Linguistics 7

 
 
 

Course Requirements & Description


Required Readings & Materials (Available at the UCSD Boookstore)

(1)Van Cleve, J. V. & Crouch, B. A. (1989). A Place of Their Own: Creating the Deaf Community in America.  Washington DC:  Gallaudet Univ Press.

  1. (2)Sign Language and Its Culture Reader (2013). Reader

  2. (3)iClicker



Course Grade Composition

  1. (1)3 Tutorials (ungraded but immensely helpful)

  2. (2)3 TED (web) quizzes = 10% of final grade

  3. (3)Class participation (iClickers) = 5% of final grade

(2) Midterm examination 35%

(3) Final examination 50%

Pass/Fail students must obtain a final grade of C- or higher in order to Pass. Final grades of D or F are No Pass.

Web quizzes are questions about the readings. Students do the quizzes on TED. Students have two opportunities to take each quiz; the best of the two grades is counted. 

Both the midterm and final examination are objective, multiple choice tests that cover material given in lecture, tutorials, and readings. The final is cumulative. Final grades are given on a curve.

Course Structure

This course introduces students to language  structure and evolution by way of sign language. The course material is learned several ways, class lecture and discussion, small group tutorials, readings, and web quizzes. The material presented in lecture, discussion, readings, and tutorials overlaps but is not identical.  Lectures include videos of sign language. Tutorials focus on specific aspects of linguistic structure of signed and spoken language. Readings come from several disciplines including historical, linguistic, and psychological research as well as personal histories from people who are deaf and sign. Teaching assistants are specialists in linguistics, psychology, and sign language. By the end of the course, students understand how the structure of language creates its expressive power, the centrality of language to culture and identity, and how languages evolve. Students also gain a deep and nuanced understanding of deafness and Deaf culture.

Course Syllabus

The course syllabus will be available on TED.

 

Lign 7 is about sign language, American Sign Language.

We do not learn how to sign. Instead we learn about sign language and how its history, evolution, structure, and culture helps us understand the nature of language itself. Language is unique to humans. Understanding the nature and power of language helps us better know the human mind and society.