You can earn up to 500 points apportioned as follows:

Overall demands of the course: Language is complicated, its study is an enormous field, and though we won’t be covering it all by any means, we will do enough to give you a strong base for pursuing further language study either in this department or in Linguistics or Education. But yes, it will be demanding. The reading is not that much per week, but you will find yourself having to read and reread, to memorize a good deal, and (hardest of all) to get used to thinking about language quite differently than you may have done before.

Moreover, we will cover a LOT. That means that missing class will be a major downer. I hope we will keep things interesting, but really, missing class will make your job a great deal tougher. So if you have a busy schedule and don’t have time to devote to this class, then you will want to find something else to take.

More on Assignments:

You will be doing some form of writing for every class. Sometimes it will be a short paper; at other times it will be an exercise either posted on the Assignments and Updates page (at Assignments and Updates ) or the Course Canvas page, or from exercises in the book, or it may be something to prepare you for a quiz. I will read and respond to some, but not all. However, all papers, quizzes and exercises will be collected by you and submitted at the end of the course in a final portfolio for credit. More on the Language Portfolio will be forthcoming later in the quarter.

What do I want: Engaged Critical Intelligence (ECI) : My criterion for the daily exercise/response papers is “engaged critical intelligence,” or ECI. You don’t have to be “right,” and you don’t have to be polished. You don’t even have to solve entirely whatever problem I give you. But I do want to see real effort, even if it’s only to narrate for me the difficulties you are having as you try to come to grips with the assignment.

How Much Time Should You Spend Writing? In the past some students have spent more time and anxiety on these responses than is necessary. Please understand: although I genuinely do want you to take these exercises seriously, I’m not asking for finished "English Papers." I call them “response papers” to suggest that their purpose is to be responding with an Engaged Critical Intelligence both to the reading and to my question(s) about it—NOT writing a series of "papers."

In specific terms that means: I expect from you either TWO typed pages, or ONE FULLY ENGAGED HOUR of writing. If you want to spend more time than that—fine. Just don’t go over two pages, or, when posting on line, over the word-limit.

My response to your responses. I certainly do want your papers to be coherent, but the daily response papers are not supposed to be fully finished works. And because they are informal in this way, I will also rarely read them with the same close attention I will give to your formal work. Their primary usefulness is in the writing itself. I take it as axiomatic that you will get substantially more from this class by having written regularly throughout than you otherwise would—and end-of-quarter evaluations from students in earlier classes consistently confirm that most students agree.

Moreover my intent is that these exercises will be useful to you whether I actually read them or not. Indeed, I will not read every set of papers at the time you write them (though you will be collecting them as you complete them, and turning them in as part of the course portfolio at quarter’s end). And when I do collect them, my comments will be of the “OK,” “good,” or “I’d like to see more thinking going on here” variety. (If you want more specific response to your work, you are welcome to come talk with me during my office hours.)

Late Papers: I cannot accept late submissions. There will be 40 or more of you, and you’ll be writing something for almost every class. That adds up to a huge number of submissions, and if they are coming in at different times, I simply cannot keep track of them. So if I have collected a day’s exercise but you didn’t have it ready to turn in, then make it up, and submit it in your final portfolio, but please don't give it to me. (You can miss up to TWO such exercises without penalty. Otherwise you will lose points for missing papers.)

Virtual Office Hours: My office hours are listed above; I enjoy talking with students, so don't hesitate to use them. I am also available for reasonably simple questions online. Send me a note. If your question or concern is too complicated to address online, I’ll tell you so and we can find a time to talk.

Finally, remember to back-up your work regularly, and always keep a copy of anything you turn in! Don’t be a victim of a failed hard drive—whether yours or mine!

Plagiarism: Plagiarism is using the words or ideas of another person without crediting that person fully and accurately. Faculty at the UW generally view plagiarism as a very serious matter.  That doesn't mean you can't use things other people say or write. We do that all the time.  The point is that you must clearly identify anything you borrow or quote, and you must acknowledge your source!  Copying, quoting, or even paraphrasing others without crediting your source is very much prohibited, not just in this class but for any class you take from here on out.  

A particularly serious form of plagiarism is copying or submitting someone else's work as if it is your own, an act that can result in both a failing grade and referral to the University for further disciplinary action.

There are guidelines in any handbook and available online for how to give credit to your sources, but if you have any questions at all about how best to deal with sources, please visit the OWRC, or write or talk to me!

Unforeseen Difficulties: Should any unforeseen difficulties (like injury or illness or the effects of culture shock) affect your performance in the class, please let me know! Things do happen, and in spite of all of the rules and warnings above, the paramount goal for all of us here is to ensure you get as much from this course as you possibly can. So don't hesitate to talk with me about any issue that may slow you down or hold you back. I hold regular office hours (see above), but I'm also available by appointment at other times and by email just about anytime.

Important UW Campus Resources

FIUTS: (The Foundation for International Understanding Through Students) provides opportunities for students from all over the world to connect. Consider going to a FIUT’s outing : Every week during the summer, FIUTS organizes an outing for students and friends (canoeing and visiting Discovery Park were two recent excursions). You do not have to make a reservation in advance.  See what events are planned at: http://www.fiuts.org/

Writing Centers: UW writing centers can support you as you transition from high-school writing to university-level writing in any course you take. These centers are free and provide individual attention from trained mentors. During Early Fall Start contact:

The Odegaard Writing and Research Center (OWRC)

OWRC offers free, one-on-one help with all aspects of writing at any stage in the writing process. The OWRC is located in Room 121 of the Odegaard Undergraduate Library (OUGL) and it is open Monday - Thursday from 12:00-6:00 p.m. during Early Fall Start. You can consult with a writing tutor at any stage of the writing process, from the very beginning (when you are planning a paper) to near the end (when you are thinking about how to revise a draft to submit to your instructor).

To make the best use of your time there, please bring a copy of your assignment with you and double-space any drafts you want to work on. To make an appointment or browse the center's online resources, please visit

http://www.depts.washington.edu/owrc.

Q Center: The University of Washington Q Center is a largely student-run resource center dedicated to serving all members of the University community on issues of gender and/or sexual orientation.  

The Q Center hosts students groups and regular programming events, as well as maintaining a queer-centered library and student blog.  You can access the Q Center website at:

http://depts.washington.edu/qcenter/wordpress/

or stop by room 315 in the HUB Monday-Friday between 9am-5pm.

Disabilities: Please let me know if you need accommodation of any sort. I am happy to work with the UW Disability Services Office (DSO) to provide what you require, and I am very willing to make suggestions specific to this class to meet your needs. This syllabus is available in large print, as are other class materials—just ask.  More information on support at UW may be found on the DSO web site at:

http://www.washington.edu/admin/dso

Emergencies or Complaints

If for some reason I am not available when you have an emergency, or if you want to speak to someone else about the class, please contact Dr. Anis Bawarshi, Chair of the English Department. His office number is 206 543 2690, and his email address is bawarshi@uw.edu.