Instructor: Dr. Robert S.
Carlisle
Section: (60) from 08/26/2024 - 12/11/2024
Email Address: rcarlisle@csub.edu
Required
Text
Wardhaugh, R. & Fuller, J. (2021).
An Introduction to Sociolinguistics (8th Ed.). Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers ISBN: 978111473541).
Students in the Bakersfield area may purchase textbooks at The Runner Bookstore on the campus of California State University. Students in the Lancaster/Palmdale area may purchase textbooks at the bookstore on the campus of Antelope Valley College. Students in the Santa Clarita area may purchase textbooks at the bookstore on the campus of College of the Canyons. Students who do not live close to any site may call The Runner Bookstore at (661) 654-3490 and order their books over the phone. Students should buy their books as soon as possible given the strict deadlines of the class.
Students must have completed all lower division General Education requirements and attained at least junior status.
Examination of the relationship between language and such social variables as sex, educational level, economic class, race, and ethnicity. Topics include social and regional dialects, linguistic stereotypes and discrimination, social networks, language variation, code-switching, the relationship between language and intelligence, official English, and the education of language minorities. Special emphasis on laws, educational policies, and attitudes that may adversely affect the quality of the lives of speakers of minority languages and dialects.
One purpose of English 4648 is to provide students with an introduction to the basic concepts and principles of sociolinguistics. Students will learn about the relationships between language and a number of relevant social variables. In addition, because the course fulfills an upper division general education requirement, the second purpose of the class is to enable students to learn how language and language use influence the quality of people’s lives.
A description of English 4648 as a general education course along with the student learning outcomes for general education appear immediately below. Students will also find more specific student learning outcomes that have not been assigned by general education in the modules for the course.
To satisfy general education requirements, classes must have a theme, and I chose quality of life because issues in language and language use can definitely influence how people live. At the national and (in the case of the United States) at the state level, laws have either been passed or are being contemplated that would make English the official language and that would also ban the use of any language other than English in K-12 public education. Such laws have serious consequences on those who speak minority languages as they can exclude large numbers of residents both from active political participation and from an equitable education. In many countries this situation became so extreme that in 1996 UNESCO passed a Universal Declaration on Linguistic Rights at the World Conference on Linguistic Rights.
Many people also discriminate against others based on the language or even the dialect that they speak. Research has clearly demonstrated that because language is a social possession, people in any given community categorize others based upon language and even make judgments about their intelligence and moral character. This was especially brought out in the 1960s when some educational psychologists hypothesized that speakers of minority dialects in the United States and England are less intelligent than those who speak the standard dialect. Such perverse and refuted claims have serious consequences on the lives of individuals, especially when those who hold them are in positions of power and responsible for making such decisions as who gets hired and promoted.
Maintaining social connections is also a factor in the quality of life. In this class you will learn that speakers use language not only to communicate but to maintain social identity relationships. For example, people who code-switch (the ability to change language seamlessly in the same sentence), only do so with others of the same ethnic background who are also able to code switch. In addition, nearly all speakers are members of communicative networks, comprised of those who interlocutors communicate with most frequently. As it turns out, research has revealed that interlocutors speak more similarly to those in the network than to those who are outside the network. Speakers also tend to speak more casually to those who are members of the network than to those who are not. To demonstrate that networks are real and important in people’s lives, I will be assigning you an experiment in which you will briefly alienate yourselves from someone in your network.
The student learning outcomes for general education appear below:
THEME Q:
Quality of Life
Goal TQ-1:
Student will understand factors that influence quality of life (social
connectedness, education, environment, civic engagement, health, life
satisfaction, safety, aesthetic experiences, spirituality, and/or work-life
balance, among others), and be able to analyze the connectedness between at
least two of these factors.
·
Outcome
TQ-1A: Students will demonstrate an understanding of at least two factors that
influence quality of life.
Writing
Reinforcement
Goal WR-1:
Students will demonstrate proficiency in written communication.
·
Outcome
WR-1A: Students will create proficient thesis statements.
·
Outcome
WR-1B: Students will use discourse-appropriate syntax.
·
Outcome
WR-1C: Students will use logical reasoning, at the appropriate level, to
develop a text.
Critical
Thinking Reinforcement
Goal CTR-1:
Students will demonstrate critical reasoning and problem solving.
AREA D: Social and Behavioral Sciences
Goal D-1: Students will demonstrate an understanding of
major principles, theories, and concepts in the social and behavioral sciences.
