come to the lab  Read the directions carefully  Work carefully  Ask questions  Be persistent All of these things will help you on the road to mastering your English!