ENGL 3043 Syllabus 1

Comparative English Grammar / ENGL 3043

Fall 2017

Dr. Aleksandra Kasztalska MW 12:40-2:00pm

AKasztalska@saumag.edu Wilson 316
870-235-5230 F-to-F (0-24% online)
Office: Wilson 314 80 min per class, 27 meetings per term
Office Hours: M 10-11am, 2-4pm, TTh 12:30-3pm 3 credit hours

Credit Hour Description

For every course credit hour of a 15-17 week semester, the typical student should expect to spend
approximately 45 clock hours per term of concentrated attention on course-related work, including but
not limited to time engaged in class, as well as out-of-class time spent reading, reviewing, organizing
notes, preparing for upcoming quizzes/exams, problem solving, developing and completing projects, and
other activities that enhance learning.
_____________________________________________________________________________________

University Mission Statement

The mission of Southern Arkansas University is to educate students for productive and fulfilling lives in a
global environment by providing opportunities for intellectual growth, individual enrichment, skill
development, and meaningful career preparation. The University believes in the worth of the individual
and accepts its responsibility for developing in its students those values and competencies essential for
effective citizenship in an ever-changing, free, and democratic society. Further, the University
encourages and supports excellence in teaching, scholarly, and creative endeavors, and service.

College Mission Statement

The mission of the College of Liberal and Performing Arts is to foster students’ ability to think critically,
become tolerant of diversity, adhere to ethical values, communicate effectively, cooperate successfully,
and become responsible citizens in a changing global society. In addition, the College seeks to instill in
each student an appreciation of literature, languages, history, politics, geography, music, theatre, and
art, and to provide the campus and region with opportunities for participation in these disciplines.

Department Mission Statement

The mission of the Department of English and Foreign Languages is to provide the portion of a liberal
arts education that employs language, literature, and written communication to develop the students’
ability to think critically, understand and appreciate diversity, adhere to ethical values, and
communicate effectively in a global environment.

Learning Goals and Course Content

Linguistic Knowledge: Students will understand the processes of linguistic and grammatical analysis.

Course Content: This course overviews the key grammatical features and structures of modern English,
with the goal of developing the theoretical and practical skills necessary to analyze linguistic structures
at the sentence level and in larger rhetorical units. At the end of this course, students will be able to
describe and evaluate English grammar in their own writing and speech, describe and teach the
grammar of English to others in a linguistically-informed way, and confront and expose myths about
grammar and language usage. Moreover, students will develop an appreciation for the complexity and
creativity of the English language, as well as develop an awareness of the various global Englishes used
around the world and on the Internet.
 ENGL 3043 Syllabus 2

Required text
Parrott, M. (2000). Grammar for English Language Teachers (2nd ed.). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge
University Press.
The textbook is available on reserve at the Library. Other readings will be uploaded to Blackboard.

Course grades
Assignments will receive letter grades based on the percentage of all points a student receives for a
given assignment. Similarly, final grades will be assigned based on the percentage of all points the
student has received during the semester. The percentages and corresponding letter grades are:

A = 90-100% B = 80-89% C = 70-79% D = 60-69% F = < 60%

Dr. K will generally grade each assignment within one week. It is YOUR responsibility to check
Blackboard regularly to monitor your grades and notify Dr. K if you have any concerns. If you have any
questions or concerns about a grade, you must contact Dr. K within 10 days of receiving the grade.

Assignments
Points will be awarded in the following amounts, for a maximum of 1000 pts:

Class Activities = 200 pts (10 x 20 pts)

Homeworks = 200 pts (5 x 40 pts)
Reflections = 200 pts (5 x 40 pts)
Midterm Exam = 150 pts
Final Exam = 150 pts
Attendance and Participation = 100 pts

More details about assignments

Class Activities
Class Activities are sets of exercises to help you review and practice the course content. They will be
handed out in class and will have to be turned in by the end of the same class. We will go over the
exercises together before you submit them, so you will have an opportunity to correct any mistakes.
Each Class Activity will automatically receive the full 20 pts as long as it is submitted by the end of
the class period, is complete, and all mistakes are corrected. Incomplete Activities or Activities with
obvious mistakes will receive a score of 0. Class Activities canNOT be made up later.