Goal D-2: Students will demonstrate an understanding of how
disciplinary knowledge in the social and behavioral sciences can be used to
make sense of the world in which we live.
Goal D-3:
Students will demonstrate an understanding of how knowledge progresses in the
social and behavioral sciences by understanding the scientific method and an
acceptance of diverse perspectives.
A.
Discuss
varieties of language and their social-cultural context.
B.
Discriminate
among important concepts involving varieties of language.
C.
Discuss
language variation and its social-cultural correlates.
D.
Discriminate
among important concepts involving language variation.
E.
Discuss
language and interaction.
F.
Discriminate
among important concepts involving language and interaction
G.
Discuss
sociolinguistics and social justice.
H.
Discriminate
among important concepts involving sociolinguistics and social justice.
I.
Analyze
and synthesize information from valid sources to create an argument about the
effectiveness of bilingual education or whether English should be the official.
J.
Create
a bibliography using APA format.
K.
Use
APA format and the rules of Edited American English in writings.
California State University, Bakersfield attempts to guarantee access to all classes by all students. Students can find CSUB's accessibility policies and services by calling (661) 654-3360. In addition, E-Learning Services at CSUB has its own policy for guaranteeing access to students in online classes:
"California State University, Bakersfield is committed to providing equal access to Web-based information for people with disabilities. This is in accordance with Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act Amendment of 1998 and the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act, and Executive Order 926 of California State University."
To achieve the goal of universal accessibility, CSUB uses Canvas as its Learning Management System (LMS), which has received a Nonvisual Accessibility Gold Certification by The National Federation of the Blind. Students can read more about Canvas and its accessibility programs at its website.
Students enrolled in online classes must be able to use
the World Wide Web and are responsible for acquiring the skills outlined below
if not already proficient in those skills. Ask yourself if you are able to perform these tasks and if not, be sure to
acquire these skills prior to the start of class.
1. I know how to use
the CSUB Canvas email system to send and receive email and attachments.
2. I am able to check email daily or every other day Monday
through Friday.
3. I know how to
create attachments for email.
4. I know how to
open, save, and manage files in Word and PowerPoint.
5. For word
processing, I am able to edit: copy, cut, paste, find,
replace; format: set margins, set headers, set tabs, set automatic page
numbering.
6. I am able to create and back up important files related to
coursework.
7. I have access to
a computer and the Internet at home.
8. The access speed
to the internet which I use is through a TV cable or high
speed line.
9. I am able to operate the Firefox web browser.
10. I know how to use my browser’s Help
function for additional assistance.
11. If a plug-in or other software were
required for the course, I would be able to download and install it.
12. I am able to
manage bookmarks (favorites) for sites I visit on the Internet.
13. I know how to write papers using
Microsoft Word including skills such as cutting and pasting.
14. I am able to
perform basic computer system maintenance, operation, and troubleshooting.
15. I understand a computer problem is not a
legitimate excuse for falling behind in assignments.
All of the lectures in this class were created using PowerPoint, and students must use a computer with that software installed. Fortunately, PowerPoint is available on every computer on the CSUB campus and on the daughter campus at CSUB-AV. Students who do not have PowerPoint on their personal computers may purchase it at a reduced cost by going through the university bookstore.
If students have difficulty with the content of the class, they need to contact the instructor, preferably using 'Discussion Topics' so that other students can see both the question and the answer.
For the most part, students will not need any special programs to view the content of the class or complete assignments. Students will need to view several Youtube videos and one MP4 video, meaning that students will need a media player to view the latter. If students have difficulty with the content of the class, they need to contact the instructor, preferably using the 'Discussion Board' so that other students can see both the question and the answer.
If students have any technical problems with Canvas, then they need to contact the Help Desk, either by telephone (661) 654-4357 or by email lmssupport@csub.edu. Students may also go to the E-Learning Services Building on the east side of the Walter Stiern Library.
This course consists of two major sections. The first introduces students to the basic concepts, tenets, and issues of general sociolinguistics. The second one provides students with the opportunity to acquire comprehensive knowledge of two current controversies in the United States--whether English should be made the official language of the nation and whether bilingual education should be abolished.
While working on the material in the two sections, students will fulfill the learning outcomes for the class.
English 4648 Online is an asynchronous course that allows students to study at their convenience and to work at their own pace provided that they complete all the course work by the deadlines.
Students may take the final examination at any site. Students can find more information on the Calendar in Canvas.
