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COURSE SYMBOL AND NUMBER: EN/ED325
COURSE TITLE: Modern Grammar
TERM COURSE BEING TAUGHT:  Spring 2005,
NAME OF FACULTY MEMBER: Dr. Jeff Glauner
TITLE OF FACULTY MEMBER: Professor of English
FACULTY OFFICE LOCATION: Office: Copley 310
FACULTY OFFICE HOURS:
MF – 1:05-1:50 p.m.
Or by appointment
FACULTY OFFICE TELEPHONE NUMBER: 816-584-6352
FACULTY PARK EMAIL ADDRESS: jeff.glauner@park.edu
FACULTY WEB PAGE ADDRESS: captain.park.edu/jglauner
DATES OF THE TERM: Jan. 10-May 6
CLASS SESSIONS DAYS: M-F
CLASS SESSION TIME: 1:50-3:05 p.m.
CREDIT HOURS: 3

MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of Park University, an entrepreneurial institution of learning, is to provide access to academic excellence, which will prepare learners to think critically, communicate effectively and engage in lifelong learning while serving a global community.

VISION STATEMENT
Park University will be a renowned international leader in providing innovative educational opportunities for learners within the global society.


COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course concentrates on modern approaches to English grammar and its teaching after a brief historical perspective of transformational, structural and traditional methodologies. Teacher education candidates are required to develop teaching packages demonstrating appropriate pedagogical methods. Other students may substitute research papers.

PROFESSOR'S EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY: "And gladly wolde he lerne, and gladly teche," says Chaucer’s Oxford scholar. Today’s teachers need not be threadbare like the "clerk," but they must continue to celebrate learning and teaching, tempting students to seek first that which enriches the mind and human spirit.

GOALS OF THE COURSE: Students will emerge from the course with a greater appreciation for and understanding of the grammatical structures of the English language. In addition, teacher education students will have developed strategies for teaching grammatical structures and a system of priorities to tell them when and in what contexts the teaching of grammatical structures will be most efficient, effective, and beneficial. Other students will gain research insights into the history and structures of English grammar.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
1. Students will demonstrate familiarity with three movements in grammatical study: traditional, structural, and generative-transformational. Familiarity will be demonstrated through daily exercises, individually and in peer groups, and through formal testing.
2. Students will demonstrate proficiency in the use of the language for contemporary grammatical study and in the recognition and manipulation of grammatical structures. Proficiency will be demonstrated through regular completion of assignments from the text, through class discussions, and through formal examinations.
3. Teacher education students will demonstrate proficiency in developing lessons in grammar as evidenced by a teaching package for the teaching of a particular grammatical structure leveled for the students they expect to teach. Other students will demonstrate proficiency in writing a research paper.

COURSE TEXTBOOKS:
Glauner. Essentials of Grammar: A Textbook for Teachers, Editors, Secretaries, Writers, and Other Semiwilling Curmudgeons. Parkville, Missouri: Park University, 2002 <captain.park.edu/jglauner/EN325/GramText>
If you don’t already have one, I suggest that you purchase a handbook of grammar and writing. It will be of use to you in this class and in your career as a teacher. I’ll be happy to suggest a title. Also, consult the bibliography in the textbook for additional reading.

ACADEMIC HONESTY: Academic Honesty is required of all members of a learning community. Hence, Park will not tolerate cheating or plagiarism on tests, examinations, papers, or other course assignments. Learners who engage in such dishonesty may be given failing grades or expelled from Park.

PLAGIARISM: Plagiarism—the appropriation or imitation of the language or ideas of another person and presenting them as one’s original work—sometimes occurs through carelessness or ignorance. Learners who are uncertain about proper documentation of sources should consult their facilitator.

ATTENDANCE POLICY:  In my experience, students who attend class regularly and take all assignments seriously are more likely to receive high grades for the course.

Teachers are required to keep attendance records and report absences. The teacher may excuse absences for cogent reasons, but missed work must be made up within the semester/term of enrollment. Work missed through unexcused absences must also be made up within the semester/term of enrollment, but unexcused absences may carry further penalties. In the event of two consecutive weeks of unexcused absences in a semester/term of enrollment, the learner will be administratively withdrawn, resulting in a grade of “F”. An Incomplete grade will not be issued to learners who have unexcused or excessive absences recorded for a course. Learners receiving Military Tuition Assistance (TA) or Veterans Administration (VA) educational benefits must not exceed three unexcused absences in the semester/term of enrollment. Excessive absences will be reported to the appropriate agency and may result in a monetary penalty to the learner. Reports of an F grade (attendance or academic) resulting from excessive absence for learners receiving financial assistance from agencies not mentioned above will be reported to the appropriate agency.

BE IN CLASS!!!

Students with unusual attendance problems (Park athletic team travel, hospitalizations, jury duty, etc.) should consult with me regarding special arrangements for make up of missed classes and course work.

