F/S 8120: Bilingualism and Language Contact
Fall 2007
Professor Flore Zéphir
Prerequisite: graduate standing
Time: MW: 2:00-3:15
Place: Switzler Hall 311
Professor’s office: A&S 126, phone: 882-5048; email: ZephirF@missouri.edu
Office hours: MW: 9:00-12:00; and TR 1:00-3:00
Course Description
The course provides a global analysis of the study of bilingualism from a combined
psycholinguistic, sociolinguistic, and sociocultural perspective, based on current research. First,
it examines the development and measurement of bilingualism, and various cognitive theories of
bilingualism. Second, it explores various phenomena of language contact, such as interference,
code-switching and mixing, in terms of their social functions for particular speech communities.
Finally, the course addresses a variety of social and educational issues related to bilingualism,
such as language status, language attitudes, language planning, and bilingual education.
Required texts (to be purchased)
Baker, Colin. (4th. edition). 2006. Foundations of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism.
Clevedon, England: Multilingual Matters.
Hamers, Josiane, and Michel Blanc. (2nd. edition). 2000. Bilinguality and Bilingualism. New
York: Cambridge University Press.
Other Texts (used as references. Additional readings come from some of these volumes). They
will available on ERES. I will also make available a master copy of each article. Students are
responsible for their own xeroxing.
Baker. Colin. (2nd.). 2000. A Parents’ and Teachers’ Guide to Bilingualism. Clevedon, England:
Multilingual Matters.
Baker, Colin, and Sylvia Prys Jones, eds. 1998. Encyclopedia of Bilingualism and Bilingual
Education. Clevedon, England: Multilingual Matters.
Bhatia, Tej, and William C. Ritchie. 2004. The Handbook of Bilingualism. Malden, MA:
Blackwell.
Crawford, James. 2000. At War with Diversity: US Language Policy in an Age of Anxiety.
Clevedon, England: Multilingual Matters.
Del Valle, Sandra. 2003. Language Rights and the Law in the United States. Clevedon, England:
Multilingual Matters.
Finegan, Edward and John R. Rickford. 2005. Language in the USA: Themes for the
Twenty-First Century. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Fishman, Joshua A. 1989. Language and Ethnicity in Minority Sociolinguistic Perspectives.
Clevedon, England: Multilingual Matters.
Fishman, Joshua A. 1999. Handbook of Language and Ethnic Identity. New York: Oxford
University Press.
Fishman, Joshua A. 2006. Do Not Leave your Language Alone: The Hidden Status Agendas
Within Corpus Planning in Language Policy.
Fishman, Joshua A. 2001. Can Threatened Languages Be Saved? Clevedon, England:
Multilingual Matters. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
García, Eugene E. 2005. Teaching and Learning in Two Languages: Bilingualism and Schooling
in the United States. New York: Teachers College Press.
García, Ofelia, and Colin Baker. 2007. Bilingual Education: An Introductory Reader. Clevedon,
England: Multilingual Matters.
Hinkel, Eli. 2005. Handbook of Research in Second Language Teaching and Learning. Mahwah,
NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Hinton, Leanne, and Ken Hale. 2001. The Green Book of Language Revitalization in Practice.
New York: Academic Press.
Hoffmann, Charlotte. 1991. An Introduction to Bilingualism. New York: Longman.
McKay, Sandra Lee, and Sau-Ling C. Wong. 2000. New Immigrants in the United States:
Readings for Second Language Educators. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Pütz, Martin, Joshua A. Fishman, and JoAnne Neff-van Aertselaer. 2006. Along the Routes to
Power: Explorations and Empowerment through Language. New York: Mouton de
Gruyter.
Ricento, Thomas, and Barbara Burnaby. 1998. Language and Politics in the United States and
Canada: Myths and Realities. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Ricento, Thomas. 2001. Ideology, Politics, and Language Policies: Focus on English.
Philadelphia: John Benjamins.
Ricento Thomas. 2006. An Introduction to Language Policy: Theory and Method. Malden, MA:
Blackwell Publishing.
Romaine, Suzanne. 1995. (2nd. edition). Bilingualism. Oxford: Basil Blackwell.
Spolsky, Bernard. 2004. Language Policy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Walters, Keith, and Michal Brody. 2005. What’s Language Got To Do With It?” New York:
W.W. Norton.
