LIN 1670H, English Grammar and Usage Honors Section 80132 Spring 2016 Dr. Barbara Goldstein T/TH 9:30-10:45, DHUM 216 Course Description: This three-credit college-level honors course will address the basics of English grammar, usage, and mechanics, but it will also explore more complex linguistic issues. Students will research questions of historical significance, the relationship of English to other languages, trends in grammar study and usage, and current language practices as related to cultural norms and expectations. LIN 1670H will focus extensively on the application of grammar principles to student composition. LIN 1670H will have research and oral presentation components. To be enrolled in this course, the student must apply to and be accepted into the Honors Institute. If the student is not an official member of the Honors Institute, the student will be administratively removed from this course. The removal could take place anytime during the semester, and the student will not be entitled to any refund or placement in another course. Office: DHUM 217; phone (813) 253-7353. The best way to reach me is via Canvas email. On Campus Office Hours: Tuesdays: 9:00-9:30; 10:45-11:00; 12:15-2:00 Thursdays: 9:00-9:30; 10:45-11:00; 12:15-2:00 Online: Scheduled chat rooms Texts: LIN 1670, Parts I and II (revised Summer 2013) by Goldstein, Waugh, and Linsky (Green cover, purple writing) The Mother Tongue, by Bill Bryson A standard college dictionary (you may use an online dictionary, such as dictionary.com) Attendance: You are allowed 2 excused absences during the semester. An absence may be considered excused if you have contacted your instructor prior to the absence or within a week following your return to class, informing her of your reason for missing class. Your instructor will indicate whether your reason for missing class is or is not excusable. For each additional 2 absences, your grade will be reduced by one letter grade. Exceptions may be made for documented long-term illness or other issues at your instructor s discretion. Please monitor your own absences. The instructor is not responsible for warning the student about attendance problems. Class begins promptly at 9:30. Arriving more than 15 minutes late or leaving more than 15 minutes before the end of class will count as one-half absence. Last day to withdraw without a grade: March 25, 2016 Electronics: You are welcome to use a laptop, ipad, or other electronic device in class for coursework. If you are found to be web surfing or using the device in any other appropriate way,
you will forfeit permission to use the device in class. Please keep all cell phones on vibrate. Do not text during class. Canvas: We will be using the Canvas platform for our class for coursework, homework, and tests. If you do not have access to a computer off campus, you must you on-campus computers. Student Learning Outcomes Upon completion of this course, the student should Know the history of English and its relationship to other languages Be familiar with current trends in and methods of grammar study Understand the basic structure of the English language, including parts of speech sentence patterns, phrases and clauses Improve his or her writing skills by being able to recognize and correct common grammatical errors involving verbs, run-on sentences, fragments, agreement, pronoun usage, and faulty modifiers Use correct punctuation, capitalization, and spelling Express thoughts effectively in writing by using varying methods of sentence combining, development, and transition Course Components Lectures Course lectures are available online for those who have missed class or who wish to hear a lecture repeated. Homework Homework will include all practice sets in the text, pre-test assignments to prepare you for the tests, and several short writing assignments to assure that you are able to put into the practice the grammar that you are learning throughout the course. While completed homework will not count as any percentage point of your final grade for the course, you will lose 5 points from your cumulative total for each missed or late grammar assignment (see Grading for an example) and 10 points for each missing or late composition assignment. Tests There will be 8 tests, plus a cumulative final exam that will cover both the LIN 1670 text and The Mother Tongue. These tests will count as 90% of the grade. Test Retakes: You may retake up to two of the 8 tests if you score below 85%. You must request and retake the test within three days of the original test. Compositions In compliance with the dates on the Course Calendar, each student will submit 2 composition samples. They will be marked for grammatical errors and a copy will be returned to you. The first will be handwritten in class. The second must be completed on computer.
