Something to think about . . .

Deeply.

Today's Final Linguistic Experience will begin at 11:30 in Faust 159.

Not 11:00, as mentioned in class last week.

Handshake wars

Click here to see a video on the Trump handshake. Submitted by Cody Baggerly, in honor of our class discussion about non-verbal communication.

Manspreading

Thanks for the link, Karina Tarpey!

Non-Verbal Expressions of Power and Dominance

More on the speaker, Dr. Amy Cuddy.

Yorkshire English

No Reading Journal Assignment due April 16

Because I was unable to get a pdf copy of Lee Pedersen's "Dialects" onto the course website before the weekend. I am postponing the "Dialects" assignment. No reading journal assignment is due Sunday, April 16th.

Sound and Fury

Thoughts through minute 44:50?

Linguistics In-Class Presentation

25% of your grade in this class is based on an Academic Paper and an in-class presentation. The paper is worth 15% of your grade. It should be 5-6 pages in length and is due one week after in-class presentation. The in-class presentation is worth 10% of your grade. It should be 10-15 minute in length. Each student must meet with the instructor to rehearse presentation at least one week prior to assigned presentation day. You will not be graded on your rehearsal, but your global score for the in-class presentation may be affected if you do not schedule a rehearsal or do not come to the rehearsal fully prepared.

One-third of your in-class presentation should cover your assigned text. You do not need to cover every aspect of the assigned text. Just cover the aspects that you are concentrating on. Two-thirds of your in-class presentation should cover new material. Make sure that your sources are reliable by academic standards. I expect most in-class presentation to include a PowerPoint, but this is not strictly required. You may include handouts or activities that require student participation. You may show video clips (but no more than five minutes).

Simply put, your challenge is this:  learn something valuable and communicate clearly.

Your presentation will be scored 1-5, for each of the criteria specified below, using the following scale:

5—excellent; 4—commendable; 3—satisfactory; 2—notable deficiencies; 1—inadequate

Name of student:                                                                   

Score	Communication
	1. Description of material is clear, logical, and easy to follow
	2. Presentation is clearly rehearsed, polished and demonstrates attention to detail
Areas of strength
Areas of potential development
Score	Content
	3. Demonstrates awareness of complexities of issue under discussion.
	4. Provides valuable new material that is relevant to the issues discussed in the assigned text.
Areas of strength
Areas of potential development

Global Score (1-10):                                        (need not be an average or a sum of the four scores listed above)

No class meeting on Friday, March 10th

Please remember that we will not have our regularly scheduled class meeting on Friday, March 10th. Consequently, your next homework assignment is due by 2 p.m. on Friday instead of 11 p.m. on Thursday night.

Have a great break!

Broca's and Wernicke's Aphasia

Broca's Aphasia:
Individuals with Broca's aphasia frequently speak short, meaningful phrases that are produced with great effort. Broca's aphasia is thus characterized as a nonfluent aphasia.
Those who have Broca's aphasia have mild difficulty with auditory comprehension.


Wernicke's Aphasia:
Individuals with Wernicke's aphasia may speak in long sentences that have no meaning, add unnecessary words, and even create new "words" (neologisms).
Their auditory comprehension is defective.

African American Vernacular English

Rickford: "Suite for Ebony and Phonics"

John R. Rickford

So you've read "Suite for Ebony and Phonics" by John Rickford. Thoughts?

Wolfram and Schilling-Estes: Standards and Vernaculars

So you've read Wolfram and Schilling-Estes (that's Walt above, Schilling-Estes below).  Thoughts on something other than the relative size of the photos of them that I was able to locate online?

Speech Communities, Speech Identities

Claiming Shakespeare for America?

Don't miss these reads:
Did the Bard speak American?
A Linguist Explains British Accents of Yore

Another take on Shakespearean vs. Contemporary English

Neologisms on the chain wax

Roberts: Speech Communities"

So you've read "Speech Communities" by Paul M. Roberts.

Thoughts?

Chaika: "Pragmatics: Discourse Routines"

So you've read ""Pragmatics: Discourse Routines" by Elaine Chaika (#17)

Thoughts?

Crystal: Why a Global Language?

So you've read "Why a Global Language?" by David Crystal.

Thoughts?

Rearing Bilingual Children in a Monolingual Culture

Stephen J. Caldas (couldn't find a photo of Suzanne)

So you've read "Rearing Bilingual Children in a Monolingual Culture: A Louisiana Experience."  Thoughts?

