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En 443--Language and Literature Ellie Kutz Fall 2006 Office: W-6-29 T/TH 10-11:30 Office Phone: 617-287-6722 W-1-57 Email: Eleanor.Kutz@umb.edu Office hours: T/Th 9-10 and by appointment
Course description:
In this course we will explore the ways in which literary language relates to language used in other contexts and how linguistic theory and method can be applied to the study of literature. Our focus will be primarily on narrative literature, but there will be room to explore other genres through individual projects.
The course is designed
In the course, we’ll apply relevant concepts and ways of describing language to the study of language in informal, everyday narratives. We’ll apply the same concepts to the study of the language of representative texts of fiction. We’ll see how the qualities of language in literary texts are related to those of non-literary texts, considering what defines a text as literary.
While we’ll consider various levels and types of linguistic description (phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics), we’ll focus in particular on discourse—on language as it is used in any particular communicative context and in units larger than the sentence. We’ll draw most heavily on the systemic-functional theory of grammar developed by the linguist M.A.K. Halliday, and the tools his work offers for seeing how speakers and writers make choices that shape meaning and how readers interpret meaning in relationship to context.
Instructional Approach and Expectations
Assignments and other materials related to the course will be posted to online class sites, using both an English department website (primary) and WebCT (supplemental). Both sites will be password protected, and you’ll receive instructions for accessing them in the first week of class. In addition to readings, I’ll typically ask you to post informal written assignments to our primary site, to respond to the postings of others, and/or to participate in threaded discussion about a topic (on WebCT) for most classes. The most important requirement will be keeping up with these informal assignments.
The course will be divided into an introduction and three units.
Unit 1—Meaning and Purpose in Narrative Discourse
In this unit we’ll focus on the two of the major functions of discourse (of language in context): the way it helps us to name and communicate meanings, and the way it allows us to achieve particular interpersonal purposes.
The informal assignments for this unit are listed in the course schedule below.
Your major project for this unit will be a portfolio project in which you draw on your informal responses, incorporating relevant parts and expanding on them within an overview that sets forth the analytical tools and concepts you’ve found useful (with reference to the readings), how you’ve applied them, and the understandings you’ve gained. For this project, I’ll suggest that you focus on several related texts of the ones you’ve been working with. For example, you might choose to analyze differences in some conversational narratives you’ve collected, analyze differences in your literary recastings, or analyze passages that you find comparable in the literary texts we’ve worked with. You might also choose to work more extensively with one text (more fully developing one of your recastings, for example). I’ll ask you to let me know by 9/26 what the focus of this project (due 10/24) will be.
Unit 2—Syntax, Dialect, Style and Context
In the second unit, we’ll on a third function of language—the textual function, looking at syntax, dialect, and style, and the variation in syntactic structures as well as lexicon that’s involved in adjusting language to different discourse contexts. In this unit, we’ll continue to work with both literary and conversational narrative discourse, building on the understandings developed in Unit 1. Once again, this unit will involve a series of informal explorations. For this unit, you may choose either to expand your corpus of conversational narrative or to identify a literary text beyond our readings that you want to work with in depth. Informal assignments for this unit are listed in the schedule below.
Your major project for this unit will again be a portfolio project in which you frame and draw on the analyses that you’ve been carrying out to share your understandings about a text or texts, literary and/or conversational.
Evaluation of Student Performance
The evaluation of your performance for this course will be based on Unit 1 your posting of weekly informal analyses, responses, and contributions to discussion (50%) participation in class discussion and informal group-led discussions and presentations (10%) your first portfolio project (40%) Unit 2 your posting of weekly informal analyses, responses, and contributions to discussion (50%) participation in class discussion and informal group-led discussions and presentations (10%) your second portfolio project(20%)
We’ll work out specific elements of and expectations for these parts of your work together, generating common understandings and rubrics that will serve as guidelines both for your work and for the assessment of that work.
