Course Meeting Times
Lectures: 2 sessions/week, 1.5 hours/session
Prerequisites
There are no prerequisites for this course.
Course Description
One mind, two languages. The basic focus of this class will be on the linguistic and psycholinguistic underpinnings of the bilingual brain. The human capacity for language is unique and infinite; the multilingual brain/mind is nature’s standard.
We will begin the semester with discussions about language and linguistics; we will then continue to understand what it means to “acquire” a new language. How did we learn our first language(s)? Were we taught English? Japanese? Chinese? Spanish? If so, how did we do it so quickly or so slowly? Is the learning of a new target language different from the learning of a first language? Is there a critical period for language learning?
To answer these questions, we will consider different models of bilingualism. We will also consider topics such as code-switching and how it is possible to have grammaticality judgments about code-switches. What are the effects of bilingualism on other domains of human cognition? What do imaging studies of the human brain tell us about the bilingual/multilingual brain? We will also consider issues concerning bilingual education, language planning, and policy among many other topics.
During the semester you are encouraged to conduct your own research on various topics, if you so desire. You can, for example, interview your families, friends, or other students in order to elicit judgements, opinions, experiences, etc.
Course Requirements
Weekly Readings
Students must do all the assigned readings before class. This class will be run as a seminar in which everyone participates and contributes their ideas, conjectures, hypotheses, and/or observations. This will not be a standard lecture class in which the instructor lectures to the class and the class takes notes.
Writing Assignments
There will be short written assignments spread out throughout the semester that are due on the day specified on the syllabus. These assignments will cover a wide range of topics that are related to the class discussions and readings.
Late work is unacceptable, since your assignments are designed to feed directly into discussions and other class activities.
Communication Element
This is a Communication Intensive in the Humanities (CI-H) course. What does this mean? One thing it means is that we take your ability to write very seriously. You will have lots of opportunities to write in this class. Each assignment will involve writing. The first assignment will also involve a rewrite of your original submission. Your final project will also provide ample opportunity for extended prose.
Each of your assignments will be commented on both in terms of what you have written as well as how you have written it. We will work with you throughout the semester to help you develop good writing practices. Lots of time and attention will be devoted to this aspect of the class. Please take advantage of all these opportunities.
Paper Revision
You must revise paper #1. This revision date is noted on the calendar page.
You may also revise any of your other writing assignments if you receive a grade of “C-” or below. You will have one week after assignments are given back to resubmit a revised version. To receive a new grade, your revised version must be one full grade higher than the original grade.
Leading a Seminar Discussion
Each student must lead a class discussion of some form at least once during the semester. Guidelines about how you will do this will be provided in class. Typically, students choose a reading from the syllabus that is of interest to them. However, the topic you choose for this discussion can be from another source and might be related to your final project although this is not mandatory.
Meeting with Writing Advisor
Each student must meet at least once with the course’s writing advisor during the semester to discuss some aspect of your writing. I would encourage you to meet multiple times, but the one visit is mandatory.
Final Project
This will consist of a 5–7-page study/report that you can develop over the course of the semester. The project will be divided up such that you will first submit a proposal; we will then discuss the proposal together. After this, you will then begin to write your final paper. We are available for comments and feedback on this phase of the paper writing. However, you must take the initiative to set up a time to meet with me or the writing advisor to discuss any aspect of the paper you are working on. This feedback will be limited. It is not meant to provide a review of a full draft of a paper but rather to give you feedback about a particular focus you are assuming or direction you are taking or to help you if you “get stuck” at a particular juncture.
Topics and the schedule of development will be discussed in further detail.
Attendance
All students are expected to attend all class meetings. Unexcused absences, late assignments, and lack of preparation for class will significantly affect your final grade. If you have a medical excuse or a counseling dean’s approval, please make sure that I am informed by a dean in Student Support Services.
- Computers are only for taking notes. Game playing, emailing, texting, etc. are not allowed during class.
- All cell phones must remain off during class.
- Importantly, you are not advised to take another class that meets at the same time as this one. If the other class has an exam scheduled during the class time for 24.906, you will not be excused from 24.906 to take the exam. Please do not do this!
Grading
- 1/3 class participation
- 1/3 homework assignments
- 1/3 final project
Use of AI in Writing Your Essays
It may be very tempting to use available AI resources when writing your essays. However, this will be treated as plagiarism. It is very easy for us to verify whether or not you have used these resources in your writing. You risk receiving an “F” for the paper and perhaps for the class itself. This is a CI-H class. We want to help you improve your writing skills. Everyone does well in this class as long as you put the effort into doing so. Trust us!!!
