Norfolk State University College of Liberal Arts Department of Interdisciplinary Studies INT 375 Language and Society (Online)

(3 credit hours) Fall 2013 Instructor: Amanda Rapone Email: agrapone@nsu.edu Office hours: Online or in office by appointment Course Description This course reveals the power inherent in language as a symbolic process of signification within arbitrary networks of social context. It examines how language influences thought, and how it varies according to age, class, gender, and ethnicity; how it transects politics and the media, and how it shapes our identities through notions of correctness and attitudes of acceptance. A major objective is to discover that the power inherent in language as a result of its characteristic functioning as a symbolic process. Consequently, this course is a discovery of that which is hidden, unconscious, and taken for granted in language which operates as variables that link behavior to language. Prerequisites: INT 308, INT 322. A major portion of the course is developed to challenge the assumptions and methods that the average person uses to understand and interpret the environment. Similarly, it is intended to pose relevant questions regarding the meanings and life experiences derived from these assumptions. Interdisciplinary-based knowledge stresses linkages. Course Organization 1. Characteristics of language (terms and paradigms) 2. The processes of symbols (verbal and physical dimensions as tools to explore language) 3. Societal institutions as contextual shapers/stabilizers (culture, political, gender, race, etc.) 4. Interdependencies of language to thought (perception, expression/articulation) 5. Semantic Triangle as a model to explore typical language-thought associations 6. Language and thought as variables in the abstraction process (similarities vs. differences) 7. Critical studies as models to critique human interactions and thought. Measurable Course Learning Outcomes 1. Students will be able to demonstrate a comprehension of the relational dynamics between language (oral and written) and our conceptual understanding of our world via assignments (e.g. discussion board posts)

2. Students will be able to engage in critical thinking by analyzing and synthesizing language practice (e.g. activities) 3. Students will be able to examine language within its proper historical and situational context, realizing that nothing exists within a vacuum (e.g. via readings) 4. Students will be able to recognize the relationships between language and thought, language and action, language and power, language and reality, demonstrated via discussions. 5. Students will be able to broaden their knowledge in critical comparative discussion, particularly as it relates to interdisciplinary studies. Course Materials/Required Texts/Supplementary Readings Required Textbooks A. Mooney, et al. (2011) Language, Society and Power: An Introduction. Routledge. A. Mooney et al. (2011) The Language, Society and Power Reader. Routledge. Supplementary Resources Other readings, films, audios, lectures, tours, presentations, and materials posted by the instructor on Blackboard Supplemental materials and external sites to be assigned and/or required at the discretion of the instructor. Course Expectations Students are expected to enter the course site with respect for information and knowledge, even if it differs from their own beliefs, knowledge, etc. Students are expected to participate in all discussion board posts and/or designated social networking avenues created and sanctioned by the instruction. Participation is imperative to class enlightenment, student development, and to overall understanding. Students are expected to complete all assigned readings and activities on time. LATE ASSIGNMENTS WILL NOT RECEIVE CREDIT. It is the students responsibility to read the syllabus. It is a contract between the Instructor and the student regarding the responsibilities and expectations of the instructor and the student for this course. Amendments can be made to the syllabus at the discretion of the instructor, and it is the responsibility of the student to maintain awareness of any such changes, amendments, additions, adjustments, etc. By accepting the syllabus, the student agrees to abide by the information contained therein.