Readings
E. Kutz. Language and Literacy: Studying Discourse in Communities and Classrooms. Portsmouth NH: Heinemann Boynton/Cook, 1997. The first five chapters of this book will provide an introduction to key topics and guide the analysis of language from several perspectives. This has been ordered from the bookstore. A copy will also be available in library reserve. (L&L) Roddy Doyle, The Woman Who Walked Into Doors. (WWWID) New York: Penguin, Individual articles and chapters about language from other sources, and some literary texts, listed under weekly assignments below, will be available on the library’s electronic reserves (ER), which you can find on the UMass, Healey Library website. The password for this course is discourse.
Readings on Electronic Reserve Short Stories: Toni Cade Bambara, “The Lesson” Flannery O’Connor, “The River” Leslie Marmon Silko, Aunt Susie’s story excerpt from The Storyteller Lois-Ann Yamanaka, “Obituary” Alice Walker, “Everyday Use”
Linguistic and Discourse Studies and Reference Material (Electronic Reserve—EL--or highlighted links to library data-base) Bloor, Thomas and Meriel Bloor, “Grammar and Text” in The Functional Analysis of English. A Hallidayan Approach. London: Oxford University Press, 1995 Chafe, Wallace. “Integration and Involvement in Speaking, Writing, and Oral Literature.” In Spoken and Written Language. Exploring Orality and Literacy. Ed. Deborah Tannen. Norwood, NJ: Ablex, 1982. Fromkin, Victoria and Robert Rodman. “Syntax,” from An Introduction to Language. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1993, pp. 76-97 Hacker, Diana. “Basic Grammar,” from A Writer’s Reference. Boston: Bedford St. Martins, 4th edition, 1999, pp. 404-421 Heath, Shirley Brice. “Oral Traditions,” from Ways with Words, Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1983 Kutz, Eleanor, Suzy Groden, Vivian Zamel. Chapter 8, “The Language of Literature.” In The Discovery of Competence. Portsmouth NH: Heinemann Boynton/Cook, 1993. Labov, William. , “The Transformation of Experience in Narrative Syntax,” In Language in the Inner City. Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Press, 1972. Pratt, Mary Louise. “Literary Cooperation and Implicature,” from Toward A Speech Act Theory of Literary Discourse . Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1977. Tannen, Deborah. “Imagining Worlds: Imagery and Detail in Conversation and Other Genres.” In Talking Voices. Cambridge UK: Cambridge University Press, 1989. Toolan, Michael “Recording Speech and Thought,” in Language in Literature. London:Arnold, 1966. Thornborrow, Joanna and Shan Wareing. “From Classic Realism to Modernism and Postmodernism,” from Patterns in Language. An Introduction to Language and Literary Style. Routledge: London, 1998. Traugott, Elizabeth and Mary Louise Pratt, “Varieties of English,” In Linguistics for Students of Literature. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1980. Also see Traugott and Pratt Chapter 7, p. 299-301 on Free Indirect Style (not on ER)
OVERVIEW OF PROPOSED SCHEDULE
Introduction
We’ll begin by considering a few key concepts and laying some underpinnings for the study of language.
Week 1 (9/5, 9/7) Course Introduction 9/5—Syllabus, student info sheet 9/7—In class. We’ll work with Cisneros short story, “My Name”: write and share our own versions, mimicking Cisneros’ style, learn names of students in class. We’ll draw on your prior knowledge re. resources of language (considering what you can say about one sentence from Cisneros, working in groups), I’ll introduce a few key concepts re. functions of language: we’ll apply these to Cisneros, “My Name.”
Week 2 (9/12, 9/14) Introduction and Background Continued
For 9/12, read L&L Introduction, pages 8-11 Chapter 1 (with particular attention to Halliday’s functions of language discussed on p. 16-17) Skim Chapter 2 (but focus on the discussion of sounds, syntax, and lexicon on pp. 33-42)
In class. Introduction to 1st project. Example of Melanie’s story We’ll discuss key concepts as applied to Melanie’s story We’ll read/listen to an excerpt from Doyle’s WWWID and make some initial observations about language.
