Second Language Acquisition and Culture Learning
ANTH 328-Spring 2006
Faculty: Professor Zhiming Zhao Office: Sturges 13F
Class: MW 3:30-4:45, Fraser 104 Phone: 245-5174
Office Hours: MW 1:30–3:30 Email: zhaoz@geneseo.edu
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Applied linguistics sits at the intersection of education and language study. This course addresses its major concerns in the study of classroom bilingualism, including culture learning -- a contributing factor in the success and failure of second language acquisition. Course emphasis will be on the theories and frameworks that have been developed in the analysis of teaching and learning in the second language classrooms. The topics of investigation will include language teaching theories, analytic models for second-language development, strategies of teaching culture in the L2 (second language) classroom, issues of intercultural communication, and the research tradition of educational ethnography.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
• Students will demonstrate an interdisciplinary knowledge about the linguistic
and cultural aspects of second language acquisition by taking a midterm and a
final examination.
• Through classroom presentations, students will demonstrate an ability to think
critically and address theoretical issues in the curriculum and pedagogy of
second language acquisition.
• Students will demonstrate an understanding of research on second language
classrooms through the development of an ethnography of schooling that
consists of 12 -15 pages.
• Students will cultivate a willingness and ability to appreciate multiculturalism
and multilingualism by engaging in classroom discussions that focus on the need
to incorporate cultural learning into second language acquisition.
TEXTS FOR PURCHASE
1. Second Language Acquisition. By Susan M. Gass & Larry Selinker.
Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers, 1994.
2. Sociolinguistics and Language Teaching. Eds. By Sandra Lee McKay &
Nancy H. Hornberger, 1996
BOOKS ON RESERVE
1. Culture in Second Language Teaching and Learning. By Eli Hinkel (ed).
Port Chester, NY: Cambridge University Press, 1999.
2. Second Language Classrooms: Research on Teaching and Learning. By Craig
Chaudron . Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2nd ed, 1998.
3. Ethnographic Eyes. By Carolyn Frank. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1999.
4. Pathways to Culture. By Paula R. Heusinkveld (ed.). Yarmouth, ME:
Intercultural Press, 1997.
WRITTEN REQUIREMENTS
There will be two exams, each of which consists of short answers and essay questions.
For the term paper assignment, you have two options: either to do an ethnography of schooling on L2 learning to reveal its intimate relationship to culture or write a critical essay of the literature on a topic approved by the instructor. Among the possible topics are L2 teaching in relation to interlanguge, pragmatics, gender, curriculum designing, language engineering, multilingualism, etc. A prospectus with the thesis statement and outline of your term paper will be due on November 12, and it accounts for 10% of the term paper grade. The term paper must be typed with double spacing and contain 12 or more pages, including a bibliography of at least 8 reference sources. You will need to follow the format provided at the end of this syllabus for quotations, citations, and references. Deviations will affect your grade.
GRADES
Midterm 30%
Final Exam 30%
Term Paper 30%
Participation 10%
As a rule, there will be no make-up for exams. Any possible make-up will be given only under emergency situation, for which you have to petition along with official document. Late submission of your written assignments will unexceptionably bring grade deduction. Typist or computer failure is no excuse. Any suspected case of academic misconduct will be seriously dealt with.
This is a seminar course. Participation in classroom discussions is important for your success. You are also expected to give a 15-minute presentation on a chosen topic after the midterm. For a list of possible topics, see the course schedule and pick the one that appeals to you most. The presentation is to be followed by a 10-minute session in which you will take questions from fellow students. There may be pop-up quizzes as well.
TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE
Week Date Topic Reading Assignment
One 8/25 Applied Linguistics SLA Chapter 1
8/27 The Nature of Language Lecture
Two 9/1 Language Teaching Theories Lecture
9/3 Issues in Second Language Learning Lecture
Three 9/8 Contrastive Analysis SLA Chapter 2 9/10 Error Analysis SLA Chapter 3
Four 9/15 Rethinking the Role of the Native Language SLA Chapter 4
9/17 Universalism and Particularism Lecture
Five 9/22 Interlanguage and UG Hypothesis SLA Chapter 5
9/24 The Monitor Model SLA Chapter 6
Six 9/29 Interlanguage: Styles and Strategies SLA Chapter 7
10/1 Interlanguage: Non-Linguistic Considerations SLA Chapter 9
Seven 10/6 Pragmatics SLA Chapter 8
10/8 An Integrated Concept of Interlanguage SLA Chapter 11
Eight 10/13 Fall Break
10/15 Midterm
Nine 10/20 Culture in the L2 Classroom Lecture
10/22 Language Attitudes & Motivations SLT Chapter 1
Ten 10/27 Multilingualism SLT Chapter 2
10/29 Language Planning & Policy SLT Chapters 3,4
Eleven 11/3 Language and Gender SLT Chapter 7
11/5 Language and Social Variation SLT Chapters 5,6
Twelve 11/10 Overcoming Cultural Stereotypes PC pp. 437-460
pp. 487-498
11/12 Ethnographic Microanalysis SLT Chapter 8
Your Paper Prospectus Due in Class
Thirteen 11/17 Intercultural Communication SLT Chapter 10
11/19 Interactional Sociolinguistics SLT Chapter 9
Week Date Topic Reading Assignment
Fourteen 11/24 The Ethnography of Schooling SLT Chapter 11
11/26 Thanksgiving Break
Fifteen 12/1 Speech Acts SLT Chapter 12
12/3 Language and Education SLT Chapters 13
Term Paper Due in Class & 14
Sixteen 12/8 Study Day
12/10 Take-Home Final Due
[1] SLA = The Second Language Acquisition
SLT = Sociolinguistics and Language Teaching
PC = Pathways to Culture
[2] The schedule may change, depending on responses from the class on specific
topics, but there will be no substantial change, and students can use this schedule
as a guide for readings.
APPENDIX
A. Citations: Give the source right after the author when he or she is mentioned; if not,
right after the statement
-- According to Grobsmith (1981:109), making any generalizations about Indian life is a difficult if not impossible task.
-- It is apparent that making any generalizations about Indian life is a difficult if not impossible task (Grobsmith 1981:109).
B. Direct Quotations: Short quotations (less than three lines) are to be incorporated into
your statements with quotation marks and double-spaced. Long quotations are to stand
by themselves, singled-spaced, indented at both ends, and without quotation marks.
-- As Grobsmith (1981:109) has pointed out, "Making any generalizations
about Indian life is a difficult if not impossible task."
-- There is a growing awareness among anthropologists that indigenous
peoples are vulnerable to victimization by ethnocentric national policies.
One can sympathize with the national policy of Brazil to fully
occupy its immense territory and incorporate its internal
frontiers into the economic life of the country. On the other
hand, one cannot be sympathetic to national development at the
expense of native Brazilian tribesmen (Wagley 1977:299).
C. Bibliography: Enlist your references by their authors in an alphabetic order.
Aberle, David F.
1966 The Peyote Religion Among the Navajo. Chicago, IL: Aldine.
Kemnitze, Louis
1970 “The Cultural Provenance of Objects in Yuwipi.” Ethos 1:4-5.
Lucy, John A.
1985 “The Linguistic Mediation of Thought.” In E. Mertz, ed.
Semiotic Mediation, pp. 73-88. New York, NY: Academic Press.
1. The book title is italicized. It is preceded by the year of publication and
followed by the place of publication (city, abbreviation of the state: name of
the publisher).
2. The title of an article, however, is given in quotation marks. The journal or
newspaper in which an article is published is to be italicized. The numbers
after it stand for the issue of the journal and the page numbers of the article.
3. If an article is included in an edited collection of papers, first the editor, then
the book title, and finally the page numbers of the article must be specified.