The Linguists

Watch to the 15:30 mark and share your thoughts/reactions!

Student Presentation Schedule

Friday, March 24: “Endangered Native American Languages: What Is to Be Done and Why” by James Crawford. Presentation by Socorra.

Monday, March 27: "Metaphors We Live By” by George Lakoff and Mack Johnson. Presentation by Brayden.

Wednesday, March 29: “Language and Writing” by John P. Hughes. Presentation by Emily.

Monday, April 3: "Sign Language" by Karen Emmorey. Presentation by Madison.

Wednesday, April 5: “A Myth: Aborigines Speak a Primitive Language” by Nicholas Evans. Presentation by Ashli.

Monday, April 10: "Ethnic Style in Male and Female Discourse" by Deborah Tannen. Presentation by Karina.

Wednesday April 12: “Discourse Patterns of Males and Females” by Fern L. Johnson. Presentation by Lyndsey.

Friday, April 14: "American Sign Language: ‘It’s Not Mouth Stuff—It’s Brain Stuff’” by Richard Wolkomir. Presentation by Andrew.

Monday, April 17: “Dialects” by Lee Pederson. Presentation by Karlyn.

Wednesday, April 19: "Regional Dialects and Social Class" by Ronald K.S. Macaulay. Presentation by Cody. The text can be found at this link, pp. 63-76, and will also be available as a PDF via the course reserves system in the Linscheid Library).

Friday, April 21: “Nonverbal Communication” by George A. Miller. Presentation by Lauren.

Monday, April 24: “’I’ll Explain it to You’: Lecturing and Listening” by Deborah Tannen. Presentation by Avery.

Wednesday, April 26: “Chimps, Children and Creoles: The Need for Caution” by Jean Aitchison. Presentation by Ryan.

Roberts: A Brief History of English

So you've read Roberts's "A Brief History of English."

Thoughts?

When the fate of the world depends on a linguist . . .

Has anybody seen this film? I haven't, but it appears to be a sci-fi fantasy in which the fate of the world depends on a talented linguist.

Pinker: More Games People Play

So you've read the rest of the assigned Pinker assignment.

Whadjathink?

Pinker: "Games People Play"

So you've started reading the assigned excerpt from Pinker.

Thoughts?

Deutscher: Does Your Language Shape How You Think?

The following article was written by Guy Deutscher [see image at left] , an honorary research fellow at the School of Languages, Linguistics and Cultures at the University of Manchester. It appeared in the New York Times on August 26, 2010. Click here to read the entire article. Deutscher's book, from which this article is adapted, is Through the Language Glass: Why the World Looks Different in Other Languages, published this month by Metropolitan Books.

Does Your Language Shape How You Think?

By GUY DEUTSCHER

Seventy years ago, in 1940, a popular science magazine published a short article that set in motion one of the trendiest intellectual fads of the 20th century. At first glance, there seemed little about the article to augur its subsequent celebrity. Neither the title, “Science and Linguistics,” nor the magazine, M.I.T.’s Technology Review, was most people’s idea of glamour. And the author, a chemical engineer who worked for an insurance company and moonlighted as an anthropology lecturer at Yale University, was an unlikely candidate for international superstardom. And yet Benjamin Lee Whorf [see image at right] let loose an alluring idea about language’s power over the mind, and his stirring prose seduced a whole generation into believing that our mother tongue restricts what we are able to think.

In particular, Whorf announced, Native American languages impose on their speakers a picture of reality that is totally different from ours, so their speakers would simply not be able to understand some of our most basic concepts, like the flow of time or the distinction between objects (like “stone”) and actions (like “fall”). For decades, Whorf’s theory dazzled both academics and the general public alike. In his shadow, others made a whole range of imaginative claims about the supposed power of language, from the assertion that Native American languages instill in their speakers an intuitive understanding of Einstein’s concept of time as a fourth dimension to the theory that the nature of the Jewish religion was determined by the tense system of ancient Hebrew.

Eventually, Whorf’s theory crash-landed on hard facts and solid common sense, when it transpired that there had never actually been any evidence to support his fantastic claims. The reaction was so severe that for decades, any attempts to explore the influence of the mother tongue on our thoughts were relegated to the loony fringes of disrepute. But 70 years on, it is surely time to put the trauma of Whorf behind us. And in the last few years, new research has revealed that when we learn our mother tongue, we do after all acquire certain habits of thought that shape our experience in significant and often surprising ways.

