PROFESSOR . . . . . . . . . David Sprunger

OFFICE. . . . . . .. . . . . . . Academy 305

PHONE . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 299-3587

E-MAIL . . . . . . .. . . . . . . sprunger@cord.edu

OFFICE HOURS . . . . . .1:30-3:30 MW; 9:00-11:00 T; 4:00-5:00 W; 11:00-2:00 Th; and by appointment or coincidence  

CLASS . . . . . . . . . .ENG 315E

SECTION . . . . . . . . . . . . 2017

ROOM . . . . . . . . . . .  BW 249

TIME . . . . . . . . . .11:50 MWF

SEMESTER . . . . . . .Fall 2006

COURSE GOALS

►            recognize modern English as the product of its political, social, religious, and economic history

►            consider modern English’s function in shaping, preserving, and transforming political, social, religious, economic, and interpersonal aspects of our culture

►            ponder our responsibilities as ethical speakers of English

►            become aware of the arbitrary nature of “correctness”

►            sample a variety of theoretical approaches to English grammar

►            review current grammatical standards for English

►            practice working cooperatively

►            develop skills in synthesizing ideas, discovering positions, and conveying these positions orally and in writing            

TEXTS & RESOURCES

►            David Crystal, The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language, 2^nd ed. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003) [CEEL on syllabus]

►            Blanche Ellsworth and John Higgins, English Simplified, 11th ed. (New York: Longman, 2006).

►            Blanche Ellsworth and John Higgins, Exercises for English Simplified, 11th ed (New York: Longman, 2006). [ES on syllabus]

►            Gary Goshgarian, ed. Exploring Language. 10^th ed. (New York: Pearson Longman, 2004). [EL on syllabus]

On Reserve

►            Blanche Ellsworth, Answer Key to English Simplified (partial).

Web Site

<http://www.cord.edu/faculty/sprunger/e315> Some class materials will be available on the web site. Unlike previous versions of the site, this permutation no longer archives complete lecture notes, but it’s still a resource where you can find the syllabus, lecture outlines, copies of writing assignments, and links to sites related to the class. Notice that much of the site is updated on a just-in-time basis, so updated versions of assignments, exam previews, and so forth may not be posted until close to the appropriate classtimes.

GRADE FACTORS

REACTION PAPERS (100 pts): These assignments will let you explore social dimensions of language by reacting to readings from EL. I'll grade these for content and construction. Your best scores on four of five writing assignments determine this portion of your grade. You must be in class on the day Reactions Papers are due before I'll accept them.

GRAMMAR QUIZZES (100 pts.): Objective quizzes will cover ES and other grammatical matters. Your best scores on four of five quizzes determine this portion of your grade. If a college-sanctioned activity causes you to miss a quiz, you may take it before you miss class or in rare cases before I return the graded quizzes (usually the next class period).

EXAMINATIONS (400 pts.): Three hour examinations and a final exam allow you to synthesize lecture materials. They will also contain objective reviews of key concepts from EL, ES, and class grammar presentations.

PROJECTS (300 pts): Choose one of these options:

1. Write three of four short research essays at various points in the semester: a) etymology; b) onomastics; c) modern usage; d) grammar portfolio.

2. Research some aspect of language and produce a substantial (~15 page) essay that uses at least ten sources, documented in MLA style, and allows as much original research as possible for the topic. This portion of the grade includes participation in a research community (prospectus, progress report, peer review, and oral report).

TASKS (100 pts): You will have opportunities to earn “task points” for completing additional short assignments, collecting evidence outside of class, and so forth. Each task is worth 4 points, and in general, each assignment will receive a binary (all or nothing) grade. Because task assignments are keyed to the day’s discussion, they cannot be made up unless you have an excused absence. In addition to the 18 assignments listed on the syllabus, some unannounced inspections of your workbook, brief in-class response, and cooperative work may also figure into this portion of the grade.

SEMESTER GRADES

Semester grades are based on percentages of points earned, using this scale: 1000-920=A; 919-900=A-; 899-880=B+; 879-820=B; 819-800=B-; 799-780=C+; 779-720=C; 719-700=C-; 699-680=D+; 670-620=D; 619-600=D-. You must complete all major assignments to pass the course. Only in the rarest of cases may you take an “Incomplete” grade.

ATTENDANCE & INFORMED PARTICIPATION

My goal is to establish in the classroom a supportive community for active learning. In order to do so, everyone needs to prepare assignments before class, come to class, engage the material in class, and respect other class members. I expect your punctual and faithful attendance.

Forty-one class periods are scheduled this semester.

►            By missing only 0-3 classes, you are eligible to earn any grade up to an A.

►            By missing 4-5 classes, the highest grade you can earn is a B.

