Language and Popular
Culture: LING057
First things first
Focus of this course:
Contrasting A with B:
A:
B:
What we know about
language—how it
works, how we
acquire it, what is its
structure, and how it
works in society
(a.k.a.)
Sociolinguistics
Popular Culture: the
media and how
language is
represented in
popular culture.

WATU:
Writing Across the University
► This
course is WATU-affiliated:
fulfills 50% of the
writing requirement
► You
must take it for WATU credit
► If you don’t need the WATU credit, you can
still take it anyway, and get other credit:
 It also fulfills part of the “Society” requirement
WATU
► We
have a WATU tutor: Walt Hakala
► He will work with you on an individual basis, will
read drafts, give lots of help
► Assignments are due on the deadlines (see
http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/popcult/sumr
dead.html)
► There will be dire consequences for missing
deadlines
► You will rewrite, rewrite, revise, revise, recast,
until we are satisfied.
WATU
► Focus
of this course is on doing research and
doing expository writing about it.
► This is not personal writing, and we are not
particularly interested in your personal views
► We are interested in how you present the results
of your research:
 You will do research (surveys) and ask others about
their opinions on the subject of this course
First Assignment: Three New Words
Tuesday, Sept. 20th, at the beginning of
class.
► One page: find three new words in the English
language that are not yet found in any dictionary
(details here:
http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/popcult/3new
ords.html)
► Tell us where you found them, what they mean,
what type of word-formation process is involved
► Due
Readings:
► Required:
 Booth, Colomb and Williams: The Craft of
Research.
 Lippi-Green, English with an Accent.
► Recommended:
 Pinker, The Language Instinct
► Coursepak:
On-line on Blackboard
Schedule of Meetings and Topics
You should access this page through Blackboard. Use your
PennNet ID and password to get into Blackboard.
► https://courseweb.library.upenn.edu/
► Readings and other documents are available only via the
Blackboard site
► We can only communicate with you via your Penn email
account—not Yahoo, AOL, or other email server.
► You can send paper drafts via email to the Blackboard site,
we can edit them, return them the same way.
►
This is a class, not a
fun-and-games site
► When
we view movies, etc. in class we do
so critically, not for entertainment.
► We





do not get into entertainment mode:
Leave class to get coffee and snacks
Call our friends on our cellphones
Chat with our neighbor
Do crossword puzzles
Doze off…
Class starts at 9:00 a.m.
► Not
9:15, not 9:30, not 9:45, not 10:00
► Class ends at 10:20, not 10:00, not 9:45
► Class participation counts for 15% of grade!
► If you’re not here, you’re not participating.
► Participation means active participation:
 Speaking up in class
 Participating in discussions
The Good and Bad News:
► The
Bad News: If you’re not following the
timetable, you may not even pass the
course—late papers will not be accepted.
► The
Good News: If you’re on schedule with
assignments, and need more time, I’ll
accept rewrites even after the semester
ends.