Homeworks
You will also turn in 5 Homework assignments this semester. The Homeworks are due at the
beginning of class and must be turned in as hard-copies. If you have to miss a class, you submit your
Homework via e-mail to Dr. K, but you must do so before the start of the class. The Homeworks are
longer and more challenging than the Class Activities, and will be graded based on the correctness
and accuracy of your answers. You may discuss your Homework with other students, but you should
try to solve the problems by yourself. You must also write down your own answers! Merely copying
another student’s answers is plagiarism and will result in both students receiving a score of 0. If you
work with other students on a Homework, you must list the other students’ names in your
Homework.
 ENGL 3043 Syllabus 3

Reflections
Throughout the semester, you will submit 5 Reflections. A Reflection is an analytical and reflective
response to the readings and ideas we have been discussing in class (any readings/ideas discussed
up to that point; not just those scheduled for a given day). A Reflection is NOT a summary of the
readings! Instead, it is a text that demonstrates your understanding and critical thinking about the
ideas encountered in this course—for example, by building on the concepts encountered in the
readings or class discussions, extending or developing new interpretations of key concepts,
providing and explaining new examples of key concepts, or drawing connections between the ideas
from this class and other classes/your own life. Each Reflection should be 400-500 words, typed on a
computer, and submitted as a Word file to Blackboard by midnight. In evaluating Reflections, Dr. K
will consider the following criteria:
 The text has a clearly stated thesis or central idea early in the text.
 The text shows the author has thought carefully about the issues raised in the readings and
class discussions.
 The author supports his or her own argument/opinion with relevant, detailed evidence,
examples and sound logic (try to avoid generalizations).
 The text clearly and directly references the ideas from the readings or class discussions
(make sure to specify the source or author of the idea).
 The author considers alternative viewpoints to his or her own.
 The text is well organized (uses multiple paragraphs or sections to make distinct points;
stays focused and effectively moves from one idea to another; has a clear thesis/central idea
and conclusion).
 The writing is clear and uses appropriate academic vocabulary, spelling, and grammar.

Midterm Exam
About halfway through the semester, you will take an in-class Midterm Exam covering the material
discussed so far. Further information will be provided later.

Final Exam
At the end of the semester, you will take an in-class Final Exam. Further information will be provided
later.

Attendance and Participation

You are expected to come to class prepared, meaning that you have completed the assigned
homework and done the readings prior to the beginning of class and that you have brought copies
of the readings and of your own notes. Failure to come to class fully prepared will result in a
lowered course grade. Moreover, you are expected to attend all class meetings but you are allowed
three unexcused absences—no questions asked. An absence counts as unexcused if it is due to your
own error or forgetfulness (e.g., if you oversleep or forget we are meeting), or due to everyday
mishaps that are not really your fault but that you can reasonably expect to happen a couple of
times a semester (e.g., if your car breaks down or if you have to help a friend/relative with an
errand). An absence is also unexcused if you fail to contact Dr. K and explain your absence in a
timely manner. For each unexcused absence over the allowed three, 50 points will be deducted
from your final grade in this class at the end of the semester. In addition, as stated in the Student
Handbook:
“If a student is absent from a class more than the equivalent of one week of instruction . . .
those absences will be reported to the dean of students. The dean will then send the student a
notice of pending action. The student is advised to contact the instructor as soon as this notice
 ENGL 3043 Syllabus 4

has been received. Ten calendar days after the report is submitted by the instructor during a
regular semester or after seven calendar days during a summer session, a student may be
dropped from the class for excessive unexcused absences at the request of the instructor. If this
occurs, a grade of WF (withdrawal with failure) will be given for the course.”
In this course, if you miss more than three class meetings, you may be dropped!
If at any point during the semester you become seriously ill or are facing other serious, unavoidable
circumstances (personal, financial, or other) that prevent you from coming to class, submitting
assignments on time, or turning in your best work, you must contact Dr. K as soon as possible. Some
absences may count as excused and some deadlines may be extended, but you have to let Dr. K
know in a timely manner!

