Module Learning Outcomes

Module Two-Week Schedule

Grammar Preview

Delivery Mode Note

This module is designed to work seamlessly across all three delivery formats used at Santa Ana College School of Continuing Education. In-person students will do most vocabulary, grammar, and discussion work through pair and small-group talk, with printed worksheets available for those who prefer paper. Zoom students will use breakout rooms for the same pair/group activities, shared Google Docs for collaborative editing, and the chat feature for quick vocabulary and grammar checks. Canvas LMS students will complete the equivalent work asynchronously: the discussion board replaces in-class conversation, self-check quizzes and AI tutor prompts replace real-time practice, and the writing assignment can be submitted as typed text, a handwritten page photographed and uploaded, or a short audio recording — so that every student, regardless of typing speed or comfort with technology, can fully participate.

Module Vocabulary: 10 Key Words

Original Reading: "Finding Home in a New Place"

A Difficult Decision

Rosa Delgado still remembers the night before she left her hometown in Michoacán. She sat on the edge of her bed, looking at the small suitcase her mother had packed, and she wondered if she was making the right choice. Rosa was twenty-two years old, and she had just finished a degree in accounting. It was not an easy decision to leave everything familiar behind, but she believed that a better future waited for her family in the United States. After she said goodbye to her parents and her younger brother, she boarded a bus before sunrise, and her journey began.

The First Difficult Months

When Rosa arrived in Santa Ana, she moved in with her aunt, who had immigrated ten years earlier. At first, everything felt strange. She did not understand fast conversations at the grocery store, and she felt embarrassed when she had to ask people to repeat themselves. Because she wanted to work as soon as possible, she took a job at a bakery, even though the pay was low and the hours were long. Eventually, she saved enough money to enroll in ESL classes at a local continuing education campus. Although the classes were only two evenings a week, they became the highlight of her schedule. She adapted slowly: she started watching English-language shows with subtitles, she wrote new words in a small notebook, and she practiced speaking with her coworkers whenever she had the chance.

A Turning Point

One evening, after class, Rosa's teacher asked the students to write a short paragraph about a memorable childhood tradition. Rosa wrote about the Día de los Muertos altar her family built every November, and when she read her paragraph aloud, several classmates said they had similar traditions in their own countries. For the first time since she had arrived, Rosa felt like she belonged somewhere. She realized that sharing her story connected her to people who had once been strangers. Because that assignment gave her so much confidence, she decided to keep a journal in English, writing a few sentences every night before she went to sleep.

Milestones and Growth

Over the next three years, Rosa reached several milestones. She earned a certificate in bookkeeping, she moved into her own apartment, and she became a volunteer translator at her daughter's elementary school. Whenever she faced a new challenge, she reminded herself of the courage it had taken to leave home in the first place. She often told her English classmates, "If I could overcome that first lonely year, I can overcome almost anything." Her English improved steadily, not because it happened quickly, but because she kept showing up, kept practicing, and kept believing her story was worth telling.

Looking Back

Today, when Rosa reflects on her journey, she feels grateful rather than regretful. She misses her parents and her hometown, and she still calls her mother every Sunday. At the same time, she has built a meaningful life in Santa Ana: she has a job she enjoys, a strong community of friends from her ESL classes, and a daughter who is growing up bilingual. Rosa says that the biggest lesson from her journey is simple: every immigrant carries a story of courage, and telling that story — even imperfectly, even in a second language — is itself an achievement. She now encourages every new student she meets to write down their own story before the details start to fade, because, as she often says, "Your journey matters, and so does your voice."