Pinker: Mentalese

So you've read "Mentalese" from Steven Pinker's The Language Instinct. Thoughts?

Callary: Phonetics

So you've read Edward Callary's chapter on "Phonetics." Thoughts?

Garner: Making Peace in the Language Wars

So you've read "Making Peace in the Language Wars" by Bryan Garner. Thoughts?

Algeo: What Makes Good English Good?

So you've read Algeo.  Thoughts?

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

Course website: www.eculinguistics.blogspot.com

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.

Spring 2017 Daily Assignments

#36. Due by 11 p.m. on Tuesday, April 25th
a)  Read "Chimps, Children and Creoles" by Jean Aitchison (this text has been in the Professor Reserves system at the Library since Friday, April 21st).
1) Identify one or more things that you learned from the sources.
2) Provide an intellectual or emotional response (what was surprising? puzzling? fascinating? etc.)b) Send your e-mail to sbenton@ecok.edu. Put your full name in subject line of the e-mail along with this phrase: “#36. Miller.”

#35. Due by 11 p.m. on Sunday, April 23rd
a)  Read "I'll Explain It to You: Lecturing and Listening " by Deborah Tannen (this text has been in the Professor Reserves system at the Library since Friday, April 21st).
1) Identify one or more things that you learned from the sources.
2) Provide an intellectual or emotional response (what was surprising? puzzling? fascinating? etc.)
b) Send your e-mail to sbenton@ecok.edu. Put your full name in subject line of the e-mail along with this phrase: “#35. Tannen.”

#34. Due by 11 p.m. on Thursday, April 20th
a)  Read "Nonverbal Communication" by George Miller (this text was delivered to the Library on Wednesday morning, 4/19, and should be in the Professor Reserves system soon . . .; if it's not, I won't penalize late submissions).
1) Identify one or more things that you learned from the sources.
2) Provide an intellectual or emotional response (what was surprising? puzzling? fascinating? etc.)
b) Send your e-mail to sbenton@ecok.edu. Put your full name in subject line of the e-mail along with this phrase: “#34. Miller.”

#33. Due by 11 p.m. on Tuesday, April 18th (to be decided . . . before class on the 19th if you can!).
a)  Read "Regional Dialects and Social Class" by Ronald K.S. Macaulay (here is a link to it; it's also on the library's website).
1) Identify one or more things that you learned from the sources.
2) Provide an intellectual or emotional response (what was surprising? puzzling? fascinating? etc.)
b) Send your e-mail to sbenton@ecok.edu. Put your full name in subject line of the e-mail along with this phrase: “#33. Macaulay.”

#32. Due by 11 p.m. on Sunday, April 16th Friday, April 21st. 
a)  Read "Dialects'" by Lee Pederson (available on the library's website).
1) Identify one or more things that you learned from the sources.
2) Provide an intellectual or emotional response (what was surprising? puzzling? fascinating? etc.)
b) Send your e-mail to sbenton@ecok.edu. Put your full name in subject line of the e-mail along with this phrase: “#32. Pederson.”


 #31. Due by 11 p.m. on Thursday, April 13th*. 
a)  Read "American Sign Language: 'It's not Mouth Stuff, It's Brain Stuff'" by Richard Wolkomir (I have emailed you the pdf;  here is a link to it).
1) Identify one or more things that you learned from the sources.
2) Provide an intellectual or emotional response (what was surprising? puzzling? fascinating? etc.)
b) Send your e-mail to sbenton@ecok.edu. Put your full name in subject line of the e-mail along with this phrase: “#31. Wolkomir.”
*If you attend the Amadeus screening on Thursday night, you can push back the deadline without penalty.  Let me know when you think you can get it in.

#30. Due by 11 p.m. on Tuesday, April 11th 5 p.m. on Thursday, April 13th.
a)  Read "Discourse Patterns of Males and Females" by Fern Johnson (will be available in PDF from through the Library website).* [If this pdf is not posted by the library staff before 2 p.m. on April 11th, the deadline for this assignment will be pushed back.]
1) Identify one or more things that you learned from the sources.
2) Provide an intellectual or emotional response (what was surprising? puzzling? fascinating? etc.)

b) Send your e-mail to sbenton@ecok.edu. Put your full name in subject line of the e-mail along with this phrase: “#30. Johnson.”

