Loyola University Chicago

Writing Program

Foundations of Writing

In addition to the first-year core writing course, UCWR 110: Writing Responsibly, some students may be required to take either ENGL 100: Developmental Writing, ENGL 102: College Composition I—English as a Second Language, or ENGL 103: College Composition II—English as a Second Language as a prerequisite. 

 

ENGL 100: Developmental Writing

(3.00 credits)

This course provides instruction in fundamental composition skills to prepare the student for UCWR 110. The course emphasizes mastery of grammar, usage, and punctuation and also offers extensive practice in all stages of the writing process—invention, drafting, peer-editing, and revision.

ENGL 100 stresses that the writing process is a way of learning and different topics, purposes, and audiences require different methods of presentation. Students will learn to read professional and student-generated texts critically, which stimulate their ideas and present models of effective writing. Students will write essays based on ideas they have read about and discussed and conduct extensive revision at the sentence and paragraph level to produce clear and correct English prose. This course is intended to prepare students for academic success in the University Core required seminar, UCWR 110: Writing Responsibly. 

 

Instructors will emphasize the following principles and techniques:

  • Writing with a clear audience and purpose in mind.
  • Developing a clearly stated thesis which acts as the governing idea of an essay.
  • Writing coherent paragraphs and well-organized longer essays using various invention strategies.
  • Using transitions to link ideas.
  • Exhibiting a working knowledge of grammar, usage and punctuation, particularly: (a) basic components of sentences, (b) sentence boundaries and structures, (c) subject-verb agreement and correct forms of past and other verb tenses, (d) pronoun agreement and consistency, (e) punctuation.
 

Procedures and Assignments: Class meetings will be spent on instruction in grammar, discussion and practice of good writing, and reading and analysis of professional and student writing. Department policy requires that students write at least three thousand words during the semester, apportioned over a minimum of five graded assignments, at least one of which will be composed in class. The midterm examination will cover grammar and usage. A final examination will also be given.

ENGL 102: College Composition ESL I

(3.00 credits)

ENGL 102 is the first of a two-course sequence designed to improve the linguistic abilities of those for whom English is a second language. ENGL 102 provides grammar and writing instruction for students who require more focused work in revising language usage and composing. Students will develop skill in writing essays that develop a clearly-stated governing idea and provide relevant support for that idea; proceeding through all stages of the writing process: prewriting, drafting, and revising, with emphasis on improving language usage; editing their own compositions, and working with other students in peer-editing groups; consistently employing English-language grammar, usage, and punctuation. 

  • Placement required.  Please contact Ryan Nowack, Director of the English Language Learning Program (ELLP) at rnowack@luc.edu and visit the ELLP website at http://luc.edu/esl/ for more information.

ENGL 103: College Composition ESL II

(3.00 credits)

ENGL 103 is the second of two courses intended to improve the linguistic abilities of those for whom English is a second language. ENGL 103 stresses the acquisition of necessary language skills in the areas of grammar and usage, comprehension and critical reading, and writing at a level appropriate to university study in an English-speaking country. Students will develop skill in writing with a clear audience and purpose in mind; developing a clearly stated thesis which acts as the governing idea of an essay; writing coherent paragraphs and well-organized longer essays using various invention strategies; using transitions to link ideas; exhibiting a working knowledge of grammar, usage, and punctuation. 

  • Placement required.  Please contact Ryan Nowack, Director of the English Language Learning Program (ELLP) at rnowack@luc.edu and visit the ELLP website at http://luc.edu/esl/ for more information.