Course Syllabus
Language in Society
Human Behavior area
815: 001
CRN: 30006
Fall 2025
Instructor: Michael Hesson, Ph.D.
The course syllabus will provide you with the course schedule, course objectives, explanations of assignments and assessments, grading policies, and instructor contact information. Please read it carefully. You should have a deep familiarity with the schedule and process of the course.
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Basic Course Information
General Education*
This course fulfills the General Education area of Human Behavior.
The goals of Human Behavior courses are:
•Understand relationships between individuals and communities;
•Understand theories or explanations of human behavior used to describe social phenomena;
•Examine the development of individuals’ beliefs, behaviors, and assumptions and how these affect individuals and communities;
•Apply one disciplinary method to understand human behavior or explain social phenomena;
•Access and analyze materials related to individuals, communities or social phenomena; and
•Compare and contrast similar social phenomena across individuals or communities
Meeting Time and Location*
This course will meet in person on Wednesdays, from 11-11:50am in Mazur 00024. Otherwise, the course will be asynchronous.
Emergency Meetings
In the event that we are unable to meet in person, such as due to bad weather, expect a Canvas announcement directing you to a Zoom meeting or providing other guidance.
Students are to register for the TUAlert System to be made aware of University closures due to weather or other emergency situations and follow all additional university-wide emergency instructions. Students can register for this system on the Campus Safety Services website.
Instructor Information
My Name:*
Dr. Michael Hesson
Please refer to me as Dr. or Prof. Hesson, or Mike.
Instructor Biography
I’m a professor of linguistic and cultural anthropology. I graduated from the University of Chicago and the University of Pennsylvania, and I work with Yucatec Maya speakers a few hours from Cancun, Mexico. Right now, my research covers a variety of topics, like how electronic communication, such as texts and emails, is altering Maya views on what’s considered a “proper” way to show strong emotions, like happiness or sadness, and how language structure affects cognition. When I’m not on campus or in the Yucatan, you can usually find me at home in South Philly, brewing beer.
My Contact Information*
Please reach out to me at any time for assistance with the course or just to chat about the field or navigating university life. The best way to reach me is to send me a message through the Canvas inbox or email me at mhesson@temple.edu. I will generally respond within 24 hours, Monday through Friday and 48 hours over the weekend.
My Office:
Gladfelter Hall, Room 662
Student Drop-In Hours*
Wednesdays, 1:30-2:30pm (although I'm around usually much longer than that--feel free to stop in if my door is open!) and by Zoom/appointment. Please grab me in class or email me to set something up!
Purpose of the Course
Overall Purpose
This General Education course isn’t just about learning facts about language—it’s about building skills you’ll use no matter what career you choose. By diving into questions about language origins, diversity, and communication, you’ll sharpen your critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical abilities. You’ll also get better at observing, reflecting, and communicating clearly, which are key skills in any job. Plus, understanding how language shapes society helps you become a more informed, thoughtful person—whether you’re working in business, healthcare, technology, or any other field. It’s all about learning how to think, question, and connect with others on a deeper level.
Overview of the Course
How did language come about? How many languages are there in the world? How do people co-exist in countries where there are two or more languages? How do babies develop language? Should all immigrants take a language test when applying for citizenship? Should English become an official language of the United States? In this course we will address these and many other questions, taking linguistic facts as a point of departure and considering their implications for our society. Through discussions and hands-on projects, students will learn how to collect, analyze, and interpret language data and how to make informed decisions about language and education policies as voters and community members.
Credit Hours: 3
Learning Goals*
Upon successful completion of this General Education course, students will…
• Expand their knowledge and understanding of language origins, language structure, and language use;
• Develop their understanding and appreciation of language diversity and language variation, from local to global levels;
• Enhance their abilities to observe, reflect on, and communicate about a broad range of issues concerning language and language use;
• Develop skills for recognizing and obtaining reliable, valid, and pertinent information about language and language-related issues from various sources;
• Learn to identify, analyze, and synthesize information in order to formulate well-informed opinions about specific language-related issues and controversies;
• Cultivate their abilities to make informed decisions and take practical action, as citizens and community members, concerning language-related policies and practices;
• Learn to identify problems of cross-linguistic and cross-cultural communication, and to devise well-informed practical solutions to those problems;
• Gain the ability to recognize and challenge language-related stereotypes, profiling, discrimination, and other forms of injustice.
All materials, activities, and assessments of this course are designed to help you achieve these goals. If at any time you feel that you are not making progress towards one of these goals, please reach out to me. It is my job to help you get there!