LATE SUBMISSION OF COURSE MATERIALS: Graded in-class assignments may be made up only with my approval.  Major out-of-class assignments (such as drafts of the term project) handed in late will lose one letter grade per calendar day. You may avoid this penalty in many cases by successfully submitting assignments on-time to eCompanion or by email.  Homework assignments (1-20) will not be accepted late.  I must receive them electronically or by hard copy by the end of the class period for which they are due.*
(*adjusted to match online syllabus.)

DISABILITY GUIDELINES: Park University is committed to meeting the needs of all learners that meet the criteria for special assistance. These guidelines are designed to supply directions to learners concerning the information necessary to accomplish this goal. It is Park University’s policy to comply fully with federal and state law, including Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the American with Disabilities Act of 1990, regarding learners with disabilities and, to the extent of any inconsistency between these guidelines and federal and/or state law, the provisions of the law will apply. Additional information concerning Park University’s policies and procedures related to disability can be found on the Park University web page: www.park.edu/disability.

COURSE ASSESSMENT:
1. Each teacher education student will complete a teaching package as outlined in attached written materials. Each student who is not a teacher education student must complete either a teaching package or a research paper as outlined in linked materials.

2. Each student must complete midterm and final in-class examinations and assigned homework.

3. Students are required to maintain a Park Pirate email address and be able to receive and send email with it. Students must check email regularly. (Note: Email addresses along with all necessary hardware and software are available free at Park University’s computer laboratories. I recommend that you forward the mail from your Pirate Mail account to the account you use regularly.)

COURSE ARRANGEMENTS: The course will entail some lecture in order to deal efficiently with the three grammatical movements we will be studying. But, much of the time, students will work together in peer groups to explore grammatical structures in written and spoken contexts. Full class discussion will often follow group sessions. Because this is a difficult study for some students, I encourage you to form and participate in study groups with your peers.

COURSE CONTENT: (Note: Reading assignments refer to the course text which is available for download at captain.park.edu/jglauner/EN325/GramText. You must bring a copy of the appropriate chapter(s) to class in order to participate fully. Homework assignments are due by email before the class period during which the homework chapter will be discussed. Don't panic if yours is less than perfect. The purpose of the homework is as a matrix to be shared and improved during the class discussion. Our new "smart" classroom will help us to do this (if I'm smart enough to turn it on). If you give it a valiant try, you will be given credit. Late homework will not be accepted.

Unit I: Activities
Introductions - Overview of Linguistics and Grammar.
We will begin Unit I by taking an initial assessment examination. At the beginning of the unit, you will be assigned to a peer group for group discussion and projects. During the unit, we will focus on an introduction to linguistics and the history of grammar and its study over the past 150 years. Also, you will be introduced to the concept of sentence constituents which will follow us like a lost puppy throughout the course. You will get advice as to how to read the text and how to complete your assignments. You will be required to introduce yourself with a brief personal essay about you and your experiences with grammar. You will be required to interact with your classmates regarding their contributions to the discussion and homework. Discussions will allow us to share ideas about the challenges and opportunities we face as students of grammar and address what we hope to achieve during this course. There will be opportunities to discuss topics and requirements for the research paper and teaching package. The first thing you should do is read Unit I (the first four chapters) of our online textbook. Then, reread it--several times, perhaps!

Note: Because of the extensive discussion in this class and my own failings as a disciplinarian, unauthorized talking sometimes gets out of hand. Do your part this semester to help those who are distracted by such noise by not making so much of it.

Initial Assessment Examination: Because you will receive no grade for this examination, I'll start out by giving you 5 points of extra credit for taking it seriously. Please take the examination without getting help from anyone and without consulting sources. You will probably not be able to respond adequately to many (perhaps most) of the questions. Remember that it is an "initial assessment," not a graded exam. The results are used in assessing the cumulative effectiveness of the course not in assessing you as an individual.

Mon., Jan. 10 - Intro. to the course. Fill out information sheets. Initial Assessment Examination.
Fri., Jan. 14 - Read: Chapter 1, A – "An Overview of Descriptive Linguistics," and Chap. 1, B – "An Overview of the History and Demise of Grammatical Discourse in Schools and Other Places of Learning." Review of syllabus. Note: Also download and bring to class the introduction to the text and the bibliography.
Mon., Jan. 17 – No classes.
Fri., Jan 21 - Read: Chapter 2 – "Sentences and Nonsentences."
Mon., Jan. 24 - Discussion of Teaching Packages. Bring copy of assignment and "Paradigm for Lesson Planning" to class. Find these on my website. After roll call and announcements, anyone in the class who is not a teacher candidate and who will be doing a research project instead of a teaching package should go in the library. Such students must report to me on their progress at the library by email before next class period.
Fri. Jan. 28 - - Read: Chapter 3 – "A List of Grammatical Terms" and Chapter 4 – "Sentence Constituents"

Unit II: Activities
Basic Sentence Patterns, Part One.
Topics for homework and discussion will be normal sentence order and the first three basic sentence patterns: intransitive verb, direct object, and indirect object. Also, by the end of this unit, you will be required to submit a prospectus for your teaching package or research paper. All homework and discussion will be examined and critiqued by both teacher and students. All students must examine the work of other students carefully, critically, and without malice. We are all a part of this conversation. We will divide into peer groups for discussion of many of these assignments. Note: This pattern of open sharing and discussion will continue throughout the course. I appreciate those students who go out of their way to assist their peers.

