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ENG 104: College Writing and Rhetoric Section
14: 12:30 - 1:50 TTh |
Instructor: Dr. Donaher
Office: SS/C 222 L
Office Hours: TTh 9:30-11:00 and 2:00-3:00, and
by appointment
Phone: 816-271-5964
E-mail: donaher@missouriwestern.edu
URL: http://staff.mwsc.edu/~donaher
Course Philosophy and Objectives
Language is the blood of the soul into which thoughts run and out of
which they grow. --Oliver Wendell Holmes
English usage is sometimes more than mere taste, judgment and
education--sometimes it's sheer luck, like getting across the street. --E. B.
White
Language is a city to the building of which every human being brought a stone. --Ralph Waldo Emerson
This course is about the exploration of language, both oral and written, and about exploring our respective linguistic heritages. We will think, discuss, and write about where our language comes from, how our lives have been shaped by the language communities we inhabit, and what language issues impact our daily lives. Our written assignments will also give us more practice with the formal aspects of academic writing; thus by the end of English 104, we will also understand that:
These goals are more clearly articulated at http://www.missouriwestern.edu/eflj/eng104.asp - Objectives
Required Materials
Textbooks:
Other:
Assignments
Pre-Writings and Other
Assignments
Students will do a number of invention writings
for each paper including brainstorming, freewriting, and topic evaluation.
These invention strategies allow the student to explore a variety of topics and
topic approaches before drafting and revising the paper. Students will also
respond to the readings and do other kinds of assignments and sharing on
WebBoard, an online bulletin board.
Paper One - Language and
Literacy Narrative
In this narrative essay, you will examine and
reflect upon a significant experience you have had with language, whether
spoken or written. As you explore your own history as a reader, writer, and
speaker, you will also read and respond to the significant language experiences
of others. This paper is based upon your personal research and will use minimal
citation.
Paper Two - Speech
Community Profile
In this explanatory essay, you will profile and
analyze a particular speech community, its uses, and users. As you study your
chosen community, you will read about and respond to essays and films about
other kinds of language communities, as well as learn about the history of the
English language in general. This paper will require some outside research and
formal citation of sources.
Paper Three - Language
Issue Paper
In this persuasive essay, you will be
researching and writing about a language issue, like animal communication,
gendered communication, language in the mass media and advertising, language
censorship, or the English Only movement. As you study your issue, you will
read about and respond to essays about a variety of language issues that will
provide you with ideas and references for your own paper. This paper will
require some outside research and formal citation of sources.
Grading
Students will do a variety of writing assignments over the course of the semester, including pre-writings, responses and other kinds of sharing, and formal papers. In order to pass the course, students must complete the papers; in addition, the quality of their work and the percentage of the other assignments completed will determine the final grade.
A word of caution: don't underestimate the value of small assignments since no late work (other than papers) is accepted. Occasional lapses are understood, but chronic lapses can only pull the final grade downward.
Your Final Grade Distribution is as follows:
Course Policies and Requirements
Attendance and Promptness
Attendance is mandatory. School functions, illness, and personal crisis do not absolve you from your classroom obligations. So while due consideration is given to the student struck by lightening on the way to class, an absence cannot be designated as "excused" or "unexcused" --it simply "is." I consider two absences to be reasonable; absences beyond two will effect your final grade, as you are not here to participate or turn in your work. Chronic lateness will count toward this total.
Regular attendance is an essential part of the student's educational experience and a requirement for an adequate evaluation of student academic progress. You are responsible for material covered or assignments given which you missed because of absence. All out-of-class assignments are due at the beginning of the class period. No late assignments are accepted, except as noted below.
You should note, however, that mere attendance does not mean you will pass the course. You must perform adequately on the tasks required and show initiative in completing the course requirements.
If I should be unable to meet class, you will be notified IN PERSON by a secretary, fellow instructor, or the CAI Lab Manager, Kelli Gardner. Be sure to note any assignments due upon my return.
Participation And Preparation
You will be expected to make significant contributions to the class in the form of participation and preparation. Participation includes the contributions you make to class discussion and the effort you make to be a part of our discourse community. Preparation includes doing the daily readings and responses as assigned, as well as engaging exuberantly in our activities. Keep in mind that live classroom discussion
· gives you practice arguing with others respectfully and professionally
· gives you opportunities to formulate applications of principles
· gives you prompt feedback on difficult or confusing issues and material
· increases your retention of material through explaining, summarizing, and questioning.
Sharing Your Work
Students are expected to share their writings and other work with members of the course and, therefore, should not choose to write on topics they consider of a sensitive nature. Further, all work that a student produces may be shared by the instructor with the class for purposes of example and training. Such work will be as anonymous as possible. Finally, the instructor may share your work anonymously with future classes or in her own writing and research.
Classroom Courtesy
Students are expected to be courteous and respectful in all of their exchanges with the instructor and other students and students should be particularly careful to note how tone, rhetoric, and language all contribute to the overall impression of their words and writings. The college expects all students to conduct themselves so as to maintain an effective environment for learning; to act responsibly in accordance with good taste; and to respect fully the rights of others.
Student Disability
Any student in this course who has a disability that prevents the fullest expression of abilities should contact me by the end of the first week so that we can discuss class requirements.
Revision
Revision is an important part of the writing process, and each project that we do will go through an intensive draft and revision stage before being turned in. Drafts will be graded for completion, and each final essay will be graded on its merits and appropriateness to the assignment. Since each paper will receive critiques before the final version is submitted for grading, you must consider the final version to be final.
