int 375 online syllabus _fa14_(2)

14Norfolk State University

ContentsCourse Summary.........................................................................................................................................................2

Prerequisites................................................................................................................................................................2

Instructional Methods and Strategies..........................................................................................................................3

Computer Literacy Requirements................................................................................................................................3

Learning Objectives.....................................................................................................................................................4

Instructional Materials................................................................................................................................................4

NSU Assessment Policy................................................................................................................................................4

University Assessment Statement.......................................................................................................................4

Proctoring Policy..................................................................................................................................................5

Late Assignments and Make-up Policy........................................................................................................................5

Learner Interaction Policy............................................................................................................................................5

Evaluations..................................................................................................................................................................5

Written Work Criteria..........................................................................................................................................6

Academic Integrity Standards..............................................................................................................................6

Attendance Policy........................................................................................................................................................6

Assignments................................................................................................................................................................7

Grade Scale..................................................................................................................................................................7

Calendar of Assignments.............................................................................................................................................8

Course Outline.............................................................................................................................................................8

Bibliography...............................................................................................................................................................10

Special Instructions & Policies...................................................................................................................................10

Communication.........................................................................................................................................................11

This template was developed by Dr. Macarena Aspillaga, Course Designer, Norfolk State University, School of Extended Learning_ Rev 3

Online Course SyllabusINT 375: Language and Society

Amanda Rapone, COI

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Course Number & Course Name: Language and Society INT 375

Semester: Fall 2014

Class Meets: Online (Blackboard)

Instructor Name: Amanda Rapone

Office location and office hoursNorfolk State UniversityBrown Hall Room C-111

Office Hours: Wed 3:30-4:30pm Cyber Office Hours: T-Th 9-10 am (via Skype – araponensu)

Email address: [email protected]

Telephone: Office 757- 823-8198

Preferred method of communication: Blackboard email

Course Summary

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.

Course Rationale

A major portion of the course is developed to challenge the assumptions of the average person in regard to the power of language within our society. Additionally, this course is developed to make students aware of the effects our language has on the way other perceive us as well as the way we perceive and respond to others.

Course Delivery Method

This course is delivered entirely online with synchronous and asynchronous activities deployed as required. The primary method of access to this course is the University Blackboard Learning Management System (LMS) and may be supplemented by other online resources. This course may also employ conferencing tools such as video conferences or Web conferences to facilitate communication and interaction with distant and local students.

PrerequisitesThe prerequisite for this class is INT 308


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mailto:[email protected]

Instructional Methods and Strategies The instructional method use will be inductive, going from specific to general. Learners will acquire new knowledge through exposure to new material and ideas, as well as reflecting on these ideas and concepts.

The following instructional strategies and methods will be used to achieve the learning objectives:

1. Lectures delivered through PowerPoint

2. Class Discussions

3. Videos

4. Module Projects

5. Weekly Activities

6. Assigned Readings

7. Blackboard (on-line delivery)

Computer Literacy RequirementsTo successfully complete this course you must possess:

A basic knowledge of computers. For example, understanding files and folders to upload or download course content is absolutely essential. Basic computer literacy classes (CSC-150) are available on campus as elective courses. Students deficient in the necessary computer skills should consider taking such classes.

An understanding of the Web and its resources, such as the library and online research tools accessed through a Web browser.

Familiarity with Microsoft Office applications, such as Word and PowerPoint; this is absolutely essential for your academic success.

Familiarity with NSU's e-mail system to guarantee effective communications with both instructors and classmates. All NSU students have been assigned an e-mail account and are expected to access it regularly via the Web.

Knowledge of Blackboard Learning Management System (LMS), which is mandatory for this course.

For those of you not familiar with the Blackboard LMS, an online orientation can be accessed by self-registering in Blackboard. The course name is "Blackboard Student Training." Additional assistance with Blackboard can be obtained through the Blackboard Central Help Desk at [email protected] or by phone at 757-823-2328 M - F 8AM - 6PM at the Lyman Beecher Brooks Library (LBBL), suite 3007.

Addressing your computer skills will greatly enhance your learning experience, reducing wasted time and frustration for yourself and your instructors. Please feel free to contact the Office of Information Technology (OIT) Client Services or the Office of Distance Education for advisement on how to receive assistance with your computer literacy instructional needs.


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mailto:[email protected]

Learning Objectives By the end of this course, given a scenario or practical exercise and with the use of the appropriate research you will:

1. Demonstrate a comprehension of the relational dynamics between language (oral and written) and our conceptual understanding of our world.

