Conceptual Framework: The Professional Educator

Boise State University strives to develop knowledgeable educators who integrate complex roles and dispositions in the service of diverse communities of learners. Believing that all children, adolescents, and adults can learn, educators dedicate themselves to supporting that learning. Using effective approaches that promote high levels of student achievement, educators create environments that prepare learners to be citizens who contribute to a complex world. Educators serve learners as reflective practitioners, scholars and artists, problem solvers, and partners.

Standards and Assessments

Standards/Indicators Addressed

Assessment Method

Standard 1

7. (ENL only) The teacher understands the various registers, dialects, structures, vocabulary, and idioms of the English language.

Standard 2

Dispositions

1. The teacher respects linguistic and dialectical differences.

2. The teacher appreciates students’ growth in both their primary and new language(s).

Performance

1. The teacher plans and delivers instruction using knowledge of the impact of language and culture on human development.

2. The teacher integrates language and content instruction appropriate to the students’ stages of language acquisition.

Focused academic dialogue journals/learner's log; attendance; class participation; presentations

Focused academic dialogue journals/learner's log; attendance; class participation; presentations; academic final synthesis papers

Presentation of sample lessons; focused academic dialogue journals/learner's log; class participation; academic final synthesis papers

Course Description

This course provides an in-depth study of sociolinguistic aspects of the Spanish and English languages. Differences and similarities in Spanish, English and other selected languages and dialects are studied in order to assist “limited English proficient” students to acquire a second language more efficiently.

Course Objectives

*To understand distinctions between ways with words in Spanish and English.

*To understand universal grammatical categories of Spanish and English.

*To understand the relationship between language, society and politics.

*To understand distinctions between language of deficit and language of criticity.

*To understand the role of L1 in SLA, literacy & learning.

*To understand the role of sociolinguistics in communication.

*To understand the role of social interaction in literacy & learning.

*To understand the role of strategic competence in literacy, language & learning.

Course Materials

Literacy Con Cariño, Hayes, Bahruth, Kessler

I Won’t Learn from You, Herbert Kohl

Selected Readings provided by professor

Evaluation

PROJECT (20%): To be done with a partner of your choice: OPTIONS: 1) Explore

knowledge related to the course through a scholarship of the texts provided and share

synthesis with class. 2) Explore a critical dimension or grammatical category of

sociolinguistics, language, politics, class, gender, and culture and share findings with

class.

HOMEWORK (20%): Academic dialogue journals are a standard requirement to be

exchanged at each class meeting. Each writing partner must provide a journal so a two-

way exchange is possible. Entries in these journals must be dated, and both partners'

names should be on the covers. Journals will be evaluated by the instructor at the end of

the course for quantity & quality: (analysis, synthesis, application focusing on major

concepts and issues raised during class discussions, projects, and in readings which

demonstrates comprehension of course objectives).

ATTENDANCE & PARTICIPATION (20%): If you are absent or consistently late this

will detract from grades proportionately. We all have an obligation with a reciprocal

interaction format.

FINAL REFLECTION PAPER (40%): An analysis, synthesis, application paper focusing

on major concepts and issues raised during class discussions, projects, and in readings

which demonstrates comprehension of course objectives. Students can propose an

alternative and discuss with me as well.

Schedule

Class 1: Introduction: Paradigm Shift: Politics of monolingualism/Language of

Deficit/Tracking/Technicism/Methods Fetish/ Communicative Competence/Creative

Construction/Generative Grammar/word – world : say – do : cliché –meaning : green

blackboards

Class 2: Grammaticalcategories/style/register/laconicity/Markedness/dueling/

Pronouns of power and solidarity/Handshake/abrazo/directos-indirectos/time/

Proxemics/ Sociolinguistics and anthroplogical linguistics/Linguistic Determinism

Class 3: Mechanisms - Art as signifier Freire/juxtaposition /Gender/ Literacy: Literalcy /Freire,

Macedo Reading the Word-World (palabramundo)

Class 4:

Cultural Circle - Teachers as Technicists/Intellectuals/scientism as racism/ Analysis,

Synthesis, Application - Theory into Practice: Folktales/ oral traditions/La gansa y los

zorros /Secrets of the Haggadah

Class 5: Ethnography of Teaching – Velcro Pies - Literacy con Cariño –Ways with Words

Class 6: Alfabeto –Alfabeto El Camello – La educación (Valenzuela).

Class 7: El coyote en la ciudad grande (Gino Sky) Ceci n’est pas une pipe/Clairvoyant

(Magritte)

Class 8: Presentations & Discussions