ENGL 4663: History of the
English Language Spring
2009
Requirements
for Graduate Credit in American Studies
For
graduate credit, complete these graduate requirements in addition to the
undergraduate requirements described in the course syllabus.
ESSAY
COMPONENT OF EXAMS: For each of your exams (except
the one on The Meaning of Everything), you will answer essay questions,
which will count for 40% of the exam grade. (Your grade on the objective
questions will count for the other 60%.)
If possible, plan to come to my office at 12:00 noon on each exam day,
and I will send you to the
RESEARCH
PAPER:
Select and get my approval for a focused research topic related to the
history of the English language and to American English. Write a research paper of at least five (5)
full pages, not including the works-cited page, and no longer than about seven
(7) pages. Write mostly in your own
words, using quotations only sparingly.
Using MLA form, introduce and parenthetically document at least five (5)
sources within the paper, and list your sources on a works-cited page. Do NOT count your textbook, The Meaning of
Everything, The Professor and the Madman, or dictionaries toward the
minimum number of sources required. Use the checklist that will be provided,
and meet the deadlines described below.
Conference 1 (week of Feb.
16): Schedule in advance
a 15-minute conference. Do preliminary reading to find and focus a relevant
topic for your research paper. Bring to
the conference your ideas for relevant topics.
Conference 2 (week of Mar.
2; I will not be on campus Mar. 5): Schedule in advance a 30-minute
conference. Bring to the conference a
typed research proposal containing the following elements: research
question,
tentative thesis (your answer to the research question), discussion of the
research question and your answer, demonstrating your understanding of the
topic (minimum one typed, double-spaced page), tentative topic sentences (approximately
3-6) for the main sections of the body of the paper, and a working bibliography
listing in MLA form at least ten relevant (10) sources.
On your own: Before you write the draft of your paper, listen carefully to my
Research Paper Workshop, available at www.geektreasure.com
or on CD as you follow the checklist for the research paper. Also, if possible, attend
Conference 3 (week of Apr. 6): Schedule in advance a 45-minute
conference. Bring to the conference a
typed draft of your research paper (5 full pages minimum) and your works-cited
page.
Submit research paper (week
of Apr. 13, no later than Thurs., Apr. 16, at 10:30 p.m.): Submit
(paper-clipped together) your completed research paper, including the
checklist, a paper of at least 5 full pages (integrated with photocopies and/or
printouts of at least 3 pages of sources you have used in the paper), and a
works-cited page listing at least 5 sources in MLA form.
Conference 4 (week of Apr.
20): Schedule in advance a 30-minute conference to
discuss your research paper and the revisions I want you to make.
Submit revision of research
paper (week of Apr. 27): Submit the original checklist and paper
(both with my markings) paper-clipped in front of a revised version of the
paper with changes highlighted and with photocopies and/or printouts of at
least 3 pages of sources integrated.
COURSE
GRADE
(subject to announced changes):
percentage
of course grade
Daily
average
(including
points for quizzes, assignments, & extra credit) 12%
Unit 2 exam (chapters 5-7) 12%
Exam on The Meaning of
Everything 10%
Unit 3 exam (chapters 8-9) 12%
Research paper 18%
Final exam (chapters 10-11
and comprehensive) 24%
100%