►            By missing 6-7 classes, the highest grade you can earn is a C.

►            By missing 8-9 classes, the highest grade you can earn is a D.

Excessive tardiness and extreme inattentiveness in class will also lower your course grade.

Whenever possible, you should inform me of absences before they occur and are responsible for any changes to the syllabus in your absence. Unless we make prior arrangement, I will not accept late work, and late work, when accepted, decreases in value each day it is late. Work received after an assignment has been returned to the rest of the class cannot earn more than 50% of its original value.

INTEGRITY POLICY      

In accordance with Concordia’s Academic Responsibility Statement, all work should be your own; plagiarized work will be failed and its forger referred to the Dean's office.

A NOTE ON THE READINGS & EXERCISES

The assignments are not proportional, so preview the syllabus and give yourself time to complete each assignment before class. In some cases, I may collect exercises and grade them as Tasks. Always complete them as if you will turn them in.

A NOTE ON THE OFFICE HOURS

Take advantage of my office hours. They provide opportunities to ask questions about the lectures, talk about ideas you have for writing assignments, go over graded work, and share insights about language. Each week, I post a schedule with my office hours divided into ten-minute slots, so you can reserve specific meeting times. You may also stop by and catch me in my office more spontaneously. If you can’t find a meeting time that’s compatible with your schedule, check with me for alternative meeting times.

A NOTE ON DEPARTMENT GOALS

Eng 315 contributes toward agendas of all four of the English Department’s majors. You may review all of the goals by visiting the English Department’s web site: www4.cord.edu/english.

Literature Goals. Successful Literature majors will ...

1. identify and explain the techniques used to create meaning in a text, using the vocabulary of the discipline

2. make connections between literary texts and their historical and cultural contexts

Writing Goals. Successful Writing majors will ...

4. use ethical, effective language

Print Journalism Goals Successful Print Journalism majors will ...

2. use rich, precise, and illuminating language

Eng 315 also contributes directly toward a student’s growth in the following Minnesota Board of Teaching standard for licensure in Communication Arts and Literature:

A. A teacher of communication arts and literature understands central concepts common to the teaching and learning of communication arts and literature content. The teacher must understand and apply:

(1) language development, cognition, and learning;

Addressed: the topic is infused through the class but dealt with more specifically through a reading in Crystal (chapter 23: Learning English as a Mother Tongue) and subsequent lecture/discussion.

Assessed: Exam 1.

A. A teacher of communication arts and literature understands central concepts common to the teaching and learning of communication arts and literature content. The teacher must understand and apply:

(2) the phonological, grammatical, and semantic functions of language;

PHONOLOGY:

Addressed: Phonology unit; reading in Crystal (chapter 17: The Sound System); lecture; in-class exercises

Assessed: Tasks 4 and 5; Exam 1

GRAMMAR

Addressed: Topic covered daily during semester through Ellsworth guide and workbook, in-class exercises, and the “Ten Sentence Project”

Assessed: Tasks 1, 3, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 14, 15, and 17; Quizzes 1-5

              SEMANTICS 

Addressed: unit on morphology/semantics; Crystal, chapters 11 (The Structure of the Lexicon) and 12 (Lexical Dimensions)

Assessed: Task 10; Exam 2

A. A teacher of communication arts and literature understands central concepts common to the teaching and learning of communication arts and literature content. The teacher must understand and apply:

              (5) language for independent learning and enjoyment;

Addressed: This topic is infused through the semester but treated specifically in Crystal (chapter 22: Personal Variation)

Assessed: Projects 1, 2, and 3 allow students to identify and investigate topics they particularly enjoy through independent observation and research

A. A teacher of communication arts and literature understands central concepts common to the teaching and learning of communication arts and literature content. The teacher must understand and apply:

              (13) the social, intellectual, and political importance and impact of communication;

Addressed: This topic is infused throughout the course, but treated more specifically through readings in Goshgarian and corresponding class discussion/activities

Assessed: Reaction Papers 1-5; exams 1-4

A. A teacher of communication arts and literature understands central concepts common to the teaching and learning of communication arts and literature content. The teacher must understand and apply:

              (14) the meanings of messages, content and relational;

Addressed: This topic is infused through the course, but treated more specifically in units on semantics and non-verbal communication

Assessed: Reaction Paper 3; Exam 2

For a copy of the document listing all of the licensure goals and the classes that satisfy them, contact Sandy Johnson in the English Department (Academy 312).