Related University-wide and Course Specific Requirements The following competencies are required and assessed in INT 308: (a) writing, (b) information technology literacy; and (c) critical thinking. By the end of this course, students should be able to write clearly, concisely and analytically. Students writings should include demonstration of reading completion and comprehension, application when necessary, critical thinking, independent thinking analysis, synthesis and argumentation. Students critical thinking abilities will be assessed on their presentation of ideas (others and their own), problem-solving capabilities, synthesis, evaluation, analysis and clarity of thought (including language use and comprehension). Self- Motivation and Self-Direction Adult learners, who are typically more mature and more experienced than younger students, have a better understanding of what is required in a self-directed environment. Younger students and students new to online learning may need considerable help to achieve the same appreciation for self-reliance that adult learners have. Regardless of your relative experience, your attention to the following points can only help your journey toward successful and rewarding completion of the course. Be self-motivated and self-disciplined Be a good time manager Approach the course with a desire to learn Assume a leadership role and be a teacher when necessary. Voluntarily help other students, bearing in mind, however, that doing other peoples work for them is tantamount to cheating. Develop needed technology skills Contribute to course discussions, and respond respectfully to their comments Contribute to team activities and respect the ideas of others Comply with all course policies Submit constructive suggestions for course improvements Academic Support Services The tutorial program is available at no cost for students enrolled at NSU. The service offers a support system for students and peer assistance in the comprehension of coursework. It is designed to provide academic assistance to students by pairing them with peers who have been deemed knowledgeable in a particular subject area. NSU Access Tutorial Centers, Brown Hall B-181. Guidelines for Technical Assistance To obtain technical help with Blackboard, call the Blackboard Technical Support at 757-2328 or send an email to bbtechsupport@nsu.edu.

Technical Support Services I. Institutional Services Office of Information Technology http://wwwknsu.edu/oit/ Customers: Faculty, staff, students, administration Technologies may cover a range of plug-ins such as Acrobat Reader, media players, etc. Tools and media used in the course help students actively engage in the learning process, rather than passively absorbing information. Computer System Computer configuration Network Email Account on Blackboard o Request to NSU helpdesk Phone: 757-823-2328 Email: helpdesk@nsu.edu Student Web Resources: http://www.nsu.edu/oit/stat/index.html o WiFi and wireless access o Antivirus, spyware downloads User skills in Blackboard Discussion Board o Enter text, attach and upload file Create text links via hyperlink Download and open audio/video files Proficient navigation of the internet Open Flash and PDF files Play audio and video files (WAV, WMA, QuickTime, MP3, and others from the internet Microsoft Word, PowerPoint II. Course Management System (Blackboard) http://www.nsu.edu/blackboard/sitemap/html Office of eLearning Phone 757-823-2753 Email: bb techsupport@nsu.edu Student assistants Online: http://www.nsu.edu/blackboard/ o Print brochures: http://www.nsu.edu/blackboard/brochure.html o Tutorials: http://www.nsu.edu/blackboard Password Change

 Recover password Browser issues University-wide issues (OIT) Request to NUS Helpdesk Phone: 757-823-8678 Email: helpdesk@nsu.edu Assignment Guidelines 1. Check in to class and read announcements daily or you may risk the chance of missing vital information. 2. All assignments/documents that you submit should include: Your Name Course ID INT 375 Filename (or name of topic) 3. Weekly assignments will be completed in the Journal tool on Blackboard. You will have one or two Journal assignments per week. When doing these assignments, make sure to type your responses directly into the Journal tool; DO NOT attach it as a .doc file. 4. You will have one course project that will be due in three separate parts throughout the semester. Each part builds off of the previous part. These are to be submitted through the Assignments tool on the due dates listed. 5. All work must be turned in on the due date by 11:59pm. Any work submitted after that time is late and will not receive credit. 6. Please submit projects on the day they are due not early, not late. However, when you turn work in, it must be complete. Do not submit parts of your work at different times. Whenever you submit course assignments, you are responsible for ensuring that computer files holding these assignments follow the course file format standards and are virus-free, and that files that fail your virus checker software will not be opened or accepted. 7. All exams are to be taken on the assigned day. The exams will be available from 12:01am to 11:59pm. 8. Your failure to be aware of, or plead ignorance of course policies set forth in the syllabus or posted elsewhere on your course site is not an excuse for failure to conform to these policies. Course Outline 1. Please note: The course outline can change at the discretion of the professor at any time. Acknowledgement: The schedule below reflects the instructors inclinations to approach the semester content in its skeletal version, but do expect to see modifications in the schedule as the semester progresses. I will alert you of such adjustments with emails and notices on the Announcement page in Blackboard. 2. Materials in the form of documents and media files in Course Content are as important as the information contained in the required textbook. Throughout the entire length of the

