Saddleback College Fall 2010

Professor Claire Cesareo-Silva Office Hrs:

Office: BGS 305 Mondays and Wednesdays, 12-1:30pm;
Telephone: (949) 582-4739 Tuesdays, 9-11am (online only);
E-mail: ccesareosilva@saddleback.edu or by appointment.

Anth 3
CULTURE AND LANGUAGE
Ticket #: 11730
MW 10:30-11:50am
BGS 340

We die. That may be the meaning of life. But we do language.

That may be the measure of our lives.
-Toni Morrison

This syllabus is your guide to the semester. Please refer to it regularly as it contains much of the
information you need to get through the class successfully. If you lose your syllabus you can get another
from my website at www.saddleback.edu/faculty/ccesareosilva or from the Blackboard course site.

COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course examines the complex relationship between culture and language. We will be looking at both
the structure of languages and the social significance of language and cross-cultural communicative
behaviors.

During the semester we will be addressing questions such as: Where and when did language originate?
How do languages change and develop through time? To what extent does language shape our thoughts
and identities? Do children throughout the world follow the same language acquisition patterns? What is
the relationship between language and power in a culture? What is the relationship between language
and identity? Do men and women communicate in the same ways?

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
1. Describe the purview of linguistic anthropology, and outline the methodologies used in the field.
2. Define human language and discuss how it differs from other animal communications systems.
3. Discuss the interconnections between language acquisition and enculturation.
4. Explain the structure of language including phonology, morphology, and syntax.
5. Discuss cross-cultural variations in linguistic structure.
6. Identify the ways in which languages change through time and space.
7. Articulate an anthropological perspective on current issues and concerns in the field of linguistic
anthropology, such as bilingualism, African American Vernacular English (AAVE), and language
loss.
8. Apply concepts learned in class to transcribe a speech event.
9. Analyze a speech event from an anthropological perspective.

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REQUIRED TEXTS
The following book is required and is available at the bookstore:

Blum, Susan D., editor

2009 Making Sense of Language: Readings in Culture and Communication. Oxford University
Press. ISBN: 978-0195336382.

There will also be a number of additional readings that will be available on the Blackboard course site.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS
I. Attendance and Participation: Students are expected to attend lectures, to keep up with
the assigned readings, and to participate in classroom discussions and activities. Attendance
will be taken and excessive absences will result in the lowering of your grade.

II. In-Class/Homework Assignments: Students will be submitting short in-class and/or

homework assignments.

III. Midterm Paper: Students will be completing an “ethnography of communication” based on

an observation of a linguistic encounter between two or more individuals. This could be a
wedding, a meeting, a conversation at a bar, or any type of situation in which there are
multiple speakers. Specific instructions on how to complete this assignment will be
distributed in class.

IV. Final Exam: There will be an open book final exam based on the readings and discussions
during the semester.

GRADING CRITERIA
Your grade will be calculated as follows:

Class Attendance and Participation 25%

In-Class/Homework Assignments 25%
Midterm Paper 25%
Final Exam 25%

Final grades will be based on the following standard grading scale:

Course
Grade Percentage
A 90-100%
B 80-89%
C 70-79%
D 60-69%
F below 60%

COURSE POLICIES AND STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Attendance Sheets: Students must sign-in on the Attendance Sheet each day using their full
signature – not initials. If you are late for class and miss the sign-in sheet, it is your responsibility
to come up to my desk and sign yourself in before you leave.
2. Lateness: Arriving late is disruptive to the entire class, so please arrive on time. If you must
come into the classroom late (or leave early), do so quickly and quietly.
3. Class Dismissal: Please do not start to pack up your belongings until I excuse you for the day.
It is impossible for others to hear over the rustling of papers, etc.
4. Cell Phones: Turn off all cell phones upon entering the classroom. If your phone “accidentally”
rings during class, simply turn off the phone – do not answer it.