General Education Competencies and Area Learning Goals
•Understand relationships between individuals and communities;
•Understand theories or explanations of human behavior used to describe social phenomena;
•Examine the development of individuals’ beliefs, behaviors, and assumptions and how these affect individuals and communities;
•Apply one disciplinary method to understand human behavior or explain social phenomena;
•Access and analyze materials related to individuals, communities or social phenomena; and
•Compare and contrast similar social phenomena across individuals or communities
The Learning Environment
How Class Will Be Conducted
Most class sessions will combine a brief lecture and one or more learning activities/active class discussion based upon the assigned reading for the day.
The course is organized into weekly modules, each containing a combination of readings, multimedia content, and assignments. You can expect a mix of video lectures, VoiceThread presentations, and interactive activities designed to reinforce the material. I will post weekly announcements to keep you on track and informed, and I will check discussion boards regularly to engage with student posts and answer questions. Written or video feedback on assignments is typically provided within two weeks of the submission deadline. I aim to be present and responsive throughout the course, and you are encouraged to reach out with any questions or concerns at any time.
Classroom Etiquette:
It is important to foster a respectful and productive learning environment that includes all students in our diverse community of learners. Our differences, some of which are outlined in the University's nondiscrimination statement, will add richness to this learning experience. Therefore, all opinions and experiences, no matter how different or controversial they may be perceived, must be respected in the tolerant spirit of academic discourse.
Treat your classmates and instructor with respect in all communication, class activities, and meetings. You are encouraged to comment, question, or critique an idea, but you are not to attack an individual. Please consider that sarcasm, humor, and slang can be misconstrued in online interactions and generate unintended disruptions. Profanity should be avoided as should the use of all capital letters when composing responses in discussion threads, which can be construed as “shouting” online. Remember to be careful with your own and others' privacy. In general, have your behavior mirror how you would like to be treated by others.
For more information, please visit the IDEAL website.
Materials*
Texts:
- The Five-Minute Linguist (3rd ed.)
- The Social Art (2nd ed.)--available online via Charles library--see below.
- Additional readings available via Canvas.
Estimated cost range: $10–$75.
Required course materials are available from the Follett Bookstore at Temple University. Please note that the Follett bookstore offers a guaranteed price match for course materials.
Required Materials:
There are two required textbooks:
Macaulay, Ronald. *The Social Art: Language and Its Uses*. 2nd ed. Oxford University Press, 2006. Please note that this book is available for free online via the Charles library. Search for it using the bibliographic information above, or click on this link to the library.
The other required text is:
Myrick, Caroline, and Walt Wolfram. The Five-Minute Linguist: Bite-Sized Essays on Language and Languages. 3rd ed. Equinox, 2019. You can purchase this book at the bookstore or online.
If you have problem finding the books, please email me.
Links to other required readings, videos, etc., will be supplied electronically in Canvas in the appropriate module. These items will be provided to you at no additional cost.
Software or Other Supplies
If you need access to basic software for creating documents, slideshows, or spreadsheets, you have free access to Microsoft 365.
Whether you use a paper or digital tool, you should have a calendar for managing your schedule. I use Outlook calendar, software available to you as part of the Microsoft 365 suite of tools. Similarly, I expect you to take notes while reading course materials and during lectures, but the choice is yours whether to use software or paper.
Accessibility*
It is important to me that every student has the opportunity to succeed in this course. Please reach out to me if any obstacle is in the way of your success.
Any student who has a need for accommodations based on the impact of a documented disability or medical condition should contact Disability Resources and Services (DRS) located in the Howard Gittis Student Center South, 4th Floor at drs@temple.edu or 215-204-1280 to request accommodations and learn more about the resources available to you. If you have a DRS accommodation letter to share with me, or you would like to discuss your accommodations, please contact me as soon as practical. I will work with you and with DRS to coordinate reasonable accommodations for all students with documented disabilities. All discussions related to your accommodations will be confidential. Students can learn more about the accommodation process and pre-register on the DRS website. Students may register at any time during the semester, but accommodations are not active until you register, so I recommend doing so as early in the semester as possible.
Information regarding accessibility for additional technologies is provided below:
Resources and Support*
Sometimes the biggest factors impacting student success are things happening beyond the scope of the individual classroom. Temple provides a wide array of resources both to help you overcome academic challenges and those not directly related to the educational challenges of the course. Please reach out to me if you need help deciding which resources might be right for you.
Undergraduate Research Support
Disability Resources and Services
If you are experiencing food insecurity or financial struggles, Temple provides resources and support. Notably, the Temple University Cherry Pantry is in operation, as well as a variety of resources from the Division of Student Affairs.
