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 themThe 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!