For 9/14 Weekly inquiry/informal response: What can you say about an excerpt from WWWID using the key concepts introduced in Chapters 1 and 2? What questions do you have about the concepts of the readings as you apply them to this exchange?
In class: We’ll meet in a computer lab. You’ll post your responses as assignment #1, participate in threaded discussion and chat. I’ll introduce some key concepts from Chapter 3, and we may look at a sample conversation from Chapter 3, and sample texts collected by Heath.
Unit 1—Meaning and Purpose in Narrative Discourse
This unit will focus on how meaning and purpose are realized in narrative through discourse structures. In this unit, you’ll do some field research, collecting samples of conversational narrative from a setting of your own choosing, and we’ll work with those, along side some short stories, to try out linguistic concepts as working tools. You’ll also heighten your awareness of language and literary style by recasting one or more conversational narratives in the style of some of the short stories we’ll read. The unit will include the following nine informal assignments (detailed directions that aren’t in the required text will be posted on the class website). I’ll require assignments 2, 3 and 9 from everyone. I’ll expect you to complete and post a total of seven. (You can choose to skip two assignments without penalty, but they should all be useful to your unit project.)
2. Recording and transcription of a conversational narrative (9/19) 3. Written “story” of conversation (9/19) 4. An informal analysis of meaning/the semantic domain in a transcribed narrative (9/21) 5. A recasting of a transcribed narrative in the style of Jamaica Kincaid’s “Girl,” with a reflection on the changes you made (9/28) 6. An informal analysis of purpose in a transcribed narrative (10/3) 7. A recasting of a 1st person transcribed narrative into the 3rd person, with reflection (10/10) 8. A recasting of a 1st person transcribed narrative within a narrative frame, with reflection (10/17) 9. Project 1 proposal (9/26)
Discussions/chats Silko (before 10/12)
Week 3 (9/19, 9/21) Meaning and Its Linguistic Elements: Semantics, the Ideational Function
For 9/19 Read L&L Chapter 3 Tape a conversation in which you elicit some storytelling and transcribe a narrative portion (aim for about 5 minutes) exactly as spoken. Then recast the spoken version as a “written story.” Post both versions to our English website as assignments #2 and #3.
In class: We’ll listen to another excerpt from Doyle’s WWWID, twice, making notes on repeated words the second time, and apply key concepts from Ch 3. We’ll look at a few examples of the spoken stories you’ve posted, considering words, teller/listener’s meaning within the conversational context, and outsider readers’ meanings and what the words evoke from personal and larger cultural perspectives. We’ll consider the concept of shared knowledge.
For 9/21 Following the suggestions on p. 282 of the L&L guide, analyze the semantic domain being created in the portion of the conversational narrative you transcribed. Post as assignment #4. Read Kutz, Groden, Zamel, Ch. 8. In class: We’ll discuss the Unit 1 Portfolio Project, drawing on examples from the Kutz, Groden, Zamel reading.
Groups will read, respond to examples of your transcribed narratives and analyses. (Print 5 copies of transcript.) Add comments to your posting #4, based on the group discussion.
Week 4 (9/26, 9/28) Meaning continued.
For 9/26 Read Heath, “Oral Traditions.” Prepare a brief proposal for Unit 1 project (# 9 ) In class: We’ll discuss Heath, how her analyses of sample stories compare to your own, what her work adds to your understanding of what’s significant re. how meaning is realized in a discourse context.
For 9/28 Read Jamaica Kincaid, “Girl” Recast a transcribed narrative in this style. Post as #5 and bring to class.
In class: We’ll read “Girl” aloud, and you’ll read the recast versions of your narrative. You’ll reflect on and share the sorts of changes you made to your story, and, in groups, you’ll try out some ways of describing those changes, identifying specific features of style and beginning to develop a shared list of linguistic/discourse features we might attend to, some tentative terminology, and questions about naming and defining that you’ll want to pursue. We’ll talk about how specific aspects of the language of “Girl” contribute to your sense of its meaning.
