Monday, January 9, 2017

Spring 2017 Syllabus

Spring 2017 Syllabus: Introduction to Linguistics (Benton)
Instructor: Dr. Steve Benton 
Office: Faust 155, ext. 877
E-mail: sbenton@ecok.edu 
Office Hours: Mon/Wed 2-2:50 and 3:30-5:00 and by appointment

Over the course of this semester, you will have the opportunity to learn how to talk with apes, babies, and members of the opposite sex. By the end of this course, your understanding of body language, Chickasaw, cursing, disappearing languages, English-Only initiatives, regional dialects, and sign language should make you the life of every party.

Required Materials:  Course materials will be provided in pdf form, available on the library website or sent to you via email.

Evaluation:75% Daily assignments (reading summaries/responses, etc.)
25% Academic Paper plus in-class presentation (5-6 pages on an assigned text plus a 10-15 minute in-class presentation to be given on an assigned day sometime after Spring Break; each student must meet with the instructor to rehearse presentation at least one week prior to assigned presentation day; paper is due one week after in-class presentation).

Midterm and Final Exams: To pass the class, you must take the Final exam. The score on the final exam will have the same weight as other daily assignments.

Attendance: To get an “A” or a “B” in this class, you must have an attendance score of 80% or better; to get a “C” in this class, you must have an attendance score of 70% or better; to pass this class, you must have an attendance score of 60% or better.

Absences: I always appreciate it when students let me know in advance if they will not be able to attend class or turn in an assignment on time. But do not ask me for permission to miss a class or turn an assignment in late. It’s not that I don’t think some absences or delays are unavoidable; I just don’t want to have to make isolated, on-the-spot judgments throughout the semester about which absences and extensions are justifiable. I would rather make that judgment at the end of the term with the big picture in view.

So at the end of the course, if your absences or the number of assignments you turned in late will negatively your grade and you feel that some of those delays were unavoidable, send me an e-mail explaining your case and I will consider granting you whatever retroactive “extensions” and “excuses” I judge to be fair at the time.

In order to save paper, all of the other information the University requires all instructors of this course to include in our syllabi—including the Academic Integrity Policy and the Americans with Disabilities Act Statement—is listed on the course website.


Excused absences:  Excused absences include required field trips, participation in activities formally sponsored by the university, illness or injury, or death or illness of a family member. Situations leading to multiple absences must be documented with the Office of Academic Affairs.
Official Course Description: 3 hours. Prereq.: 9 hours of sophomore level literature or departmental approval. Studies English as used in the United States. Examines language acquisition, development, functions, and variance, including semantics and the process of language.

Course outcomes (NCATE Competency Alignment):
3.1.1 language acquisition and development
3.1.7 semantics & phonology
3.1.4 language variances by region, cultural groups, time periods, & knowledge of its classroom instruction and assessment
3.1.3 theory/practice understanding impact of cultural, economic, political, and social environments of language

Plagiarism/Academic Integrity Policy
A student who submits a paper or posts a blog entry which in whole or part has been written by someone else or which contains passages quoted or paraphrased from another's work without proper acknowledgment (quotation marks, citation, etc.) has plagiarized.

Students who are found to have plagiarized work may be subject to various disciplinary actions including a failing grade on the particular assignment, failure of the entire course, and possible expulsion from the University.

ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) Statement
East Central University is committed to providing equal access to University programs and services for all students. Under University policy and federal and state laws, students with documented disabilities are entitled to reasonable accommodations. If any member of the class has a documented disability requiring academic accommodations, he or she should report to the Office of Disability Services. A student seeking reasonable accommodations originating from a documented disability must register with the Office of Disability Services so that said accommodations may be provided. Contact the Academic Affairs Office if any assistance is needed in this process.

WAC (Writing Across the Curriculum) Statement:

In keeping with the University's emphasis on writing proficiency, all student-produced writing will be expected to reflect clear content, coherent and organized structure, and adherence to the stylistic and mechanical standards articulated by the professor.

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