LIN200 - syllabus! PDF

Preview

Summary

syllabus!...

Description

LIN 200

Language in the USA

Fall 2020

LIN 200 · Language in the United States Fall 2020 Online modules: Monday to Sunday (modules change weekly) blackboard.stonybrook.edu

Instructors

Undergraduate Assistants

Teaching

Mark Aronoff (Professor) Tamyko Green [email protected] Virtual office hours: Tu. and Th. 9:00 – 9:45 [email protected] AM Maria Karamitas Link [email protected] Rachel Christensen (graduate assistant) Samantha Lee [email protected] Virtual office hours: Tu. and Th. 1:00 – 1:45 [email protected] PM Lily Liu Link [email protected] Veronica Miatto (graduate assistant) [email protected] Virtual office hours: Wed. 11:00 – 12:30 Link

Arthi Lokaiyan [email protected] Eric Sclafani [email protected]

How to get in touch with the instructors You can reach the instructors during their virtual office hours. It is always best to make an appointment in advance. If you cannot meet during office hours, instructors are available at other times by appointment only, depending on their schedules. Undergraduate teaching assistants do not hold office hours, however, you may reach them by email.

1

LIN 200

Language in the USA

Fall 2020

Course description Undergraduate Bulletin Description Survey of the languages and language-related issues in the United States. Topics include Native American languages; immigrant languages; dialectal variations (e.g., Black English); the domains in which these languages were and are used; maintenance and loss of minority languages; language contact and its effects; the use of Spanish; language attitudes and politics, including bilingual education; and official language movements. Particular attention is paid to the evolution of American English from colonial times to its present worldwide status; the use and impact of Spanish; language attitudes and politics including bilingual education; and official language movements. DEC: SBC:

K DIV, SBS, USA

Special focus for Fall 2020 The course provides a descriptive and critical overview of the linguistic communities in the United States, in particular, the great variety of English-speaking communities. It presents issues related to the linguistic, sociolinguistic and historical aspects of the use of English and other native languages in the United States, and their impact on the individual and American society. Our goal is to understand how languages and dialects are involved in the construction of privileged or stigmatized identities. Important themes include linguistic discrimination, language maintenance, and bilingualism.

Manner of instruction LIN 200 will be offered in a fully online asynchronous format. ● The course consists of 14 online modules ● Each online module will be available to students from Monday morning and must be completed by Wednesday or Saturday, depending on your role for that lesson (more on this, in the Assignments section). ● Each module must be completed by Sunday midnight of the week in which it is offered, when it will close. ● Each module contains ○ specific instructions for its study ○ a general introduction to the topic of the module ○ an explanation of basic notions ○ a main lecture by an expert 2

LIN 200

Language in the USA

Fall 2020

○ one or more reading pieces ○ a quiz (for credit) ○ a discussion board (for credit)

Our goals for this course No course or book could give you the answers to all the questions you may have about the languages that coexist within the United States and how all these languages are used. However, with a good foundation in how to analyze the American linguistic landscape by using the skills of a linguist, you should be able to formulate your own reasonable answers to these questions. This course is intended to give you that foundation. We aim to foster the following skills: ● Evaluate, discuss and formulate an informed opinion, individually or in pairs. ● Develop a strong awareness of the cultural history and social situation of the languages and varieties in the U.S. ● Communicate one’s knowledge and viewpoints on aspects of the languages in the U.S. and their linguistic and social characteristics. ● Study the structure and findings of academic literature regarding the situation of the languages in the U.S.

We expect that students will learn to: ● Analyze the linguistic and sociolinguistic aspects of the languages that coexist in the United States territory. ● Examine some historical, educational, and political factors influencing the current status of the English language and its varieties in the United States. ● Explore the future of the linguistic communities in American society.

Materials There is no required textbook. Obligatory readings, class handouts, and additional materials will be made available on Blackboard with each module. If you have problems accessing the site, please let us know immediately. Important: All the materials used in this course are protected by intellectual property laws. You must not share any course material outside of the course or classroom without the instructors’ authorization or consent.

3

LIN 200

Language in the USA

Fall 2020

Assignments Online discussion boards and how they work: ● ● ● ●

All students will be placed randomly into discussion board groups of 10 – 11. Students will remain in the same group for the entire semester. Each group will be supervised by an undergraduate TA. There are 14 discussion boards during the semester. o The first two are practice discussion boards (weeks 1 and 2). Although you are not required to, you are encouraged to participate, so as to get familiar with the system. o The next 12 discussion boards (weeks 3-14) will be graded according to the role you play in the discussions.

● For each of the 12 graded discussions, students will play one or more of the following roles: o A discussion leader is required to write a post of approximately 200 words in direct response to the discussion board instruction. Leaders’ posts should express personal opinions or points of view in a concise, clear manner; they must be supported by the contents discussed in our course. Leaders must also respond to comments on their posts. ▪

Leader posts are due by Wednesday at midnight.

o A discussion commenter is required to respond at least twice to the threads created by a leader for each module. Using the contents of the module and in 100 words approximately, commenters must comment on one or both of the leaders’ posts. ▪

All comments are due by Saturday at midnight.

● During the semester, you will be a discussion leader twice and you will receive up to 10 points for your participation each time. You must not skip the discussion forum in which you are a leader. o Students will be given the opportunity to be a discussion leader a third time or to make up a missed leader post and may receive up to 5 points for doing so (not 10). ● During the semester, you will be a discussion commenter up to 12 times and you will receive up to 5 points for each discussion board forum you participate in. Leaders will also post comments in the weeks during which they are leaders. Only 10 of the scores you get as a commenter will be computed into your final grade.

