ESL curriculum Essay subject: Integrating informal English vocabulary, grammar, and writing into the ESL curriculum as a class in the ESL Program should or should not be required. *Students will decide if they think this should or should not be required; then, students will write an argumentative essay that œargues for their belief about this subject. Assignment: This final project, the argumentative essay, will count as the final exam. For this assignment, students will be required to write on the topic of integrating informal English language into the ESL classroom as a key part of the curriculum. Students will either need to write in support of this or against it, and they will œargue for their position. Essay requirements: Typed, Times New Roman font, size 12, double-spaced; Include student’s name, class, teacher, and date; Well-developed introduction with strong/direct thesis statement; Use simple, compound, complex, compound-complex sentences; Use noun, adverb, and adjective clauses; Use conjunctive adverbs; At least two direct quotations and one paraphrase from sources provided; Citation of author’s name (Smith) in essay; At least 2.5 pages in length List of sources Only the sources/quotations listed below can be used in the essay; any sources other than the ones listed here will not be allowed. If students use sources other than the ones listed here, then their grades will be lowered/penalized. (A) œIt is imperative that students learn grammatically correct English in their ESL Program because this is required to prepare them for academic English. There is no such thing as an ESL Program that teaches students how to use informal English or slang as a way to prepare them for the university. This is absurd (Smith, p. 197). (B) œLearning informal English is part of the American culture; by learning informal English, students become more familiar with the way the language is used for communication among native speakers. This helps them understand the function of the language in an intimate way. Overall, learning informal English teaches students more thoroughly for language use. In conclusion, learning informal English is better than strict , traditional grammatical teaching (Richardson, p. 211). (C)œThe purpose of an ESL Program is to teach students grammatically correct and formal English as a preparation for advanced academic study at the university. The purpose of an ESL Program is not to teach students how to engage in casual conversation at the bar on the weekend. Students must learn formal English (Smithsonian, p. 753). (D) œIf students can read, write, and understand academic articles and sources, this is a great accomplishment. But if those same students cannot have a successful conversation about the weather, current events, or environment around them, then this is a shame. Students need to be able to interact with people informally as well as perform successfully with their academics. Students need to have both formal and informal English language skills (Meade, p. 71).