Date

Activities

Reading/Written/Collaborative Work Due

Week 1

August 27

Introductions
Learning Styles
Syllabus
Discussing research
Reading Responses

Week 2

September 3

Strategies for reading theory
Vocabulary
Comparing positions (charting)
Discussion
Introducing project #1

Readings: Reader, Part One, "Structure and Agency in Language: Theorizing the Sign" 1-47

Due: Reading response #1

Week 3

September 10

Theorizing subjectivity

How does our understanding of subjectivity shape education? research? reading and writing?

Ethical research practices, IRB, etc.

Designing your data collection method

Readings:

• Reader, Part One, "Structure and Agency in Language: Language and Subjectivity" 100-138
• Docutek—"Gender Differences."
• Online—IRB info, research in composition, ethics in linguistics research, research on the internet

Due: Reading response #2

Week 4

September 17

The gender/language issue

Language games

Analyzing a published article

Analyzing your data

Readings: Reader, Part One, "Structure and Agency in Language: Language and Gender" 139-179

Online—short example

Bring to class: your raw data.
A copy of Romaine, Suzanne. "A corpus-based view of gender in British and American English." Hellinger, Marlis and Bussmann, Hadumod eds. Gender Across Languages. The de/construction of gender roles through language variation and change. Amsterdam: John Benjamins, 2001. 113-135. Be sure to read it before class!

Due: Reading response #3

Week 5

September 24

Discussing language and sexuality

French feminists and women’s writing

Share projects (a 5 minute oral presentation for each project) You may use overheads, PowerPoint, or a handout

Readings: Reader, Part One, "Structure and Agency in Language: Language and Sexuality" 180-217

Due: Project #1

Week 6

October 1

Introduce project #2 Analyzing the rhetoric of a situation

Connect the readings from Wars theorists we have already discussed

Finding documents/texts for your project.

Readings: War, Chapters 1 and 2—17-85

Online article: "Fearing the Freak"

Due: Reading response #4

Week 7

October 8

Analyze articles and strategies

Review for midterm

Assign midterm

Readings: War, Chapters 4 and 5—118-193

Due: Reading response #5

Week 8

October 15

What is rhetorical analysis? How does it function?

Discuss project: 1) analyzing your texts; 2) choosing appropriate evidence; 3) writing an introduction

Readings: Catch-up day!

Bring: your document set

Due: Midterm

Week 9

October 22

Playing with political correctness

Peer review your projects: Bring a 3 page draft of project #2

Readings: War, Chapter 3—86-117

Docutek—"The Language Police"

Docutek—"Political Correctness"

Due: Reading response #6

Week 10

October 29

Discuss the intro and the conventions of the scholarly search of relevant literature

Connections between "political correctness" and gender neutral, non-sexist language

Discussion of sexism and anti-sexism

Readings: Professional Writing: Introduction—1-32 and Part 1: "The Sexual (Re)Production of Meaning"—35-50

Just because you might be interested: from Vocabula

Due: Project #2

Week 11

November 5

Discuss research methods in these articles.

Discuss content.

Assign editing project (#3).

Discuss editing practices.

Readings: Professional Writing: Part 1—51-133

Editing

Bring: Editing guidelines—find online or in a text

Due: Reading response #7

Week 12

November 12

Develop guidelines for non-sexist usage for you to employ in your teaching or professional materials.

Apply your guidelines to a document.

Readings: Professional Writing: Part 2—137-226

Bring: a list of at least 5 examples of places you saw unnecessary gender-specific language this week (TV, Billboards, ads, radio, newspaper—these examples don’t need to be sexist.)

Due: Reading response #8

Week 13

November 19

Provide graduate students with final assignment (Undergrads work on editing project)

Apply knowledge to scholarly writing project

Readings: Professional Writing: Part 2—227-278

Online: JAC article

Bring: Editing project and work so far

Due: Reading response #9

Week 14

November 26

Project #3 due (bring to my office before 5 p.m. on Wednesday)

I will be available during class time for individual conferences.

THANKSGIVING (NO CLASS)

Week 15

December 3

Discuss the canon. Developing a teaching philosophy or course rationale. (What are these genres, how would you use them.)

Readings: Docutek—"The Literatures of America"; "Defining the Canon"; and "Toward the Success of a ‘New Canon’"

Due: Reading response #10

Week 16

December 11

Review for final; peer review for graduate students. Fill out course evals.

Readings: Catch up

Finals Week

Final

Due: Graduate assignment #4

Elizabeth Birmingham
Assistant Professor, Department of English
320J Minard Hall
North Dakota State University
Fargo, North Dakota 58105

Office: (701) 231-6587
e-mail: Elizabeth.Birmingham@ndsu.nodak.edu

Prospective students may schedule a visit by calling: 1-800-488-NDSU.