12/26/2025 4:20:41 PM	EMLS 702 Course Outline as of Fall 2026	Changed Course
CATALOG INFORMATION
Discipline and Nbr:  EMLS 702	Title:  NC BEGIN ENG LITERACY
Full Title:  Noncredit Beginning English Literacy
Last Reviewed:10/27/2025

Units		Course Hours per Week			Nbr of Weeks	Course Hours Total
Maximum	0	Lecture Scheduled	5.00		17.5 max.	Lecture Scheduled	87.50
Minimum	0	Lab Scheduled	0		8 min.	Lab Scheduled	0
		Contact DHR	0			Contact DHR	0
		Contact Total	5.00			Contact Total	87.50
		Non-contact DHR	0			Non-contact DHR Total	0

Total Out of Class Hours:  175.00

Total Student Learning Hours: 262.50

Title 5 Category:  Non-Credit
Grading:  Non-Credit Course
Repeatability:  27 - Exempt From Repeat Provisions
Also Listed As: 
Formerly:  EMLS 712

Catalog Description:

In this course, students will develop language skills in English to complete essential literacy tasks. This beginning noncredit English Literacy course is for English language learners with little or no ability to read and write in English due to limited literacy skills in first language and limited exposure to English and/or learners from a non-Roman alphabet.

 

Interested students are encouraged to take the Noncredit EMLS Placement Assessment.

 

Prerequisites/Corequisites:

Recommended Preparation:

Limits on Enrollment:

Schedule of Classes Information
Description:

In this course, students will develop language skills in English to complete essential literacy tasks. This beginning noncredit English Literacy course is for English language learners with little or no ability to read and write in English due to limited literacy skills in first language and limited exposure to English and/or learners from a non-Roman alphabet.

 

Interested students are encouraged to take the Noncredit EMLS Placement Assessment.

 

(Non-Credit Course)
Prerequisites:
Recommended:
Limits on Enrollment:
Transfer Credit:
Repeatability:27 - Exempt From Repeat Provisions

ARTICULATION, MAJOR, and CERTIFICATION INFORMATION

Associate Degree:		Effective:		Inactive:
Area:
CSU GE:	Transfer Area			Effective:	Inactive:
IGETC:	Transfer Area			Effective:	Inactive:
CSU Transfer:		Effective:		Inactive:
UC Transfer:		Effective:		Inactive:
C-ID:

Certificate/Major Applicable: Certificate Applicable Course

COURSE CONTENT

Student Learning Outcomes:
At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:

1. Demonstrate preliminary reading and writing skills necessary to understand important information contained in simplified materials and respond in writing.

2. Understand and give personal information and describe activities related to familiar contexts.

3. Demonstrate fundamental behaviors and study skills needed in school.

 

Objectives:

At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:

1. Read and write the letters of the alphabet in upper and lower case and discriminate between their corresponding sounds in English.

2. Read and fill out basic forms related to work, school, and health.

3. Demonstrate comprehension of simple words, phrases, and questions drawn from familiar material in the context of work, school, and health.

4. Express personal information and respond to simple yes/no questions in various community and social interactions.

5. Communicate orally and in writing at a basic level about activities connected to familiar contexts at work, school, and in the community.

6. Identify personal and vocational goals.

7. Demonstrate basic practices associated with the academic classroom.

8. Demonstrate level-appropriate grammar and writing skills.

Topics and Scope

I. Vocabulary

    A. Recognize and use basic vocabulary related to familiar contexts at school, work, and in the community

    B. Use a basic picture dictionary

    C. Categorize words

II. Reading

    A. Read from left to right, top to bottom, front to back

    B. Employ basic pre-reading skills including predicting, skimming and scanning

    C. Read and analyze basic short narratives and simplified materials (e.g., calendars, schedules, charts, signs) related to work, school, home, and the community

    D. Read sight words

    E. Understand word spacing and punctuation

    F. Identify important information in reading passages from diverse cultures and backgrounds

    G. Use text features (e.g., titles, headings, page numbers, graphics) to locate key facts or information in a text

    H. Recognize common icons, symbols, and abbreviations (e.g., road signs/icons, currency symbols, and day or month abbreviations)

    I. Understand and use basic number systems, i.e. time, dates, money

III. Writing

    A. Write upper and lower case letters and space words correctly

    B. Copy from the board: words and sentences on familiar topics related to daily life, personal experiences, and family stories

