Syllabus
MCLS 50095. Sections 001/002/003: Graduate Research and Writing (Fall 2007)
Instructors: Profs. Erik Angelone, Carol Maier, and Françoise Massardier-Kenney
Office: 314 Satterfield
Phone: Angelone:330-672-3241, Maier: 330-672-1797, 330-325-0238; Kenney: 330-672-1795, 650-2995
E-mail: Angelone:eangelon@kent.edu; Maier: cmaier@neo.rr.com; Kenney: fkenney@kent.edu
Office Hours: Angelone: M/W 2-4 p.m., Th 12-2 p.m. and by appointment. Maier: M, W, Th from 2-4; and by appointment. Kenney M/W 2:00-4:00;Th 2:00-3:00; and by appointment .
COURSE OBJECTIVE
The objective of this course is to provide language students with the tools needed for successful research and writing in other graduate-level courses.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course will guide students through the process of researching and writing graduate-level essays in the language concentrations offered by the Modern and Classical Language Studies MA program. The emphasis will be on process, form, and presentation rather than on the content and originality of the final essays. In order to increase the usefulness of the projects for the students, they will be encouraged to undertake a project requiring research and writing skills similar to those that will be required in translation related activities. The following skills will be stressed: library and web research, defining a topic, planning, appropriate use and documentation of secondary sources, use of internet resources, evaluation of resources, revisions, and mechanics. All language groups will meet together for instruction in library resources, computer lab use, web use and for presentations on knowledge organization in a variety of fields. Knowledge organization presentations will focus on the principles used to organize specific knowledge fields and the tools used to access knowledge within a specific field.
TEXTS:
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers
The BBI Dictionary of English Word Combinations. Revised edition. Philadelphia: John Benjamins, 1997.
Michael Palmer, The Fifth Vial. New York: St. Martin's Press, 2007.
On Reserve:
- Haynes, Kevin J., ed.The Cambridge Companion to Edgar Allan Poe Cambridge, U.K.; New York: Cambridge University Press, 2002 (PS 26328. C33 2002).
- Kennedy, Gerald, ed. A Historical Guide to Edgar Allan Poe. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2001(PS 26328.H54 2001).
-Vines, Lois Davis ed. Poe Abroad. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, 1999 (PS 26328.P62 1999).
CALENDAR
Week 1. August 27:
Meet as a class in 313 for introduction to course, instruction in lab use and library resources.
Assignment:
Read "The Black Cat" and "The Philosophy of Composition," by Edgar Allen Poe; identify stylistic characteristics of the story; select characteristics relevant to translation; explain how and why they are relevant
Finish library research assignment begun in class and add material you find on Google Become familiar with the resources listed in "library paper and electronic resources"
Become familiar with instructions in MLA Handbook for writing essays and preparing bibliographies
Week 2. September 10:
Meet as a class in 313 to discuss research assignment and for presentation about Poe; discuss "The Black Cat" (small groups)
Assignment:
Familiarize yourself with reference resources, especially:
KentLink (the on-line catalog of the library holdings). Make sure you can find a book by author, title, subject, and key word
Journals. Make sure you know where journals (current and past issues) are kept and how they are organized
Interlibrary loan. Learn how to fill an interlibrary loan request form for a book or a copy of an article
The standard literature research bibliographies in your language of study. Start with the MLA bibliography Make sure you know where they are and how to use them
Do research assignment (Questions distributed in class)
Continue to familiarize yourself with MLA Handbook
Find a translation of "Black Cat" in your B-language; describe translator's handling of translation difficulties and general strategy
Week 3. September 17:
Meet as a class in 313 to discuss research assignment and general translation issues related to "The Black Cat" in translation (large group); discuss translations into B-language (small groups)
Assignment:
Read handouts about Poe and "The Black Cat"
" First writing assignment due (about "The Black Cat"-topic to be assigned; 3-5 pages max.; follow MLA guidelines as you prepare your essay)
" Read "Thick Translation" by Kwame Anthony Appiah
Week 4. September 24:
Attend Conversation with Kwame Anthony Appiah to be held from 3:30-4:30 in 106 Business School Attendance compulsory unless you are teaching or working Meet as a group in 313 to discuss "Thick Translation" and Conversation with Appiah"; Introduction to Thrillers
Assignment:
Read The Fifth Vial, by Michael Palmer; identify stylistic characteristics of the text (or of the text type); select characteristics relevant to translation
" Do research assignment about thrillers
Week 5. October 1:
Meet in 319 for presentation about legal research; discuss thriller (small groups).
Assignment:
Do B-language research and translation exercise for thrillers
Week 6. October 8:
Meet in 313 for presentation about case-study research and projects for second half of course; discuss thriller (small groups).
Assignment:
Second writing exercise due (Guide to translating legal medical thrillers-discussion of characteristics and resources; max. 5 pages)
" Read critical essay from case study and assigned articles in fields of finance, medicine, and science
Week 7. October 15:
Work in small groups on research guide to translation in specialized area (presentation of background knowledge; best glossaries; multi-lingual term guide with basic definitions) Due 12 November.
Assignments for Weeks 8-15:
Work on research guides: (1) group project (research guide to translation in specialized area); (2) Individual project (brief research guide to translation in specialized sub-field of the area of your group project). Due 10 December
Work on revision of first essay (due October 29)
Week 8. October 22:
Work in small groups on research guide
Assignment:
Complete revisions of first essay for Week 9. Continue to research and compile bibliography for research guides
Week 9. October 29:
Work in small groups on research guide
Week 10. November 5:
Work in small groups on research guide
Week 11. November 12:
Class will not meet (Veteran's Day). Research guide to be sent to other two groups for their critique
Week 12. November 19:
Meet in small groups to discuss research guides and prepare critiques, with suggestions for revisions; send critiques to other groups by Sunday evening, 18 November.
Week 13. November 26:
Meet in small groups to discuss critiques of other groups; prepare revisions (to be handed to instructors next week)
Week 14. December 3:
Discuss revisions of research guides; final meeting of class.
Week 15. December 10:
Individual projects due.
COURSE POLICIES
There will be four writing assignments (three individual assignments and one group assignment). All assignments are double-spaced with standard margins.
Each assignment will be worth 25% of the final grade.
The grade will be lowered for work that is late.
Attendance at class meetings is expected and students are asked to arrive promptly.
Students with Disabilities
University policy 3342-3-18 requires that students with disabilities be provided, reasonable accomodations to ensure equal access to course content. If you have a documented disability and require accommodations, please contact the instructor at the beginning of the semester to make arrangements for necessary classroom adjustments. Please note, you must first verify your eligibility for these through the Office of Student Disability Services (contact 330 672 3391) or visit kent.edu/sds for more information on registration procedures.