D:\WPDOCS\CLASSES\E315\Fall 2006\syllabus f06.wpd

August 31, 2006 (10:33pm)    

TENTATIVE SYLLABUS MAP, FALL 2006

Tentative Daily Schedule

☞ The syllabus might change: You’re responsible for changes made in your absence. ☜

Week 1

9/1         F            Introductions

Sprunger’s Five Useful Principles of Language

Week 2

9/4         M          Language & Language Origins 

LA: Langer, “Language and Thought” (27-31)

                            Informal response to Langer [Task 1]

ES 1, 2, 3: Diagnostic Test (“Choice” parts only) [Task 2]

9/6         W          Introduction to SUMP

CEEL: “Learning English as a Mother Tongue” (428-35)

ES 4, 5: Parts of Speech

9/8         F            EL: What Is Standard English? (444-80)

Reaction Paper 1 due

Week 3

9/11       M          SYMPOSIUM

9/13       W          Language Families

ES 74: Words often Confused (Usage 1)

9/15       F            Germanic Languages / Grimm’s Law

ES 8: Complements

Task 3: Transcribe passage for grammar analysis

Week 4

9/18       M          Phonology [CEEL 236-55]

Grammar Quiz 1

9/20       W          Phonology

Task 4: Phonology exercise from Crystal

ES 11: Verbs

ES 48: Semicolon

9/22       F            EL: Advertising Language [421-90]

Reaction Paper 2 due

Week 5

9/25       M          Phonology

Task 5: Translate passage to IPA

ES 20 (part 1 only): Prepositional Phrases

9/27       W          Review

Task 6: Prepositional phrases and their functions in passage

9/29       F            Exam 1

Week 6

10/2       M          Morphology and Semantics [CEEL 116-55]

ES 75: Words Often Confused (Usage 2)

10/4       W          ES 12, 21: Verbs & Verbals 

Task 7: Main verb phrase analysis

10/6       F            EL: “The Art of Conversation” (238-74)

Reaction Paper 3 due

Week 7

10/9       M          Morphology and Semantics

ES 15: Adjectives and Adverbs

Task 8: Verbals in passage

10/11     W          ES 17, 19 (only part 1): Nouns and Pronouns

CEEL: Lexical Dimensions (170-87)

Task 9: Slang & Jargon

Grammar Quiz 2

10/13     F            CEEL: “Personal Variation” (394-423)

Essay 1 (or research proposal) due

Week 8

10/16     M          Review

Task 10: Morphology/semantics exercise

ES 71, 72: Word Choice (Usage 3)

10/18     W          Exam 2

10/20     F            FALL BREAK: NO CLASS ☹

Week 9

10/23     M          FALL BREAK: NO CLASS ☹

10/25     W          EL: Roberts, “Brief History of English” (32-41)

Old English [CEEL 6-29]

10/27     F            Old English

ES 30: Agreement

EL: “Politically Speaking” [154-237]

Reaction Paper 4 due

Week 10

10/30     M          Old English

11/1       W          Middle English [CEEL 30-55]

ES 27: Sentence Patterns

11/3       F            ES 47: Period, Question Mark, & Exclamation Point

Task 11: Identify sentence patterns in passage

Grammar Quiz 3

Week 11

11/6       M          Middle English

ES 51, 58: Apostrophe, Colon, Dash, Parentheses, Brackets

Task 12: Kernel Sentences

11/8       W          Middle English

ES 44, 46: Commas

Essay 2 (or Research Updates/Preliminary Bibliographies) due

11/10     F            ES 36: Sentence Boundaries (comma splices, fragment sentences, and fused sentences)

Taboo Language (EL369-76, CEEL 172-74, plus photocopied essays)

Task 13: Conduct swearing survey

Reaction Paper 5 due (optional)

Week 12

11/13     M          Early Modern English (aka Renaissance) English [CEEL 56-75]

ES 49: Commas & Semicolons

11/15     W          Renaissance English

ES 59: Hyphen & Slash

Tasks 14-15: Punctuation exercise.

11/17     F            ES 60-61: Punctuation Review

EL: Political Correctness and Hate Speech [496-552]

Grammar Quiz 4

Week 13

11/21     M          Review

Project 3 (or Research Paper outlines/conferences) due

11/23     W          Exam 3

11/25     F            THANKSGIVING: NO CLASS ☹

Week 14

11/27     M          Eighteenth-century Grammarians [CEEL 76-91]

ES 33: Parallel Structure

11/29     W          Eighteenth-century Grammarians

ES 38: Modifier Placement

Task 16: Collect and classify a public example of “error”

12/1       F            American English [CEEL 306-18]

EL: Cultural Diversity & English-Only Debate [582-99]

Week 15

12/4       M          American English

Project 4 (or Research Essay) due

12/6       W          World English [CEEL]

ES 94-96: Achievement Tests [Task 17]

12/8       F            Future(s) of English

Task 18: World English Analysis

Week 16

12/11     M          Grammar Quiz 5 (optional)

Review

12/14     Th         11:00 - 1:00, Final Exam