ENG 312 SYLLABUS (ENGLISH IN ITS SOCIAL SETTING); SPRING, 2011; Line Number 15843; INSTRUCTOR: Don L. F. Nilsen; MWF:10:45-11:35 in LL 2;OFFICE HOURS: MWF 9:30-10:30 and TTh 10:30-11:30 AM in the Language and Literature Building Room 208.

INSTRUCTOR and TAs AND TENTATIVE LINE NUMBERS:

Don L. F. Nilsen: Line Number 15843, Mondays & Wednesdays in LL 2

James Berry: Line Number 23458, Fridays in LL 150

Victor Parra-Guinaldo: Line Number 23457, Fridays in LL 148

Cynthia Simmons: Line Number 23459, Fridays in LL 014

TEXTBOOKS

Eschholz, Paul, Alfred Rosa, and Virginia Clark. Language Awareness: Readings for College Writers, Tenth Edition. New York, NY: Bedford/St Martin’s Press, 2009.

Nilsen, Alleen Pace, and Don L. F. Nilsen. Vocabulary Plus: High School and Up: A Source-Based Approach. Boston, MA: Pearson, Allyn and Bacon, 2004.

NOTE: The course PowerPoints are available in my web site: the PowerPoints that are available from my web site:

GRADES:

GRADE # 1: Midsemester Exam, covering Nilsen and Nilsen’s Vocabulary Plus: High School and Up: A Source-Based Approach, plus ENG 312 PowerPoints and discussions

GRADE # 2: Research Paper on Some Aspect of humor or language play. Please see more detailed information below.

GRADE # 3: Final Exam, covering Language Awareness, ENG 312 PowerPoints, and In-Class Discussions

NOTE: All student work must be presented in hard-copy form. I will not accept anything from students in the form of e-mail attachments.

PRINTING PowerPoints: PowerPoint wallpaper has been deleted to conserve ink and paper. If you print PowerPoints it’s best to print six slides per page to conserve ink and paper.

RESEARCH PAPERS:RESEARCH PAPERS ARE DUE THE MONDAY AFTER SPRING BREAK

In ENG 312, you will need to write a research paper on some aspect of humor or language play. Appropriate topics include Caricature, Double Entendre, Humor, Irony, Intertextuality, Jokes, Language Play, Metaphor, Paradox, Parody, Practical Jokes, Satire, Sarcasm, Wit, etc. When you have chosen your topic, please e-mail it to me so that I can send you a PowerPoint and references related to your topic.

Your research paper should contain at least 7 pages of content. All pages should be numbered and should have one-inch margins. All paragraphs of your research paper should contain proper development, and all but the first and last of your paragraphs should contain in-text citations with page numbers. You must use MLA format for your documentation. In class I will go over the “Research Paper Check List” so you will know what I look for in research papers (including documentation details). Please double space everything, use only one side of the paper, and indent long quotes (quotes of five lines or more).

Your Works Cited page must contain at least three critical sources not counting web sites, newspapers, magazines, interviews, etc. Your Works Cited should include only works you have paraphrased, quoted, or alluded to in the body of your paper. Since I will be evaluating your ability to synthesize and integrate other people’s opinions, you must cite at least three experts. Be sure to indent or put quotation marks around all quoted materials, and be sure to indicate sources and page numbers. Professional journals, anthologies, and books are good sources. Audiotapes, CDs, magazines, movies, newspapers, newsletters, videotapes, and snippets (as opposed to extended discussions by a single author) can be used, but must be supported by the good sources. Because web sites are constantly changing, and usually don’t have peer review they are very uneven, so be very critical of web sites.

EVALUATION OF RESEARCH PAPERS:

  1. Have you selected an appropriate topic (from the list of topics above)? It your topic focused and unified?
  2. Do you have at least three scholarly references in your Works Cited?
  3. Did you read these references carefully and totally understand them?
  4. Did you select significant and insightful parts of these references to quote and/or to paraphrase?
  5. Did you cite the page numbers after all of your quotations and paraphrases?
  6. Was your argument systematic, and sustained?
  7. Was there good paragraph development and overall development of your argument?
  8. Was your paper well organized, and were the transitions smooth? What would a three-level outline of your paper look like?
  9. Did you make significant generalizations?
  10. Did you support these generalizations with significant and insightful details?
  11. Were your sources well integrated into the body of your paper? NOTE: This is a research paper, so it should not be about what you think. It should be about what the experts think.

REWRITES OF RESEARCH PAPERS: Rewrites of research papers can increase your research-paper grade by as much as one full grade, if substantial as well as corrective revisions are made. Rewrites must be accompanied by the original marked copy, and the revisions in your rewrites must be highlighted with a highlighter pen. Revisions will not be accepted after the last day of regular class. If rewrites are turned in early enough, they will be returned to you. Honors Students must write longer and better research papers and are required to do revisions. Don Nilsen will evaluate all of the rewrites.