All students in English 4648 must go to Start Here in Canvas to read the Syllabus and complete the pretest. The pretest will be available to students from 8:00 a.m. one week before classes begin to midnight on the first Sunday after the start of the class.
Students must complete five requirements for the course. First, they are required to answer 5 of 14 short answer questions that are found in the first four modules. The first 13 questions are based on the 13 chapters of An Introduction to Sociolinguistics and the fourteenth question is based on a film in Module 4. Students must answer at least one question in each module, meaning that they must answer two questions in one of the modules. I strongly urge students to answer Questions 1, 3, 6 and 14 as students find them very interesting. Details for writing and submitting short answers are found under Instructions for Short Answer Questions (which includes a description of the grading rubric and a sample of a very good student response). Students may also view the complete set of questions to determine which ones they wish to answer. The instructor will assign grades within 48 hours of the due date and time.
The second requirement is student participation in a blog associated with the video "American Tongues" found in Module 1. Students must post at least two original comments to the blog and respond to the comments of at least two other students. The instructor will assign grades within 48 hours of the due date and time.
As a third requirement, students must post the bibliography for their term paper in APA format. Bibliographies must adhere to APA format to receive a high grade. The instructor will assign grades within 48 hours of the due date and time.
The fourth requirement is the writing of a term paper. Students should choose from two broad topics that are discussed under Topics for the Term Paper. Instructions for writing the term papers are also available. Although I recommend two possible topics for the term paper, students may select another topic from any of the chapters in the textbook. The instructor will assign grades within one week of the due date and time.
The final requirement is the completion of a comprehensive objective examination. The exam will cover the textbook, the few online readings, and the additional readings for the term paper; students who do not complete the readings will do poorly on the examination. Study questions for the test are available in Canvas, and because they are very similar to actual questions on the final, students should complete all of them.
The final exam will be held during the Examination Week, and students may take it at any site and use books and notes. However, the exam is timed so students will not have much opportunity to look up answers. In addition, students will see only one question at a time, which they must answer before moving on. Once students answer a question, they will not be allowed to go back to change the answer. Students will be able to see their grades for the final examination once the period of accessibility has expired. To prepare for the final examination, students must complete the five sets of study questions found in Modules 1-5 and score at least 75% correct in each set. Students may do the five set as many times as they wish, and the more they do them the higher they will score on the final exam.
The final grade will be calculated according to the following schema.
Table 1:
List of Graded Tasks
Evaluation Task
|
Percentage of Grade
|
Deadlines
|
|
Fourteen questions |
30% |
see Deadlines or Calendar |
|
Movie Blog |
05% |
Sept. 16 |
|
List of references in APA format |
05% |
Nov. 26 |
|
Term paper |
30% |
Dec 03 |
|
Final Examination |
30% |
Dec 11 |
I will assign final grades according to the following schema:
|
Table 2: Correspondence between Final Average and
Grade
|
The final average will be calculated by averaging the grades of the three requirements discussed above.
Because
this is an online class, which goes down after the last day of classes,
students may not receive an incomplete grade. Students believing that they
cannot finish the class should request to drop.
Students can communicate with one another by using the Discussion Topics, Mail, and Chat functions in the Communications folder in Canvas. When writing any questions or comments, students are expected to follow the rules of netiquette by avoiding profanity, sarcasm, and ridicule. All entries under Discussion Topics are public, and students should place all questions about course content in the appropriate folder in Discussion Topics. If students do not answer a question posted by another student within 24 hours, the instructor will reply. Postings in Mail are private, and by using this feature, students may communicate with one another without fear of anyone else viewing what has been written. Students may also communicate privately with one another using the Chat function, which the instructor with never enter.
To communicate with the instructor, students should use Mail within Canvas, not the instructor’s campus email account. The instructor makes a dedicated effort to respond to all student email inquiries within 24 hours.
In this syllabus I have explained quite a few rules for students to follow and their responsibilities in the online/hybrid environment. I suggest that students become quite familiar with these rules and responsibilities.
The course is located on a CSUB server running Canvas, the web-based teaching software used to design the course. To get into Canvas, students need a userid and a password, which they should already know. Students will be able to enroll into their appropriate section of a week before classes begin.
September 23, 2024: Last date to withdraw without a "W" being
recorded.
November 15, 2024: Last date to withdraw for a serious and compelling reason.
English 4648 Online: Course Syllabus.