4

LIN 200

Language in the USA

Fall 2020

● Your role as a leader during a specific week will be assigned early in the semester. Please check carefully. If you are not sure about what your role is for a specific week, please ask the instructors. Better safe than sorry!

Weekly module quizzes: ● Each weekly module will contain a multiple-choice quiz consisting of 5-10 questions, which students will take after they have completed the assignments for that module. ● The quiz must be completed by midnight on Sunday of the week in which the module is open. ● All quiz questions will be assigned randomly to each student from a large bank of questions. ○ Each quiz will contain a small number of questions designed to detect academic dishonesty. ○ Any student who is found to engage in such behavior will automatically be recommended to the Academic Judiciary Committee for a grade of F for the course and a finding of academic dishonesty on their official transcript.

Exams: ● There are two exams, each of them on the dates indicated below: o Midterm Exam: Wednesday, October 14, 5:00 PM. o Final Exam: Monday, December 14, 5:00 PM. ● Both exams are online and will be administered through Blackboard. ● Exams consist of multiple-choice questions and true-false questions. ● Each exam will cover material from the most recent half of the course. ● Everyone must complete their exams at the scheduled times. Only documented medical emergencies or other documented eventualities will be considered as exceptions and only if you reach out to the instructors before the exams take place. In case of doubt, please email your instructors immediately.

5

LIN 200

Language in the USA

Fall 2020

Point distribution for the semester Weekly Assignments: 12 weekly assignments, every week starting in week 3 (September 7 – 13). Only the 10 highest assignment grades will count for credit. 1. Weekly multiple-choice quiz 5 pts. each Total = 50 pts. 2. Weekly responses (at least two) to leader post 5 pts. each Total = 50 pts. Leader posts: Each student will post a substantial comment (250 words) on the week’s reading twice during the semester. Every week, there will be two leader posts in each discussion group. 3. Leader posts 10 pts. each Total = 20 pts. Exams: There will be two multiple-choice exams, a midterm at the half-way mark in the semester, and a final during finals week. 4. Midterm and final exams 15 pts. each Total = 30 pts. Total points 150 pts. Final grade calculation: The final grade will be determined by calculating 2/3 of a student’s semester total.

Grading curve

Low cut-offs for course grade

60 65 70 75

D D+ C C+

80 83 87 90 94

BB B+ AA

Generalities: ● No make-up assignments will be offered ● By turning in an assignment with your name or by participating in an on-line discussion board, you are certifying that it represents your understanding of the material, not someone else’s. Copying another person’s exam or discussion opinion is considered cheating. Turning in an exam or discussion opinion on behalf of somebody else is considered cheating. Cheating in any form on an assessment will be reported to the university’s Academic Judiciary.

6

LIN 200

Language in the USA

Fall 2020

● If you need help with posting on a discussion board or preparing for an exam, get in touch with the instructors by email to schedule a meeting.

Weekly course outline by module (subject to change) Every module is open Monday through Sunday of the week it is offered. Week and dates 1. Aug 24-30 2. Aug 31-Sept. 6 3. Sept. 7-13

Topic Introduction and syllabus Language and linguistics Language and social justice

4. Sept. 14-20 Language and gender: English they 5. Sept. 21-27 American English: Dialects 6. Sept. 28-Oct. 4 American English: New York English 7. Oct. 5-11 American English: African American English 8. Oct. 12-18 American English: Chicano English MIDTERM EXAM, OCT. 14, 5:00 PM, US EASTERN TIME 9. Oct. 19-25 Native American languages 10. Oct. 26-Nov.1 American Creole languages 11. Nov. 2-8 Teen language 12. Nov. 9-15 American Sign Language British English vs. American English 13. Nov. 16-22 Nov. 23-29 THANKSGIVING BREAK 14. Nov. 30-Dec. 6 The history of the English Language FINAL EXAM, DEC. 14, 5:00 PM, US EASTERN TIME

7

LIN 200

Language in the USA

Fall 2020

Student Accessibility Support Center Statement ● If you have a physical, psychological, medical, or learning disability that may impact your course work, please contact Student Accessibility Support Center, ECC (Educational Communications Center) Building, Room 128, (631) 632-6748. They will determine with you what accommodations, if any, are necessary and appropriate. All information and documentation is confidential. ● To access mental health services, call Counseling and Psychological Services at (631) 632-6720; Counselors are available to speak with 24/7. ● For updated information on the Academic Success and Tutoring Center, please check https://www.stonybrook.edu/tutoring for the most up-to-date information. ● For IT Support, students can visit the Keep Learning website for information on the tools you need for alternative and online learning: https://sites.google.com/stonybrook.edu/keeplearning Need help? Report technical issues at https://it.stonybrook.edu/services/itsm or call (631) 632-2358.

Academic Integrity Statement Each student must pursue his or her academic goals honestly and be personally accountable for all submitted work. Representing another person's work as your own is always wrong. Faculty are required to report any suspected instances of academic dishonesty to the Academic Judiciary. For more comprehensive information on academic integrity, including categories of academic dishonesty please refer to the academic judiciary website at: http://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/academic_integrity/index.html

Critical Incident Management Stony Brook University expects students to respect the rights, privileges, and property of other people. Faculty are required to report to the Office of University Community Standards any disruptive behavior that interrupts their ability to teach, compromises

8

LIN 200

Language in the USA

Fall 2020

the safety of the learning environment, or inhibits students’ ability to learn. Further information about most academic matters can be found in the Undergraduate Bulletin, the Undergraduate Class Schedule, and the Faculty-Employee Handbook.

9...