BSwanlundEnglish101Spring: Watch your tone

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Watch your tone

It's the weekend, which means a slightly longer assignment than usual, but it should be less work that it appears to be on the surface.
Check your Emails. I sent out Roberts' essay "How to Say Nothing in 500 Words". The file numbers correspond to the page numbers. I think you can figure it out. Read it and respond using the questions I gave out in class.

Then we shall look at tone. Just like punctuation functions like rests in music, tone also exists in written mediums, but sometimes it is harder to notice. Therefore, music is an easier and more straightforward place to look for examples of tone. However, we will be looking at songs that are not in English, that way you cannot cheat and get a hint of the tone based on the lyrics. Please do not choose a song in a language you are familiar with. Also, try to do as much of the assignment without really watching or relying on the visuals. This is audio assignment.

Choose one of the following and analyze the tone.
Here are your choices:

"Ave Maria" - Performed by Andrea Bocelli (Italian)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvdX5Ht3U9w

"Links 2 3 4" - Rammstein (German)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gX9GFIPjuD0

"Enfant Terrible" - Sonny J (French)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gdIvC86tdk

"Dragostea Din Tei" - O-Zone (Romanian) Note: The song really starts about a minute in.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRx5PrAlUdY

"Po pi po" - Miku Hatsune (Japanese)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6Uyz4m1mVM&feature=related

Note: I do not endorse anything in the videos or any of the links youtube displays on the sides. Just another reason why you shouldn't pay attention to the videos.

Try your best. Instead of the standard questions that I gave in class, use the following guidelines to structure your response to the musical piece.
Write as much as you think it takes (should be around 1/2 - 1 page)
-What is the tone of this piece? (It will go beyond formal or informal). Consider: lyrics/voice, instruments used, and tempo/beat. (You may also want to examine bass and volume as well)
-How does it affect the audience? (You can consider yourself the audience)
-What type of mood does it create?
-What instruments are used to achieve this goal (synthesizers count)?
-How are they effective?
-How does the performer's voice convey the tone?
-Why/How does the performer's voice affect the mood? (Be specific) Also, be specific in your moods. If it is a complex mood, describe what it means to you.

Once you have analyzed one of the above three pieces, you have one more thing to do. You must choose one of the following options and complete it.
Just like before, this response should be as long as it needs to be. (roughly 1/2 - 1 page in length)

1) I have shown you some of the songs I like. Now it is your turn to analyze a song you like. Choose your favorite song and analyze the tone. Depending on the song you choose, this maybe easy or difficult. (Remember that no one is judging you on the song you select as your favorite). Since your song does not have to be in a foreign language, try to look at the song's specific language and tell me how that affects the mood, tone, and audience.

2) For those of you who are creative and want to give a different sort of assignment a try, watch this video: "Angel" - Massive Attack http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaef2NgwqHY
and write a short explanation as to why you think the main character is being chased. Use elements (tone, images, beat, etc) from the song and video to support your story. Feel free to make it interesting and interpret those elements creatively. (write as much as you need to, but don't get carried away).

Send me an email if you have any questions. Remember you also have the numbers and emails of other students if you feel you want to talk to somebody about the assignment.

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Syllabus

Instructor: Bruce Swanlund Email: Bswanlund@fullerton.edu

Phone: (657) 278-5679 Office: LH-535

Office Hours: Thursday 4:00 - 5:00 and by appointment

Location: UH 337 Class: MW 2:30 - 3:45

Section: 42 Schedule #: 11991

Name: ______________ Name: ______________

Number: ____________ Number: ____________

Email: ____________________ Email: ____________________

Required Texts:

Virtually all of the readings are available at: htthe website you are currently looking at or will be provided through emails or handouts.

Suggested Text:

Hacker, Diane. A Writer’s Reference. 6th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2006

Although this text is not required, a writing handbook is strongly recommended as it will be useful to you in this class as well as other courses throughout your college career. You will find it useful for writing a paper (research or other suggestions), proper citation and documentation, and grammar rules.

This text is available at The Little Professor bookstore.

Required Materials:

Access to the Internet and Microsoft Word is essential for this class

Blue or Black pens for in-class assignments

Two Blue Books

College Ruled 8 ½ x 11 paper for in-class assignments

Course Description:

Prerequisite: English 099, a satisfactory score on the English Placement Test, or exemption from the EPT. This is an introductory course in the fundamentals of expository prose, with an emphasis on grammatical and basic rhetorical concepts and practices necessary for successful college writing.

Objective:

Texts exist everywhere; it is our goal to learn how to access and analyze them, as well as demonstrate those skills through a professional use of the English language.

Ideally, in addition to learning how to organize, compose, and revise a college essay, students will learn how to read, write, speak, and think more critically.

By its very nature, writing involves both individual and collaborative activity. Even when a piece of writing has only one author, that author employs a language system that is shared by others and draws upon ideas and values that are not his or hers alone. Indeed, one of the most important parts of becoming a writer within the academic community is learning how to balance the obligations of individuality and collaboration.

This means, as a college writer, you are expected to use writing to develop and assert your own ideas and beliefs – to think for yourself. But at the same time you are expected to engage with the thinking of others, to place your own writing within the context of academic discourse by using and criticizing arguments from that discourse.