Week 5 (10/3, 10/5) Accomplishing Purposes in Language: Pragmatics--The Interpersonal Function
For 10/3 Read L&L Chapter 4. Following the suggestions on p. 283 sections B&C of the L&L guide, annotate your transcript to note the pragmatic aspects of the conversational narrative you recorded, looking for the purposes behind each statement and the implied meanings created within the apparent propositional content. Post as #6.
In class: We’ll apply concepts from Chapter 4 to a Doyle excerpt, to Kincaid’s “Girl,” and to some of your transcribed conversational narratives.
For 10/5 Respond to two other postings of assignment #6, seeing what you can add to the writer’s analysis or what questions the analysis raises for you. Read Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use.”
In class: We’ll discuss the ways in which characters’ intentions, purposes in the story are represented/suggested in their language. Weeks 6 and 7 (10/10-10/17) From First to Third Person Narrative; Narrative Framing
For 10/10 Read Toulan, “Recording Speech and Thought.” Then recast a first person narrative (one you’ve recorded or from a short story) into the third person. Reflect on the changes you’ve made and post the recasting and reflection as assignment #7.
In class: We’ll discuss Toulan. You’ll work in groups, applying Toulan’s discussion to Walker and to the changes you’ve made in a narrative text.
For 10/12 Read the Leslie Marmon Silko selection, Aunt Susie’s story from The Storyteller. Participate in a threaded discussion of your responses to/questions about the core story and the framing narrative (on Web CT site).
In class: we’ll work with Silko to consider how a framing narrative can support a writer’s purposes and affect the meanings of a core narrative. We’ll look at Doyle’s opening to consider how, without a framing narrative, an introductory episode can frame a narrative text.
For 10/17 Recast a recorded narrative or literary narrative within a frame, reflect on the changes you’ve made, and post as assignment #8. Read Pratt, “Literary Cooperation and Implicature.” Pratt works with Grice’s maxims (L&L Ch 4) and looks at the ways in which writers use intentional violations of the cooperative principle to suggest the perspective of a narrator, to create unreliable narrators, and to create meaning through implicature.
In class: You’ll share your framing narratives and consider the linguistic strategies you used to accomplish your purposes within them. We’ll discuss Pratt in relationship to your narratives and our other readings.
For 10/24 Unit 1 Project due. For this project, you’ll apply some of the key concepts we’ve worked with in this unit as an overview/framing of a set of texts: the examples of narrative discourse you’ve collected and analyzed, your creative recastings of recorded narratives in the style of the literary texts we’ve read, or, alternatively, the literary texts themselves.
In class. Be prepared to present a brief overview of your project to the class, with a close look at one example of narrative discourse. Post it as #10 for us to view on the screen. (You may also bring copies of the excerpt for everyone.)
Unit 1 revisions will be due 11/14. Post final Unit 1 project as #11
Week 8 (10/24m 10/26) Unit 1 Presentations
Unit 2—Syntax, Dialect, Style, and Context
In this unit, we’ll continue our dual focus on conversational narratives and literary narratives, again working with some common examples from literary texts. There are seven informal responses for this unit and you must complete five, with #14 and #15 or #16 required of everyone.
Informal assignments: #12. Analyze coherence and information structure in a narrative text (literary or conversational) #13. Post group analysis of narrative structure and syntax in a narrative #14. Post process and results of inquiry into a grammatical feature using web resources. #15. Analyze the use of dialect in Bambara’s “The Lesson” #16 Analyze the Yamanaka’s “The Obituary.” #17. Analysis of Integration and Involvement (Chafe) #18 Analysis of the relationship of dialect, style, and context in a narrative text.
#20. Proposal for Unit 2.
Web CT threaded discussions/chats Doyle—language variation Grammar and syntax Style
I’ll also ask you to respond to two other students’ analyses for #13 and #14.
