Dr. Kelly L. Richardson

Bancroft 232

Office Phone: 323-4644

E-mail: richardsonk@winthrop.edu, Faculty Website: http://faculty.winthrop.edu/richardsonk  

Syllabus Change Policy:  Changes to the syllabus and calendar will be announced in class and posted to the online version at the class website found on my webpage: http://faculty.winthrop.edu/richardsonk. Please note that the online versions are  the most up-to-date one and will be the one to resolve any questions or issues. 

Catalog Description including prerequisites:

Description: Introduction to language acquisition and the phonology, morphology, and syntax of Old, Middle, and Modern English, with an emphasis on the major causes and patterns of language change. Prerequisites: Successful completion of one course in a foreign language. WRIT 101 is a prerequisite for all ENGL courses. HMXP 102 and a previous ENGL course are prerequisites to any 500-level ENGL course.

Texts:  Algeo, John.  The Origins and Development of the English Language.  6^th edition.  Boston: Thomson Wadsworth, 2010.  ISBN: 978-1-4282-3145-0 

Winchester, Simon.  The Meaning of Everything: The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary.   Oxford: Oxford U P, 2003.  0-19-517500-X.
 

Course Goals:

This course specifically emphasizes the following departmental goals:

2. Knowledge of Language: Within the language knowledge area majors will comprehensively study the English language arts, including language development, the history of the English language, various approaches to grammar, dialects and levels of usage, and the purposes of language. Majors will understand the nature of the English language in all its dimensions and recognize and respect the varieties of that language. English majors will demonstrate

2.1 knowledge of the English language, including its structure, grammars, vocabulary, varieties, and historical development;

2.2 familiarity with the standards of grammar, mechanics, and usage generally accepted in the academic community and the social, cultural, and historical reasons why those standards have been adopted; and

2.3 an understanding of the nature of the English language in all its dimensions and recognize and respect the varieties of that language.

Touchstone Goals: This course meets the Historical Perspectives requirement of the Touchstone Program for General Education because it

1.       Examines knowledge or ideas through a historical perspective. Historical perspective

is a central focus of the course, not merely a peripheral concern or a method of organizing the material to be studied.

2.       Enables students to demonstrate their ability to think historically; identify sound and unsound historical reasoning. 

3.       Enables students to demonstrate their ability to articulate a philosophy of history or

use the “tools” of historiographical study or research.

4.       Enables students to demonstrate an understanding of how historical change occurs

and be able to identify causes that contribute to change.

5.       Enables students to demonstrate their knowledge and appreciation of diverse

cultures, aesthetic, and/or intellectual viewpoints and milieus.

Beyond the goals of communicating effectively in writing, speech, and visual means, this course meets the following goals of the Historical Perspectives Requirement: “Students will…

4.1 Analyze diverse world cultures, societies, languages, historical periods, and artistic expressions.
4.2 Understand cultures in their own terms and in terms of the diversity of ideas, institutions, philosophies, moral codes, and ethical principles
4.3 Understand the nature of social and cultural conflict and methods of resolution
5.4 Understand how scientific (linguistic) theories change over time.
6.0 Understand aesthetic values, the creative process, and the interconnectedness of the literary, visual, and performing arts throughout the history of civilization.”

This course meets the following Student Learning Outcomes of the Historical Perspectives requirement:

1.1.1 Read, write and speak standard English on historical topics

1.2.1 Critically read significant primary and/or secondary sources on historical questions. Students should be able to understand their reading, as well as spoken and non-verbal messages.

1.3.1 Understand and practice rhetorical techniques and styles by speaking and writing on historical subjects.  . . ..

3.2.1 Conduct guided and independent research on historical topics, using electronic and print resources.

3.2.2 Discriminate among, and competently assess, the value of a variety of information resources (e.g. print sources, visual media, internet sources, performances, exhibitions, interviews).

4.0.1 Demonstrate knowledge of diverse cultural, aesthetic, and/or intellectual viewpoints and milieus.

4.0.2 Demonstrate ability to “think historically,” i.e., they appreciate both the

differences and the relationships between past and present and how past eras differ       

from one another.

4.0.3 Demonstrate an understanding of how historical change occurs and what causes it.

4.1.1 Demonstrate knowledge of significant information specific to the topic, time period, or culture addressed.

4.1.2 Analyze, synthesize, and critically evaluate “difference” and the value of diversity. Put in its most fundamental expression, students should be aware of and resist the easy temptation to equate “different” with “inferior” or “wrong”.              

4.3.1 Demonstrate awareness of interrelationships that foster change among societies, regions, nations, and cultures.

4.3.3 Demonstrate recognition of historical causes for present realities.               

4.3.3 Demonstrate awareness of the impermanence of present circumstances and the inevitability of change in future realities.

6.0.1 Demonstrate knowledge of how artistic forms and expressions have changed overtime periods, cultures, and disciplines.