Course Guidelines:

Journals:

On specified days, each student is required to write a one page (double-spaced) journal in response to the readings to demonstrate engagement with the texts. These journals should consist of an analysis of the text and/or offer a comparison to the student’s own life. They should not merely summarize the readings. Journals are designed to get you thinking about the text before you come to class, so that you will have something to say (i.e. a comment, a question, or even an insight) and to generate material for class discussion. These journals must be typed and handed in at the beginning of the next class meeting.

Quizzes:

There will be 3 planned quizzes this semester; however, I will occasionally give pop quizzes to encourage reading and to mercilessly instill fear in the hearts of my students.

Attendance:

College is designed to prepare students for the real world, and just like in a job attendance is mandatory. Do not be absent. I understand that sometimes absences are unavoidable, however do not exceed 3 absences or your grade will suffer. Also, try to reserve these given absences for emergencies. Additionally, students need to arrive to class on time, as tardiness can be disruptive; the policy is 3 late entrances count as an absence. Do not be late. If you are late, it is your responsibility to notify me that you were late at the end of class, otherwise there is the chance you will be marked as absent.

Participation:

Participation is a major part of the class. In addition to participating by doing the journals and essays, I expect you to engage with the class and the texts we read. This means thinking about the material before coming to class, offering comments relative to the class discussion, and asking questions. ASK QUESTIONS! Participation is a major part of this class!!

Note: comments that are not relevant to class and other disruptions may negatively affect your participation grade.

Electronic Devices:

Please turn off cell phones when you are in class and stow them away. No cell phone use at all during class, including texting. You also may not use mp3 players, electronic dictionaries, or laptops in this classroom. If you are caught using distracting devices you will be marked absent for the day, as clearly you are not present mentally.

Late Work:

A late paper is not acceptable. All work is due on its due date, not afterwards. Please consider due dates your obligation.

Extra Credit:

To encourage revision, as revision is always a major part of any writing assignment, there are no extra credit assignments for this class; however, students may earn extra points on their out of class essays. After an out of class essay is turned in, a student will get the essay back with my comments. The student should thoroughly revise the essay to reclaim up to 15 points that were lost. Such revisions can be aided by talking to me or visiting the Writing Center. In order to earn back the lost points, the student must submit the revised draft, as well as the first draft with my comments on it. Insufficient revision work will not be eligible for additional points. (For example: I do not want to see “revised” essays that are identical, except that one comma has been moved.)

Approximate Grading Scale:

Percentage

Grade

94% - 100% = A, 90% - 93% = A-, 87% - 89% = B+, 83% - 86% = B, 80% - 82% = B-, 77% - 79% = C+,

73% - 76% = C, 70% - 72% = C-, 67% - 69% = D+, 63% - 66% = D, 60% -62%= D-, 59% - Below = F

Writing Center:

All students are required to make at least one visit to the Writing Center to work on an assignment or portion of an assignment with a tutor. Multiple perspectives are essential for good writing, so make use of the free professional tutors the campus offers! The Writing Center is located on the first floor of the Pollak Library, on the main CSUF campus. The phone number is (657) 278-3650. All students are encouraged to use the center more than the one required visit. Students who are experiencing difficulty either getting started or revising should visit the Writing Center, as it will make these processes easier – believe it!

Academic Dishonesty:

Academic dishonesty is essentially the misrepresentation of any information. Plagiarism is one of the most common and severest forms of academic dishonesty. Plagiarism is the unacknowledged and inappropriate use of the ideas or wording of another writer. Because plagiarism corrupts values in which the university community is fundamentally committed – the pursuit of knowledge and intellectual honesty – plagiarism is considered a grave violation of academic integrity and the sanctions against it are correspondingly severe. Plagiarism can be characterized as "academic theft."

Plagiarism is:

* The submission of material authored by another person but represented as the student’s own work, whether that material is paraphrased or copied in verbatim or near-verbatim form.

* The submission of material subjected to editorial revision by another person that results in substantive changes in content or major alteration of writing style and

* Improper acknowledgment of sources in essays, papers, or presentations.

Avoiding Plagiarism:

Because of the serious nature of plagiarism, you should ensure that any writing you submit represents your own assertions and abilities, and incorporates other texts in an open and honest manner. The best way to avoid plagiarism is to be careful to document your sources, even when you are making use of data or ideas rather than an actual quotation. In academic assignments, writing is assumed to be the original words and thoughts of the student unless told otherwise (i.e., material from other sources is clearly and properly cited).

Special Needs:

Please let me know the first week of class if you have a disability or special need that might require specific arrangements for you to be successful in the class. CSUF requires students with disabilities to document their disabilities with Disabled Student Services. They are located on the first floor of University Hall in UH-101. You can also visit their webpage at: http://www.fullerton.edu/disabledservices/ or call (657) 278-3117 or TDD: (657) 278-2786.

First Assignment:

It seems you have read the whole syllabus -- good. Now you may do the real first assignment. Find my office, the writing center, and our class website.

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Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Watch your tone

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Syllabus