SUMMER 2009
COURSE DESCRIPTION
A study of the English language from the perspective of both its history and present uses. The course offers an introduction to linguistics and language history and places English in the context of the world languages, examines its
evolution over time, and characterizes its living uses and structures.
TEXTS
Required textsa and materials:
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
1) Two Exams (25 % each)
Students will take two exams covering the materials studied. Exams will include objective, multiple choice, short answer, and problem-solving questions.Questions will be based primarily on the material outlined in the course webnotes and emphasized in the lectures and class discussions. See schedule below for exam dates.
2) Term Project, Annotated Bibliography, & Presentation (25%)
Each student will design and complete a term project on any aspect of language, linguistics, or the history and/or character of the English language. Projects may be conventional academic papers but may also take other forms, including creative work (painting, music, sculpture, film, etc.), documentaries, websites, experiments, field research, or practical studies gathering and analyzing data on current usages of the language in specific contexts (for example: group or regional dialects, slang, origins of words, features of pronunciation, specialized or unusual lexicons, etc.). Projects addressing issues in current phonology (the sound of the language) should make use of audio/video recordings and may also be accompanied by a written paper. In general, students are encouraged to be creative and imaginative and to choose material and media that are interesting and stimulating. Original art works are acceptable and encouraged provided they are relevant and provide insight into some aspect of language and its current or historical uses. All projects must be approved by the instructor in advance (see Schedule below). All projects must be presented to the class at the end of the term (see Schedule below). Students choosing to write a paper may follow MLA, APA, or Chicago format guidelines. Students may also use the instructor's "Guidelines for Papers"). All projects, whether creative or scholarly, must involve research and cite at least 10 sources listed and described in an annotated bibliography (each entry must include full bibliographical information and a 1-paragraph description of the contents of the item)
3) Participation and Other Performance (25 %)
Class participation, attendance, effort, attentiveness, preparation, responsibility, and, in general, active and constructive involvement in all aspects of the course will also be taken into consideration in the course grade.
GRADING AND OTHER POLICIES
Attendance Policy
An attendance measurement will be calculated equal to the percentage of total class time attended. The course grade may not exceed that percentage (i.e. if a student attended only 75% of the total class time, the course grade may not be higher than 75 or C). Notice also that, at the discretion of the instructor, any student missing more than 30% of the total class time may fail the course.
Deadlines
Make-ups/extensions for a missed deadline will only be given in cases of documented serious illness or other valid, non-frivolous excuse such as documented participation in official University academic, service or sports events (it will be up to the instructor to determine and decide on the acceptability of an excuse). Otherwise, students must meet all deadlines specified in the syllabus.
Academic Honesty and Class Conduct Policy
All students in the class
are expected to observe the University's guidelines on student conduct as described
in the Code of Conduct and Creighton University's Student Handbook (especially
the section on "Academic Honesty Policy" dealing with problems of
plagiarism, cheating, etc.). All work turned in for credit in this course must
be personal and original, produced during the course of the semester and for
the specific purposes and according to the guidelines of the given assignments. Any misrepresentations, concealments, or distortions of source, origin, collaboration
or authorship of such materials will be considered forms of academic dishonesty
and will result in failing the given assignment or, at the discretion of the
instructor, the entire course. Problems such as repeated lateness arriving to
class (or departing early), inattentiveness, or disruptive behavior will adversely
affect attendance and/or the class participation grade. Seriously disruptive
behavior can also result, at the discretion of the instructor, in more severe
penalties, including failing the entire course.
Email Communication
The University considers a student's Creighton email address the official means of communication with faculty and administrators. All students are responsible for checking their email messages as they might contain important and time-sensitive information relevant to the course, including notifications on changes to reading and other assignments, deadlines, class cancellations or reschedulings, etc. A student who prefers to receive email at a different address must inform the instructor.
Grading
All aspects of the course will be graded on a 100-point scale where 90-100 = A, 80-89 = B, 70-79 = C, 60-69 = D, and 0-59 = F. At the discretion of the instructor, a normative curve may be applied to the grades at the end of the term. The course grade will be calculated according to the following formula:
Two Exams |
50% |
| Term Project | 25% |
Participation and Other Performance |
25% |
Total |
100% |
COURSE SCHEDULE
In addition to the reading assigned, material in the web outlines linked through the entries below is also required reading and must be done before class. Exams will be based on material covered up until the class just before the exam and will emphasize information in the web outlines and presented in class.
WEEK 1
Mon Jun 08
Tue Jun 09
Wed Jun 10
Thu Jun 11
Fri Jun 12
WEEK 2
Mon Jun 15
WEEK 3
Mon Jun 22
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Last updated: 05/25/2009