1. What are the conventions of academic theory? (What conventional features do you expect when reading an article that is mainly outlining a theory?)
2. What are the elements that make reading academic prose most challenging? (List at least five.)
3. What were the elements that made this week’s reading most challenging? (List no more than five.)
4. For each of these challenges, list at least two strategies to help overcome them. Why would these be helpful?
5. As a group, come up with a list of ten strategies to help you read and understand challenging academic prose.
6. List these on an overhead; I will compile these for next class.

Group 1: Saussure: Give us a three sentence summary of Saussure on:

• structure/agency
• the sign (or where meaning resides)

Group 2: Croce: Give us a three sentence summary of Croce on:

• structure/agency
• the sign (or where meaning resides)

Group 3: Voloshinov: Give us a three sentence summary of Voloshinov on:
Group 4: Voloshinov: Give us a three sentence summary of Voloshinov on:

• structure/agency
• the sign (or where meaning resides)

Using the materials I have brought to class, and with the support of your group (work together) create a visual representation of the relationship between the ideas of the three theorists we studied today.

Next class:
Read:

• Reader, 100-138
• Docutek, "Gender Differences" by Birmingham
• On-line—check links to IRB info, research practices in comp, and linguistics

Due:

• Reading response #2
• Your group’s 3 sentence summary

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.