Global Learning Initiative
This course participates in the Global Learning Initiative. The global learning components of this course are the following: students will study the influence of various European and world cultures on the development of the English language; students will study how use of the English language changes in different English-speaking communities; students will study how pidgins, creoles, and dialects of English have been shaped by geographic, ethnic, and socio-economic diversity.

Learning Outcomes: Students will be able to 

1.            summarize the external history of English

2.            demonstrate knowledge of phonological, morphological, and  syntactic characteristics of

Old English, Middle English, and Modern English

3.             familiarize themselves with the major patterns of linguistic change

4.             research and report on various language topics (such as language acquisition, dialect, and semantic change) using various on-line and print resources

5.             review language acquisition and development

6.             examine the cultural, historical, and political aspects of language use

Undergraduate Grading Standards:

A             =              93-100                                                   D-            =              60-62

A-            =              90-92                                                     F              =              59 and below
B+           =              87-89

B              =              83-86

B-            =              80-82
C+           =              77-79

C              =              73-76

C-            =              70-72

D+           =              67-69

D             =              63-66

Graduate Grading Standards:

Grades for courses taken for graduate credit are recorded as follows:

A      Excellent (4 quality points per semester hour)

A-     (3.67 quality points per semester hour)

B+    (3.33 quality points per semester hour)

B      Satisfactory (3 quality points per semester hour)

B-     (2.67 quality points per semester hour)

C+    (2.33 quality points per semester hour)

C      Passing (2 quality points per semester hour)

F       Failure

N      No Grade, indicating the student withdrew from the course

AU    Audit

S*     Satisfactory:  S indicates satisfactory achievement (equivalent to B or above) on a course taken on satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis.

U*         Unsatisfactory:  U indicates unsatisfactory achievement (equivalent to C or below) on a course taken on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis.

I        Incomplete:  I must be used only as a prefix to a grade

*S/U is awarded only in those courses so designated.

Graduate grades in this class are based on the following scale:

A             =              93-100                                                  

A-            =              90-92                                                    
B+           =              87-89

B              =              83-86

B-            =              80-82
C+           =              77-79

C              =              73-76

C-            =              70-72
F              =              69 and below

Attendance Policy: In this class, I will follow the standard Winthrop policy, which states: “Students are expected to attend classes and should understand that they are responsible for the academic consequences of absence.  The student is responsible for all requirements of the course regardless of absences. Instructors are obligated to provide makeup opportunities only for students who are absent with adequate cause such as incapacitating illness, death of an immediate family member, or authorized representation of the university.  The instructor will be responsible for judging the adequacy of cause for absence.  The student is responsible for providing documentation certifying the legitimacy of the absence to his or her instructor in advance of such absences.  In health-related or family emergency cases where advance notice is not possible, documentation should be provided to the instructor no later than the date the student returns to class.  . . . If a student’s absences in a course total 25 percent or more of the class meetings for the course, the student will receive a grade of N if the student withdraws from the course before the withdrawal deadline; after that date, unless warranted by documented extenuating circumstances as described in the previous section, a grade of F or U shall be assigned.”

28 class meetings are scheduled, so 6 absences is the MAXIMUM.

Remember that attendance is crucial, and I expect that you attend every class meeting.  You are responsible for finding out what you missed during your absence.  3 tardies will result in an absence.  Sleeping in class or electronic disturbances (text messaging, cell phone ringing), unauthorized laptop use) will result in an absence.  (I will have my cell phone.) 

Course Requirements:      

In addition to these graded requirements, you are expected to complete reading assignments, participate in class discussions, and meet with me at least once regarding your research project.

I will provide detailed assignment instructions throughout the semester, but here are some general explanations about each of these requirements:

Exams: Unless otherwise announced, exams will consist of objective-style, short discussion questions, and application exercises. The final will be comprehensive in nature.

Essay: Undergraduate students will write an essay that allows them to examine, analyze, and reflect on practices and attitudes about language in either their personal lives or in a certain area such as education, the media, or politics, or analyze an example of language change.   Graduate students will write a critical book review and present their review to their peers. 

Research Project: This project will allow you to research and report on some issue of language use.  Through completing this assignment, you will have an opportunity to become familiar with various linguistic resources.  Topics must be approved in advance.  You are also required to have a least one conference with me.   Students taking this course for undergraduate credit will write 8-10 pages and include at least five secondary sources.  Students taking this course for graduate credit will be expected to write 12-15 pages and include eight to ten secondary sources within their paper.  Graduate students will also be expected to prepare an abstract of the essay and present the material to the class.

Notebook: Throughout the semester, I will ask you to complete reading responses, language exercises, and discussion activities.  These will be collected and graded throughout the semester.

Class Participation (Undergraduates only): This refers to your overall level of engagement with the course activities.  Please see the “Class Participation” rubric for a description of the standards for grades. 