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 5. Late Work: Late work will only be accepted if you contact me on or before the due date. You
need not concoct an extravagant reason for needing an extension; all excuses are valid.
Students will then be given a revised due date, after which there will be no more extensions. Do
not be afraid to approach me if you are having any problems with the assignments, but please do
so as early as possible.
6. Extra-Credit Policy: During the semester, there will be a number of opportunities to earn extra-
credit points. All extra-credit work must be submitted by the last day of class. You may earn a
maximum of 15 extra credit points, calculated at the same rate as the homework (25%). This
means that if you earn 15 extra credit points they will be multiplied by .25, thus adding 3.75
percentage points to your course grade.
7. Student Demeanor: Please treat everyone with courtesy and respect. I encourage all students
to participate openly and freely in the course discussions, and I expect students to respect the
opinions of others. This does not mean you have to agree with everything I or another student
says, but you must disagree in a non-threatening and productive manner.
8. Preparedness: Come to class prepared, having read the materials, and ready to engage in a
discussion of the topic at hand. It is everyone’s obligation to make this class fun and rewarding.
9. Quality of Work: This is a college course therefore I will expect college-level work. Your ability
to clearly express thoughts and ideas will be included in the grading of your papers.
10. Plagiarism: Plagiarism, the use of someone else’s published or unpublished work in whole or in
part without attribution, is a major infraction of Saddleback’s Academic Honor Code. Proven
plagiarized work will be given a 0/F. Please see me if you need more information on how to
correctly cite the work of others in your papers.
11. Cheating: Students found cheating on an exam or assignment will receive a 0/F for that exam or
assignment.
12. Withdrawals: Students who do not attend class for 2 consecutive weeks may be dropped from
the course. However, do not expect to be automatically dropped if you stop attending. It is your
responsibility to make sure that you are officially withdrawn by drop date or you may receive an F
for the course.

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

Accommodations are available for students who have a documented disability. Documentation is done
through the Office of Special Services in the Student Services Center, Room 113; 582-4885. Please see
me if you need to discuss any particular issues.

Blackboard Course Site

I will also be posting all course materials onto the Blackboard course site. This includes the syllabus, a
copy of assignments, PowerPoint lectures, and extra-credit opportunities. In addition, all written
assignments must be submitted via the site. If you have never used Blackboard in your courses before, I
strongly suggest you take the Blackboard tutorials found at: http://socccd.blackboard.com. Please see
me if you need additional help.

ACCESSING THE COURSE

In order to access the course site, your computer should have at least 32 megabytes of RAM (although
64 is better), a 2GB hard drive (although 4GB is better), and a modem that is 33.6 BPS or faster. A
broadband or DSL connection is highly recommended. If you do not have access to such a system, you
can use the computers in the library or in LAP.

You access the course by typing in the following URL address: http://socccd.blackboard.com, or linking to
it from MySite or the college’s main web page. Your user name is the same as your Saddleback e-mail
address up to but not including the @ sign (generally your first initial, last name, and one or two digits).
Your password is the same as your e-mail account, generally your pin number plus two zeros. If you
have changed your e-mail password, your password for Blackboard will have also changed. If you have
forgotten your password, you can log-on to MySite and change it.

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IMPORTANT: All communication will go out using your Saddleback e-mail address, so you must utilize
this account. If you are not in the habit of checking your Saddleback account, please begin doing so or,
better yet, have you Saddleback mail forwarded to your regular account.

Once you log in, there will be a list of the courses in which you are currently enrolled. To access this
course, just click on the link to Anth 3 – Culture and Language.

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 Course Schedule
DATE TOPIC READINGS/ASSIGNMENTS
8/23 Introduction to the Course Activity
8/25 Anthropology and the Study of Language
8/30 What is Language? Blum, Ch. 1
9/1 The Origin of Human Language Blum, Ch. 3, 5, and 6
Homework - Gossip
9/6 NO CLASS – Labor Day
9/8 Film: A Conversation with Koko (1999). 60
mins.
9/13 A Comparison of Human and Non-Human Blum, Ch. 2
Primate Communication Systems
9/15 Language Diversity Blum, Ch. 13
Film: In Search of the First Language (1994).
60 mins.
9/20 Language, Thought and Culture Blum, Ch. 9 and 10
Homework – Learning a Language; Learning
a Culture
9/22 Metaphors We Live By Blum, Ch. 11
Activity - Metaphors
9/27 Listening to Speech: Learning How to Do an Article – Frake
Ethnography of Communication Blum, Ch. 38
Midterm Paper Instructions Distributed
9/29 The Structure of Language Blum, Ch. 4
Film: Human Language Series, Part I:
Discovering the Human Language (1995). 55
mins.
10/4 Transcribing Language and the International Homework – Transcription and Phonetics
Phonetic Alphabet
Exercises
10/6 Looking for Meaning in Language I: Homework – Morphology Exercises
Morphology and Words
Exercises
10/11 Looking for Meaning in Language II: Syntax Homework – Syntax Exercises
10/13 Body Language and Beyond: Nonverbal Article – Brookes
Communication Homework - Gestures
Film: Reading People (1998). 22 minutes.
10/18 Sign Languages and Deaf Culture Blum, Ch. 43
Film Excerpts: Sound and Fury (1991). Article – Goldin-Meadows