#29. Due by 11 p.m. on Sunday, April 9th. 
a)  Read "Ethnic Style in Male and Female Conversation" by Deborah Tannen (will be available in PDF from through the Library website).
1) Identify one or more things that you learned from the sources.
2) Provide an intellectual or emotional response (what was surprising? puzzling? fascinating? etc.)

b) Send your e-mail to sbenton@ecok.edu. Put your full name in subject line of the e-mail along with this phrase: “#29. Tannen #1.”

#28. Due by 11 p.m. on Saturday, April 8th. 
a) Attend a session of the Scissortail Creative Writing Festival
b) Delight in the language on display
c) If you attend a session that does not bring you delight, return to step a above and try again. If you attend a session that brings you delight, proceed to step d below
d) Send me an e-mail in which you identify an author (or multiple authors) who gave you linguistic delight. Describe the source of the delight
e) Leave an excerpt from your email in the comment box at ecuscissortail.blogspot.com that will go live on Thursday a.m.

#27. Due by 11 p.m. on Tuesday, April 4th. 
a)  Read "A Myth: Aborigines Speak a Primitive Language" by Nicholas Evans (available at this link).
1) Identify one or more things that you learned from the sources.
2) Provide an intellectual or emotional response (what was surprising? puzzling? fascinating? etc.)

c) Send your e-mail to sbenton@ecok.edu. Put your full name in subject line of the e-mail along with this phrase: “#27. Evans.”

#26. Due by 11 p.m. on Sunday, April 2nd. 
a)  Read "Sign Language" by Karen Emmorey (available in PDF from through the Library websitel).
1) Identify one or more things that you learned from the sources.
2) Provide an intellectual or emotional response (what was surprising? puzzling? fascinating? etc.)

b) Send your e-mail to sbenton@ecok.edu. Put your full name in subject line of the e-mail along with this phrase: “#26. Emmorey.”

#25. Due by 2 p.m. on Friday, March 31st. 
a)  Watch "Sound and Fury" to minute 44:55.
b) Write a 250-300 word e-mail in which you:
1) Identify one or more things that you learned from watching the clip
2) Provide an intellectual or emotional response (what was surprising? puzzling? fascinating? etc.)

c) Post a short (25-30 word?) excerpt from your e-mail in the comment box on the post associated with the assignment on this website.
c) Send your e-mail to sbenton@ecok.edu. Put your full name in subject line of the e-mail along with this phrase: “#25. Sound and Fury.”

#24. Due by 11 p.m. on Sunday, March 26th Tuesday, March 28th. 
a)  Read "Languages and Writing" by John Hughes  (sent to you in PDF form via email).
1) Identify one or more things that you learned from the sources.
2) Provide an intellectual or emotional response (what was surprising? puzzling? fascinating? etc.)
B) Send your e-mail to sbenton@ecok.edu. Put your full name in subject line of the e-mail along with this phrase: “#24. Hughes.”

#23. Due by 11 p.m. on Sunday, March 26th Tuesday, March 28th. 
a)  Read "Metaphors We Live By" by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson  (sent to you in PDF form via email; also available at this link--read the "Concepts We Live By" section ).
1) Identify one or more things that you learned from the sources.
2) Provide an intellectual or emotional response (what was surprising? puzzling? fascinating? etc.)
B) Send your e-mail to sbenton@ecok.edu. Put your full name in subject line of the e-mail along with this phrase: “#23. Lakoff and Johnson.”

#22. Due by 11 p.m. on Thursday, March 23rd Sunday, March 26th.
a)  Read "Endangered Native American Languages" by James Crawford (available at this link ).
1) Identify one or more things that you learned from the sources.
2) Provide an intellectual or emotional response (what was surprising? puzzling? fascinating? etc.)
b) Send your e-mail to sbenton@ecok.edu. Put your full name in subject line of the e-mail along with this phrase: “#22. Crawford.”

#21. Due by 11 p.m. on Tuesday, March 21st. 
a)  Read "Developmental Milestones in Motor and Language Development" by Eric Lennenberg and "How Children Learn Words" by George Miller and Patricia M. Gildea  (both are available in PDF form via the Linscheid Library's course reserve system under the Lennenberg listing).
1) Identify one or more things that you learned from the sources.
2) Provide an intellectual or emotional response (what was surprising? puzzling? fascinating? etc.)
b) Send your e-mail to sbenton@ecok.edu. Put your full name in subject line of the e-mail along with this phrase: “#21. Lennenberg, Miller, Gildea.”

