DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE, LINGUISTICS & PHILOSOPHY
UC120 - LANGUAGE: EXPOSITION & ARGUMENT
Assignments
Semester 2
I. READING ASSIGNMENTS
Week 1 UC120 Readings and Exercises pages 94-100 (available in
RBC or online through the library’s online catalogue).
http://mona.uwi.edu/library/reserve/UC120_2003_04_Har_Lan.pdf
Perspectives on Argument, chapter 1
Week 2 Perspectives on Argument, ch.3; p.197-212
Week 3 Perspectives on Argument, chapter 6
Week 4 Perspectives on Argument, chapters 4 & 9; p.315-323
Week 9 Perspectives on Argument, chapter 8
Week 10 Perspectives on Argument, chapter 13
Week 11 Perspectives on Argument, p.212-218
II. PORTFOLIO (5%)
Students are required to prepare a writing portfolio containing various writing assignments (see handout on Writing Portfolio).
III. ESSAY (10%)
a. Outlines
Choose two of the topics below and develop a debatable issue for each. Research both topics and, for each, prepare a comprehensive bibliography and an outline following one of the patterns presented to you in the lectures (due in your seminar in week 5 – February 14-18).
1. The leadership crisis in the Jamaica Labour Party
2. Environmental management/ Natural disasters
3. Israeli/Palestinian relationships
4. Same sex marriages
5. HIV/AIDS prevention programmes
b. Essay
You will be working on paragraph development in your seminars. Use these exercises to help you write a short argumentative essay (500-800 words) using one of the outlines you submitted. You are required to cite within the text and to append a list of works cited. (Due in your seminar in week 11 – April 4-8)
IV. GROUP PRESENTATION (5%)
Students will form groups of 4 or 5 to make an oral presentation on the lyrics of a song of their choice (see Wood, Chapter 13, Exercise F). Students will be judged based on their use of language, and the content and organisation of the presentation. Students should, nonetheless, endeavour to deliver themselves in a professional manner. A written copy of the presentation must be submitted at the beginning of the class on the day the presentation is made. Presentations will be made during week 12 (April 11-15), and students must present in their regular classes.
Policy on late assignments
All assignments are due at the beginning of your REGULAR class in the week indicated on your assignment sheet. Assignments that are not submitted within half an hour ( ½ hour) of the start of the class shall be deemed to be late. Please note that late assignments will be subject to a penalty of 10% of the value of the assignment for each day that it is late, and will not be accepted after 72 hours.
LANGUAGE, LINGUISTICS & PHILOSOPHY
UC120 – LANGUAGE: EXPOSITION & ARGUMENT
WRITING PORTFOLIO
The Writing portfolio is a collection of specified pieces of students’ written work related to the course objectives. The pieces are prepared over time so that students may benefit from the drafting, rewriting, reflecting, refining and perfecting stages what are components of the normal writing process. Each portfolio will contain:
· Fortnightly one-page reflections in which students explore and attempt to evaluate their learning/writing experiences with particular units or assignments. Each reflection should have a title.
· Analysis of an argumentative passage
· Paragraphs developing a claim or counterargument
· Where required, self-assigned tasks aimed at improving specific weaknesses identified by the tutor (each such assignment must specifically state what area of weakness it is attempting to address)
HOW TO PREPARE THE PORTFOLIO
· Obtain a flat folder or file jacket (24x30 cm) in which all entries can be securely fastened.
· Write the following information on the outside cover
UC120 Writing Portfolio Jan. 2005
NAME & ID#
TUTOR
STREAM # , and DAY & TIME OF CLASS
· Begin each task on a new page with an appropriate description or title for the assignment and the date of completion clearly written at the top of the page.
· All entries should be typewritten (in space and a half). If this is not possible, please ensure that you write legibly. Pages must be securely fastened.
· For the final submission, arrange the entries in a logical sequence with clearly labelled dividers, being careful to retain all the drafts of each task. Please include a table of contents for ease of reference.
ASSESSMENT
Portfolios will be assessed holistically with emphasis on establishing levels of competence in defined areas across a range of tasks/assignments. Please note that each portfolio MUST satisfy at least minimum requirements (D rating) in mechanics in order to qualify for a passing grade overall.
PORTFOLIO ASSIGNMENTS
1. Reflections
You are expected to write an initial reflection giving a retrospective view of how you have grown as a writer since last semester and what you expect to gain from the course this semester. Further reflections should be done fortnightly expressing your reactions to the course and its content; a final reflection should be done when the portfolio is submitted in week 10. Your reflections will be read from time to time and, where appropriate, comments made related to the substance of those reflections.
2. Paragraph development
You will be asked to develop some aspects of an argumentative essay in your seminars making use of the material researched on the essay topics. You will be expected to cite from relevant sources, using the MLA format.
3. Analysis of argumentative passages (Due week 10 – March 21-24)
Do a critical analysis of the assigned passage. Click here for the link
4. Independent work
Whenever weaknesses are identified by your tutor, you are expected to undertake work to improve these weaknesses. Each piece of work must indicate the purpose of the exercise (i.e. the weakness that it aims to address). Such work must be presented to the tutor before the final submission of the portfolio so that appropriate feedback can be received prior to the sitting of the in-course test.
Please note that due dates must be strictly observed for both individual assignments and the final submission of the portfolio. All assignments are to be submitted at the BEGINNING of the class in which they are due. Individual assignments that are not submitted on time may not receive the benefit of feedback from the tutor and will not be considered when the portfolio is being assessed. Final submission of the portfolio is during week 10 (March 21 to 24). Portfolios that are not submitted within half an hour of the beginning of your REGULAR class will be deemed to be late. Students who have classes on a Friday will receive special instructions from their tutors as there will be no classes on Good Friday, March 25. Please ensure that you abide by these instructions.
Vivienne A. Harding
Moderator, UC120
January 4, 2005