Ling. 5350
Text Analysis
Fall 2004


Professor: Laurel Smith Stvan
Classroom: 219 Trimble Hall, Tues./Thur. 7:00-8:20 p.m.
Office: 410 Hammond Hall
Office Hours: T/Th 5:00-6:00 p.m. and by appointment
Phone: (817) 272-5234
E-mail: stvan@uta.edu

Course Description and Objectives

In this class we'll be looking at the characteristic structural units contributing to meaning of a given text at different levels: individual words, choices in syntactic forms, and indicators of larger text-levels units (paragraphs, rhetorical moves, story incidents) as they are used in different genres of texts. We'll focus on monologue texts (i.e. those produced by one speaker/writer). These may be either written (e.g. an essay, a letter, a memo) or spoken (e.g. a story, a sermon, a lecture).

Prerequisites: LING 5330, 5332, or 5333, or consent of the graduate advisor.

This is a graduate-level course with three objectives:

Course Requirements

1. Read articles from the course reader to be able to discuss them in class and to apply them to "your" text.

2. Analyze your text for each topic and share your finding in a brief oral report (you may use a handout) and a short written report (3-4 pages). These oral reports and the term paper presentation (see below) will give you practice, as in conference settings, in presenting main ideas within the allotted time, as well as practice in listening skills to capture key points.

3. Write a term paper (12-15 pages) analyzing in depth one topic of interest that is most revealing for your text. (Imagine yourself writing a paper for a conference or journal.) You will be asked to submit a 1-page abstract as your term paper proposal in conference abstract style (describing the problem, methodology, and hypothesis) by April 9. The last two classes are reserved for student presentations on term paper research.

Text Selection and Presentation

Each student will select a complete text (ca. 400-800 words) to analyze for the duration of the semester. The text may represent any mode of monologue discourse (written or oral) and may be in any language with which you have some familiarity (a practical criterion may be if you can provide an appropriate English gloss for the words in the text, with some help from a dictionary). You will need to supply one copy of your text to each member of the class, to aid us in later discussions.

Required Course Materials

Our text will be a course reading packet available at Bird's copies, 208 S. East Street. The cost of the packet is $28.10 (including tax).

Here is the most current schedule of readings and assignments.

Grading

Your course grade will be determined as follows:

Attendance, Oral Presentations and Class Participation 10%
Written reports 60% (3 X 20%)
Term paper 30%

There will be no exams. Oral reports will receive a check to indicate that they are completed. Participation includes attendance and preparation for class discussion. Written reports, and the term paper will receive a letter grade (A, A-, B+, B, B-, etc.)

Course Policies

Class attendance is required. You are responsible for the material presented in class lectures and for any handouts passed out in class as well as for any group work done in class; for your own benefit, come to class. But if you must miss a lecture, do the reading and homework, get notes and information from another student, and then come in to talk to me as soon as possible.

Assignments are due on the day listed in the schedule, and no later. No late assignments will be accepted without PRIOR arrangement.

Important Academic and Administrative Policies

Final Review Week. A period of five class days prior to the first day of final examinations in the long sessions shall be designated as Final Review Week. The purpose of this week is to allow students sufficient time to prepare for final examinations. During this week, there shall be no scheduled activities such as required field trips or performances; and no instructor shall assign any themes, research problems or exercises of similar scope that have a completion date during or following this week unless specified in the course syllabus. During Final Review Week, an instructor shall not give any examinations constituting 10% or more of the final grade, except makeup tests and laboratory examinations. In addition, no instructor shall give any portion of the final examination during Final Review Week.

Americans With Disabilities Act. The University of Texas at Arlington is on record as being committed to both the spirit and letter of federal equal opportunity legislation; reference Public Law 93112 -- The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. With the passage of new federal legislation entitled Americans With Disabilities Act - (ADA), pursuant to section 504 of The Rehabilitation Act, there is renewed focus on providing this population with the same opportunities enjoyed by all citizens.

All members of the UTA faculty are required by law to provide "reasonable accommodation" to students with disabilities, so as not to discriminate on the basis of that disability. Student responsibility rests with informing the instructor at the beginning of the semester and in providing authorized documentation through designated administrative channels; for more information, contact UTA's Office of Students with Disabilities on the lower level of University Center.

According to Department of Linguistics and TESOL policy, "unofficial" or "informal" requests for accommodations (i.e., those not recorded by the Office of Students with Disabilities) cannot be honored.

Academic Dishonesty. At The University of Texas at Arlington, academic dishonesty is a completely unacceptable mode of conduct and will not be tolerated in any form. Students involved in academic dishonesty will be disciplined in accordance with University regulations and procedures. Discipline may include suspension or expulsion from UTA/

According the UT System Regents' Rules and Regulations, "Scholastic dishonesty includes but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, collusion, the submission for credit of any work or materials that are attributable in whole or in part to another person, taking an examination for another person, any act designed to give unfair advantage to a student or the attempt to commit such acts" (Part One, Chapter VI, Section 3, Subsection 3.2, Subdivision 3.22).

While the Department of Linguistics and TESOL hopes to foster a sense of community in which students can enhance their educational experience by conferring with each other about the lectures, readings, and assignments, all work submitted must be the product of each student's own effort. Students are expected to know and honor the standards of academic integrity followed by American universities; ignorance of these standards is not an excuse for committing an act of academic dishonesty (including plagiarism). If you have questions, please speak with your instructor, your academic advisor, or the department chair.

Auditors. The Department of Linguistics and TESOL has a "no audit" policy. Students attending LING classes must be officially enrolled in those courses. Exception: Students who have already fulfilled a degree requirements and would like to sit in on a comparable course to prepare for their comprehensive / diagnostic examination may do so (with the permission of the professor).

Gifts to Faculty.The Department of Linguistics and TESOL has a strict "no gift" policy: instructors may not accept gifts of any kind from students, including meals, food, or flowers. All linguistics instructors have been instructed to refuse gifts. Students can avoid placing their instructors in an awkward position by not offering them any gifts. Students wishing to honor their professors may make a contribution to the LING-TESOL Scholarship Fund; visit the department office (Hammond Hall 403) and ask for a "Gift Giving Guide."

Student Support Services. The University of Texas at Arlington supports a variety of student success programs to help you connect with the University and achieve academic success. These programs include learning assistance, developmental education, advising and mentoring, admission and transition, and federally funded programs. Students requiring assistance academically, personally, or socially should contact the Office of Student Success Programs at 817-272-6107 for information and referrals.

Enrolling in / Withdrawing from this Course. Students are responsible for making all decisions regarding their enrollment status in UTA courses. Should a student decide to withdraw from this course, s/he must either (1) drop via the internet / SAM system or (2) complete an official "add/drop" and file it in the Linguistics and TESOL department office. Any student who stops attending class and/or fails to complete assigned work will not be "automatically" dropped; under such circumstances, unless you officially withdraw, you will receive a grade of F. (Note: Students enrolled in graduate courses may not "replace" a grade; all grades are permanent.)

Go to Laurel Stvan's home page.

Last Updated: Sept. 24, 2004