Main Textbook:
Saville-Troike, Muriel. 2006. Introducing Second Language Acquisition. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press. Designated as ST in the weekly list of assignments.
The collection of primary readings is available on E-Reserve at the course (listed as SLAT/English 615) site there. via the Library Home Page (Electronic Reserves) http://eres.library.arizona.edu
Course Homepage: using D2L courseware: http://d2l.arizona.edu Access also directly via Student Link.
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Course Requirements, Grading Policies, Percentages and Assignment of Grades • Regular attendance and active participation in discussions is an assumed pre-requisite for completing the course satisfactorily. Any more than two unexcused absences will be considered excessive, and will result in an administrative drop. Since any absence results in a major loss of information and connection to the progress of the class work, it could have the result of lowering your grade. • Participate in discussions and in co-construction of the seminar and learning activities , in class and/or in the electronic class forum using D2L. Each class participant will work individually or with a partner and with the instructor to develop discussion and learning activities for the seminar sessions. Some may be based on the critical reviews. 60 points • Three (3) critical reviews of articles from the collection of primary readings. 40 points each = 120 points total. Reviews will be posted on the D2L course site for sharing with all participants, due on the date indicated for each review (always one or two days before a class day). • Five (5) written assignments described below. 30 points each = 150 points. Assignments will be posted on the D2L course site for sharing with all participants, due on the date indicated for each assignment. They will be graded for both your own contribution and also for responding to the posting of at least 3 of your classmates, using the Discussion tools in D2L. • Two Midterm assessments (tests) 75 points each = 150 points total. Tests will be in a short-answer format, and they will focus on understanding of terms from the main textbook and on questions similar to those provided for self-study at the end of the chapters in the main text book. The scope of the tests is cumulative. • Annotated Bibliography: on approved topic. Bibliography will be posted on the D2L course site for sharing with all participants, due on last day of classes. 120 points Total Possible Points: 600 A = 540-600 points B = 480-539 points C = 420-479 points D = 360-419 points E = 359 points and less |
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.Description of Class Conduct and Procedures: Integrity is expected of every student in all academic work. The guiding principle of academic integrity is that a student's submitted work must be the student's own. Students engaging in academic dishonesty diminish their education and bring discredit to the academic community. Students shall not violate the Code of Academic Integrity and shall avoid situations likely to compromise academic integrity. Students shall observe the provisions of the Code. Failure of faculty to prevent cheating does not excuse students from compliance with the Code. For the complete Code, refer to http://catalog.arizona.edu/policies/994/acacode.htm . Students with Disabilities: If you anticipate the need for reasonable accommodations to meet the requirements of this course, you must register with the Disability Resource Center and request that the DRC send me official notification of your accommodation needs as soon as possible. Please plan to meet with me by appointment or during office hours to discuss accommodations and how my course requirements and activities may impact your ability to fully participate. Since this course is based on in-class discussion and on the assumption that students will co-create the content of the course, any absence is the equivalent of missing content that can not necessarily be reconstructed. Therefore, any absence will result in the need to make up work and review content of the class discussions. It is the individual student's responsibility to take the following steps if an absence is unavoidable:
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Week-by-week Schedule for readings, discussions, assignments, and tests Please note that this schedule is subject to minor and announced changes, depending on our progression with discussion about the topics. However, the dates for assignments and tests will remain firm. You are responsible for reading the assigned texts before you come to class on the date listed . Class discussions and activities assume that you have done the background reading. This includes reading the Article Summaries and Commentaries (Critical Reviews) posted by your classmates.
Assignment Descriptions You will turn your written assignments in electronic form in the appropriate and designated section of the D2L class website. All students will be able to read the work you turn in, and each student will be asked to respond to the work of other students. Written assignments Assignment #1 (due September 5) : Interview two people about their second/foreign language learning experience. One should consider him/herself a relatively good language learner and one a relatively poor language learner. Turn in a written report on the two interviews, but do not use real names . Answer the following questions in your report: What is their basis for judging their own relative success? In other words, what is their ‘evidence'? What ‘data' are they accounting for? To what do they attribute their success or lack of it? In other words, what is their ‘theory'? Compare the two perspectives. Are there any differences which you think might generally characterize the experience of good vs. poor language learners? Why do you think this might be the case? Note: you may use yourself as one of the learners for this assignment, but please do not use anyone else who is in this class. Assignment #2 (due September 17):
Assignment #3 (due October 17): Argue for one of the following four positions, and cite evidence for the point of view that you are supporting—not just your own beliefs or opinions.
Assignment #4 (due November 7) : If you were asked by an education agency (specify which one you are using for your example) to recommend the age at which formal instruction in an L2 should begin, what would you recommend? What social factors should be considered in making such a recommendation? What psychological factors should be considered in making such a recommendation? Assignment #5 (due December 5): The following statements are frequently made to second language teachers-in-training. Select any one that you either agree or disagree with. Identify and discuss the underlying theoretical assumptions in that statement, making reference to SLA theories discussed in this class. • Language skills should be taught in the following order: listening, speaking, reading, writing • The purpose of language is communication. Do not correct errors that learners make when they are engaged in communicative activity or you will inhibit their development of communicative competence • Beliefs in the values of hard work and personal responsibility contribute to greater success in second language learning • Second language students should be grouped for instruction by ability level so that instruction will be most closely attuned to their needs • Active classroom participation is important for students' second language learning Three critical reviews are required (one each from Groups A, B, and C of the collection of primary readings). These must be posted to the class D2L site in time for discussion on the date due. In addition, please turn in one hard copy to me. Be prepared to discuss the reading in class and to answer any questions that other students might have about it. You are considered the expert(s) for this particular reading, and it is your privilege and responsibility to help your classmates understand the readings to the best of your and their abilities. Each critical review should include the following components:
You will receive a sample critical review of the first primary reading, prepared by Dr. Saville-Troike, as a potential model. Annotated Bibliography (on an approved Topic) due on or before December 14, 2007 at 1:00 p.m. Your annotated bibliography should include the following:
You will turn your annotated bibliography in electronic form in the appropriate and designated section of the D2L class website, as well as turning in ONE hard copy to me (in LSB, 3rd floor) before 2:00 p..m. on December 13 . If the electronic copies are not turned in, and/or if the hard copy is not in my office by 2:00 on December 13, 2006, you will not receive credit for this major portion of the class work. No late work will be accepted. If you have any difficulties with this deadline, you must see me and discuss the situation before December 13, 2006 at 2:00 p.m.. CRITICAL REVIEWS: SIGN-UP SHEET Three critical reviews are required (one each from Groups A, B, and C of the collection of primary readings). These must be posted to the class D2L site in time for discussion on the date due. Be prepared to discuss the reading in class and to answer any questions that other students might have about it. You are considered the expert(s) for this particular reading, and it is your privilege and responsibility to help your classmates understand the readings to the best of your and their abilities. You may not sign up as a second or third writer for one article until all of the articles in that group have at least one presenter/reviewer.
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