English 383
The Uses of Language
COURSE INFORMATION
Spring 2005


Instructor: Linda Coleman
email: LKC@umail.umd.edu or coleman6@gmail.com
Office:  2101 SQH; (301)405-3761
Office Hours: TuTh 11 a.m. - 12 n. or by appointment
(I am usually in Tuesday through Friday, so appointments are easy to come by.)

Note: It may be necessary to make minor changes in the syllabus or course policies. These will be announced in class and in the WebCT space.


The purpose of this course is to examine how we use language to present ourselves, to communicate, and to persuade, and how our cultural contexts and social assumptions help to construct our interactional patterns. You can expect to emerge from the course with a better understanding of the resources language gives us for getting things done, of how and why we understand--and misunderstand--each other, and of the complexity of even the simplest communication. In the course of your study, you will learn some basic techniques of language analysis and the concepts underlying them, and you will have the opportunity to practice with different approaches to analyzing language data.

During this semester we will be using a WebCT space to present information, to enable you to discuss course content with your classmates, and, if you choose, to share information on projects.

Course outline

February 1 - March 17 : Working on language in this class means getting down to some very specific data analysis, so your first task will be to collect your own data. Our texts during this portion of the course will be Francesca Pridham’s Language of Conversation, which will direct us in the kind of detailed analysis we will be doing, and Deborah Tannen’s That’s NOT What I Meant!, which will not only show “clean” examples of some of the patterns we will be encountering, but also will illustrate the practical use of conversation and discourse analysis. Tannen’s analysis of miscommunication touches both on issues of cross-cultural misunderstanding and of power relationships.

March 29 - May 10: Tannen’s later chapters provide a good segue to our third textbook, Michael Agar’s Language Shock, an exploration of both the personal and cultural, that shows how discourse patterns reflect broader cultural patterns and ideologies.

Course Requirements

Course requirements include
Readings.  Readings are listed on the syllabus. Because of the peculiarities of the TuTh schedule, readings are assigned for Tuesday, with discussion continuing on Thursday. Prepare the readings by the Tuesday of the week for which they are listed.

Data collection for analysis. The first thing you will need to do is record a spontaneous conversation for analysis. Be prepared for this. This recording must be available throughout the semester and will be the basis for the written work.

    “Outside” data. It is possible that you have identified a chunk of interaction in television or a movie that interests you. If so, you may use that for some of the analyses. To do this, (1) you must have my approval well in advance, and (2) the data must be used on assignments on which I specify that it is permissible to use outside data.

Assignments.  The assignments, including the paper, are designed to help you understand the course material by giving you the chance to work on data, explore concepts, and synthesize information and ideas. Treat all three assignments as formal writing projects.

Transcription. Your first step will be to record at least 30 minutes of continuous interaction. From that segment, you must choose 90 seconds of continuous interaction and transcribe it according to the conventions presented in class. Since the transcription is the basis for all further work in the class except the final exam, the transcription must be completed and approved, before any assignments can be accepted.  Assignments not done on time because the transcription is not yet satisfactory are graded as late.

Portfolio. The portfolio consists of (a) your transcription and first two assignments, after they have been graded and handed back to you, plus any corrections you may wish to make to them, plus (b) a reflective essay reviewing what you learned about conversation by examining your data and informed by both your work on the assignments and your responses to questions on WebCT. By allowing correction and enhancement of material presented and responded to earlier, the portfolio provides an opportunity to raise your grade on the assignments as well as an opportunity to reflect on your own experience and learning in this part of the course. The portfolio cannot, however, make up for late or missing assignments or WebCT postings.

Final paper/project. The paper (“Assignment 3”) will be a longer analysis (5+ pages), with a topic chosen by each student, in consultation with the instructor.
       
WebCT postings. At the start of the semester you will be divided into groups of 8-10; each group will be assigned a discussion space on the web. About every two weeks, a question or topic for discussion will be posted in the WebCT space. You are responsible for responding to it. You may also be asked to respond to others’ postings.

Grading standards.

