FREN 701: THEORIES AND METHODS OF SCHOLARSHIP: RESEARCH AND TEACHING

(Required; 3 credit hours; meeting 2 1/2 hours per week.
Fall, 1991: Mondays/Wednesdays, 1:00-2:15.)
[NOTE: Brackets indicate information not on students' copies.]

WEEK ONE (September 2, 4)

Joint Introduction to all aspects of the course: Learning and Teaching. [What the course is and why it is needed.] (Joint meeting)

READ: Academic's Handbook, Preface and Section One ("The Academy and the Academic").

The Concept of Proficiency as a Model.

Omaggio, Ch. 1-2; also, pp. 337-41 ("The Structure of the ACTFL/ETS Oral Proficiency Interview").

WEEK TWO (September 9, 11)

Examine Reference Sources in Print Form. Major bibliographies, encyclopedias and manuals in French studies: form and content.

The AATF Competencies: What does language teaching entail?

DUE: Be prepared to discuss the AATF competencies. How well do the undergraduate programs you know help student to reach the basic level of competence?

WEEK THREE (September 16, 18)

Electronic Reference and Bibliographical Sources.

Ethics of the profession, I. (Joint meeting)

READ: MLA Newsletter list of ethical concerns in colleges.

READ: Case studies, to be discussed in class.

RECOMMENDED READING: Saints and Scamps, Ch. 5

WEEK FOUR (September 23, 25)

The Preparation of Scholarly Research and Writing, I: Bibliographical access to sources in language, literature, and civilization: general considerations. [using the reference handlist]

DUE: First (brief) reference exercise.

Testing (Written and Oral); Giving Feedback.

READ: Omaggio, Ch. 8; be able to define the terms in #1, p. 354; prepare #7, p. 355, for discussion.

DUE: Case study analysis (two pages): ROUGH DRAFT.

WEEK FIVE (September 30, October 2)

The Preparation of Scholarly Research and Writing, II: Reference and verification.

[Why the scholar's habits are both useful and important.]

DUE: Case study (rough draft).

Teaching Writing.

READ: Omaggio, Ch. 6; prepare #3, p. 269, for discussion.

DUE: A quiz you can use in class.

WEEK SIX (October 7, 9)

The Presentation of Scholarly Research and Writing, I: Thesis and Dissertation writing, publication, and paper-giving: WHY??

READ: Academic's Handbook, Section Five ("Publishing Research"), with special attention to the sections by Budd and by Rowson.

DUE: Second (brief) reference exercise.

DUE: Final text of case study analysis.

Evaluating Compositions. Peer Observation.

DUE: Composition assignment; graded compositions; discussion of criteria.

READ: Explanation of the Peer Observation System.

WEEK SEVEN (October 14 [Fall Break], 16)

The Presentation of Scholarly Research and Writing, II: Publication and paper-giving: HOW?? WHEN??

WEEK EIGHT (October 21, 23)

Journal Reviews.

DUE: Be prepared to present one language teaching/linguistics/literature journal to the class, answering the questions previously distributed. Hand in your written review of another journal.

MLA Style, hands-on session.

EXAMINE: The MLA Style Manual.

DUE: A note of peer observation groups and first meeting date.

WEEK NINE (October 28, 30)

Discussion of the MLA Introduction to Scholarship: Lewalski on Historical Scholarship, Lipking on Criticism.

Error Correction.

READ: Omaggio, Ch. 7; be able to define the terms in #1, pp. 304-305, and prepare #5, p. 305, for discussion.

WEEK TEN (November 4, 6)

Teaching Reading. Reading Process Theory.

READ: Omaggio, Ch. 3; prepare #1, pp. 117-18, for discussion.

MLA Style, hands-on session.

EXAMINE: MLA Style Manual.

WEEK ELEVEN (November 11, 13)

Listening Comprehension; Using Videotapes; Conversation Classes.

READ: Omaggio, Ch. 4.

DUE: Reading comprehension activity, (Omaggio, p. 173, #5)

Details of MLA Style.

Due: Error correction assignment.

RECEIVE: Take-home final exam (due December 11 at 5:00 pm in Mr. Cook's mailbox in Cabell 329).

WEEK TWELVE (November 18, 20)

Culture and Civilization in the Language Course; Ethical Implications of Teaching Culture.

READ: Omaggio, Ch. 9; prepare #3 and #4, pp. 403-404, for discussion.

REREAD: Culture section of AATF Syllabus of Competence.

DUE: Listening Comprehension Activity (Omaggio, p. 173, no. 4).

Discussion of the MLA Introduction to Scholarship: Hernadi on Literary Theory.

DUE: Peer observation reaction forms.

WEEK THIRTEEN (November 25, 27)

Ethics of the Profession, II. (Joint meeting)

READ: Booth on the scholar in society.

READ: Academic's Handbook, Section 3, "Teaching and Advising."

RECOMMENDED READING: Saints and Scamps, Ch. 2 and 3.

Current Second Language Acquisition Theory and Research.

DUE: Two journal article abstracts; be prepared to present a three-minute summary of each in class.

DUE: A cultural activity you can use in the future. See Omaggio, #5, p. 404.

READ: Omaggio, Ch. 5. Prepare #2, p. 217, for discussion.

WEEK FOURTEEN (December 2, 4)

Getting a job--MLA Career Guide, MLA job list, Chronicle, departmental files, OCPP, CV, conferences, letters of application, interviews. (Joint meeting)

READ: Academic's Handbook, Section Two.

DUE: MLA Style exercise (Dec. 2).

READING LIST

Achtert, Walter S., and Joseph Gibaldi. The MLA Style Manual. New York: MLA, 1985.

DeNeef, A. Leigh, et al., ed. The Academic's Handbook. Durham and London: Duke UP, 1988.

Gibaldi, Joseph, ed. Introduction to Scholarship in Modern Languages and Literatures. New York: MLA, 1981. [To be replaced by the 1991 edition in 1992.]

Omaggio, Alice C. Teaching Language in Context: Proficiency-Oriented Instruction. Boston: Heinle, 1986.

RECOMMENDED:

Cahn, Steven M. Saints and Scamps: Ethics in Academia. Totowa, NJ: Rowman, 1986. (On reserve in Clemons Library.)

Cook, Claire K. Line by Line: How to Edit Your Own Writing. Boston: Houghton, 1985. Sometimes cited as "The MLA's Line by Line."

Williams, Joseph C. Style: Ten Lessons in Clarity and Grace. New York: Scott Foresman, 1989.

WORK LOAD AND GRADE COMPONENTS:

• participation in discussions (15%)
• short written assignments (15%)
• journal article abstracts and analysis (10%)
• two or three reference/library use exercises (20%)
• an MLA Style exercise (10%)
• the final exam (30%)

The FINAL EXAM is to be taken home. It will include:

1. Identification questions (with an emphasis on concepts in language teaching).

2. An exercise in the application of the rules of MLA Style (writing entries for previously unseen books and articles.) The Manual may NOT be consulted during this exercise.

3. A question requiring the description of a strategy for solving a research problem.

4. An essay on the general topics of the course: teaching and learning, principles and practice; their relationships within our profession.