TSL 510 Language and Culture
Dr. Sandra Kroh
Office: AB 305
Office hours: TBA
Phone: 789-5073
Email: slkroh@campbellsville,edu
Credit hours: 3
Location: Online
Course Description:
This course is designed to examine how culture and language are intertwined and influence each
other. It will also look at how the culture we live in influences the culture of the language
classroom. This course will also examine specifically how the Anglo culture is reflected in
English grammar. Field hours are required.
Course Objectives:
Upon completing this course, students should be able to:
 Recognize the culture of the language classroom (ETS Standards 1, 2, 4,7, 9, 10)
 Understand how language and culture influence each other (ETS Standards 2, 4, 7)
 Describe how Anglo culture is reflected in English (ETS Standards 2, 7, 8. 9, 10)
 Present how another culture other than the American culture is reflected in the language
of that culture (ETS Standards 2,8)
 Develop strategies for integrating diverse cultures and languages into the mainstream
classroom. (ETS Standards 2,4,7,8)
Required Texts:
Culture in Second Language Teaching and Learning. (1999). Hinkel, E. (Ed.). Cambridge
University Press.
English: Meaning and Culture. (2006) Weirzbicka, A. Oxford University Press.
Topics Covered:
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Culture interaction and learning
Culture and Second language teaching materials
Cultural codes
Meaning, history and culture of English
English words: from philosophy to everyday discourse
Anglo culture reflected in English grammar
The culturally diverse classroom
Course Requirements and Grading Scale
2 Group Projects
Midterm Project
Final Research Paper
Field Hours
100 points
100 points
200 points
100 points
A 90-100% = 450-500
B 80-89% = 400-449
C 70-79% = 350-399
D 60-69% = 300-349
Total:
500 points
F ▼60%
=below 300
Field Experience:
The student will participate in 6 hours of site-based classroom field experience for ESL/EFL
children and youth. This should include at least two ESL/EFL classes, preferably in two different
skill/knowledge areas, at two different levels, P-12, and taught by two different instructors. The 6
hours of field experience for this course comprises observations of the language of the classroom
and how the culture of the ELL students is influencing the language and behavior of the students
in the classroom setting. Before participating in field experiences, a discussion of the Code of
Ethics will be given and each student must sign the Code of Ethics (704 KAR 20:680) form.
Each student will post a report of their field experiences. This will fulfill 6 hours of the 30-hour
field experience required for students seeking endorsement from the state of Kentucky.
The student will document the experience on the Field Experience Summary Report form and
address the following elements in the field experiences report:
1. Place/Institution where you observed the classes
2. Instructor(s)
3. What you did in addition to observing
4. Students’ age, ethnicity, proficiency level, and educational background
5. Students’ academic orientation, if applicable
6. Program/Curriculum orientation
7. Textbook(s) being used
8. Class size
9. Topic(s)/ Skills/Grammatical points covered/lessons objectives
10. How the material is presented
11. How the material is practiced
12. How the feedback is provided
13. Things you like the most about the classes you observed
14. Things that you would do differently if you were to teach the classes
15. Any suggestions for the instructor and others in this class
Assessment:
Projects:
The student will be assessed upon the completion of two group projects that
explore the relationship of culture and language. The student will also be required
to do a midterm project and a final 8-10 page research paper.
Participation: Students must participate in group activities and be prepared for online
discussions based on outside readings, research and/or homework assignments.
Class Policies:
Participation: On-time posting of work is required. A late posting will result in a grade of zero.
If you know you will be posting latet, you must email or call the instructor before
the deadline. You are responsible for making up missed work.
Late Work:
Late work will be accepted only for excused late postings. Otherwise, late work
will not be accepted and result in a zero for the assignment.
Grades:
Grades are not curved.
Supplemental instruction aids: At various times, audio visual aids may be used and will be
accessed in the Resources folder.
Academic Honesty:
Any evidence of academic dishonesty will be dealt with severely. You are expected to do your
own work which reflects your learning and understanding of the topic. Plagiarism will result in a
zero on the assignment.
