ENG 409 :: Studies in Composition/Rhetoric/Language

John Zuern
Office Hours: T9:00 - 10:30, R 9:00-10:30 am, and by appointment
Office: Kuykendall 219
zuern@hawaii.edu (email is the best way to contact me)
956-3019

Objectives

What is language? How does it work? How does it shape our thinking as individuals? How does it condition our social, cultural, and political worlds?

This class will explore some of the major efforts to theorize language in the twentieth century, focusing primarily on how these ideas about language have affected our understanding of the principles of rhetoric. Any assumptions about how words can operate in the world to persuade an audience, to consolidate identities, and to unite (and divide) communities are based on often-unexamined assumptions of the basic operations of words themselves. Those of us who teach writing and literature should be prepared to give some account of what we think language is all about, and this class proposes to help you engage this fascinating and complex set of questions in rigorous, creative, and challenging ways.

The lecture/discussion format will draw out the central distinctions among traditions and individual writers. We will always work to link conceptual issues to the practical problems writers and teachers confront, within and outside of the classroom.

As language is obviously both a written and a spoken phenomenon, this class will emphasize both written and oral presentations skills.

Matierials

Text
the book is available from Revolution Books
Text: Burke, Lucy, Tony Crowley, and Alan Girvin (Eds). Routledge Language and Cultural Theory Reader, Routledge 2000.

Course Packet
the packet is available from Campus Copies in the Student Center

Connectivity
You must have an active email account and reliable access to the Internet with a current browser.

Assignments

Semester grades will be based on your performance in the following assignments:
midterm examination 15%; final examination 15%; in-class presentation 15%;
roundtable presentation 10%; conference paper 20%; final term paper 25%.

You may submit your term paper in a hypertext and/or multimedia format; please consult with me before beginning an online writing project.

Grading

Assignments are due by class time on the day on which they appear in the schedule. You must complete all assignments to receive a passing grade in this class. Grades for late assignments will be lowered by one letter grade for every day past the due date. I will not read drafts that are submitted more than two days past the deadline.

I will assign grades based on the +/- system. I will use the following values to compute your final grades:

In compliance with university policy, I will give incompletes only in cases of documented medical or family emergencies.

Attendance

I expect that you will attend this class regularly and on time. It is especially important that you show up promptly fro MOO sessions, as late arrivals in the MOO space can be especially disruptive for others in the class. More than six (6) unexcused absences will result in a failing grade for the class. If circumstances arise that make it difficult for you to attend on-campus classes and MOO sessions, or to complete your assigned work, please inform me immediately. Don’t wait until the end of the semester, when it will be harder to make accommodations.

Conduct

Your relationships with your classmates and with me are governed by the Student Conduct Code, which also applies in all the online environments we will be using this semester. I expect you to act in a professional and respectful manner in all of these settings. I also expect you to adhere to the Interim Policy for Responsible Computing and Network Access and the policies of the English Studies Computing Center.

If you feel that the conduct of another student in the class is interfering with your ability to work productively, please speak with me about the problem immediately.

Scholastic Dishonesty

The University of Hawai‘i regulations strictly forbid plagiarism and collusion. Submitting someone else’s work as your own, arranging for someone else to do your writing for you, or purchasing papers will earn you a failing grade for the assignment and may result in a failing grade in the class. Please review the Department of English Statement on Plagiarism and ask about any issues you do not understand.

Access

If you feel you need reasonable accommodations because of the impact of a disability, please contact the KOKUA Program at 956-7511 or 956-7612 in Room 013 of the QLCSS. You should also speak with me privately to discuss your specific needs. I am happy to work with you and the KOKUA Program to meet your access needs related to your documented disability.

ENG 409: Studies in Composition/Rhetoric/Language