3531019 American Literature｜Kyoto University OpenCourseWare

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3531019 American Literature
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JP / EN

Numbering Code	U-LET19 23531 LJ36	Year/Term	2022 ・ Second semester
Number of Credits	2	Course Type	special lecture
Target Year		Target Student
Language	English	Day/Period	Fri.2
Instructor name	HOFMEYR，Michael Frederick (Part-time Lecturer)
Outline and Purpose of the Course	This course will introduce students to the notion of English as a global language and also to the academic debates surrounding the dominant role that the language has come to assume across a wide range of international arenas. Topics of discussion will include what it means to be a global language, the history of the spread and diversification of the English language across the world and the future prospects of English as a global language. Throughout the course, students will be encouraged to develop and share their own opinions about the role of English both in Japan and in the wider world today. As this is a content-focussed course taught through the medium of English, students will be expected to read a substantial amount of authentic academic materials in English, to summarise in their own words what they have read, and to engage in in-depth classroom discussion of the content. This will help to hone their academic writing abilities and also to improve their general English language proficiency.
Course Goals	This course will increase students’ knowledge and understanding of the various roles that the English language plays in the world today and of the social, cultural, and historical contexts that have shaped its development over past centuries. Group discussions and presentations will develop students’ oral communication skills and turn them into more confident English speakers, while the substantial amount of reading required for each class will help to improve reading speed and to expand academic and practical vocabulary. Academic research and writing skills in particular will be further developed through an essay assignment.
Schedule and Contents	Students will be given weekly reading assignments from the prescribed text to prepare before each class. They will also receive sets of text review questions for homework which serve the threefold purpose of directing them to the most important information for note-taking during reading, providing support during group discussion seminars and facilitating revision for the class quiz and the final test. Classroom sessions will take the form of small-group discussion seminars and short interactive lectures to clarify and explain relevant concepts. Evaluation will consist of a class quiz and a test to evaluate students’ ability to express in writing their understanding of and opinions regarding the course content. Students will also write a research essay on a topic related to the work discussed in class and present their findings to the whole class at the end of the semester. Week 1 - Introduction to the course, diagnostic writing exercise Week 2 - Class discussion of Crystal chapter 1 (What is a global language?) Week 3 - Class discussion of Crystal chapter 1 (advantages and disadvantages of a global language) Week 4 - Class discussion of Crystal chapter 2 (Kachru’s three circles) Week 5 - Quiz, class discussion of Crystal chapter 3 (English and the British Empire) Week 6 - Class discussion of Crystal chapter 4 (English and the globalisation of culture) Week 7 - Class discussion of Crystal chapter 4 (English in the media) Week 8 - Test Week 9 - Class discussion of Crystal chapter 5 (English in the United States) Week 10 - Class discussion of Crystal chapter 5 (Global “Englishes”) Week 11 - Class discussion of Crystal chapter 5 (the future of English) Week 12 - Class discussion on English in Japan (foreign language education in the school system) Week 13 - Final essay due, Class discussion on English in Japan (the role of English in Japan) Week 14 - Class presentations on essay research Week 15 - Class presentations on essay research
Evaluation Methods and Policy	Homework: 10% Quiz: 10% Test: 30% Essay: 40% Presentation: 10%
Course Requirements	None
Study outside of Class (preparation and review)	Weekly reading preparation for class discussion. Revision for quiz and test. Research essay and final presentation will also be prepared outside of class.
Textbooks	Textbooks/References	English as a Global Language, Crystal, David, (Cambridge University Press), ISBN:1107611806, 2nd edition Note: Students should ensure that they have the full English edition of the text. There also exists an abridged Japanese-English bilingual edition. However, this bilingual edition does NOT contain all the necessary content for this course. In addition to purchasing the prescribed text, students are expected to bring a notebook to every class as well as a file or binder for storing handouts.