FRS 001II —
Sec. 001 —
(1 unit) — CRN 73911— W 11:00-11:50 AM — 200 B Street,
Suite A
Language Myths: Things Everyone Knows About Language
(That Happen
to be Wrong)
Instructor: Kathleen Ward, Department of Linguistics,
College of Letters
and Science
Description: “Everyone knows” that
Eskimos have dozens
of words for snow, that women talk more than men, that some languages have no
grammar, that languages change for the worse, and that some languages
are beautiful
and others are ugly. Unfortunately, what everyone knows is wrong. Students in
this seminar will examine some of the most widely held myths about language and
come to understand some of what linguistics has found about language. We will
also examine why so many myths about language persist.
Format: Students will work in pairs, and each pair will have
a report of some sort due every other week. The form of the report
will vary (short
paper, short survey, Powerpoint presentation) but they will be
expected to share
their results with the rest of the class. Students will meet with
their partners
outside of class at their convenience.
Grading: Four projects;
each with a partner; the project may take various forms (such as survey, short
paper, class presentation). Each project must be presented to the class. Each
project (written project plus class presentation) is worth 25% of the
grade.
About the Instructor: Kathleen M. Ward is a lecturer
in the Department
of Linguistics. She teaches courses in English grammar, Introduction
to Linguistics,
and American linguistic diversity. For three years, she was a member
of the staff
of the Dictionary of American Regional English.