Library Resources*
Important: There is a wonderful library guide with print and online resources that the Charles librarians have made available to us for Language in Society specifically: https://guides.temple.edu/educ0815
Temple University Libraries provide resources to assist Temple students with their class projects and research needs. Visit the Libraries’ website to find millions of articles, books, video, and other resources, both in print and online.
The site also provides tutorials to help you start your research, as well as subject and course research guides to help you identify resources that may be particularly useful for this class.
Contact the library at any stage of the research process. You can chat with a librarian 24/7 or make an appointment with your subject librarian, who can help you explore a topic, craft a research question, and identify and cite sources.
Course Schedule
|
Week |
Dates |
Prepare for Class |
Assessments Due |
|
1 |
Aug 25 – Aug 31 |
Topic: Intro to Linguistics & What is Language? |
Discussion post (Fri) |
|
2 |
Sept 1 – Sept 7 |
Topic: Sounds and Structure of Language. |
Quiz 1 (Sun); Discussion post (Fri) |
|
3 |
Sept 8 – Sept 14 |
Topic: Child Language Acquisition |
Discussion post (Fri) |
|
4 |
Sept 15 – Sept 21 |
Topic: Language & Meaning |
Quiz 2 (Sun); Discussion post (Fri) |
|
5 |
Sept 22 – Sept 28 |
Topic: Language and Communication |
Problem Set 1 assigned; Discussion post (Fri) |
|
6 |
Sept 29 – Oct 5 |
Topic: Dialects & Variation |
Quiz 3 (Sun); Discussion post (Fri) |
|
7 |
Oct 6 – Oct 12 |
Topic: Multilingualism & Language Contact |
Short Essay 1 assigned; Discussion post (Fri) |
|
8 |
Oct 13 – Oct 19 |
Topic: Language & Social Class |
Problem Set 1 due (Sun); Discussion post (Fri) |
|
9 |
Oct 20 – Oct 26 |
Topic: Language & Gender |
Quiz 4 (Sun); Discussion post (Fri) |
|
10 |
Oct 27 – Nov 2 |
Topic: Language & Identity: Register & Style |
Discussion post (Fri) |
|
11 |
Nov 3 – Nov 9 |
Topic: Language & Politics |
Short Essay 1 due (Sun); Quiz 5 (Sun); Discussion post (Fri) |
|
12 |
Nov 10 – Nov 16 |
Topic: Language & Technology |
Discussion post (Fri) |
|
13 |
Nov 17 – Nov 23 |
Topic: Language Growth & Endangerment |
Problem Set 2 assigned; Discussion post (Fri) |
|
14 |
Nov 24 – Nov 30 |
Topic: Thanksgiving Break – No Class |
— |
|
15 |
Dec 1 – Dec 7 |
Topic: Language & Thought; Course Synthesis |
Problem Set 2 due (Sun); Short Essay 2 due (Sun); Quiz 6 (Sun); Discussion post (Fri) |
|
Finals |
|
|
No Final Exam in this class! |
Grading & Assessment Guidelines
Grading Scale
|
Percentage |
Letter 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 |
|
61-62 |
D- |
|
0-60 |
F |
Course Minimum Grade*
A grade of “C-” or better is required in all GenEd courses for you to satisfy a General Education requirement.*
Assessment Summary*
The assessments in this course have been created for two reasons: (1) For you to demonstrate your progress towards the learning goals for the course and receive useful feedback. (2) For you to practice skills and develop ways of thinking that will be of use to you in the future.
|
Grading Item |
Due Date |
Percentage of Final Grade |
|
Weekly Discussion Posts (approx. 12 total)/Attendance |
Fridays, Weeks 1–13, 15 |
15% |
|
Quizzes (6 total, biweekly) |
Sundays, Weeks 2, 4, 6, 9, 11, 15 |
25% |
|
Problem Set 1 |
Week 8 (Sun, Oct 19) |
10% |
|
Problem Set 2 |
Week 15 (Sun, Dec 7) |
10% |
|
Short Essay 1 (3 pages) |
Week 11 (Sun, Nov 9) |
20% |
|
Short Essay 2 (3 pages) |
Week 15 (Sun, Dec 7) |
20% |
More information about each assessment will be provided later in the semester.
Late Submissions/Missed Exams & Quizzes
Makeup and Late Assignments: No late assignments or make-ups will be scheduled without a compelling reason given with reasonable advance notice. Late assignments will be penalized by at least one full letter grade per day late. Final term grades will not be revised unless a computational error has been made i.e., final grades are final.