2. Engage in critical thinking by analyzing and synthesizing language practice

3. Examine language within its proper historical and situational context, realizing that nothing exists within a vacuum

4. Recognize the relationships between language and thought, language and action, language and power, language and reality, demonstrated via discussions.

5. Engage in critical comparative discussion, particularly as it relates to interdisciplinary studies.

6. Analyze specific cases of language in use in our society.

Instructional MaterialsRequired Texts

A. Mooney, et al. (2011) Language, Society and Power: An Introduction. Routledge. A. Mooney et al. (2011) The Language, Society and Power Reader. Routledge.

Other Sources 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.

NSU Assessment Policy

University Assessment StatementAs part of NSU’s commitment to provide the environment and resources needed for success, you may be required to participate in a number of university-wide assessment activities. These activities may include tests, surveys, focus groups, interviews, and portfolio reviews. The primary purpose of these assessment activities are to determine the extent to which programs and services at NSU are maintaining a high level of quality and meeting student’s need. Participating students will not be identified in the analysis of results. Unless indicated by the instructor, results from University assessment activities will not be computed in student grades.


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Proctoring PolicyStudents who choose not to come on campus to take their exams, must have exams in online courses proctored. A proctored exam is one that is administered by an impartial individual (called a proctor) who monitors and supervises a student while that student is taking an exam. The proctor ensures the security and integrity of the exam process. Students will be required to submit an Online Course Proctor Identification Approval Form to each instructor. Once the proctor has been approved by the instructor, the students will be required to present their Spartan Identification Card and photo identification to the proctor prior to students receiving the exam. Students are responsible for arranging a proctor for their exam(s) and all costs incurred for this service.

Late Assignments and Make-up Policy All grades are final; there will be no make-up tests. All assignments and assessments are due by 11:59PM EST on Fridays each week unless otherwise posted.

Assignments must be submitted on time. Late assignments will not be accepted.

Learner Interaction Policy You will be graded regarding the level of your participation and interaction in the classroom--35% of your grade will be assigned to the level of interaction you display in the classroom. This means participating in a weekly discussion, and contributing to blogs and wikis.

The higher the level of interaction you demonstrate the higher the number on your rubric. Interaction needs to be reflected on questions and/or comments that relate to the lesson at hand; irrelevant comments will deduct points from your rubric. Remember to be courteous to others, not only when you speak but in your written comments as well.

EvaluationsThis course will have six evaluations broken down into tests, Discussion board posts, weekly assignments and written assignments, as follows: 1. Discussion Board Posts – 15%2. Weekly Assignments – 10%3. Syllabus Agreement – 5%4. Quizzes – 30% 5. Module Projects – 40%


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Example of a Rubric

Discussion Board RubricExcellent (20pts) Good (15pt) Fair (10pts) Poor (5pts)

Quality of Information

Information clearly relates to the main topic and adds new concepts/ information, including several (properly cited) supporting details/examples

Information clearly relates to the main topic, providing at least one (properly cited) supporting detail/example

Information clearly relates to the main topic of discussion, but no details or examples are given

Information has little or nothing to do with the main topic of discussion or simply restates the main concept (i.e. summarizes)

Level of Interaction

Student proactively interacts with others by offering new ideas and asking relevant questions to at least two classmates.

Student proactively interacts with others by offering new ideas and questions to only one classmate

Student interacts with others, but not proactively, keeping the conversation from moving forward

Students has not interacted with others by commenting on classmates’ posts

Professional Language

Both professional vocabulary and writing style are used consistently throughout the discussion

Both professional vocabulary and writing style are used frequently throughout the discussion

Both professional vocabulary and writing style are used occasionally throughout the discussion

Professional vocabulary and writing styles are not used

Critical Thinking Posts are scholarly and concise and show the student is thinking critically about the concepts through reflection and questioning of self and others

Posts are relatively scholarly and concise and show the student is attempting to think critically through reflection only, lacking a questioning of concepts

Posts are somewhat scholarly and concise, but do not show reflection or questioning

Posts are not scholarly and concise and do not respond to questions posted by the facilitator or classmates.

Attitude Student displays a professional attitude toward content and classmates, approaching discussion with an open mind

Student displays a mostly professional attitude toward content and classmates

Student displays a relatively professional attitude, but is not open-minded toward content or classmates

Student displays a negative attitude toward both content and classmates.


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Grading CriteriaEngagement 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.

Writing, articulation, and expression. Students will be able to clearly convey their thoughts utilizing spelling, vocabulary, grammar, and content.