#20. Due by 11 p.m. on Sunday, March 19th. 
a)  Send me a 250-300 word e-mail in which you discuss a source you have found that is relevant to your assigned presentation reading.
1) Identify one or more things that you learned from the source.
2) Provide an intellectual or emotional response (what was surprising? puzzling? fascinating? etc.)
b) Send your e-mail to sbenton@ecok.edu. Put your full name in subject line of the e-mail along with this phrase: “#20. My Presentation Research #2.”

#19. Due by 2 p.m. on Friday, March 10th. 
a)  Send me a 250-300 word e-mail in which you discuss a source you have found that is relevant to your assigned presentation reading.
1) Identify one or more things that you learned from the source.
2) Provide an intellectual or emotional response (what was surprising? puzzling? fascinating? etc.)
b) Send your e-mail to sbenton@ecok.edu. Put your full name in subject line of the e-mail along with this phrase: “#19. My Presentation Research #1.”

#18. Due by 11 p.m. on Sunday, March 5th Tuesday, March 7th.
a)  Read "The Brain and Language" by Jeannine Heny (available in PDF form via the Linscheid Library's course reserve system).
b) Write a 250-300 word e-mail in which you:
1) Identify one or more things that you learned from the assigned reading.
2) Provide an intellectual or emotional response (what was surprising? puzzling? fascinating? etc.)
c) Send your e-mail to sbenton@ecok.edu. Put your full name in subject line of the e-mail along with this phrase: “#18. Heny” In the body of the e-mail, write the following sentence if it is true: “I have read every word of the assigned essay.”

#17. Due by 2 p.m. on Friday, March 3rd.
a)  Read the text you have been assigned to make a presentation about in this class.
b) Write a 250-300 word e-mail in which you:
1) Identify one or more things that you learned from the assigned reading.
2) Provide an intellectual or emotional response (what was surprising? puzzling? fascinating? etc.)
3) Identify a dimension of the text that you would like to do further research about and also identify two promising sources that seem like good starting places for that research.
d) Send your e-mail to sbenton@ecok.edu. Put your full name in subject line of the e-mail along with this phrase: “My Presentation Reading” In the body of the e-mail, write the following sentence if it is true: “I have read every word of the essay I have been assigned to read for my presentation.”

#16. Due by 11 p.m. on Tuesday, February 28th.
a)  Read "Suite for Ebony and Phonics" by John Rickford, which can be found at this link.
b) Write a 250-300 word e-mail in which you:
1) Identify one or more things that you learned from the assigned reading.
2) Provide an intellectual or emotional response (what was surprising? puzzling? fascinating? etc.)

c) Post a short (25-30 word?) excerpt from your e-mail in the comment box on the post associated with this assignment.

d) Send your e-mail to sbenton@ecok.edu. Put your full name in subject line of the e-mail along with this phrase: “#16: Rickford” In the body of the e-mail, write the following sentence if it is true: “I have read every word of  'Suite for Ebony and Phonics,' and I have posted a comment on the blog.”

NOTICE:  There are two #15s below.  The one that is crossed through is a mistake. If you did this reading by Macualay instead of the one by Wolfram and Schilling-Estes and didn't find a blog to comment on, the mistake is mine, not yours.

#15. Due by 11 p.m. on Sunday, February 26th.
a)  Read "Regional Dialects and Social Class" by Ronald K. S. Macaulay, which can be found at this link, pp. 63-76, and will also be available as a PDF via the course reserves system in the Linscheid Library).
b) Write a 250-300 word e-mail in which you:
1) Identify one or more things that you learned from the assigned reading.
2) Provide an intellectual or emotional response (what was surprising? puzzling? fascinating? etc.)

c) Post a short (25-30 word?) excerpt from your e-mail in the comment box on the post associated with this assignment.

d) Send your e-mail to sbenton@ecok.edu. Put your full name in subject line of the e-mail along with this phrase: “#15: Macaulay” In the body of the e-mail, write the following sentence if it is true: “I have read every word of  'Regional Dialects and Social Class,' and I have posted a comment on the blog.”

#15. Due by 11 p.m. on Sunday, February 26th.
a) Read "Standards and Vernaculars" by Walt Wolfram and Natalie Schilling-Estes, which can be found at this link, pp. 9-19, and will also be available as a PDF via the course reserves system in the Linscheid Library).
b) Write a 250-300 word e-mail in which you:
1) Identify one or more things that you learned from the assigned reading.
2) Provide an intellectual or emotional response (what was surprising? puzzling? fascinating? etc.)

c) Post a short (25-30 word?) excerpt from your e-mail in the comment box on the post associated with this assignment.

d) Send your e-mail to sbenton@ecok.edu. Put your full name in subject line of the e-mail along with this phrase: “#15: Wolfram and Schilling-Estes” In the body of the e-mail, write the following sentence if it is true: “I have read every word of  'Standards and Vernaculars,' and I have posted a comment on the blog.”

