Class Schedule (Last Edited on 6/9)

This course provides students with cultural and social aspects to human language.
Major topics include the purpose, structure, development and variation of (English) language.
Relevant film and video clips are introduced as a primary source of language samples.
Students’ active exploration and in-depth investigation are encouraged through their participation in small group sharing and online discussion.

WK 1
MON: What do you know about language? (Globish! lingua franca!)
(*Class material, Part 1-3)
TUE: Why not just go out and collect examples? (Also start to search Wikipedia for more!)
(Class material, Part 4)
THU/FRI: What is language/paralanguage? Why do we need it? (dialect? register?)
(Class material, Part 5-6)

WK 2
MON/TUE: How do we use language? (euphemism? political correctness?)
(Class material, Part 6-7)
THU/FRI: How is language studied? (language contact? language death?)
(Class material, Part 8-9)

WK 3 
MON/TUE: How is language taught and learned? (language change? language transfer?)
(Class material, Part 10-11)
THU: How does language evolve? (creole? pidgin?)
(Class material, Part 12)
FRI: What about your own language examples? (Final)

Notes:
(1) The class schedule is tentative and subject to change to accommodate student need and interest.
(2) *The required text, BBC - Who on Earth are We? is available online (http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/webcast/tae_whoonearth_archive.shtml).