course, substantive information will be added in the form of Word, PDF, Web, audio, and video files. 3. Topic or unit content in Blackboard will be given progressively. It is not desirable that assignments be completed far in advance of their respective due dates because vocabulary and conceptual frameworks are additive in nature. It is best to assimilate each unit as fully as possible before addressing the next one. Schedule of Assignments Unit Topic Welcome, syllabus, policies, etc. Introductions: Basic overview of course, syllabus, expectations, and assignments, plagiarism Activities Discussion Board: Introduce yourself Read syllabus and familiarize yourself with the Blackboard site. What is Plagiarism? Textbook Ch. 1 Complete online activities (Unit 01) Post to Discussion Board Textbook Ch. 2 (pp.24-29)

Introduction August 23

What is language? Unit 01 August 30 Ways of looking at language; prescriptivism vs. descriptivism; competence vs. performance; language diversity; power and ideology Language and Representation

Unit 02a September 6

Language as a system of signs and symbols; Complete online activities the semantic triangle; (Unit 02a) Post to Discussion Board

September 9

Course Project (Part 1) Language and Thought The relationship between language and thought; different angles of telling

Textbook Ch. 2 (pp.30-45) Complete online activities (Unit 02b) Post to Discussion Board Textbook Ch. 3 Complete online activities (Unit 03) Post to Discussion Board

Unit 02b September 13

Language and Politics Unit 03 September 20 How to define politics; rhetorical tools used for persuasion; implicature and presupposition

September 23

Test 1 over Intro & Units 01-03

Language and the Media Unit 04 September 27

Textbook Ch. 4

How to define the media; the use of Complete online activities language in the media to express ideologies; (Unit 04) use of register; user-generated content Post to Discussion Board Language and Gender Textbook Ch. 5 How gender is represented in our language; sexist language; the speech of women and men; theories of speech differences Course Project (Part 2) Language and Ethnicity How to define ethnicity; ethnic dialects; AAVE; code switching Complete online activities (Unit 05) Post to Discussion Board

Unit 05 October 4

October 7

Textbook Ch. 6 Complete online activities (Unit 06) Post to Discussion Board

Unit 06 October 11

October 16

Test 2 over Units 04-06 Language and Age How we speak about (and treat) the very young and very old; markedness in age; age as a social factor Language and Social Class

Textbook Ch. 7 Complete online activities (Unit 07) Post to Discussion Board Textbook Ch. 8 Complete online activities (Unit 08) Post to Discussion Board Textbook Ch. 9 Complete online activities (Unit 09) Post to Discussion Board Textbook Ch. 10 Complete online activities (Unit 10) Post to discussion Board

Unit 07 October 18

Unit 08 October 25

How to define social class; how language is representative of social class; relationship between social and regional dialects Language and Identity

Unit 09 November 1

Construction of speaker identity; overt and covert prestige

Language Standardization Unit 10 November 8 November 11 November 22 Kachrus concentric circles; English of the lingua franca; Standard English in the education system Test 3 over Units 07-10 Course Project (Part 3)

Course Assessment Measures (Graded) Discussion Board Posts 15% Weekly Assignments 15% Quizzes 30% (10% each) Course Project 35% (Part 1 5%; Part 2 15%; Part 3 20%) Grading Criteria Includes: 1. Engagement with material. Students will read, comprehend, actively think about, digest, evaluate, and analyze the material. The process of formulating questions is a strong indicator of the degree to which engagement is operative. 2. Writing, articulation, and expression. Students will be able to clearly convey their thoughts utilizing spelling, vocabulary, grammar, and content. 3. Scope/comprehensiveness. Students are able to analyze and synthesize course material/information, and extending it with respect to patterns biases, caveats, allusions, assumptions, etc. 4. Submission timeliness. Students are to submit assignments before or on time. 5. Correctness/accuracy. Student responses are expected to reflect adequate assimilation of the material such that answers demonstrate consistency with the material, or appropriate application of the material. It should be understood, however, the first three criteria above (engagement, articulation, and scope) should equip you to successfully produce correct/accurate responses on evaluation measures. Grading Scale 93-100=A 90-92=A87-89=B+ 84-86=B 80-83=B77-79=C+ 70-76=C 67-69=D+ 60-66=D 59 or less=F

Incomplete = I Criteria for an incomplete grade are as follows: 1. 70% of course content must have been completed (in most cases this also means 75% of the length or time for which the course is offered) 2. Agreement and signature on incomplete Grade Form a binding contract between the instructor and the student as to completion and grade status of course requirements and what work is left to be completed or made-up. 3. Failing or poor grades are insufficient and not allowable as cause for grade of incomplete.