#14. Due by 11 p.m. on Thursday, February 23rd.
a)  Watch this video from the 15:30 mark to the 35:07 mark.
c) Write a 250-300 word e-mail in which you:
1) Identify one or more things that you learned from watching the clip
2) Provide an intellectual or emotional response (what was surprising? puzzling? fascinating? etc.)

c) Post a short (25-30 word?) excerpt from your e-mail in the comment box on the post associated with the assignment on this website.

d) Send your e-mail to sbenton@ecok.edu. Put your full name in subject line of the e-mail along with this phrase: “#11: The Linguists--Part Two” In the body of the e-mail, write the following sentence if it is true: “I have seen every minute of the assigned video clip 'The Linguists,' and I have posted a comment on the blog.”

#13. Due by 11 p.m. on Tuesday, February 21st.
a)  Read "Speech Communities" by Paul Roberts (I emailed it to the class on February 20th; it's also available at this link).
b) Write a 250-300 word e-mail in which you:
1) Identify one or more things that you learned from the assigned reading.
2) Provide an intellectual or emotional response (what was surprising? puzzling? fascinating? etc.)

c) Post a short (25-30 word?) excerpt from your e-mail in the comment box on the post associated with the assignment on this website.

d) Send your e-mail to sbenton@ecok.edu. Put your full name in subject line of the e-mail along with this phrase: “#13: Roberts” In the body of the e-mail, write the following sentence if it is true: “I have read every word of  'Speech Communities,' and I have posted a comment on the blog.”

#12.  Due by 11 p.m. on Sunday, February 19th.Monday, February 20th.
a)  Read "Pragmatics: Discourse Routines" by Elaine Chaika (it is available as a PDF via the course reserves system in the Linscheid Library).
b) Write a 250-300 word e-mail in which you:
1) Identify one or more things that you learned from the assigned reading.
2) Provide an intellectual or emotional response (what was surprising? puzzling? fascinating? etc.)

c) Post a short (25-30 word?) excerpt from your e-mail in the comment box on the post associated with this assignment.

d) Send your e-mail to sbenton@ecok.edu. Put your full name in subject line of the e-mail along with this phrase: “#12: Chaika” In the body of the e-mail, write the following sentence if it is true: “I have read every word of  'Pragmatics,' and I have posted a comment on the blog.”

#11D.  Due by 11 p.m. on Thursday, February 16th.
a)  Watch this video from the 35:00 mark to the 46:00 mark.
c) Write a 250-300 word e-mail in which you:
1) Identify one or more things that you learned from watching the clip
2) Provide an intellectual or emotional response (what was surprising? puzzling? fascinating? etc.)

c) Post a short (25-30 word?) excerpt from your e-mail in the comment box on the post associated with the assignment on this website.

d) Send your e-mail to sbenton@ecok.edu. Put your full name in subject line of the e-mail along with this phrase: “#11D: The Linguists--Part Three” In the body of the e-mail, write the following sentence if it is true: “I have seen every minute of the assigned video clip 'The Linguists,' and I have posted a comment on the blog.”

#11C.  Due by 11 p.m. on Tuesday, February 14th.
a) Read "Why a Global Language?" (pp.1-28) by David Crystal. Here's a link (I also emailed to everyone a PDF on on Monday, the 13th).
b) Write a 250-300 word e-mail in which you:
1) Identify one or more things that you learned from the assigned reading (you don't necessarily have to agree with them);
2) Provide an intellectual or emotional response (what was surprising? puzzling? fascinating? etc.)

c) Post a short (25-30 word?) excerpt from your e-mail in the comment box on the post associated with the assignment on this website.

d) Send your e-mail to sbenton@ecok.edu. Put your full name in subject line of the e-mail along with this phrase: “#11C: Crystal.” In the body of the e-mail, write the following sentence if it is true: “I have read every word of the assigned passage by Crystal, and I have posted a comment on the blog.”