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NOTE THAT DATE INDICATES WHEN ASSIGNMENTS ARE DUE!

Wed, Jan 19Introduction and Overview of the Class; ENG 312 PowerPoint: Overview of ENG 312

Fri, Jan 21 Vocabulary Plus, Chapter 1: “The Theory Behind a Source’Based Approach to Metaphor and Vocabulary Enhancement” (1-25)

Mon, Jan 24“Metaphor Theory”

Wed, Jan 26Vocabulary Plus, Chapter 2: “Animal Metaphors” (26-51)

Fri, Jan 28 “Animal Metaphors Continued

Mon, Jan 31“Animal Metaphors” Continued + PowerPoint: Research Paper Checklist”

Wed, Feb 2Vocabulary Plus, Chapter 3: “Human Body Metaphors” (52-75)

Fri, Feb 4“Human Body Metaphors” Continued

Mon, Feb 7Vocabulary Plus, Chapter 4: “Communication Metaphors” (76-103)

Wed, Feb 9“Communication Metaphors” Continued

Fri, Feb 11Vocabulary Plus, Chapter 5: “Plant and Food Metaphors” (104-128)

Mon, Feb 14“Plant and Food Metaphors” Continued

Wed, Feb 16Vocabulary Plus, Chapter 6: “Clothing Metaphors” (129-158)

Fri, Feb 18“Clothing Metaphors” Continued

Mon, Feb 21 Vocabulary Plus, Chapter 7: “Living and Dying Metaphors” (159-177)

Wed, Feb 23“Living and Dying Metaphors” Continued

Fri, Feb 25 Vocabulary Plus, Chapter 8: “Using Prefixes and Suffixes to Make Comparisons and Contrasts” (159-177)

Mon, Feb 28“Prefixes and Suffixes” Continued

RESEARCH PAPERS ARE DUE WED, MARCH 22nd

Wed, Mar 2Vocabulary Plus, Chapter 9: “Number Metaphors” (212-229)

Fri, Mar 4“Number Metaphors” Continued

Mon, Mar 7 Review for the Midsemester Exam Covering Vocabulary Plus: High School and Up

Wed, Mar 9Midsemester Exam

Fri, Mar 11PowerPoint: “The VARIES Model for Studying Language Variation”

Mon, Mar 14 SPRING BREAK

Wed, Mar 16 SPRING BREAK

Fri, Mar 18 SPRING BREAK

Mon, Mar 21RESEARCH PAPERS ARE DUE TODAY

“Visual Literacy” and Language Awareness Chapter 1: “Coming to an Awareness of Language” (39-96), + PowerPoint on “Urban Legends”

Wed, Mar 23 Language Awareness Chapter 2: “Writers on Writing” (97-146); PowerPoint “Regional and Social Dialects”

Fri, Mar 25 Language Awareness Chapter 3: “Politics, Propaganda, and Doublespeak” (147-244)

Mon, Mar 28 “Politics, Propaganda, and Doublespeak” Continued + PowerPoint: “Usage” and “Rhetorical Devices vs. Errors” + “Obscenity”

Wed, Mar 30 Language Awareness Chapter 4: “Prejudice, Discrimination, and Stereotypes) (245-320)

Fri, Apr 1“Prejudice, Descrimination, and Stereotypes”Continued + PowerPoint: “Prose Styles”

Mon, Apr 4 Language Awareness Chapter 5: “Everyday Conversations and Gender Issues” (321-386)

Wed, Apr 6“Men and Women Talking” Continued + PowerPoint: “Gender Issues”

Fri, Apr 8Language Awareness Chapter 6: “Media and Advertising” (387-480)

Mon, Apr 11“Media and Advertising” Continued + PowerPoint: “Humor: Features, Functions and Subjects” + “American Popular Language”

Wed, Apr 13Language Awareness Chapter 7: “Language Debate: Should Learning Be Censored?” (481-526)

Fri, Apr 15 Language Debate: Should Learning Be Censored?”Continued) + PowerPoint: “Business and Advertising Language”

Mon, Apr 18 Language Awareness Chapter 8: “Language Debate: Should English Be the Law?” (527-562)

Wed, Apr 20 Language Awareness Chapter 9: “Language Debate: What’s All the Fuss about Natural, Organic, Local Foods?” (563-602) Fri, Apr 23 PowerPoint: “Cultural Diversity”

Fri, Apr 22No Additional Assignment

Mon, Apr 25PowerPoint: “Humor-Anthropology”

Wed, Apr 27PowerPoint: “Names and Nyms”

Fri, Apr 29First Review for the Final Exam

Mon, May 2Last Day of Class; Last Day for Research Paper Rewrites: Review for the Final Exam Covering Language Awareness (39-602) plus PowerPoints & Discussions

Mon, May 99:50-11:40 AM (SPRING 2011): FINAL EXAM COVERING Language Awareness plus PowerPoints & Discussions

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