Spring 2005
| Assignment
Schedule (link will be activated at the beginning of the quarter) |
Term Paper This page is not up to date. Some changes in topic requirements will be made. |
Study Guide (link will be activated at the beginning of the quarter) |
My
Policies |
Handouts/Study Aids (link will be activated at the beginning of the quarter) |
|
Course Information |
Instructor Contact |
English Dept. Contact |
Instructor Office Hours: |
| Time: MW 10:10 am - noon |
Office: 47-35B |
Office: 47-32 |
M 4:30-5:20 pm, W 12:30-1:20 pm; & R 2:30-3:20 pm and by appointment ** |
| Room: 22-219 |
Phone: 756-2184 |
Phone: 756-2596 |
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| Instructor: Dr.
Johanna Rubba |
E-mail:
jrubba@calpoly.edu |
Fax: 756-6374 |
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| **To make an appointment: Check my schedule, then e-mail me, suggesting several times that are good for you. I will confirm one by return e-mail. |
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| The best way to
contact me outside of class or office hours is by e-mail. Response
time may be up to 24 hours during the week, on rare occasions up to 48. Responses
on weekends possible but not guaranteed. I usually return phone calls only in
very urgent situations. |
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| Course
Description In this course, we will explore cognitive stylistics, a new approach to the linguistic analysis of literature. The type of cognitive stylistics we shall study is the application of theories of cognitive linguistics, specifically cognitive semantics, to the interpretation of literature. Cognitive linguistics seeks to explain our ability to use and understand language by applying concepts from cognitive psychology, cognitive science, and concepts developed within the discipline of cognitive linguistics itself. The course will progress from simpler to more-complex techniques of analysis: first, schema theory, which concerns how the knowledge of the world that we possess comes into play when we read literature and construct interpretations for it, and how authors manipulate our knowledge for stylistic effect. We will then move on to mapping theory, in which mental connections are made either within schemas or from one schema to another. The types of mapping we will study are metonymy, metaphor, and conceptual blending, and how these feature in literature. We will also consider cross-cultural applications of these theories and how they can be applied in ESL teaching. |
Texts Required: Metaphor: A Practical Introduction, by Zoltán Kövecses. Required Reserve Readings: A number of required readings will be available only through electronic library reserve or the World Wide Web. Recommended: Metaphors We Live By, by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson. |
| Course Requirements Reading:You cannot be successful in the course without doing ALL of the assigned readings, processing them carefully as you read (skim the whole assignment before you read, highlight as you read, and make summative notes after you read). Having the reading under your belt will also prepare you for class discussion, enabling you to ask questions about points you do not understand and to participate in discussion. • Attendance: Excess absences will harm your grade. Visit my Attendance policy page, and read it carefully. You are responsible for conforming to this policy. • Participation: Being a seminar, this class will rely heavily on student contributions to class discussion. Participation counts as part of your grade. This includes completing homework exercises, whether these are to be handed in or used as a basis for class discussion. Written homework is not optional. Quality of participation is as important as quantity: asking pertinent questions, making substantive contributions will earn you points; monopolozing the discussion to dwell on trivial points will not. • Midterm and final exam: There will be an in-class midterm and a comprehensive (cumulative) final exam at the scheduled hour. Exams will test your ability to apply the techniques we study in class to both everyday and literary language. They will also include testing of terminology and concepts of the theories we will be studying. • Term paper: You will write a 12-15-page term paper. If you are taking the course for graduate credit, your paper must be 15-20 pages in length. Students whose main interest is literature will write a paper applying one of the three techniques we study to a literary work. Topics will also be available for students whose main interest is ESL, or students who would like to work on other topics, such as education or propaganda. |
| Point value of course requirements |
| Participation | 20% = | 60 points | Grading
Standards: Please visitmy grading
standards page to understandhow I will evaluate your work. This is
especiallyimportant for written work, as most of
your gradewill be based on written assignments.
Graduate students should
check my Graduate Grading Standards page. Note that, for graduate students, a passing grade is B- or better. |
| Midterm | 20% = | 60 points | |
| Final | 30% = | 90 points | |
| Term paper | 30% = | 90 points | |
| TOTAL | 100% = | 300 points |
Course Plan (Subject to change.) Introduction to Cognitive Stylistics Week 1 Part I: Weeks 2-3 - Schema theory - Mapping I: From schemas to everyday experience - Schemas and literature; schemas and ESL Part II: Mapping II: Metonymy; applications to literature & ESL Week 4 Part III: Mapping III: Metaphor - applications to literature & ESL Weeks 5-6-7 Part IV: Mapping IV: Conceptual Blending - applications to literature & ESLWeeks 8-9-10 |