Course Syllabus

Summer 2024 | ANT-2020-VO01 - Language, Culture & Communication

Online Class

Online courses take place 100% online via Canvas, without required in-person or Zoom meetings.

Faculty

Luisa Millington
View Faculty Credentials

Hiring Coordinator for this course: Gilberto Diaz Santos

General Education Requirements

VSCS Social Sciences
CCV Communication

Note

Many degree programs have specific general education recommendations. In order to avoid taking unnecessary classes, please consult with additional resources like your program evaluation, your academic program catalog year page, and your academic advisor.

Courses may only be used to meet one General Education Requirement.

Course Description

An introduction to the study of linguistics and communication in cultures and societies worldwide. Topics include language origins, change, and acquisition; language structure and speech behavior; sociolinguistics; the relationship between language and thought; and analysis of conversation and meaning.

Essential Objectives

1. Identify the universal characteristics and functions of human language as understood within anthropological linguistics, differentiating this from other forms of human and non-human communication.
2. Describe the physiological and cultural origins of language and examine the role of symbolic communication in the development of human adaptation and culture.
3. Explore theories of language acquisition by children, considering these in cross-cultural contexts.
4. Define key elements of language structure utilized within descriptive linguistics, distinguishing between the formal rules of language and its application in speech behavior.
5. Identify global language families and provide examples of historical and ongoing language change and differentiation, and the primary factors that influence these.
6. Describe linguistic diversity regionally and locally, demonstrating how language use varies in differing social contexts with respect to gender, class, power, age, affinity groups, etc.
7. Examine the relationship between language, thought, and culture, and the interpretation of meaning in communicative acts both linguistic and non-linguistic and across cultures.
8. Apply understanding of sociolinguistics and communication skills gained in the course to prepare a formal presentation that demonstrates proficiency using the CCV Oral Communication Rubric.

Required Technology

More information on general computer and internet recommendations is available on the CCV IT Support page. https://support.ccv.edu/general/computer-recommendations/

Please see CCV's Digital Equity Statement (pg. 45) to learn more about CCV's commitment to supporting all students access the technology they need to successfully finish their courses.

Required Textbooks and Resources

This course uses one or more textbooks/books/simulations, along with free Open Educational Resources (OER) and/or library materials.

Summer 2024 textbook/book details will be available on 2023-11-06. On that date a link will be available below that will take you to eCampus, CCV's bookstore. The information provided there will be specific to this class. Please see this page for more information regarding the purchase of textbooks/books.

ANT-2020-VO01 Link to Textbooks for this course in eCampus.

For Open Educational Resources (OER) and/or library materials details, see the Canvas Site for this class.

The last day to use a Financial Aid Advance to purchase textbooks/books is the 3rd Tuesday of the semester. See your financial aid counselor at your academic center if you have any questions.

Methods

• Assigned readings from the textbook and from the Internet, (Open Ed Resources)
• Downloadable lectures for each week's materials
• Short online videos
• Whole-class discussions via class forum on Canvas
• Weekly homework assignments (including short exploratory papers or questions for the online discussions)
• Individual activities
• Final project
• Personal reflections (shared with the class or with the instructor via personal journals)

Evaluation Criteria

Attendance and participation (including a short mid-term and a short final exam): 30%

Final project: 20%

Weekly assignments: 50%

Grading Criteria

CCV Letter Grades as outlined in the Evaluation System Policy are assigned according to the following chart:

	High	Low
A+	100	98
A	Less than 98	93
A-	Less than 93	90
B+	Less than 90	88
B	Less than 88	83
B-	Less than 83	80
C+	Less than 80	78
C	Less than 78	73
C-	Less than 73	70
D+	Less than 70	68
D	Less than 68	63
D-	Less than 63	60
F	Less than 60
P	100	60
NP	Less than 60	0

Weekly Schedule

Attendance Policy

Regular attendance and participation in classes are essential for success in and are completion requirements for courses at CCV. A student's failure to meet attendance requirements as specified in course descriptions will normally result in a non-satisfactory grade.

• In general, missing more than 20% of a course due to absences, lateness or early departures may jeopardize a student's ability to earn a satisfactory final grade.
• Attending an on-ground or synchronous course means a student appeared in the live classroom for at least a meaningful portion of a given class meeting. Attending an online course means a student posted a discussion forum response, completed a quiz or attempted some other academically required activity. Simply viewing a course item or module does not count as attendance.
• Meeting the minimum attendance requirement for a course does not mean a student has satisfied the academic requirements for participation, which require students to go above and beyond simply attending a portion of the class. Faculty members will individually determine what constitutes participation in each course they teach and explain in their course descriptions how participation factors into a student's final grade.

Participation Expectations

To earn full participation points for the week, students should:

• Read the assigned material and demonstrate an understanding of those resources in your assignments and posts. Readings and resources should be cited using MLA format.

• Post an original response to the weekly prompt(s) and a minimum of two responses to peers. You are welcome to post early and/or more frequently, as your schedule allows, but you will not receive full credit if you do not meet these minimum requirements and/or deadlines.

• Posts should be substantive and demonstrate college-level writing. A substantive post is well-developed, a minimum 150 words, and references the reading or another appropriate source. A substantive post is NOT one or two sentences of general statements or unsupported opinion.

AI statement

The use of generative AI is not allowed in this course, with the exception of spellcheck, grammar check and similar tools. This course rests in the value of students engaging in the learning process without relying on AI-generated content. Students will develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills independently, owning their learning journey from start to finish. If you use these tools, your actions would be considered academically dishonest and a violation of CCV’s Academic Integrity Policy.

Missing & Late Work Policy

• Late work is not accepted, especially in the discussion forum. Interacting with classmates is an essential part of online discussions and cannot be made up after the fact.

• Extensions will be granted only in extenuating circumstances. If a lengthy medical problem or other emergent personal issue will result in missing weekly discussions and/or assignments, please contact your instructor as soon as possible.

Accessibility Services for Students with Disabilities:

1. Provide disability documentation to the Accessibility Coordinator at your academic center. https://ccv.edu/discover-resources/students-with-disabilities/
2. Request an appointment to meet with accessibility coordinator to discuss your request and create an accommodation plan.
3. Once created, students will share the accommodation plan with faculty. Please note, faculty cannot make disability accommodations outside of this process.

Academic Integrity