(approximately 520 words)

Vocabulary Practice: Fill in the Blank

Word bank: memorable, childhood, milestone, journey, overcome, reflect, achievement, tradition, adapt, grateful

1. Learning a new language as an adult is a long __________ that takes patience and practice.

2. Every year, my family cooks a big meal together — it has become a __________ we all look forward to.

3. Graduating from high school was an important __________ in my life.

4. It can be hard to __________ to a new culture, especially in the first few months.

5. When I __________ on my life, I see how much I have changed since I arrived here.

6. My __________ was spent in a small village near the coast.

7. Winning the scholarship was a huge __________ for my whole family.

8. Our trip to the Grand Canyon last summer was truly __________ — I will never forget it.

9. It took courage to __________ my fear of public speaking, but I did it.

10. I am very __________ for the support my teachers have given me this year.

Comprehension Check Questions

Part A: Main Idea and Details

1. Why did Rosa decide to leave her hometown in Michoacán?

2. What were two challenges Rosa faced during her first months in Santa Ana?

3. What happened after Rosa wrote a paragraph about her family's Día de los Muertos tradition?

4. Name two milestones Rosa reached over the following three years.

5. According to the reading, what does Rosa believe is "itself an achievement"?

Part B: Think and Connect

1. Rosa says that sharing her story helped her feel like she belonged. Have you ever had an experience where sharing something personal helped you connect with someone else? What happened?

2. Rosa kept a journal in English to build her confidence. What strategies have you used (or could you use) to practice English outside of class?

Reading Strategy: Sequencing Events in a Narrative

Personal narratives are organized around a timeline — the order in which events happened. Good readers pay attention to time-order signal words to follow the sequence of a story, and good writers use the same words to help their readers follow along.

Grammar Overview

Compound Sentences

A compound sentence joins two independent clauses — two complete sentences that could each stand alone — using a comma plus a coordinating conjunction. The seven coordinating conjunctions are easy to remember with the acronym FANBOYS: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So.

• I was homesick at first, but I slowly made new friends.

• She wanted to celebrate the milestone, so she invited her whole family.

Common error: Forgetting the comma before the conjunction, or using a comma without any conjunction (a "comma splice"). Incorrect: "I was tired, I kept studying." Correct: "I was tired, but I kept studying."

Complex Sentences with Adverbial Clauses

A complex sentence has one independent clause and at least one dependent (adverbial) clause. The adverbial clause begins with a subordinating conjunction and cannot stand alone as a complete sentence.

• If the clause comes first, use a comma after it: When I arrived in this country, I did not speak any English.

• If the clause comes second, do NOT use a comma: I did not speak any English when I arrived in this country.

Common subordinating conjunctions for personal narrative: because (reason), although/even though (contrast), if (condition), when/while/after/before/since (time).

Common error: Using a comma when the adverbial clause comes second. Incorrect: "I felt proud, after I finished the race." Correct: "I felt proud after I finished the race."

Adverbs of Time

Adverbs of time show when something happened or the order of events — essential for telling a clear story.

• Sequence markers: first, next, then, after that, later, eventually, finally, at last

• Simultaneous markers: meanwhile, at the same time, while

• Starting-point markers: at first, in the beginning

Example paragraph excerpt: "At first, I felt lost in my new school. Then, a classmate invited me to sit with her at lunch. Eventually, I felt like I belonged."

Subject-Verb Agreement in Compound and Complex Sentences

Every clause has its own subject and verb, and they must agree — even when the sentence has more than one clause.

• Singular subject → singular verb: My grandmother tells stories about her childhood every Sunday.

• Plural subject → plural verb: My grandparents tell stories about their childhood every Sunday.

• In a compound sentence, check each clause separately: My brother studies engineering, and my sister works as a nurse. (Both verbs must correctly match their own subjects — do not let the first verb influence the second.)

• In a complex sentence, the verb in the dependent clause must also agree with its own subject: Although my parents speak Spanish at home, they understand English very well.

Common error: Matching the verb to the wrong noun. Incorrect: "My sister, along with her friends, are coming to the party." Correct: "My sister, along with her friends, is coming to the party." (The verb agrees with the main subject "sister," not "friends.")

Grammar Practice Activities

Activity 1: Multiple Choice — Coordinating or Subordinating?

