Eng. 232 Language Awareness

8-week Summer Session 2001

T-Th 6:30-9:20p.m.

Professor: Dr. Cynthia Jenéy

Office: S/SC 222-K

Phone: 271-4447

Email: jeney@griffon.mwsc.edu

Office Hours: M 1:20-3:30; T 5:00 -6:00pm

Electronic forum: http://miranda.cailab.mwsc.edu:8080/~jeney-232

Required texts and materials:

Clark, Eschholz, and Rosa, Language: Readings in Language and Culture, 6th ed.

Course Objectives: This course will provide a foundation in linguistics and an overview of current language theory. Because the course is an introduction to language study, students will read and discuss a wide range of language issues. These include:

¨ What is language?

¨ How do languages change?

¨ How does variety in language, including segmental and non-segmental elements, affect notions of correctness?

¨ Why do languages change?

¨ How can the study of language give us insights into how individuals think?

¨ How can the study of language give us insights into how societies function?

¨ How does language shape our perceptions of reality?

Finally, language is playful. Many of us became English majors because we are intrigued by language. We even love it. (Imagine listening to a really great reading of your favorite work of literature.) In this course, we will be playing with language and looking at the way others play with language in literature and popular culture.

Assignments: Students should come to class prepared to discuss the assigned readings. You will gain much more from this class by discussing and debating the issues raised in the readings instead of waiting for me to lecture about them. Students will also be assigned exercises (I prefer to think of most of them as language games) to be completed in class or as homework. There will also be six tests and a comprehensive final exam drawn from the tests. Students will also keep a file of items that raise or illustrate language issues.

Grades will be weighted as follows:

E-Forum and class participation Midterm Exam Final Exam Language Notebook Short Paper Short Paper

20% 20% 20% 20% 10% 10% 100%

Attendance: Summer session classes are very intense and require quite a lot of reading and work outside of class. A student with more than two unexcused absences (equivalent to more than 2 weeks, regular semester) will automatically be given a failing grade for the course. Please see the student handbook for the definition of "excused absence" (do not bring doctor's excuses or auto-repair receipts).

Remember, one class period during an 8-week summer session is the equivalent of a week's attendance during the regular semester. It is your responsibility to keep track of your own attendance in the class.

If you miss class it is your responsibility to contact a classmate (and of course refer to this syllabus) regarding announcements, assignments, class notes, and additional readings. Assignments that have been carried out during class will not be "made up."

Students who consult with me in advance of known conflicts will be heard on a case-by-case basis, but this by no means is a guarantee that absences can be excused, nor that work will be accepted past deadline. CONTACT me in the event of unforeseen hardship and/or illness. Serious efforts to complete the work for this class will be given fair consideration, especially in cases of earnest dedication and hard work.

Note: Weddings and trips to Baja do not constitute "hardships" or "emergencies."

Academic honesty: "Since honesty in the classroom is required, cheating, plagiarism, or knowingly furnishing false information to the college constitutes a violation." Policy Guide II, B, C. In other words, the work you turn in should be your own.

Disabilities: Please let me know during the first week of class about any physical handicap or learning disability if you need special help or accommodation in order to do your best work.

Disclaimer: I try to adapt each of my classes to the needs and interests of the students. This means that the Schedule of Assignments may change.

May

Th 31 Introduction. Syllabus. E-Forum. http://miranda.cailab.mwsc.edu:8080/~jeney-232

June

T 5 Falk 442-469; Daniels 43-60

Th 7 O.S.U. 416-419; Roberts 420-430 (Assign Language Notebook)

T 12 Hughes 705-722; Callary 113-133

Th 14 Aitchison 560-579; Film (TBA)

T 19 Maskowitz 529-555; O.S.U. 134-143

Th 21 Shuy 292-312; Francis 154-165; Short Paper #1 Due

T 26 Jacobs & Rosenbaum 183-188; Smitherman 328-343; Labov 313-320

Th 28 Midterm Exam

July

T 3 Pfeiffer 357-364; Tannen 365-377 (hand out Orwell, Williams)

Th 5 O.S.U. 74-77; Kemp & Smith 658-680; Crystal 629-633; Heny 634-657

Short Paper #2 Due

T 10 Roberts 267-276; Algeo 723-733; Orwell (handout); Williams (handout)

Th 12 Marckwardt & Dillard 277-291; Rodriguez 479-482; Alvarez 483-488

****Language Notebook Workshop****

T 17 Nilsen 166-176; Birkirts 749-758 (possibly short pieces by Aarseth, Selfe, Moran, etc)

Turing <http://www.abelard.org/turpap/turpap.htm>

Th 19 Final Exam; Language Notebook Due