Scope/comprehensiveness. Students are able to analyze and synthesize course material/information, and extending it with respect to patterns biases, caveats, allusions, assumptions, etc.

Submission timeliness. Students are to submit assignments before or on time.

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.

Written Work CriteriaAll written work is expected to reflect university level use of grammar, spelling, and organization of material. Work with errors of this nature will be penalized. All presentations must reflect university level ability to offer information in an explicit and persuasive manner.

Academic Integrity StandardsPapers are to be free of plagiarism; if any of your papers is found to be plagiarized, you will receive a zero for your grade on the assignment.

Attendance PolicyYou are expected to login to the Blackboard site several times per week in order to participate in discussions, read announcements, and complete assignments. You should login every day during the week to check for updates and announcements.


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AssignmentsModule Projects: For this course you will be expected to complete a project for each module that asks you to apply concepts you've learned in class to real world situations. You have four projects throughout the course (Mini-Dictionary, Speech Analysis, Linguistic Identity, Language in Society Research Essay). You will submit your module projects to me through the Assignments tool as a Word Document. Make sure you label your assignment correctly by following the submission guidelines on this syllabus. The assignment must be double-spaced and in 12pt. Times New Roman font with 1-inch margins on all sides. (These will be the formatting guidelines for all of your assignments.) Points will be taken off your project grade if you do not follow these formatting guidelines. Make sure to read through all project options before choosing one to do for this semester.

Quizzes: Each week you will have a quiz over the lesson content for that week. The quizzes each consist of ten multiple choice questions.

Grade Scale94 – 100 = A90 – 93 = A-87 – 89 = B+84 – 86 = B80 – 83 = B-77 – 79 = C+70 – 76 = C67 – 69 = D+60 – 66 = DBelow 60 = F

You must have at least a C average to pass the course.


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Calendar of AssignmentsDue dates for your Module Projects are as follows: Monday, September 15 – Mini DictionaryMonday, October 6 – Speech AnalysisMonday, November 10 – Linguistic IdentityFriday, December 5 – Research Project

Course Outline

Lesson & Date Course Description

IntroductionAug. 16-22

IntroductionBasic overview of course, syllabus, expectations, and assignments

Lesson 1Aug. 23-29

Defining LanguageWays of looking at language, prescriptivism vs. descriptivism, competence vs. performance, language diversity

Required reading: Textbook Ch. 1 (p. 1-16), Myths About LanguageSuggested reading: Dictionary of American Regional English, The Speech Accent ArchiveRequired viewing: Language vs. Languages; Lesson 1 Lecture; Defining Language

Lesson 2Aug. 30-Sept. 5

Language and RepresentationLanguage as a system of signs and symbols; the semantic triangle

Required reading: Textbook Ch. 2 (p.24-29), Semantics and SemioticsSuggested reading: Semiotics for BeginnersRequired viewing: Lesson 2 Lecture

Lesson 3Sept. 6-12

Language and ThoughtThe relationship between language and thought; different angles of telling

Required reading: Textbook Ch. 2 (p.30-45), The Great Eskimo Vocabulary Hoax, Shakespeare Had Roses All WrongSuggested reading: The Relation of Habitual Thought and Behavior to Language, Language and Thought, Does Your Language Shape How You ThinkRequired viewing: Lesson 3 Lecture, Tricky Linguistics…

Lesson 4Sept. 13-19

Language and IdeologyPower and ideology as it relates to language in our society

Required reading: Textbook Ch. 1 (p.16-23), Language and IdeologyRequired viewing: Lesson 4 Lecture, Language Ideologies

Lesson 5Sept. 20-26

Language and PoliticsHow to define politics; rhetorical tools used for persuasion; implicature and presupposition

Required reading: Textbook Ch. 3, Media: Label Whores, Presupposition and


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‘Taking-for-granted’ in Mass Communicated Political ArgumentRequired viewing: Lesson 5 Lecture

Lesson 6Sept. 27-Oct. 3

Language and the MediaHow to define the media; the use of language in the media to express ideologies; use of register; user-generated content

Required reading: Textbook Ch. 4Required viewing: Lesson 6 Lecture

Lesson 7Oct. 4-10

Language and GenderHow gender is represented in our language; sexist language; the speech of women and men; theories of speech differences

Required reading: Textbook Ch. 5, Egalia’s Daughters, Performing Gender Identity: Young Men’s Talk and the Construction of Heterosexual MasculinitySuggested reading: “I Wish You’d Stop Interrupting Me!” Interruptions and Asymmetries in Speaker-Rights in “Equal Encounters”, Gender Neutral PronounRequired viewing: Lesson 7 Lecture