Instructional Modification:
Campbellsville University is committed to reasonable accommodations for students who have
documented physical and learning disabilities, as well as medical and emotional conditions. If
you have a documented disability or condition of this nature, you may be eligible for disability
services. Documentation must be from a licensed professional and current in terms of
assessment. Please contact the Coordinator if Disability Services at 270-789-5197 to inquire
about services.
Code of Ethics (704 KAR 20:680)
(1) Shall strive toward excellence, recognize the importance of the pursuit of truth, nurture
democratic citizenship, and safeguard the freedom to learn and to teach;
(2) Shall believe in the worth and dignity of each human being and in educational
opportunities for all;
(3) Shall strive to uphold the responsibilities of the education profession, including the
obligations to students, to parents, and to the education profession as listed.
Book List
Axtell, R. (1998). Gestures: The Do’s and Taboos of Body Language around the World (2nd
ed.). New York: John Wily & Sons.
Barnhart, D. K. & Metcalf, A. (1997). America in So Many Words: Words That Have Shaped
America. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin Trade and Reference.
Basso, K. (1990). Western Apache Language and Culture: Essays in Linguistic Anthropology.
Tucson: University of Arizona Press.
Brown, P. & Levinson, S. (1987). Politeness: Some Universals in Language Usage. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.
Ellis, R. & Oakley-Brown, L. (2001). Translation and Nation: Towards a Cultural Politics of
Englishness. Buffalo, NY: Multilingual Matters.
Hermes, M. (2005). "Ma'iingan Is Just a Misspelling of the Word Wolf": A Case for Teaching
Culture through Language. Anthropology & Education Quarterly, Vol. 36, (1), 43-56.
Hymes, D. (1977). Discovering Oral Performance and Measured Verse in American Indian
Narrative. New Literary History, V. 8, (3), 431-457.
Jourdan, C. & Tuite, K. (2006). Language, Culture and Society: Key Topics in Linguistic
Anthropology: Studies in the Social and Cultural Foundations of Language; No. 23. New
York: Cambridge University Press.
Labov, W. (1969/1972). Language in the Inner City: Studies in the Black Vernacular.
Philadelphia: University of Philadelphia Press.
Lakoff, G. & Johnson, M. (1980). Metaphors We Live By. Chicago: University of Chicago
Press.
Lee, T.& McLaughlin, D. (2001). Reversing Navajo Language Shift, Revisited. Fishman, J.
(Ed.). Can Threatened Languages Be Saved? Reversing Language Shift, Revisited: A
21st Centruy Perspective. Clevedon, UK: Multilingual Matters, 23-43.
Levinson, S. (2003). Space Language and Cognition: Explorations in Cognitive Diversity. New
York: Cambridge University Press.
Malavé-López, L. & Duquette, G. (1991). Languge, Culture and Cognition: A Collection of
Studies in First and Second Language Acquisition: Multilingual Matters (Series) ; 69.
Philadelphia: Multilingual Matters.
Morgan, C. & Cain, A. (2000). Foreign Language and Culture Learning From a Dialogic
Perspective. Clevedon, England: Multilingual Matters.
Roberts, C. (2001). Language Learners As Ethnographers: Modern Languages in
Practice ; 16. Buffalo, N.Y: Multilingual Matters.
Saeko, Fukushima. (2003). Requests and Culture: Politeness in British English and Japanese.
New York: Peter Lang.
Tedlock, D. (1971). On the Translation of Style in Oral Narrative. The Journal of American
Folklore, 84, (331), 114-133.
Wierzbicka, A. (2005). Empirical Universals of Language as a Basis for the Study of Other
Human Universals and as a Tool for Exploring Cross-Cultural Differences. Ethos, 33, (2),
256-291.
Wierzbicka, A. (1985). Different Cultures, Different Languages, Different Speech Acts. Journal
of Pragmatics, 9, 145-178.
Wolfson, N. (1988). Native and Non-Native Variation in Complimenting Beehavior. Distributed
at the 2nd Annual conference on Pragmatics and Language Learning, April 8-9.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.