Choose the conjunction that correctly completes each sentence.

1. I was nervous, __________ I decided to try anyway. (a) although (b) but (c) because

2. __________ I finished my classes, I started looking for a better job. (a) After (b) So (c) Yet

3. She kept a journal every night, __________ she wanted to remember every detail. (a) because (b) or (c) but

4. __________ it was raining, we still went to the celebration. (a) So (b) Although (c) And

5. I called my mother, __________ she told me all the family news. (a) and (b) since (c) if

Activity 2: Fill in the Blank — Adverbs of Time and Subject-Verb Agreement

Complete each sentence with an appropriate adverb of time from the box, and make sure the verb agrees with the subject.

Box: first, then, eventually, meanwhile, finally

1. __________, I (feel/feels) shy about speaking English in public.

2. My classmates (practice/practices) every day; __________, they (become/becomes) more confident.

3. __________, I (write/writes) my ideas on a piece of paper before I speak.

4. __________, our whole class (celebrate/celebrates) when everyone passes the final exam.

5. __________ my sister studies, I (help/helps) my younger brother with his homework.

Activity 3: Sentence Writing — Combine the Ideas

Combine each pair of simple sentences into one compound OR complex sentence using an appropriate conjunction. Watch your subject-verb agreement and comma placement.

1. My family moved to a new city. We had to adapt to a new school system.

2. I was scared to speak in class. I raised my hand anyway.

3. My grandmother tells stories about her village. My cousins love listening to her.

4. I finished my ESL class. I felt proud of my progress.

5. We did not have much money. Our family always found ways to celebrate holidays together.

Mini-Lesson: Idiomatic Language — Phrasal Verbs and Collocations in Storytelling

Native speakers use phrasal verbs (a verb + preposition/particle with a special meaning) and collocations (words that naturally go together) constantly when telling personal stories. Using them will make your narrative sound more natural.

Quick Practice: Choose two phrasal verbs or collocations from the table and use each in an original sentence about your own life. (No answer key — open personal response; check with a partner or your instructor.)

Mini-Lesson: Paraphrasing and Avoiding Plagiarism (Bibliography Basics)

This module's writing assignment is a personal narrative, so you will not need outside sources — your own memory and experience are the source. However, in future college and workplace writing, you will often need to reference other people's words or ideas, so it is important to understand the basics now.

• Paraphrasing means restating someone else's idea in your own words, without copying their exact sentence structure or vocabulary.

• Plagiarism means using someone else's words or ideas without giving them credit — even accidentally. This is considered academic dishonesty in college courses.

• A bibliography (or "Works Cited" / "References" list) is a list at the end of a paper that gives credit to every outside source you used, usually including the author's name, title, publication, and date.

Quick example:

• Original source sentence: "Many immigrants report that learning a new language builds both confidence and community."

• Weak paraphrase (too close — this is plagiarism): "Many immigrants say that learning a new language builds confidence and community."

• Strong paraphrase (your own words + credit given): According to researchers, immigrants who learn a new language often gain not only practical skills but also a stronger sense of belonging (Author, Year).

Rule of thumb: If you use three or more words in a row exactly as they appear in the original source, put them in quotation marks and cite the source. When in doubt, rewrite the idea completely in your own words and always name where the idea came from.

The Autobiography Paragraph

In this module, you will write an autobiography paragraph: a well-developed paragraph with a topic sentence, three supporting details, and a conclusion, describing one meaningful personal experience from your life. This is the exact paragraph type described in our course's learning outcomes — a personal, true story told with clear organization and correct grammar.

Parts of an Autobiography Paragraph

Topic Choices

Choose ONE topic below, or propose your own meaningful personal experience (instructor approval required). You do not need to choose a difficult or emotional topic — pick whatever memory you feel comfortable sharing.