Again, the place of publication and the publisher come last.
ANTH 328-Spring 2006
Faculty: Professor Zhiming Zhao Office: Sturges 13F
Class: MW 3:30-4:45, Fraser 104 Phone: 245-5174
Office Hours: MW 1:30–3:30 Email: zhaoz@geneseo.edu
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Applied linguistics sits at the intersection of education and language study. This course addresses its major concerns in the study of classroom bilingualism, including culture learning -- a contributing factor in the success and failure of second language acquisition. Course emphasis will be on the theories and frameworks that have been developed in the analysis of teaching and learning in the second language classrooms. The topics of investigation will include language teaching theories, analytic models for second-language development, strategies of teaching culture in the L2 (second language) classroom, issues of intercultural communication, and the research tradition of educational ethnography.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
• Students will demonstrate an interdisciplinary knowledge about the linguistic
and cultural aspects of second language acquisition by taking a midterm and a
final examination.
• Through classroom presentations, students will demonstrate an ability to think
critically and address theoretical issues in the curriculum and pedagogy of
second language acquisition.
• Students will demonstrate an understanding of research on second language
classrooms through the development of an ethnography of schooling that
consists of 12 -15 pages.
• Students will cultivate a willingness and ability to appreciate multiculturalism
and multilingualism by engaging in classroom discussions that focus on the need
to incorporate cultural learning into second language acquisition.
TEXTS FOR PURCHASE
1. Second Language Acquisition. By Susan M. Gass & Larry Selinker.
Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers, 1994.
2. Sociolinguistics and Language Teaching. Eds. By Sandra Lee McKay &
Nancy H. Hornberger, 1996
BOOKS ON RESERVE
1. Culture in Second Language Teaching and Learning. By Eli Hinkel (ed).
Port Chester, NY: Cambridge University Press, 1999.
2. Second Language Classrooms: Research on Teaching and Learning. By Craig
Chaudron . Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2nd ed, 1998.
3. Ethnographic Eyes. By Carolyn Frank. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1999.
4. Pathways to Culture. By Paula R. Heusinkveld (ed.). Yarmouth, ME:
Intercultural Press, 1997.
WRITTEN REQUIREMENTS
There will be two exams, each of which consists of short answers and essay questions.
For the term paper assignment, you have two options: either to do an ethnography of schooling on L2 learning to reveal its intimate relationship to culture or write a critical essay of the literature on a topic approved by the instructor. Among the possible topics are L2 teaching in relation to interlanguge, pragmatics, gender, curriculum designing, language engineering, multilingualism, etc. A prospectus with the thesis statement and outline of your term paper will be due on November 12, and it accounts for 10% of the term paper grade. The term paper must be typed with double spacing and contain 12 or more pages, including a bibliography of at least 8 reference sources. You will need to follow the format provided at the end of this syllabus for quotations, citations, and references. Deviations will affect your grade.
GRADES
Midterm 30%
Final Exam 30%
Term Paper 30%
Participation 10%
As a rule, there will be no make-up for exams. Any possible make-up will be given only under emergency situation, for which you have to petition along with official document. Late submission of your written assignments will unexceptionably bring grade deduction. Typist or computer failure is no excuse. Any suspected case of academic misconduct will be seriously dealt with.
This is a seminar course. Participation in classroom discussions is important for your success. You are also expected to give a 15-minute presentation on a chosen topic after the midterm. For a list of possible topics, see the course schedule and pick the one that appeals to you most. The presentation is to be followed by a 10-minute session in which you will take questions from fellow students. There may be pop-up quizzes as well.
TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE
Week Date Topic Reading Assignment
One 8/25 Applied Linguistics SLA Chapter 1
8/27 The Nature of Language Lecture
Two 9/1 Language Teaching Theories Lecture
9/3 Issues in Second Language Learning Lecture
Three 9/8 Contrastive Analysis SLA Chapter 2 9/10 Error Analysis SLA Chapter 3
Four 9/15 Rethinking the Role of the Native Language SLA Chapter 4
9/17 Universalism and Particularism Lecture
Five 9/22 Interlanguage and UG Hypothesis SLA Chapter 5
9/24 The Monitor Model SLA Chapter 6
Six 9/29 Interlanguage: Styles and Strategies SLA Chapter 7
10/1 Interlanguage: Non-Linguistic Considerations SLA Chapter 9
Seven 10/6 Pragmatics SLA Chapter 8
10/8 An Integrated Concept of Interlanguage SLA Chapter 11
Eight 10/13 Fall Break
10/15 Midterm
Nine 10/20 Culture in the L2 Classroom Lecture
10/22 Language Attitudes & Motivations SLT Chapter 1
Ten 10/27 Multilingualism SLT Chapter 2
10/29 Language Planning & Policy SLT Chapters 3,4
Eleven 11/3 Language and Gender SLT Chapter 7
11/5 Language and Social Variation SLT Chapters 5,6
Twelve 11/10 Overcoming Cultural Stereotypes PC pp. 437-460
pp. 487-498
11/12 Ethnographic Microanalysis SLT Chapter 8
Your Paper Prospectus Due in Class
Thirteen 11/17 Intercultural Communication SLT Chapter 10
11/19 Interactional Sociolinguistics SLT Chapter 9
Week Date Topic Reading Assignment
Fourteen 11/24 The Ethnography of Schooling SLT Chapter 11
11/26 Thanksgiving Break
Fifteen 12/1 Speech Acts SLT Chapter 12
12/3 Language and Education SLT Chapters 13
Term Paper Due in Class & 14
Sixteen 12/8 Study Day
12/10 Take-Home Final Due
[1] SLA = The Second Language Acquisition
SLT = Sociolinguistics and Language Teaching
PC = Pathways to Culture
[2] The schedule may change, depending on responses from the class on specific
topics, but there will be no substantial change, and students can use this schedule
as a guide for readings.
APPENDIX
A. Citations: Give the source right after the author when he or she is mentioned; if not,
right after the statement
-- According to Grobsmith (1981:109), making any generalizations about Indian life is a difficult if not impossible task.
-- It is apparent that making any generalizations about Indian life is a difficult if not impossible task (Grobsmith 1981:109).
B. Direct Quotations: Short quotations (less than three lines) are to be incorporated into
your statements with quotation marks and double-spaced. Long quotations are to stand
by themselves, singled-spaced, indented at both ends, and without quotation marks.
-- As Grobsmith (1981:109) has pointed out, "Making any generalizations
about Indian life is a difficult if not impossible task."
-- There is a growing awareness among anthropologists that indigenous
peoples are vulnerable to victimization by ethnocentric national policies.
One can sympathize with the national policy of Brazil to fully
occupy its immense territory and incorporate its internal
frontiers into the economic life of the country. On the other
hand, one cannot be sympathetic to national development at the
expense of native Brazilian tribesmen (Wagley 1977:299).
C. Bibliography: Enlist your references by their authors in an alphabetic order.
Aberle, David F.
1966 The Peyote Religion Among the Navajo. Chicago, IL: Aldine.
Kemnitze, Louis
1970 “The Cultural Provenance of Objects in Yuwipi.” Ethos 1:4-5.
Lucy, John A.
1985 “The Linguistic Mediation of Thought.” In E. Mertz, ed.
Semiotic Mediation, pp. 73-88. New York, NY: Academic Press.
1. The book title is italicized. It is preceded by the year of publication and
followed by the place of publication (city, abbreviation of the state: name of
the publisher).
2. The title of an article, however, is given in quotation marks. The journal or
newspaper in which an article is published is to be italicized. The numbers
after it stand for the issue of the journal and the page numbers of the article.
3. If an article is included in an edited collection of papers, first the editor, then
the book title, and finally the page numbers of the article must be specified.
Again, the place of publication and the publisher come last.