#11B.  Due by 11 p.m. on Sunday, February 12th.
a) Read "Raising Bilingual Children in a Monolingual Culture" (which was emailed to everyone as a PDF on Friday, February 11th).
b) Write a 250-300 word e-mail in which you:
1) Identify one or more things that you learned from the assigned reading (you don't necessarily have to agree with them);
2) Provide an intellectual or emotional response (what was surprising? puzzling? fascinating? etc.)

c) Post a short (25-30 word?) excerpt from your e-mail in the comment box on the post associated with the assignment on this website.

d) Send your e-mail to sbenton@ecok.edu. Put your full name in subject line of the e-mail along with this phrase: “#11B: Caldas and Caron-Caldas” In the body of the e-mail, write the following sentence if it is true: “I have read every word of the assigned passage by Caldas and Caron-Caldas, and I have posted a comment on the blog.”

#11.  Due by 11 p.m. on Thursday, February 9th.
a) Look for an online copy of the article you have been assigned to read. If you find it, send me the url.  If you don't, let me know.
b)  Watch this video to the 15:30 mark.
c) Write a 250-300 word e-mail in which you:
1) Identify one or more things that you learned from watching the clip
2) Provide an intellectual or emotional response (what was surprising? puzzling? fascinating? etc.)

c) Post a short (25-30 word?) excerpt from your e-mail in the comment box on the post associated with the assignment on this website.

d) Send your e-mail to sbenton@ecok.edu. Put your full name in subject line of the e-mail along with this phrase: “#11: The Linguists--Part One” In the body of the e-mail, write the following sentence if it is true: “I have seen every minute of the assigned video clip 'The Linguists,' and I have posted a comment on the blog.”

#10. Due by 11 p.m. on Tuesday, February 7th.
a) ) Read "A Brief History of English" by Paul Roberts (available via this link OR this link).
b) Write a 250-300 word e-mail in which you:
1) Identify one or more things that you learned from the assigned reading (you don't necessarily have to agree with them);
2) Provide an intellectual or emotional response (what was surprising? puzzling? fascinating? etc.)

c) Post a short (25-30 word?) excerpt from your e-mail in the comment box on the post associated with the assignment on this website.

d) Send your e-mail to sbenton@ecok.edu. Put your full name in subject line of the e-mail along with this phrase: “#10: Roberts” In the body of the e-mail, write the following sentence if it is true: “I have read every word of the assigned passage by Paul Roberts, and I have posted a comment on the blog.”

#9.  Due by 11 p.m. on Thursday, February 2nd.
a) Read: the italicized introductory paragraph at the head of each of the 54 essays included in the handout distributed in class on January 27th.
b) E-mail:
Send me an e-mail at sbenton@ecok.edu. In the body of the e-mail, write the following sentence if it is true: “I have read the introductions to all the assigned essays.”

Identify the titles or three or more chapters whose subject intrigues you. Explain why each one is intrigues you. This assignment should be 250-300 words long.

ALSO:
e) EITHER violate one of Grice's maxims and offer an account of your experience in the comment section of the associated post on the course website OR send in a YouTube clip that illustrates someone else violating one of Grice's maxims (explain which maxim the person is violating).

#8. Due by 11 p.m. on Sunday, January 29th.
a) Read pp. 388-408 of the Pinker excerpt (available via electronic reserve).
b) Write a 250-300 word e-mail in which you:

• 1) Identify one or more things that you learned from the assigned reading (you don't necessarily have to agree with them); 
• 2) Provide an intellectual or emotional response (what was surprising? puzzling? fascinating? etc.) 

c) Post a short (25-30 word?) excerpt from your e-mail in the comment box on the post associated with the assignment on this website.
d) Send your e-mail to sbenton@ecok.edu. Put your full name in subject line of the e-mail along with this phrase: “#7: Pinker 2”  In the body of the e-mail, write the following sentence if it is true: “I have read every word of the assigned passage by Steven Pinker, and I have posted a comment on the blog.”

#7. Due by 11 p.m. on Thursday, January 26th.
a)  Read pages 373-388 from the chapter titled "The Games People Play" by Steven Pinker, which appears in his 2007 book, The Stuff of Thought:  Language as a Window Into Human Nature.  The reading will be posted on the Linscheid Library's electronic reserve system (On the home page, click on "Books and More,"then click on the pull-down menu that says "Keyword," click on "Professor Reserves," and then write "Benton" in the blank. After you've opened the document, right-click on it to rotate it clockwise until it is in the vertical reading position.)
b) Write a 250-300 word e-mail in which you:

• 1) Identify one or more things that you learned from the assigned reading (you don't necessarily have to agree with them); 
• 2) Provide an intellectual or emotional response (what was surprising? puzzling? fascinating? etc.) 