Assignment Requirements

• 6–10 sentences total (topic sentence + 3 supporting details + conclusion; supporting details may be more than one sentence each)

• Include at least two compound sentences and two complex sentences with adverbial clauses, with correct subject-verb agreement

• Include at least three adverbs of time to show the sequence of events (e.g., first, then, eventually, after that, finally)

• Include at least two vocabulary words from this module's word list

• Use at least one phrasal verb or collocation from the idiomatic language mini-lesson

• Written in past tense, first person ("I")

• No outside sources are required for this assignment; if you do reference any outside text or idea, you must paraphrase properly and give credit (see mini-lesson above)

Transition Words for Personal Narrative

Model Text: "A New Beginning"

Moving to the United States at sixteen years old was the most difficult and transformative experience of my life. At first, I felt completely lost because I did not understand English well and I missed my friends back home. Then, my ESL teacher paired me with a classmate who had arrived two years earlier, and she showed me around the school while I was still learning the language. Eventually, I joined the school's soccer team, and I made friends even though my English was not perfect yet. After several months, I began to feel more confident, and I started raising my hand in class when I knew the answer. Looking back, I realize that this journey taught me resilience, and it helped me grow up faster than I expected. I am grateful for that difficult beginning, because it made me the person I am today.

(This model uses bolded time adverbs and conjunctions to show the required grammar; students are not required to bold their own final draft.)

The Writing Process

1. Prewrite — Use the graphic organizer below to plan your story before writing.

2. Draft — Write a complete first version, focusing on getting your ideas down in order.

3. Revise — Reread your draft. Add details, fix the order of events, and strengthen your conclusion.

4. Edit — Check grammar, punctuation, spelling, and subject-verb agreement using the checklist below.

5. Publish — Submit your final paragraph in your chosen format (typed, handwritten+photo, or audio recording).

Prewriting Graphic Organizer

Revision Checklist

Grading Rubric (20 points total)

Multimodal Submission Options

• Option 1 — Typed: Type your final paragraph in a Canvas text entry box or Word document (in-person students may also type in a classroom computer lab).

• Option 2 — Handwritten + Photo: Write your final paragraph by hand on paper, then take a clear photo and upload it to Canvas (ideal for students who are still building typing/digital skills).

• Option 3 — Audio Recording: Record yourself reading your paragraph aloud and upload the audio file to Canvas (this also builds your oral fluency and pronunciation of the grammar structures you practiced).

Discussion Prompt

Part 1: Share a meaningful personal experience or a family tradition that is important to you. Use at least one adverb of time (first, then, eventually, etc.) to describe when it happened or how it developed.

Part 2: Compare your experience or tradition to something in your own past, or to something you know about another culture. How is it similar or different?

Part 3: Respond to at least two classmates with a genuine follow-up question about their story (for example, ask for more detail, ask how they felt, or ask what happened next).

Discussion Requirements

Sentence Frames

Functional / Persuasive Language Phrases

Delivery Mode Adaptation

In-person students will share their stories aloud in pairs or small groups of three, then each group will briefly report one shared theme back to the whole class. Zoom students will be placed into breakout rooms of two or three for the same spoken sharing, and may use a shared Google Doc or the chat to jot down notes and follow-up questions before returning to the main session. Canvas LMS students will complete this activity fully asynchronously: post an original response to the discussion board prompt, then return within the module window to read and reply to at least two classmates' posts with a genuine follow-up question, exactly as described in the requirements above.

Discussion Grading Rubric (20 points total)

Section 1: Vocabulary Matching

Match each word (1–10) to its definition (a–j).

1. memorable

2. childhood

3. milestone

4. journey

5. overcome

6. reflect

7. achievement

8. tradition

9. adapt

10. grateful

a. to think carefully about the past b. worth remembering c. an important stage or event in life d. a custom passed down in a family or culture e. feeling thankful f. the period of being a child g. to successfully deal with a difficulty h. to adjust to new conditions i. a long process of change or growth j. something successfully accomplished

Section 2: Vocabulary in Context

Choose the best word to complete each sentence.