Lesson 8Oct. 11-17

Language and EthnicityHow to define ethnicity; ethnic dialects; AAVE; code switching

Required reading: Textbook Ch. 6, Racist Discourse Suggested reading: Legal Recognition in Cultural Differences in Communication: The Case of Robyn KinaRequired viewing: Lesson 8 Lecture; Linguistic Discrimination in School: African American English

Lesson 9Oct. 18-24

Language and AgeHow we speak about (and treat) the very young and very old; markedness in age; age as a social factor

Required reading: Textbook Ch. 7, Age and Sampling, Adolescent LanguageRequired viewing: Lesson 9 Lecture

Lesson 10Oct. 25-31

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

Required reading: Textbook Ch. 8, Academic Ignorance and Black Intelligence, Overcoming Social Class Markers: Preparing Working Class Students for CollegeSuggested reading: TELSURRequired viewing: Lesson 10 Lecture

Lesson 11Nov. 1-7

Language and IdentityConstruction of speaker identity; overt and covert prestige

Required reading: Textbook Ch. 9, The Meaning of Style Required viewing: Lesson 11 Lecture

Lesson 12Nov. 8-14

Development of EnglishA brief history of the English language and how it has developed over the years (including how ideological perceptions have changed over time)

Required reading: Textbook Ch. 10 (p. 189-199)Required viewing: Lesson 12 Lecture


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Lesson 13Nov. 15-21

Language IdeologiesA look at language ideologies that exist in our society today, especially in relation to education and Spanish speaking immigrants

Required reading: Textbook Ch. 10 (p. 199-204)Required viewing: Lesson 13 Lecture

BibliographyBrantenberg, G. (1985). Egalia’s Daughters.

Johnstone, B. (2007). Discourse Analysis. Wiley-Blackwell.

Milroy, L. & Gordon, M. (2003). Sociolinguistics: Methods and Interpretation. Wiley-Blackwell.

Saeed, J.I. (2008). Semantics. Wiley-Blackwell.

Van Dijk, T.A. (1992). Discourse and the Denial of Racism. Discourse and Society 3(1): 87-118.

Special Instructions & PoliciesDisability Statement

In accordance with Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, if you have a disability or think you have a disability, we ask that you please contact the Supporting Students through Disability Services (SDSS) office.

Required Software

Minimum requirements to take this course are a Windows 7, Word 2007, Outlook 2007, and internet access. You will also need to sign to the course at NSU to have access to blackboard.

Blackboard Instructions

All navigational buttons provide you with information on how to work the system and allow you to proceed with the rest of the course. It is important that you familiarize yourself with all the navigational buttons and controls of the Blackboard system.


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CommunicationBlackboard Announcements Area

The Blackboard announcements area is specifically designed for communicating with students in this course. Whenever there are special instructions to all students in this class, such as a class cancellation, a change in schedule or assignments, etc. a message will be sent via the announcement page. Please note that the announcements area is a messaging system that relates only to the members of this class. Announcements for other courses will be contained in the respective courses announcements area.

You can access your announcements by selecting the “announcements” button, located on the main page menu. You are required to check the announcements page daily for any new information. Any message that you need to send to your instructor in this class is best sent via Blackboard email.

Email Policy

NSU email is the only email system to be used for this course; private email addresses cannot be used. Always title your messages; be sure the subject line reflects the topic of discussion. Email messages should always be courteous and follow etiquette protocols. You should be respectful to those who are receiving your email; never send SPAM to other classmates. Remember that these documents are never deleted from the system and nothing is ever private. Also, always check your spelling before sending a message.

Email Etiquette for INT 375Keep in mind, excessive emails make unreasonable time demands on both sender and recipient. Please ensure you have a legitimate need before you write. 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 thato 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)

Discussion Boards

As part of your NSU online experience you will be using the Blackboard Discussion Forum. A good way of entering a discussion board or chat is to briefly introduce yourself. It is important to keep your questions and comments relevant to the topic of the discussion; when posting to a discussion board, you should read prior messages to get a sense of the flow and language of the discussion before posting your own message. If another person posts a comment or question that is off the subject, do


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not reply to the discussion board; if you want to reply, do so via a private e-mail directly to that person.

When working in groups do not hijack the discussion. Keep paragraphs and messages short and to the point.


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int 375 online syllabus _fa14_(2)

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