    C. Use level-appropriate language to write a simple text related to school, healthcare, workplace, or community, such as

         1. Label items, experiences, or events

         2. Fill out simplified forms

         3. List simple steps in writing

    D. Use correct capitalization, word spacing, and basic punctuation such as periods and question marks

    E. Use correct spelling of familiar vocabulary

    F. Share personal and vocational goals

IV. Grammar

    A. Recognize and use frequently occurring, level-appropriate language structures, such as:

         1. Simple present tense

         2. Present continuous

         3. Imperatives

         4. Common modals expressing ability

         5. Like + infinitive

         6. There is/there are

         7. Singular and plural nouns

         8. Basic prepositions of time and location

         9. Personal and possessive pronouns

         10. Question words

         11. Requests

V. Speaking and Listening

    A. Follow basic directions

    B. Understand and respond to simple yes/no questions and some wh- questions

    C. With support, share an opinion, preference, or feeling

    D. Actively listen to others and ask for clarification

    E. Request and offer assistance

    F. Request and/or recall information from experience or from a provided source

    G. Participate in a simple conversation at school, in healthcare settings, the workplace, or the community

    H. Use level-appropriate language to describe familiar people, places, and things

    I. Use appropriate pronunciation to communicate at a basic level at work, school, and in the community

    J. Recognize and produce vowel and consonant sounds

    K. Understand basic sound/spelling patterns

VI. Study Skills

    A. Identify goals for learning English

    B. Understand and demonstrate relevant student conduct

    C. Understand and use basic classroom vocabulary, directions and instructions

    D. Participate in group work

    E. Collaborate with peers from diverse cultures and backgrounds

    F. Use organizational skills (e.g., organizing a binder)

    G. Complete homework

VII. Level-Appropriate Integrated Language Skills for Real-Life Settings, such as

    A. Health needs

         1. Appointments

         2. Symptoms

         3. Simplified forms

    B. Educational settings

         1. Absences

         2. Simplified applications and registration forms

         3. Study strategies

         4. Educational goals

    C. Employment

         1. Job skills and activities

         2. Work schedules

         3. Interviews

         4. Workers' rights

         5. Career goals

         6. Emergency and safety signs and warnings

    D. Community

         1. Basic directions

         2. Community services and resources

         3. Appointments

         4. Knowing your rights

VIII. Vocational Skills

Topics may include:

    A. Articulating job skills and activities

    B. Applications and other simple forms

    C. Emergency and safety signs and warnings

    D. Work schedules

    E. Calling in sick

    F. Giving and following basic directions, both orally and in writing

    G. Asking for clarification

    H. Requesting and offering assistance

    I. Knowing your rights at work

Assignments:

1. Written assignments will result in a minimum of 1,000 words, such as:

    a. Level-appropriate written homework

    b. Lists and isolated sentences

    c. Written descriptions of routines, goals, pictures, and real-life situations

    d. Grammar exercises

    e. Collaborative writing, such as language experience stories

    f. Brainstorming, revising, and editing level-appropriate texts

2. Problem Solving Assignments, such as:

    a. Vocabulary building exercises

    b. Recognize frequently used words and phrases

    c. Reading-based true/false questions and wh-questions

    d. Cloze activities

    e. Critical reading

    f. Sentence revision

    g. Basic research using the internet

3. Skill Demonstration, such as:

    a. Role plays

    b. Surveys and interviews

    c. Individual audio and/or video recordings using technology

    d. Use of digital technology to complete real-world tasks

    e. Requesting information from school and community resources

    f. Response to stories on themes related to real-life situations

    g. Listening, speaking, and pronunciation exercises

    h. English Language (EL) Civics assessments

4. Assessments, such as:

    a. Informal assessments

    b. Vocabulary quizzes

    c. Grammar quizzes

    d. Unit quizzes

    e. Exams

    f.CASAS(Comprehensive Adult Student Assessement Systems) reading test

5. Additional Assignments as Assigned by Instructor May Include

    a. Attendance and participation

    b. Small-group oral presentations incorporating technology

    c. Tutorial hours (EMLS 770)

Methods of Evaluation/Basis of Grade.

Writing: Assessment tools that demonstrate writing skill and/or require students to select, organize and explain ideas in writing.		Writing 20 - 40%
Writing assignments
Problem solving: Assessment tools, other than exams, that demonstrate competence in computational or non-computational problem solving skills.		Problem Solving 20 - 40%
Problem solving assignments
Skill Demonstrations: All skill-based and physical demonstrations used for assessment purposes including skill performance exams.		Skill Demonstrations 20 - 40%
Skills demonstration assignments
Exams: All forms of formal testing, other than skill performance exams.		Exams 5 - 15%
Assessments
Other: Includes any assessment tools that do not logically fit into the above categories.		Other Category 5 - 20%
Additional assignments if assigned

Representative Textbooks and Materials:

EMLS 702 Reader

Ventures Basic. 3rd ed. Bitterlin, Gretchen and Johnson, Dennis and Price, Donna. Cambridge University Press. 2018. (classic).

Longman ESL Literacy. 3rd ed. Wong Nishio, Yvonne. Pearson. 2006. (classic).

Basic Oxford Picture Dictionary Literacy Program. 2nd ed. Templin-Imel, Garnet and Brod, Shirely, and Gramer, Margot. Oxford University Press. 1996. (classic).

Instructor prepared materials

Other approved materials

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