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Language and learning Spring 2002 Dr. Weissman
Syllabus
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Course Description: An investigation of language development, its relationship to children’s cognitive and social development, and to children’s learning in school, linguistic and communicative competence, second-language acquisition and principles underlying effective instruction for all children. Emphasis will be on the interactive role of cognition, perception, and child language. Course
Objectives: In
this course you will: 1)
study systems and structures of language that describe how languages
work 2)
identify factors that influence language acquisition and language use 3) examine theories of first and second language acquisition 4) consider the relationship between linguistic development and cognitive, social, and academic development 5)
observe, record, and analyze children’s language 6) engage in collaborative activities to foster analysis, evaluation, problem solving, discussion and debate to enhance your understanding of language development.
Required
Text: Owens,
R. E. (2001). Language Development
(5th edition). Allyn & Bacon: Needham Heights, MA. The
instructor may place several (required and/or optional) supplementary
readings on reserve at the Library. Assigned
readings should be completed before the scheduled class.
Class Participation: (40 points total) Students are
expected to read all assignments prior to class and to attend class on
time, each class day. In
addition, students are encouraged to ask questions and participate in
class discussions. We will occasionally break into small groups for
discussion of the course topics. The purpose of these meetings is to
provide you with an opportunity to work closely with the course
material, with the benefit of discussion with your fellow students.
These meetings will be guided by a set of questions provided by the
instructor. Each group will be expected to turn-in their responses to
the group questions. One obvious
note: class participation requires that you physically attend class! Students
who do not attend class, do not complete assigned readings, and/or do
not contribute to small group and whole class discussions will not be
eligible to receive full points for this course requirement. There will
be no make-up options for missed in-class activities.
Exams: (200 points total) Two exams,
100-points each. Each exam will cover 1/2 of the course content
(non-cumulative), and will contain questions drawn from readings,
lectures, and discussions. Exams may consist of a variety of question
types including multiple choice, short answer, and short essay
questions. No make-up exams
will be administered. Anyone who misses Exam 1 (with a prior instructor
approved excuse) will need to take a cumulative final exam during the
scheduled second exam date. (Valid excuses for missing an exam include
family illness, family emergency, and official University business. All
of these require documentation to be valid.)
Two research
projects, and written reports based on these, are required. Detailed
descriptions of these projects will be provided on separate handouts.
Below is an overview of the assignments: 1) Analysis of a child’s language (100 points). You will select a child aged 3-11-years to participate in your study. This will include obtaining parent permission letter to indicate their informed consent. You will obtain a language sample of at least 30 minutes, and then transcribe and analyze the child’s language in terms of structure and function. This transcript will be obtained and transcribed at the beginning of the semester and will be used throughout the semester as a means for interpreting and applying the course material. Throughout the semester, the instructor will provide handouts of mini-assignments that will require the use of your transcript. Assignments will be turned-in periodically for feedback, but you will keep a full portfolio (notebook), which will include your transcript and short papers with your responses to each of the mini-assignments. The final piece of the portfolio will be a paper summarizing your findings. The complete portfolio will be due during finals week.
2) Review
of a published research article on language development (40 points).
You will conduct a literature search in order to find one
empirical article about either 1) second language acquisition (including
sign language) or 2) diverse language learning (including dialects and
language acquisition for children with disabilities). All articles must
be approved by the instructor. You will read and evaluate the selected
article and write a 3-5-page paper describing your analysis as well as
relate it to material presented in the course text. You may earn up to 6 points of extra credit for presenting your finding to the class. See Timetable below for the schedule of presenters.
Grading
Overview:
Final grades
will be assigned based on the standard grading scale: A = 90% and
above, B = 80-89%, C = 70-79%, D = 60-69% No Late
Assignments: As a general rule, I do not accept late assignments;
however, arrangements may be made under special circumstances --these
must be discussed with the instructor in advance of the scheduled due
date and there will be a penalty for each day that the assignment is
late (2% of total points). Incompletes:
The instructor will avoid assigning incomplete grades in this course, as
far as possible. Students who suspect that they may not be able to
complete the course requirements should discuss the matter with the
instructor as soon as possible.
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*Note: I will be at the AERA conference for part
of Week 10, and therefore, we will only meet one day this week. As soon as
I know my travel dates, I will tell you whether we meet on April 2nd OR
April 4th. *
* * Please note:
I wish to fully include persons with disabilities in this course. Please
let me know if you need any special accommodations in the curriculum,
instruction, or assessments of this course to enable you to fully
participate. I will try to maintain the confidentiality of the information
you share with me. Send problems, comments or suggestions about this site to: weissmanmd@csus.edu |
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