Course Policies Academic Integrity In keeping with its missing, the University seeks to prepare its students to be knowledgeable, forthright, and honest. It expects and requires academic honesty from all members of the University community. Academic honest includes adherence to guidelines established by the University, the schools and colleges and their faculties, for the use of its libraries, its computers, and other facilities. Academic or academically related misconduct includes, but it is not limited to, unauthorized collaboration or use of external information during examinations; plagiarizing or representing anothers ideas as ones own; furnishing false academic information to the University; falsely obtaining, distributing, using, or receiving test materials; obtaining or gaining unauthorized access to examinations or academic research materials; soliciting or offering unauthorized academic information or materials; improperly altering or inducing another to alter improperly any academic record; or engaging in any conduct which is intended or reasonably likely to confer upon ones self or another an unfair advantage or unfair benefit respecting an academic matter. Additional information regarding academic or academically related misconduct, and disciplinary procedures and sanctions regarding such misconduct, may be obtained by consulting the current edition of the Norfolk State University Student Handbook. Plagiarism Policy Plagiarism is defined as using other peoples work as your own without crediting them, including but not limited to copying others notes, exams, essays, or information; quoting and paraphrasing others ideas without giving them credit and proper documentation; using information from the internet without properly citing the source, website address (URL), author, date, etc. Plagiarism is a form of cheating and will result in an assignment grade of F and possible an overall course grade of F. Students should note Norfolk State Universitys academic integrity policies that include departmental (Interdisciplinary Studies) procedures on plagiarism, cheating, etc. Any instances of academic dishonesty will NOT be tolerated. See the student handbook for a description of the honor policy and the consequences for violations. NOTE ON PLAGIARISM: Every semester I catch students plagiarizing on essays and tests. You will receive a zero on an assignment that has been plagiarized and you WILL NOT be allowed to make up that assignment. PLEASE MAKE SURE ALL WORK YOU SUBMIT IS YOUR OWN. Disabilities In accordance with section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, any student with a disability or who thinks s/he may have a

disability to please make a contact with the supporting students through disability services (SSDS) offices. Assisted Technology Laboratory Lyman Beecher Brooks Library Marian E. Shepherd, Coordinator Telephone: 757-823-2014 Email: mshepherd@nsu.edu Students are to notify the instructor within the first two weeks of the course about any disabilities and/or special assistance needed. University Assessment Statement As part of NSUs commitment to provide the environment and resources needed for success, students may be required to participate in a number of university-wide assessment activities. The activities may include tests, surveys, focus groups and interviews, and portfolio reviews. The primary purpose of the assessment activities is to determine the extent to which the universitys programs and services maintain a high level of quality and meet the needs of students. Students will not be identified in the analysis of results. Unless indicated otherwise by the instructor, results from University assessment activities will not be computed in student grades. Communications and Feedback This section sets forth guidelines for email communication with the course instructor. Excessive emails make unreasonable time demands on both sender and recipient. Please ensure you have a legitimate need before you write. Emails to the instructor should be submitted with the following clearly displayed: o Students NSU email account o Course ID clearly in the subject field o Private issues should be appropriate for discussion within the teacher-student relationship. Responses will be made to emails that are about o Questions arising from difficulty in understanding course content o Requests for feedback about graded assignments o Private issues appropriate for discussion within the teacher-student relationship. Responses WILL NOT be made to emails that o Pose questions that are already answered in the syllabus or in the unit instructions. o Lack a subject line clearly stating the purpose of the email o Raise inappropriate subjects Your instructor will answer email, but allow up to 48 hours (2 days) You are reminded that a policy in the course syllabus requires you to read email every day to ensure that you receive course information disseminated by email in a timely fashion.