Wei, Li. 2000. The Bilingualism Reader. London: Routledge.
Course requirements
1 in-class exam (at the end of Part I)
1 Take-Home exam (at the end of Part II)
1 panel debate
1 book review
oral presentation of research project (15/20 minutes)
written version of research project (20 pages)
attendance and active class participation
= 15%
= 20%
= 10%
= 10%
= 10%
= 30%
= 5%
Total
=100%
Tentative Schedule of Topics for discussion
Part I: Psycholinguistics Issues (approximately 5 weeks - August 20-September 19)
Part II: Sociolinguistics Issues (approximately 5 weeks - September 24-October 24
Part III: Bilingual Education (approximately 4 weeks - Oct. 29- Nov. 28)
Week 1
August 20-22
Definition of terms, basic concepts and typologies
Readings: Baker chapt 1; Hamers & Blanc chapter 1
Week 2
August. 27-29
Measurement and Development of Bilingualism
Readings: Baker 2 and 5; Hamers & Blanc chapter 2
Baker (2000) section A (ERES)
Weeks 3-4
Sept 5-12
Psycholinguistic aspects of Bilingualism; Sociopsychological Theories
Readings: Baker chapts 6, 7, and 8; Hamers & Blanc chapts 3, 4, 5;
Baker (2000) section B (ERES); Meisel (2004, ERES)
Week 5
Sept 17-19
Bilingual Speech Communities
Readings: Baker chapter 19; Romaine (2004, ERES)
In Class exam: Wednesday, September 19
Week 6
Sept 24-26
Languages in Society; Bilingualism/Multiculturalism in the US
Readings: Baker chapter 4; Macias (2000, ERES) ; Shin and Bruno (2005,
ERES); Fishman (2005, ERES)
Week 7
Oct 1
Language, Culture, and Ethnicity
Readings: Hamers and Blanc chapt 8
+ selection from Fishman (ERES)
Weeks 7-8
Oct 3-10
(2004,
Phenomena of Language Contact
Readings: Hamers & Blanc chapters 9, 10
Fishman selection (1989, ERES); Ferguson (2000, ERES); Macswan
ERES); Ritchie and Bhatia (2004, ERES)
Week 9
Oct 15-17
Language Choice, language attitudes, and language status
Readings: Baker chapt 3; Veltman (2000, ERES); Del Valle (2003, ERES)
Week 10
October 22
Language Planning
Readings: Hinton ( 2001, ERES); Ricento (ERES)
Panel debate: Wednesday October 24
Take Home exam given to students on Wednesday, October 24
Due to instructor on Monday, October 29
Weeks 11-12
Oct 29-Nov 7
Issues in Bilingual Education
Readings: Baker chapts 9, 10, 11, 12, and 17; + additional selection to be
determined later.
Week 13
Nov 12-14
November 12: Book review presentation
(written version due on Nov 26)
November 14: Book review presentation continued (if necessary)
Minority Languages and Education
Readings: Baker chapters 18; additional selection to be determined later.
Week 14
Thanksgiving Holidays (November 19-23)
Week 15-16
November 26: Minority Languages and Education (continued)
Nov 28-Dec 5
Oral Presentations of research projects (scheduled over 3 class periods)
Final projects due: Wednesday December 12, 12:00 p.m., or before
Students who have special conditions as addressed by the American Disabilities Act, and
who need any test or course materials to be furnished in an alternative format should
notify the Office of Disability Services, A048 Brady Commons, 882-4696, or me
immediately. Reasonable efforts will be made to accommodate the needs of these students.
Academic honesty is fundamental to the activities and principles of a university. All
members of the academic community must be confident that each person’s work has been
responsibly and honorably acquired, developed, and presented. Any effort to gain an
advantage not given to all students is dishonest whether or not that effort is successful. The
academic community regards academic dishonesty as an extremely serious matter, with
serious consequences that range from probation to expulsion. Any incident of academic
dishonesty (plagiarism from books and web sites, as well as cheating) will be forwarded to
the Provost’s Office, as per MU policy, for disciplinary action. If you have any questions
concerning plagiarism, paraphrasing, quoting, or collaboration, you should seek
clarification from me.