Linguistics 100: English Composition for International Students
Fall 2014 — MWF 10:00-10:50AM
Instructor: Amanda Black
Office: SHW 232
Office Hours: Wednesday 11:15-12:15PM (Also available by appointment)
Email: amandablack777@yahoo.com
* I only respond to
appropriately and
professionally worded
emails; any messages
with informal, text
message-like language,
or non-academic content
will be disregarded.
Prerequisites:
● Satisfaction of the EPT or
● Satisfaction of the Writing Competency requirements as listed in the Graduation Requirements in the
SDSU general catalogue or
● Cr in 92A, 92B, 94, 97A, or 97B
Required Texts:
● Writing in the Disciplines by Mary Lynch Kennedy and William J. Kennedy, (Seventh Edition)
● Keys for Writers by Ann Raimes (Seventh Edition)
Recommended Text:
A good English dictionary (e.g. The American Heritage English as a Second Language Dictionary)
Communication and Critical Thinking:
This course is one of the courses that you will take in the General Education area of Communication and
Critical Thinking. Upon completing this area of our General Education program, you will be able to: 1) craft
well-reasoned arguments for specific audiences; 2) analyze a variety of texts commonly encountered in the
academic setting; 3) situate discourse within social, generic, cultural, and historic contexts; and 4) assess
the relative strengths of arguments and supporting evidence.
Course Description and Learning Outcomes:
Linguistics 100 is an English composition course designed for students who have a first language other than
English. Successful students in Linguistics 100 will develop the ability to:
1. Read, analyze and respond appropriately to college-level reading selections.
2. Demonstrate awareness of audience, purpose and genre in reading and writing.
3. Understand and communicate the connections between and among reading selections.
4. Competently integrate multiple text sources with one another for the purpose of developing a written
argument, analysis, or interpretation.
5. Incorporate summary, paraphrase and quotations appropriately.
6. Use language of an appropriate academic tone or register for the college level.
7. Illustrate an ability to move beyond simplistic or overly general statements, showing an ability develop
and explore an idea logically and coherently.
8. Move beyond formulaic types of writing (especially the five paragraph essay).
9. Use appropriate citation conventions.
Course Requirements:
In this class you will be required to submit at least four major writing assignments, each to include first drafts
and revisions. You will also be assigned homework that will be different types of writing. Assigned readings
must be completed prior to class. Homework and in-class work will also be assigned throughout the semester
and vocabulary quizzes will be given. Therefore, attendance and participation is crucial and will be included in
your grade. There will also be an in-class midterm and final exam. These will both be based on the WPA
(Written Proficiency Assessment), which you will need to take upon completion of 60 units at SDSU. In
helping you prepare for the WPA, these timed writings will give you additional experience in the analysis of
written texts.
Tentative Grade Breakdown:
[Point value of assignments may adjust during the semester.]
Major Writing Assignments:
600 pts
Rough Drafts:
(50 pts x 4)
200 pts
Final Drafts:
(100 pts x 4)
400 pts
Other Assignments:
Homework, in-class assignments/participation, quizzes
100 pts
Mid-Term:
50 pts
Final Exam:
150 pts
Attendance:
100 pts
Total:
1,000 pts
Tentative Reading and Writing Schedule:
Below is a tentative schedule of the readings and essays that will be due in this class. This schedule may change
and readings may be added or taken away throughout the semester. This schedule does not include homework
or in-class assignments or additional shorter essays that may be assigned.
Topics
Readings
Major Writing
Assignments
● Chapter 1: Active Critical Reading- Prereading
Weeks
Human/Robo
and Close Reading
Paper #1: Written
1-3
t Interaction
● Chapter 2: Active Critical Reading- Postreading
response to a
● Outside Reading:
single article
- “The Ethical Frontiers of Robotics” by Noel
Sharkey (pp. 357)
●
Weeks
4-8
Privacy and
Technology:
Balancing
Public Safety
and Privacy
Weeks
9-11
Social Class
and
Inequality
Weeks
12-15
Human/Robo
t Interaction
Monday
, May
12th
Final Exam:
In-class
writing
●
●
Chapter 4:Literary Analysis and Comparative
Analysis
In-Class Writing Assignment: Practice WPA
Chapter 11:
- “Trading Liberty for Illusions” by Wendy Kaminer
(pp. 397-399)
- “If Looks Could Kill” in The Economist (pp. 401402)
●
●
Chapter 6: Synthesis
Chapter 13:
- "Born Poor and Smart" by Angela Locke (pp. 450 451)
- "Middle of the Class” from The Economist (pp. 482485)
- “A Great Time to Be Alive?” by Matt Yglesias (pp.
464-466)
●
●
Chapter 7: Argument
Chapter 10:
- “Alone Together: The Robotic Moment” by
Sherry Turkle (pp. 322-330)
“The Ethical Fronteirs of Robotics” by Noel
Sharkey (pp. 357)
- “Talking, Walking Objects” by Carla Diana
- “A Swiveling Proxy That Will Even Wear Tutu”
by Robbie Brown
●
Final Exam: Text analysis of reading from Chapter 10
using WPA prompt
- 9AM class – Final is 8AM-10AM
- 11AM class – Final is 10:30AM – 12:30 PM
In-class Writing:
Practice WPA
(Mid-Term)
Paper #2:
Comparative
Analysis
Paper #3:
Explanatory
Synthesis
developed from
multiple text sources
Paper #4 :
Argument
Synthesis
developed from
multiple text sources
Final Exam
Class Policies:
●
Specific readings and written assignments and due dates will be assigned in class.
●
Attendance: Each student begins the semester with an attendance grade of 100 points (100%). After
your first three absences, 10 points will be deducted from your attendance grade for each additional
absence.
●
Tardiness: If you are late to class you will be marked tardy; 5 points will be deducted from your
attendance grade. If you are 15 minutes (or more) late to class you will be marked absent and this
can affect your grade.
●
100 points come from quizzes and homework. I will assign pop quizzes at the beginning of class and use
the quizzes to take role, so if you are late, you miss out on those points and may be marked absent. Pop
quizzes cannot be made up.
●
Assignments must be turned in AT THE BEGINNING OF CLASS. Late homework assignments will not
be accepted.
●
Plagiarism is a serious academic offense. Suspected cases of plagiarism will be immediately referred to
the Center for Student Rights and Responsibilities for further action. If you are caught plagiarizing, you
will receive a 0 on the assignment.
●
If you have any special learning needs or are registered with Disabled Student Services, please let me
know so that I can accommodate your needs.
●
Respect each other and the instructor. Talk, text, and email outside of class. You will lose attendance
points if I feel you are “mentally absent” by not participating. This means that if you are texting,
youtubing, facebooking, etc. you will be marked absent for the day. If you are disruptive, I will ask
you to leave class and you will be counted as absent for the day.
Grading:
Points earned throughout the semester determine the overall course grade. See chart below for a guide to the
point system used to assign course grades.
A
B+
89-87% (899 – 870 points)
B
C+
79-77% (799 – 770 points)
C
D+ 69-67% (699 – 670 points)
D
F
100-94% (1000 – 940
A- 93-90% (930 – 900 points)
points)
86-84% ( 869 – 840
B- 83-80% (839 – 800 points)
points)
76-74% ( 769 – 740
C- 73-70% (739 – 700 points)
points)
66-64% ( 669 – 640
D- 63-60% (639 – 600 points)
points
59% and lower (599 points or less)