Honor Policy: Plagiarism is the use of someone else’s thoughts, words, ideas, or lines of argument in your own work without appropriate documentation (a parenthetical citation at the end and a listing in “Works Cited”)–whether you use that material in a quote, paraphrase, or summary. It is a theft of intellectual property and will not be tolerated, whether intentional or not. It is also a violation of the Student Conduct Code (http://www.winthrop.edu/studentaffairs/Judicial/judcode.htm).  The English Department  has prepared The Correct Use of Borrowed Information to explain plagiarism (see http://www.winthrop.edu/cas/english/default.aspx?id=21084..) Ignorance or failure to consult this material is no excuse. MY ASSUMPTION IS THAT ALL OF YOUR SUBMITTED WORK IS ORIGINAL AND HAS BEEN PRODUCED FOR THIS CLASS. That means everything—papers, exams, informal assignments, notebook exercises. I expect that everyone understands how to document and incorporate borrowed material appropriately. In this course, depending on the nature and severity of the offense, the plagiarism policy ranges from a 0 on a particular assignment to failing the assignment to failing the course, as well as being subject to the school’s disciplinary system.

Student Code of Conduct:  As noted in the Student Contact Code, “Responsibility for good conduct rests with students as adult individuals.  The policy on student academic misconduct is outlined in the “Student Conduct Code Academic Misconduct Policy” in the online Student Handbook available

through the Student Academic Affairs website). 

Duplicate Submission of Papers: You may not submit a paper for a grade in this class that already has been (or will be) submitted for a grade in another course, unless you obtain the explicit written permission of me and the other instructor involved in advance. This is to conform to the Student Code of Conduct, §V, which states: "Academic misconduct includes but is not limited to … presenting the same or substantially the same papers or projects in two or more courses without the explicit permission of the professors involved." (Student Code of Conduct §V: http://www.winthrop.edu/studentaffairs/Judicial/judcode.htm)

Final Exam:  We will have an exam at the regularly scheduled exam time on Friday, April 27 at 3:00 p.m. Please note that the policy states: “The student and the instructor will be notified of a legitimate exam conflict if one or more of the following occurs: the student has more than one scheduled exam per period; the student has more than two examinations scheduled per day or more than three examinations scheduled in four consecutive periods.  Personal conflicts such as travel plans and work schedules do not warrant a change in examination times.”

Late Paper/Assignment Policy:

• Informal assignments such as in-class activities obviously cannot be made up. 
• Notebook entries also will not be accepted late. 
• For formal essays, the work is due in-class according to the dates on the schedule. For formal essays, work will be penalized one letter grade for each calendar day late (including weekends), and half a letter grade if it is not turned in during class.   After 5 days, the paper will not be accepted. 
• Students will only be allowed to make up exams in the event of an unforeseeable emergency and will need to provide documentation before consideration for a make-up is given.  
• Do not slip work under my door or email assignments without my permission.
• (Note: If some kind of unforeseeable medical or legal situation arises, notify me as soon as possible.  Depending upon the severity of the situation and the nature of the documentation provided, this late policy may be adjusted.)

Turnitin.com

We will be using the TurnItIn program.  I’ll distribute the course id and password in class.  Work  will not be graded until it has been submitted. Tutorials for using turnitin.com are available through the Dacus Library website.Each assignment will specify when and how the materials need to be uploaded to turnitin.com. If you need help with your Turnitin account, please contact the Reference Desk at Dacus Library.

Instructor Accessibility:

You can expect me to be available as a resource from which to draw and to obtain feedback. I am very responsive to email questions as long as I know who the email is from and have all information necessary to provide a complete answer. Please be sure to “sign” your emails as oftentimes email names are confusing at best (e.g., brownb1@winthrop.edu could be Bob Brown or Beth Brown). Please make sure to speak slowly and comprehensibly if leaving a voicemail so that I can decipher the name, message, and return phone number as well. What you cannot expect of me is to be available 24/7. While I do check my email and voicemail regularly, including weekends (if I am in town), I do not necessarily check them more than once a day or late in the evenings. Therefore, if you procrastinate on an assignment, you may not have the information you need to complete the assignment appropriately. Please plan your time accordingly to maximize the probability that you will receive a response in time for it to be useful.

Students with Disabilities:

Winthrop University is dedicated to providing access to education.  If you have a disability and require specific accommodations to complete this course, contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS) at 803-323-3290.  Once you have your official notice of accommodations from the Office of Disability Services, please inform me as early as possible in the semester.

Appropriate Use of Hand-Held and Wireless Technology:
I will follow the College of Arts and Sciences policy regarding cell phones, laptops, and other electronic  devices with these additional notes:

Additional Notes about the Use of Electronic Devices:

• Texting or emailing in class will result in an absence. 

• Unless required by a documented accommodation, lap tops should not be used in class.
• During exams, I will usually ask students to place their belongings—including their phones—in the front of the room. 

Safe Zones Statement:

The professor considers this classroom to be a place where you will be treated with respect as a human being – regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, political beliefs, age, or ability. Additionally, diversity of thought is appreciated and encouraged, provided you can agree to disagree. It is the professor’s expectation that ALL students consider the classroom a safe environment.

Writing Center: The Writing Center provides support for all students in all Winthrop classes free of charge. It is located in 242 Bancroft (x-2138). Check its web page for current hours. http://www2.winthrop.edu/wcenter/