Deadlines
All major assignments and deadlines are listed in the course schedule, but during the semester Dr. K
may alter some assignments, change deadlines, or create new assignments. It is YOUR responsibility to
stay informed about what is due and when. You should attend all classes and check your SAU e-mail
and Blackboard regularly.

Technical difficulties
Technical difficulties—including broken computers, problems
with Internet connectivity, or other technology-related
problems—are NEVER an excuse for late or missed work! You
should always plan ahead to ensure that you can submit your
work before the due date and you should regularly back up all
your work. Consider using a free cloud/storage service, like
Dropbox or Google Drive.

Emergencies and university functions

If an assignment is submitted late due to an emergency or other special circumstances, you must notify
Dr. K as soon as you can to ask for an extension. Moreover, if you know in advance that you will have to
miss a class due to university-mandated activities (e.g., sports events, club trips, etc.) or other pre-
scheduled circumstances, you must notify Dr. K in advance and make advance arrangements to
complete the missed work. If you do not make arrangements in advance, you will NOT be given an
extension or an excused absence after you’ve missed the due date or missed the class.

Contacting Dr. K
To contact Dr. K, please use the information listed on the first page
of this syllabus. When e-mailing Dr. K, use proper email etiquette:
Include an informative subject line, begin with an appropriate
greeting, use appropriate grammar and spelling, and sign with
your full name, class number or title, and class meeting time.
Moreover, you should allow at least 24 hours for Dr. K to respond
to e-mails during the week and longer during weekends. Finally,
please keep in mind that Dr. K will NOT discuss your grades in an
e-mail. If you wish to discuss your grades, you must set up an
appointment with Dr. K.
 ENGL 3043 Syllabus 5

Additional course policies:

 While class is taking place, please refrain from using your cell phone or browsing non-SAU
websites (unless Dr. K gives you explicit permission to browse other websites). Violation of this
policy will result in a lowered Attendance and Participation grade at the end of the semester.
 While class is taking place, you may NOT wear headphones in your ears or chew gum or tobacco.
 You are expected to participate cooperatively, constructively, and to the best of your ability in
all class activities, while respecting the different experiences, beliefs and values expressed by
everyone in this course. Any behavior that could be distracting to Dr. K or your classmates—
including but not limited to off-topic conversations, use of cell phones, or chewing/spitting
tobacco—is considered disrespectful and should be avoided. If you fail to behave in an engaged
and respectful manner, you may be asked to leave a class meeting and will receive an unexcused
absence. In both your in-class and online interactions with classmates, you are expected to
avoid any language that may be construed as hate speech—in other words, any words or
phrases that could be understood as threatening, insulting, or degrading to a person or group
based on characteristics such as race, gender or gender identity, or sexual orientation.
 It is the policy of SAU to accommodate students with disabilities, pursuant to federal law, state
law, and the University's commitment to equal education opportunities. Any student with a
disability who needs accommodation should inform the instructor at the beginning of the
course. Students with disabilities are also encouraged to contact the Office of Disabilities
Support Services, 216 Reynolds Center, 870-235-4154.
 Academic integrity at SAU is an organizational and individual responsibility to honesty in all
learning experiences. Any act of dishonesty in academic work constitutes academic misconduct
and is subject to disciplinary action. Acts of dishonesty include, but are not limited to:
A. Plagiarism—the act of taking and/or using the ideas, work, and/or writings of another
person as one’s own.
B. Cheating—an act of dishonesty with the intention of obtaining and/or using information in
a fraudulent manner.
C. Fabrication—faking or forging a document, signature or findings of a research project.
D. Resubmission—submitting a work you have submitted for credit in a previous class.
If you are caught committing plagiarism or any other act of academic dishonesty, you will
automatically receive a grade of 0 on the assignment and be required to meet with the dean of
the College of Liberal and Performing Arts; other penalties may be assessed at the instructor’s
discretion, depending on the severity of the offense.