Late Work
All assignments are due at the beginning of the hour on the due date, unless otherwise specified. Learning is a cumulative process and each assignment in this course is designed to build on the last assignment; therefore, late work disrupts this important aspect of the learning process. Except for the final papers, no late work will be accepted. Final papers will not be discounted if turned in within 24 hours of the due date/time. Otherwise, they will be discounted one letter grade for 24 hours past the due date, including weekends and holidays. No work will be accepted after the last class day before final exams.
Computer Usage
You will be called upon to read materials online, use Webboard, and to use computers in and outside of class time. Further, all drafts and final papers for this course must be word processed, in accordance with Missouri Western's desire for you to become computer proficient. MWSC has a number of computer labs to help you complete this requirement. Learn to use the labs early and plan ahead to get into them during the busy parts of the semester.
Saving Work
Students should save all their work, both graded and ungraded, for this class--from notes to drafts to final papers. There may be occasions when work needs to be re-submitted or grades verified. Back up disk copies and hard copies should be made religiously at the end of each day's work.
Time Expectations
As with all college courses, a steady devotion to duty is expected; thus, while much work will be done in class, you must set aside an appropriate amount of time EACH day to completing your assignments, including time to go to the library and the computer lab. Remember: no late work is accepted under any circumstances, so anticipate that there will be occasional glitches, whether personal or technical, and be sure to allow an extra hour or two in your schedule each day to handle unanticipated problems.
Plagiarism
. . . it is better to
fail in originality than to succeed in imitation. -- Herman Melville
Plagiarism is literally the stealing of others' words and ideas and using them as your own. Make every effort to give credit where credit is due, and if you are not sure of "how"--ask. You are responsible for proving that all work turned in for grading is your own original work. Papers with evidence of plagiarism will receive a zero and will result in failure of the course. Other forms of academic dishonesty, like cheating, will also result in failure of the course. Don't think that you won't be caught; writing style is distinctive and verifiable.
Final Thoughts
Despite Einstein's assurances that even the motions of dust motes have pattern, life to us mere mortals is unpredictable. I recognize that at times your outside life may interfere with your classroom life. It is up to you to set your priorities and to realize that "doing it all" is not always possible or even desirable. If you are feeling overly stressed about all you have to accomplish, you need to come see me.
Course Schedule
January
18 (T)
Introduction
to the Course
The Personal Narrative
Assignment: The Language and Literacy Narrative
20 (Th)
Keller, "A Word for
Everything" pp 65-69
Lamott, "Getting Started" pp 123-127
25 (T)
Malcolm X, "A
Homemade Education" pp 61-64
Marin, "Spanish Lessons" pp 79-84
27 (Th)
Childers, "What My Students Have Taught Me About Writing" pp 128-133
February
1 (T)
Peer Critique Day: Must Bring Copies of Paper One Draft
3 (Th)
Murray, "The Maker's Eye: Revising Your Own Manuscripts" pp 119-123
8 (T)
Paper
One Due
Assignment: The Speech Community Profile
Film: The Story of English: Mother Tongue
10 (Th)
Film: The Story of English: A Muse of Fire
15 (T)
Roberts, "A Brief History of English"
pp 32-41
Millward, "The Story of Writing" pp 42-51
17 (Th)
Film: American Tongues
Internet Research on Speech Communities
22 (T)
Film:
The Story of English: Black on White
Internet Research on Speech Communities
24 (Th)
Esling, "Everyone
Has An Accent But Me" pp 564-569
Gorman, "Like, Uptalk?" pp 291-293
March
1 (T)
Tannen, "'I'll
Explain It To You': Lecturing and Listening" pp 255-266
Tannen, "Taking TV's 'War of Words' Too Literally" pp 377-381
3 (Th)
Gerberg, "What is a
Cartoon?" pp 333-337
Lutz, "With These Words, I Can Sell You Anything" pp 393-406
8 (T)
Taheri, "The
Semantics of Murder" pp 216-218
Flower, "Writing for an Audience" pp 115-117
10 (Th)
Reading on Standard Paragraph Formats
Reading on Citing Quotations and Paraphrasing According to MLA Style
Reading on Doing Field Research/Interviews
Spring Break: March 13 - 20
22 (T)
Interview Day
24 (Th)
Peer Critique Day: Must Bring Copies of Paper Two Draft
29 (T)
Paper Two Due
Assignment: Language Issue Paper
Film: Signs of the Apes, Songs of the Whales
31 (Th)
Lutz, "Doubts About Doublespeak" pp
184-187
Lewis, "Language Abuse" pp 417-425
April
5 (T)
ALA, "The Freedom to Read" pp 445-448
Maggio, "Bias-Free Language: Some Guidelines" pp 505-514
7 (Th)
Silvergate, "Muzzling Free Speech" pp 487-489
Lawrence III, "Regulating Racist Speech on Campus"
12 (T)
Rovira, "Let's Not
Say Adios to Bilingual Education" pp 590-593
Crawford, "A Nation Divided by One Language" pp 594-596
14 (Th)
Simon, "Why Good
English is Good for You" pp 555-563
Bryson, "Good English and Bad" pp 572-580
19 (T)
Doing Library Research
21 (Th)
Library Research
26 (T)
Peer Critique Day: Must Bring Copies of Paper Three Draft
28 (Th)
O'Connor, "Saying is Believing" pp 139-144
May
5 (Th)
Paper Three Due
Final Exam 11:30-1:20