Although students are expected to bring adequate skills in basic English grammar and mechanics to the course, some class time is given to these areas, as well as to basic sentence structure. Course texts vary from semester to semester, but students must purchase a research manual. Grading criteria and standards are provided the first week of class and rigorously applied throughout the semester. Major topics include the nature of language, first and second language acquisition, phonology, phonetics, morphology, syntax, pragmatics, American dialects, and the history of English. Because many of the students who enroll in 221 are teaching majors, some attention is given to classroom application in appropriate topic areas.
Evaluation is based on unit exams and a nine-week field research project.
403 Composition for Elementary Teachers English 403 introduces students to curriculum and instructional stratgegies for writing in the elementary grades, specifically how to develop and implement a reading-writing workshop. Major topics include classroom environment and management, the development of young writers, teaching strategies for prewriting, drafting, revising and editing, using children's literature as a springboard for writing, and appropriate research writing in elementary grades. Students are evaluated on a collaborative unit, two writing activities, and a reflective essay. Keeping a writer's notebook is a course requirement. 406 Language for Teachers English 406 is one of three methods courses for secondary teaching majors.