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Teaching
Click on the title of a course to download the syllabus. In the spring of 2010 I will teach: English 474: Language Attitudes in the USA This upper-level research seminar will examine language ideology and linguistic prejudice in the United States of America. We will emphasize language assessment in American schools and the educational ramifications of linguistic discrimination. Our approach will be hands-on, as students will be involved in research design and data analysis. Opportunities for continued research participation and internships related to the topic are available upon completion of the course.
Community Studies 351: Methods in Community-Based Research This course will survey a variety of community-based participatory research methods, including but not limited to survey research, individual and focus group interviewing, ethnographic field methods, documentary activism, and others. Students will be guided through critical thinking about community issues and their involvement, while assessing the utility and relevance of research-based responses to those issues in partnership with a community organization or agency.
In the fall of 2009 I am teaching: Community Studies 250: Introduction to Community Studies: African-American English This course will explore the linguistic and social features of English as spoken by African-Americans in the United States. We will examine hypothesis about the history and emergence of African-American English and explore the relationship of African-American English to Linguistic theory, Education praxis, American culture, and racial prejudice. Throughout the course we will highlight ways that we can contribute to literacy research and explore what we can do to help with the day-to-day process of helping children learning to read right here in our own community.
English 220/Anthropology 204: Study of Language This course is an introduction to linguistics, the scientific study of human language. We consider languages as structured systems of form and meaning, with attention also to the biological, psychological, cultural, and social aspects of language and language use. My section of Study of Language has a focus on language and education.
In the fall of 2008 I taught: This course will examine language variation and change in North America. We will learn about major sociolinguistic variables as they relate to geography as well as age, gender, ethnicity, race, socioeconomic status, social class, and stylistic variation. Hands-on practice with collecting and analyzing speech will be the focus of the second half of the course. Students will conduct interviews and do analysis on a language variety of their choice. Opportunities for service learning will be available; Sharpe Scholars are encouraged. I also teach: English 150W: Sharpe Freshman Seminar: Language Variation and African-American English article based on the class experiences This course explores the linguistic and social features of English as spoken by African-Americans in the United States. We examine hypothesis about the history and emergence of African-American English and explore the relationship of African-American English to Linguistic theory, Education praxis, American culture, and racial prejudice. Students participate in yearlong mentoring and tutoring programs in the Williamsburg-James City County schools through the Big-Brother Big-Sister in-school Program and/or the A.C.C.E in-school tutoring program. In particular, we combine the study of the language and culture of everyday life with the application of this knowledge to raising the reading levels of elementary school children. Throughout the course we highlight ways that we can contribute to literacy research and explore what we can do to help with the day-to-day process of helping children learning to read right here in our own community. |