Multiculturalidad y la enseñanza de lenguas

Syllabus
Teacher: Dr. Fernando Guerrero (fguerrero@ujed.mx)
Office Hours: By appointment,
Minimum attendance: 80% (18/22 sessions)

MONDAY 10:05-11:25

FRIDAY 08:06- 9:25

HOMEWORKS:

guerrerohomeworks@gmail.com

Course Description
As part of the LDLI Curriculum, this course is designed to introduce you to
human culture. We will look at many aspects of what it means to be human from a
cross-cultural and linguistic perspectives. In other words, this course will expose
you to the variety and diversity of humanity and to the multiple ways in which
they can be interpreted. In this term, in particular, we will pay special attention to
the subject of cultural identity.

At the end of this course students will be able to:

1 Recognise and express in written form a variety of issues involved with
the richness and diversity of culture (communication, critical thinking, 

spirituality, ethics, art, respect, concepts of community). 


2 Understand the impact of culture on the lives and meaning systems of 


individuals. 


3 Understand the structure of culture and its elements. 


4 Locate, evaluate, and synthesise information regarding human culture. 


 5 Develop time management, organisational, and academic skills.



The specific objectives of the course are plenty, but during the course we will
focus mainly in the following:
• Recognise personal assumptions and biases.
• Develop self-awareness, intellectual humility, and tolerance.
• Analyse the impact of contemporary, historical and cultural
perspectives.
• Assess the value and role of spirituality and religion in human
societies. 


Recognise various frames of reference.

• Analyse and evaluate arguments, interpretations, beliefs, theories,

and data from a variety of points of view.
• Use effective written and oral communication skills.
• Process and apply information reliably and accurately.
• Apply historical, political, economic, social, cultural, and
geographical approaches to current events.
• Appreciate the importance of diversity.
• Display ethical and professional behaviour while applying this
knowledge.
UNDERSTAND WHY WE THINK HOW WE THINK AND
BELIEVE WHAT WE BELIEVE.

EVALUATION:
1.- 80% of the grade will be derived of the sum of your work throughout the
semester, according to the following:
1 mid-term assignment________________30%
Reading checks_______________________20%
1 10-15 min. presentation _____________10%
Participation in class__________________20%

TOTAL_______________________80%

2.- The remaining 20% of the grade will be the outcome of the final project.
 POLICY REGARDING LATE & MISSED ASSIGNMENTS OR PRESENTATIONS:
• It is expected that you will take responsibility for your own work. All work
is due when scheduled. Late work will be accepted for a 50% reduction up
to a week after the due date, afterwards it won’t be accepted. There is no
extension granted for discussions.
• Each student will have to do a short, 10-15 min presentation at least once
during the semester. Missed presentations cannot be recovered.
•

POLICY REGARDING ACADEMIC HONESTY:

• All the work you hand in is expected to be of your authorship. If you
borrow ideas from other texts, it must be properly done by using quotation
marks and providing a reference to the source. If you paraphrase someone
else’s idea, you should also reference it. Should you fail to do so, and
present someone else’s material as yours (copy-paste, etc.) the work handed
in will be given a 0% grade.
• You are also encouraged to stick to academic or other reliable sources, and
avoid using Wikipedia, blogs or any non-academic webpages as sources.

Textbooks
• Everett, Daniel; Language: The Cultural Tool, Vintage Books, New York,
2012.
• Kottak, Conrad Phillip; Cultural Anthropology: Appreciating Cultural
Diversity; sixteenth edition; McGraw Hill, New York, 2015.
• Other literature might be provided during the term

Calendar:

Week1 . Introduc+on.
Language, culture and thought
Reading. Dan Evere1, Preface, The Gi9 of Prometheus

Week2 .
Language, culture and thought
Reading. Dan Evere1. Language as a Social Tool

Week 3.- WHAT CAME FIRST: CULTURE OR SOCIETY?

Readings: Ko1ak Ch 2
No class on Friday
Week 4 .
CONTINUATION
WHAT CAME FIRST: CULTURE OR SOCIETY?
Readings: Ko1ak Ch 2

Friday: Language and culture. Language and communica+on. Cultural symbols and how to
decode them. Is communica+on real?
Reading check: Ko1ak Ch 5

Week 5 Primatology and Evolu+on. Homini, Hominid and Antropo.

Reading KOOPSETAL, CULTURAL PRIMATOLOGY (TBC)

Week 6 .- Our cultural expressions, Arts, Media and Sports

Readings: Ko1ak Ch 13

MID TERM ESSAY IS ASSIGNED

Week 7.- Zoon poli+kon. How did our socie+es evolve.

Readings: Ko1ak Ch 8

Week 8 .- The inven+on of religion: is it biological, social, psychological?

Readings:. Ko1ak Ch 10

HOW CULTURE DEFINES US AND OUR WORLDVIEW

Week 9.- Playing as a cultural reflec+on:
Johan Huizinga; Homo Ludens, ch 3 Play and Contest as Civilizing Func`ons (TBC)

Week 10.- LanguageGender, sex and iden+ty.

Readings: Ko1ak Ch 9

Week 11.- Anthropology in a globalised world. The remains of iden+ty.
Readings: Ko1ak Ch 15

Wrapping up : Making sense of all we did this semester

Final project is assigned.