Research During the semester, you will be completing a research project that will encompass both a written paper and an oral presentation. Details for this assignment will be provided separately. The research project will count as 10% of the final grade. Grading 90% of your grade will be based on the average of the 8 tests. 10% of your grade will be your final exam score. You will lose 5 points from your total point total for each missed or late homework assignment. Late or missing composition assignments will count off 10 points each. Class participation and attendance may also affect your final grade. Any assignments not submitted will be averaged as zeroes. There is no extra-credit offered for this class. The grading scale for this course is as follows: 90-100 = A 80-89 = B 70-79 = C 60-69 = D 59 and below = F NOTE: The research project presentation has no grade attached. It is expected, however, that as honors students, you will approach it with the same seriousness of purpose as if it counted for 100% of your grade. Those who do not put forth the appropriate effort on this project will receive no mercy when it comes time to average grades! Academic Dishonesty Regardless of the grade received in any Honors course or the number of Honors courses completed, any student who has committed any academic dishonesty, including but not limited to cheating and/or plagiarism, will be removed from the Honors Institute and, therefore, will not graduate from the Honors Institute. You may consider any test taken online as open book; however, you may not receive help from any person while you are completing the test. Special Accommodations If to participate in this course, you require an accommodation due to a physical or learning impairment, you must contact the Office of Services to Students with Disabilities. The office is located in the Student Services Bldg., DSTU 208, (813) 253-6035 or TDD-7035.
Text = LIN 1670, by Goldstein, Waugh and Linsky CA=Canvas TMT = The Mother Tongue Class Calendar NOTE: Test dates are fluid, depending upon how fast we progress as a class. In class Week 1 (1/12-1/14) Course introduction; composition 1 At Home Text: Getting Started (vii-xvi) Parts of Speech; complete all practice sets; view videos on CA; Read TMT read CH 1, The World s Language ; begin CH 1, Sentence Patterns Week 2 (1/19-1/21) View all CA videos for Chapter 1, Sentence Sentence Patterns Patterns; Complete all practice sets for Chapter 1; TMT: read CH 2, The Dawn of Language Text: begin CH 2, Adjectives and Adverbs Week 3 (1/26-1/28) Adjectives and Adverbs Test #1 available 1/27-1/31 Week 4 (2/2-2/4) Adjectives and Adverbs Test #2, Adjectives and Adverbs available 2/3-2/7 Complete Assignment 1*, Sentence Patterns Complete CH 2, Adjectives and Adverbs in text; Read TMT CH 3, Global Language Text: CH 3, Phrases ; CA: view. videos; TMT: read CH 4, The First. Thousand Years Week 5 (2/9-2/11) Phrases Text: Begin CH 4, Verbals (59-84) ; CA: view. videos; TMT: read CH 5, Where Words Come From Week 6 (2/16-2/18) Verbals; Test #3 available (2/17-2/12) Text: CH4, Verbals ; CA view videos; TMT: read CH 6, Pronunciation Week 7 (2/23-2/25)
Verbals Read TMT CH 7: Varieties of English ; Text: CH. 5, Word Order Variations Week 8 (3/1-3/3) Clauses Test #4 Verbals available 3/2-3/6) Week 9 (3/8-3/10) Clauses Text: CH 6, Clauses; CA: view videos; TMT: read CH 8, Spelling; Text: CH 7, Sentence Types 3/15-3/17 Spring Break Week 10 (3/22-3/24) CA: view videos; TMT: CH 9, Good English and Clauses Test #5, available 3/25-3/28 Bad ; CH 10, Order out of Chaos ; Text: CH 8 Agreement; CH 9 Pronouns CA: view videos on agreement and pronouns Week 11 (3/29-3/31) Agreement Composition Assignment #2 due 3/31 CA: view videos; TMT: CH 11, Old World, New World ; Week 12 (4/5-4/7) NO CLASS all week Read: TMT: CH 12, English as a World Language ; TMT: CH 13 Names Week 13 (4/12-4/14) Pronouns; Test #6, Agreement and Pronouns, available 4/15-4/18 NO SCHOOL 4/14 Text: CH 14, Other Punctuation ; CA videos CH 13, Commas (Note out of order); Week 14 (4/19-4/21) Read: Read: TMT: CH 14, Swearing ; Commas and other punctuation CH 11 Sentence Continuity ; TMT CH 15 Word.Test #7, Commas and Other Punctuation Play and CH 16, The Future of English ; Available 4/23-4/26 CH 12, Fragments and run-ons; CH 10 Modifiers Week 15 (4/26-4/28) Sentence continuity; fragments, run-ons Week 15 (4/28-4/30) Fragments and run-ons; modifiers Test #8, Sentence Continuity, Fragments and Run-ons, Modifiers Available 4/30-5/2
Exam Week Thursday, May 5 Exam Day; Presentations