It’s easiest to start by drawing a line between work that is satisfactory (A, B, C) and work that isn’t (D, F).

 C 
C work fulfills the assignment. It meets all requirements (length, organization, support, etc.) Data is presented clearly and used appropriately. Arguments are supported with evidence. The reasoning is clear, makes sense, and takes into account other points of view.  The paper is written in clear, carefully proofread and edited Standard American Written English. C work is not brilliant, but it gets the job done.
 B
 B work goes beyond adequacy to excellence. The insights are likely to be more original or interesting, the evidence more detailed and persuasive, the data handled more expertly.
 A
A work has all the virtues of the B assignment, but in fuller measure and to an exceptional degree. It is marked by insightfulness and by elegance of argument. The best evidence is used, and used effectively. Clear, well-organized and persuasive.

And then there are the two grades that fall below the C standard.

  D   
Work receives D when it fulfills the assignment overall, but does so inadequately. A few of the following problems may occur. The line of reasoning cannot be followed without some work on the reader’s part. Evidence may be poorly chosen, irrelevant, or missing. The reasoning is flawed or poorly supported. The work may be poorly edited or proofread. Presentation is less than professional.
  F
 An F assignment shows more than one or two of the problems mentioned in connection with D work or shows any of the problems to a great degree.
 
Grade calculation
  Class participation
 10 percent
  WebCT posting
 10 percent
  Assignments 1-2 30 percent (15 percent each); grade will include corrections made for the portfolio
  Portfolio
10 percent (this covers the overall presentation of the portfolio plus the reflective memo)   
  Paper (Assignment 3) 25 percent
  Final Examination
 15 percent


Attendance. This isn't a good course to take if you will have to miss more than a couple of class sessions—too much goes on, and too much information is presented, in class.  For administrative purposes, I take roll at the beginning of class. I don't usually correct for late arrivals.  For your own benefit, of course, it is better to arrive late than to miss class entirely.  It is worse to miss group work than full-class discussion, and discommoding your group because you are absent counts heavily against you. This includes leaving in the middle of class for any reason. More than four absences will significantly reduce or entirely obviate the in-class portion of your participation grade.

If you miss the exam or a particularly significant class day because of illness, you need a documented excuse.  (The Student Health Service simply provides a note indicating that you were there; this usually does not constitute an excuse for purposes of documentation.) If you must be absent two days in a row, contact me before the second day, so we can talk about how you will make up work.

You are responsible for what goes on in class, whether you are here or not.  

Deadlines. All assignments are due on time, which means, unless otherwise specified, within five minutes of the start of class on the due date. Late items will lose one grade per class day of lateness and may not be accepted after four class days, especially if you don’t have permission in advance.  Something is officially handed in when I have possession of it. (This may not be the same day you drop it off at my office.)

What to do if . . .  If you have questions about course procedures, or if a problem occurs, write me a memo, making clear what you are asking for and telling me whatever I need to know to make a decision.  I can't usually give you good information in the "after-class ambush" and in fact, I can’t guarantee to stand by anything you think you hear under such circumstances.  I can make better decisions if I am given good information and time to consider a question or problem.  

Some rules to bear in mind:  (a) explaining what happened is not the same thing as having a valid excuse; (b) advance notice is not the same thing as permission; (c) it is difficult to get permission, but it is almost impossible to get forgiveness--nothing is negotiable after the fact.  On the other hand, evidence of assiduousness and cooperation doesn't hurt your case.  What that means, in practical terms, is that while you will need to give me a written request for any special consideration you want, you should let me know as soon as you realize there will be a problem. Keep me informed, and I will be better able to help you.

General remark.  There is enough leeway in the requirements that a reasonably hard-working student who has a slightly worse-than-average run of bad luck can still complete the course successfully--that is, with a passing grade, if not with an A or B.  Please note, however, that an appreciably worse-than-average run of bad luck will make it impossible for you to pass.  Should your luck turn out to be that bad, this probably isn't a good semester for you to take this course.  And, if this isn’t a good semester for you to take the course, you need to be sufficiently on top of things that you identify that situation early and drop the course before the final deadline.