1. My grandmother's stories about her __________ always make me smile. (childhood / milestone)

2. It was hard to __________ to the cold weather after living somewhere warm. (reflect / adapt)

3. Finishing the marathon was a huge __________ for her. (achievement / tradition)

4. We __________ my father's birthday every year with a big family dinner. (overcome / celebrate)

5. I try to __________ on my progress at the end of every month. (reflect / adapt)

6. Lighting candles during the holidays is an old family __________. (tradition / journey)

7. She had to __________ many obstacles to finish her degree. (overcome / reflect)

8. I am __________ for the opportunities I have had in this country. (grateful / memorable)

Section 3: Grammar Identification and Application

Identify each sentence as Compound (C) or Complex (X), then underline the conjunction or subordinator.

1. I moved to a new city, and I had to make new friends.

2. Although I was scared, I decided to apply for the job.

3. She studied every night because she wanted to pass the exam.

4. My brother works, but my sister is still in school.

5. When I look back on that year, I feel proud.

6. I called my mother, so she could hear the good news.

7. Since I arrived, I have learned so much English.

8. We celebrated the holiday, and my whole family came together.

9. Even though it was difficult, I never gave up.

10. First I felt nervous, but then I felt confident.

Section 4: Error Correction

Find and correct the error in each sentence (comma placement, missing conjunction, or subject-verb agreement).

1. I was tired, I kept working anyway.

2. My parents, along with my aunt, are visiting this weekend for the celebration.

3. Because she was determined she never gave up.

4. My sister loves to cook, my brother prefers to bake.

5. Although it was raining we still went to the party.

6. The list of achievements were very long.

7. Eventually I feel more confident about my English.

8. My cousin, who lives with my grandparents, visit us every summer.

Section 5: Short Writing Check

Prompt: In 3–4 sentences, describe one small memorable moment from your week using at least one adverb of time and one compound or complex sentence.

Self-Evaluation Checklist

AI Tutor Practice Prompts

Extra Grammar Practice

Activity A: Sentence Combining

Combine each pair into a compound or complex sentence.

1. I felt nervous. I gave my presentation anyway.

2. My family arrived late. We still enjoyed the celebration.

3. I practiced English every day. My speaking improved.

Activity B: Subject-Verb Agreement Practice

Choose the correct verb form.

1. My teacher, along with several students, (attend/attends) the workshop every month.

2. Each of my classmates (has/have) an interesting story to tell.

3. Neither my brother nor my sisters (was/were) born in this country.

4. The family, including the grandparents, (gather/gathers) every Sunday.

Activity C: Word Forms

Complete the chart with the correct word form.

Campus Support Resources

• Tutoring Center: Free drop-in and appointment-based tutoring for reading, writing, and grammar support; tutors can help you brainstorm and revise your autobiography paragraph.

• Writing Center: One-on-one and small-group writing support for any assignment, including help with organization, grammar editing, and preparing final drafts.

• Library: Access to computers, printing, quiet study space, and librarian assistance for finding reliable resources (useful for future assignments that require outside sources).

• DSPS (Disability Support Programs and Services): Provides accommodations and support services for students with documented disabilities, including extended time, alternative formats, and assistive technology.

Summary by Skill Area

Extra Resources

Looking Ahead

Reflection Questions

1. Which vocabulary word from this module do you think you will use most often in real life, and why?

2. What part of writing your autobiography paragraph was the most challenging — choosing a topic, organizing details, or using the grammar structures?

3. Can you think of a moment during this module when you felt proud of your English progress?

4. How did listening to a classmate's personal story affect the way you think about your own story?

5. What is one grammar structure (compound sentences, complex sentences, adverbs of time, or conjunctions) you still want more practice with?

ESL 304 Intermediate High | Module 8: Personal Narrative and Autobiography | Santa Ana College School of Continuing Education