Mon. Jan. 31 - Read: Chapter 5 – "Normal Sentence Order and Introduction to Basic Sentence Patterns"
Fri., Feb. 4 - Read: Chapter 6 – "Pattern 1: Intransitive."
Mon., Feb. 7 – Read: Chapter 7 – "Pattern 2: Transitive (Direct Object)" and Chap. 8 – "Pattern 3: Indirect Object."

Unit III: Activities
Basic Sentence Patterns, Part Two.
Continuing the study of Unit II, we will consider the other four basic sentence patterns: subject complement (adjectival), subject complement (nominal), object complement (adjectival), object complement (nominal). We will study Unit III (Chapters 9-12) of the text.

Fri., Feb. 11 – Read: Chapter 9 – "Pattern 4: Subject Complement (AdjPh), and "Chapter 10 – "Pattern 5: Subject Complement (Nom)."
Mon., Feb. 14 – Read: Chapter 11 – "Pattern 6: Object Complement (AdPh)" DUE: PROSPECTUS FOR TEACHING PACKAGE AND FOR NON-TEACHER-CANDIDATE RESEARCH PAPERS.
Fri., Feb. 18 – Read: Chapter 12 – "Pattern 7: Object Complement (Nom)."
Mon., Feb. 21 – No classes.
Fri., Feb. 25 - Discussion of Teaching Packages. Bring copy of assignment and "Paradigm for Lesson Planning" to class. Find these on my website. After roll call and announcements, anyone in the class who is not a teacher candidate and who will be doing a research project instead of a teaching package should go in the library. Such students must report to me on their progress at the library by email before next class period.
Mon., Feb. 28 – Prepare for Midterm Exam.
Fri., March 4 - Midterm Examination
March 5-13 - Spring Recess.

Unit IV: Activities
a) First draft of Teaching Package or Research Paper,
b) Phrases as Sentence Constituents and Modification in Basic Sentence Patterns.
Mon., March 14 - DUE: FIRST DRAFT OF TEACHING PACKAGE AND NON-TEACHER-CANDIDATE RESEARCH PAPERS.
Fri., March 18 – Read: Chapter 13 – "Phrases as Constituents."
Mon., March 21 - Continue discussion of phrases as constituents.
Fri., March 25 – No classes.
Mon. March 28 – Read: Chapter 14 – "Modification in Basic Sentence Patterns.”

Unit V: Activities
a) Simple, Compound, and Complex Sentences,
b) Subordinate Clauses.
Take a deep breath. Diving into the murky waters of complex sentences and subordinate clauses is the scariest aspect of this unit's study. However, you already know most of this stuff, except maybe what to call things. What we do this week is all 19th century traditional grammar brought into the 21st century. Be prepared to compare notes with your classmates.
Fri., April 1 - Read: Chapter 15 – "Simple, Compound, and Complex Sentences."
Mon., April 4 - Read: Chapter 16 – "Subordinate Clauses."
Fri., April 8 - Continue discussion of subordinate clauses.

Unit VI: Activities
a) Coordination (Compounding),
b) Elaboration of the Auxiliary and Main Verb,
c) Final Draft of Research Papers and Teaching Packages.
We will spend a little time on the concept of coordination of sentence constituents and a lot of time on the generative transformational analysis of the verb (AUX + Main Verb) in finite and nonfinite verb phrases. (By the time we get here, these words and phrases won't look quite so daunting to you.) Look forward to this. It is one of the most useful and interesting advances in grammatical study during the last 100 years.
Mon., April 11 - Read: Chapter 17 - "Coordination."
Fri., April 15 – Read: Chapter 18 – "Elaboration of the Auxiliary."
Mon., April 18 – DUE: FINAL DRAFT OF TEACHING PACKAGE AND NON-TEACHER-CANDIDATE RESEARCH PAPERS.


Unit VII: Activities
a) Transformations,
b) Parts of Speech.

This is like the beginning and the end linked together. Traditionally, parts of speech is the first chapter of the book. Transformations is often considered the last chapter of a modern grammar book. We'll look at both in the same unit. It should be a nice conclusion to our study. In addition, we will review for the final examination.
Fri., April 22 – Read: Chapter 19 – "Transformations."
Mon., April 25 - Read: Chapter 20 – "Parts of Speech (Form and Function)."
Fri., April 29 - Prepare for final examination.

FINAL EXAMINATION: Mon., May 2, 3:15-5:15.

Notice: Course content is subject to change on short notice.
GRADING PLAN:
Attendance - See Section IX
Homework - 30%
Midterm Examination -15%
Teaching Package or Research Paper - 25%*
Final Examination - 30%*
Note extra credit availability on my home page.
*Adjusted from standard syllabus to match online syllabus.

Final Grade Conversion:
90-100% A
80-89% B
70-79% C
60-69% D
0-59% F