#6. Due by 11 p.m. on Tuesday, January 24th.
a) Read "Does Your Language Shape How You Think?: by Guy Deutscher (available on this website)
b) Write a 100-150 word comment on Deutscher's and Pinker's differing takes on the effect that speaking a particular language has on the way someone thinks.  Read what other people have commented before you weigh in. Engage other viewpoints.

#5. Due by 11 p.m. on Sunday, January 22nd.
a) Read "Mentalese," the Pinker excerpt from The Language Instinct (available via electronic reserve).
b) Write a 250-300 word e-mail in which you:

1) Identify one or more things that you learned from the assigned reading (you don't necessarily have to agree with them);
2) Provide an intellectual or emotional response (what was surprising? puzzling? fascinating? etc.) c) Post a short (25-30 word?) excerpt from your e-mail in the comment box on the post associated with the assignment on this website.

d) Send your e-mail to sbenton@ecok.edu. Put your full name in subject line of the e-mail along with this phrase: “#5: Pinker 1” (we'll read several Pinker articles).  In the body of the e-mail, write the following sentence if it is true: “I have read every word of the assigned passage by Steven Pinker, and I have posted a comment on the blog.”

#4. Due by 11 p.m. on Thursday, January 19th.
a) Read "Phonetics" by Edward Callary (pp. 87-107). Available through ECU's course reserves system in the Linscheid Library.  Also available at this link.
b) Send me a 250-300 word e-mail in which you:

• 1) Identify one or more things that you learned from the assigned reading (you don't necessarily have to agree with them); 
• 2) Provide an intellectual or emotional response (what was surprising? puzzling? fascinating? etc.)

c) Post a short (25-30 word?) excerpt from your e-mail in the comment box on the post associated with the assignment on this website.

We'll do some of the exercises in class.

#3. Due by 11 p.m. on Tuesday, January 17th. 

a) Read "Making Peace in the Language Wars" by Bryan Garner.

b) Write a 250-300 word e-mail in which you:

• 1) Identify one or more things that you learned from the assigned reading (you don't necessarily have to agree with them); 
• 2) Provide an intellectual or emotional response (what was surprising? puzzling? fascinating? etc.) 

c) Post a short (25-30 word?) excerpt from your e-mail in the comment box on the post associated with the assignment on this website.

d) Send an e-mail to sbenton@ecok.edu. Put your full name in subject line of the e-mail along with this phrase: “#2: Daniels”  In the body of the e-mail, write the following sentence if it is true: “I have read every word of the essay by Bryan Garner and I have posted a comment on the blog.” Bring a hard copy of your e-mail to class on the 18th.

#2. Due by 11 p.m. on Thursday, January 12th.

a) Read "What Makes Good English Good" by John Algeo.

b) Write a 250-300 word e-mail in which you:

• 1) Identify one or more things that you learned from the assigned reading (you don't necessarily have to agree with them); 
• 2) Provide an intellectual or emotional response (what was surprising? puzzling? fascinating? etc.) 

c) Post a short (25-30 word?) excerpt from your e-mail in the comment box on the post associated with the assignment on this website.

d) Send an e-mail to sbenton@ecok.edu. Put your full name in subject line of the e-mail along with this phrase: “#2: Daniels”  In the body of the e-mail, write the following sentence if it is true: “I have read every word of the essay by John Algeo and I have posted a comment on the blog.” Bring a hard copy of your e-mail to class on the 13th.

#1. Due by 11 p.m. on Tuesday, January 10th.

a) Read "Nine Ideas about Language" by Harvey Daniels.

b) Write a 250-300 word e-mail in which you:

• 1) Identify one or more things that you learned from the assigned reading (you don't necessarily have to agree with them); 
• 2) Provide an intellectual or emotional response (what was surprising? puzzling? fascinating? etc.) 

c) Post a short (25-30 word?) excerpt from your e-mail in the comment box on the post associated with the assignment on this website.

d) Send an e-mail to sbenton@ecok.edu. Put your full name in subject line of the e-mail along with this phrase: “#2: Daniels”  In the body of the e-mail, write the following sentence if it is true: “I have read every word of the essay by Harvey Daniels and I have posted a comment on the blog.” Bring a hard copy of your e-mail to class on the 16th.