Week 9 (10/31, 11/2) Syntax, Information Structure, and Coherence; the Textual Function
For 10/31, read Roddy Doyle to p. 121, noting places that strike you in relation to the semantic, pragmatic, and discourse representation concepts we’ve discussed. We’ll use this reading to look back to Unit 1 and forward to Unit 2.
For 11/2, read L&L Chapter 5. The chapter introduces key concepts in the study of syntax and information structure. Please use Hacker if you want to review parts of speech and phrase types and Fromkin and Rodman for a more extended discussion of syntax. The last part of the chapter introduces Labov’s work on narrative syntax. You’ll be reading his whole article next. (These additional readings are on Electronic Reserves.)
In class. We’ll discuss Chapter 5.
Week 10 (11/7, 11/9) Narrative syntax For 11/7, read Labov, “The Transformation of Experience in Narrative Syntax” to p. 370. Identify major elements of narrative structure in a section of Doyle.
In class: Following worksheet 5.1, we'll discss the topic and cohesion structure of a selection of narrative discourse from Doyle, We’ll discuss the major elements as they appear in selections from Doyle. Drawing on class work, post the results of your analysis as (#12). For 11/9 Read Labov to the end, on types of evaluation.
In class: You’ll work in groups to apply Labov’s detailed analysis of syntax to an example from Doyle (1 group for each of Labov’s 4 categories) and post this (#13) by 11/12
Week 11 Syntax and Doyle continued.
For 11/14, read and respond to the analysis of syntax done by two other groups. How does what they’ve seen in their passage correspond to what you’ve seen in your analysis?
In class—we’ll meet in the computer lab and continue our discussion of Doyle using Web CT
For 11/16, identify a grammatical feature that you’re uncertain about in these analyses. Using the grammar sites posted on the resources page or other that you find, try to clarify your understanding. Keep track of your process and post an example of the feature, an account of your process, and a summary of your new understanding (#14), with the name of the feature as your title.
In class: We’ll discuss the features you’ve identified, your processes, and new understandings.
Week 12 Representing and Using Differences in Dialect
For 11/21 Read L&L Ch. 6 and read Doyle to p. 162.
In class: We’ll apply concepts from these readings to sections of Doyle’s novel.
Week 13 Dialect Continued
For 11/28 Read Elizabeth Traugott and Mary Louise Pratt, “Varieties of English,” in Linguistics for Students of Literature. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1980 (ER). Finish Doyle. Contribute your observations about language variation in Doyle to a Web-CT discussion. Post a Unit 2 project proposal as #20.
We’ll conclude our discussion of Doyle, drawing on your WebCT observations.
For 11/30 Read Toni Cade Bambara’s “The Lesson.” You’ll write an exploratory analysis of the use of dialect in Bambara and post as #15.
In class: You’ll share analyses in groups; groups will lead class discussion of Bambara.
Weeks 13 and 14 Variation in Language and Style
For 12/5 Read Lois Ann Yamanaka’s “Obituary.” Post an exploratory analysis of the use of dialect in Yamanaka as #16.
In class: we’ll discuss Yamanaka, drawing on your analyses.
For 12/7 Read L&L Ch. 7 to p. 155 ; and Chafe “Integration and Involvement”; see also Tannen, “Imagining Worlds.”
In class: you’ll work individually and in groups to carry out a Chafean analysis on sample texts. Post as #17. We’ll draw on that work to discuss Ch. 7 and Tannen.
Week 15 Wrapping up
For 12/12 Read O’Connor “The River”; then read the rest of L&L Ch. 7.
Following the suggestions for Chapter 7 C in the L&L Guide, pp. 288-89, extend your analysis of a narrative text you’ll work with in your final project. Post this as #18.
In class. You’ll share your work-in-progress on your Unit 2 projects.
Unit 2 Portfolio Project due 12/18: Pull together informal analyses to create a coherent discussion of syntax, dialect, and style (in relation to meaning and purpose) in a literary work.
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