10/20 Guest Speaker

10/25 Silence as a Cultural Practice Blum, Ch. 44 and 45
10/27 Language Acquisition and Enculturation Article – Ochs/Schieffelin
Final Paper Instructions Distributed
11/1 How Languages Change Homework – Language Change
11/3 Languages in Contact: Pidgins and Creoles Articles – Patrick/Payne-Jackson and Smith
Film Clip: The Harder They Come (1974). Homework – Gullah Tales

11/8 The Roots of Gullah

Film: The Language You Cry In (1998). 52
mins.
11/10 Film: American Tongues (1986). 60 mins. Midterm Paper Due
11/15 Linguistic Diversity: Region, Class, Ethnicity Blum, Ch. 23 and 25

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11/17 The Battle Over African American Vernacular Blum, Ch. 26 and 27
English (AAVE)
11/22 The Power of Language Article – Kennedy
Film: The N Word (2006). 85 mins. Because Homework – Language and Power
this film is slightly longer than the allotted time,
I will be starting class 5 minutes early and
ending 5 minutes late.
11/24 Multilingual Nations and the Politics of Blum, Ch. 15 and 29
Language
11/29 Code Switching and Bilingual Identities Blum, Ch. 17, 18, and 19
Film: Multilingual Hong Kong (2005). 33 mins.
12/1 Gender Differences Blum, Ch. 33, 34, and 41
Homework – Gender
12/6 Film: Nu Shu: A Hidden Language of Women
in China (1999). 59 mins.
12/8 Language Loss and Revitalization Blum, Ch. 20, 21, and 22
12/15 Final Schedule – 10:15am-12:15pm Final Exam – Bring your book, articles,
. and notes

Other Important Dates

Last Day to Add/Use APC codes 9/5/10

Last Day to Drop without a “W” 9/24/10

Last Day to Change Grading options (letter grade or P/NP) 9/24/10

Last Day to Drop without a Letter Grade 11/4/10

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 Additional Readings for the Course
(All are available on Blackboard)

Listening to Speech
Frake, Charles O.
1964 “How to Ask for a Drink in Subanun.” In American Anthropologist 66(6-2:127-132).

Body Language and Beyond

Brookes, Heather
2008 “A Repertoire of South African Quotable Gestures.” In Journal of Linguistic Anthropology
14(2): 186-224.

Sign Languages and Deaf Culture

Goldin-Meadow, Susan
2005 “On Inventing Language.” In Daedalus 136(3): 100-103.

Language Acquisition and Enculturalion

Ochs, Elinor and Bambi B. Schieffelin
1994 “Language Acquisition and Socialization: Three Developmental Stories and Their Implications.”
In Language, Culture, and Socieity. Edited by Ben G. Blount. The University of Georgia Press.
Pp. 470-512.

Languages in Contact
Patrick, Peter L. and Arvilla Payne-Jackson
2008 “Functions of Rasta Talk in a Jamaican Creole Healing Narrative: ‘A Bigfoot Dem Gi’Mi’.” In
Journal of Linguistic Anthropology 6(1): 47-84.

Smith, Franklin O.
1991 “Gullah Narrative.” In Anthropology and Humanism Quarterly 16(4): 129-136.

The Power of Language

Kennedy, Randall L.
2000 “Who Can Say “Nigger”?…And Other Considerations.” In The Journal of Blacks in Higher
Education 26: 86.