Class Attendance & Participation
Attendance, Participation, & Periodic In-Class Exercises (ICE): Attending and participating in class are necessary in order to get the most out of your Temple academic experience. If you have a medical emergency (with accompanying documentation) or a family emergency (and have notified me successfully beforehand) please come see me. Otherwise, I will deduct five (5) points for each absence or late arrival/early departure. In-Class-Exercises will generally accompany any films that we watch during class, and should be fairly straightforward. Most of them will be graded on an A/C/F or 95/75/0 scale. When online, participation is measured by active participation in group discussions, on Zoom, and discussion boards.
School-Life Conflict
Many unpredictable things can happen over the course of a semester. If you find yourself struggling to balance your education and your other commitments, please reach out to me immediately so that we can work together to build a plan for your success. Some of the resources in the next section may also be of use to you.
Attendance and Your Health
To achieve course learning goals, students must attend and participate in classes, according to the course requirements. However, if you have tested positive for or are experiencing symptoms of a contagious illness, you should not come to campus or attend in-person classes or activities. It is your responsibility to contact me to create a plan for participation and engagement in the course as soon as you can, and to make a plan to complete all assignments in a timely fashion.
Religious Holidays
It is your right to observe religious holidays without impacting your opportunity to learn and succeed in this course. Please reach out to me at the start of the semester so that deadlines can be reviewed in advance of your religious observations. You will still be held responsible for course content and any assignments, but you will not lose points for attendance and participation on days important to your faith.
Caregiver Responsibilities
I have great respect for students who are pursuing their education while responsible for the care of children or other family members. Please contact me if you encounter challenges that require you to miss a class session or if your caregiving responsibilities are interfering with your success in the course. Together, we may be able to find some flexibility to support your learning.
Withdrawal
If you are considering withdrawing from the course after the add/drop date, please don’t make that decision alone! Withdrawing from the course without talking to me first eliminates the possibility of finding a path to success for you. Furthermore, it is extremely important that you consult your academic advisor before withdrawing. They will be able to walk you through how the withdrawal would impact your progress towards your degree and your graduation date.
Please check the academic calendar for the last day to withdraw from a course.
Incomplete
A student will be eligible for a grade of “Incomplete” only if the student: 1) has completed at least 51% of the work at a passing level, 2) is unable to complete the work for a serious reason beyond their control, and 3) files a signed agreement with the instructor outlining the work to be completed and the time frame in which that work will be completed. The student is responsible for initiating this process, and all incomplete forms must be sent to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs prior to the start of study days in that semester.
Please refer to the following for further details: Temple University’s Incomplete Policy. (Policy #02.10.13).
Technology Guidelines
Technology Requirements*
To participate in this course, you will need the equipment, software, and internet access necessary to reliably use Zoom and Canvas, as well as “productivity tools” like word processors and slide show creators.
Limited resources are available for students who do not have the technology they need for class. Students with educational technology needs, including no computer or camera or insufficient Wifi access, should submit a Student Technology Assistance Application located in TUPortal and linked from the Dean of Students Support and Resources. The University will endeavor to meet needs, such as with a long-term loan of a laptop or Mifi device, a refurbished computer, or subsidized internet access.
Note that there are technology resources available for students, including on-campus computers available for student use, the Tech Center computer labs and free laptop and battery borrowing at Charles Library, software that is available for free download and other specialty software that may be available for remote access through ITS.
Technical Support
For a listing of technical support services available to Temple University students, see the Tech Support page.
Live Chat or Request Help: help.temple.edu
Phone: 215-204-8000
Email: help@temple.edu
Website: its.temple.edu
Location: The TECH Center, Room 106
Class Recording
[Edit or use: Our Zoom meetings will be recorded, and you will have access to these through the end of the course. These recordings are intended to be for University academic and research purposes only. Individuals are not permitted to record, copy, publish, or redistribute audio or video recordings of any portion of the session to individuals who are not associated with the University without the express permission of the host/faculty member and of any other meeting participants who are recorded. Distribution without permission could be a violation of various privacy laws, including FERPA, as well as the Pennsylvania Wiretapping and Electronic Surveillance Control Act, and possibly copyright law.
Attending Zoom meetings using an AI proxy is not allowed.
Privacy and Data Protection
Please see the links below to become familiar with the privacy policies for each of the following:
AI Policies
You are welcome to use generative AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT, Dall-e, etc.) in this class as doing so aligns with the course learning goal of improving information literacy. You are responsible for the information you submit based on an AI query (for instance, that it does not violate intellectual property laws, or contain misinformation or unethical content). Your use of AI tools must be properly documented and cited in order to stay within university policies on academic honesty. For example: [ChatGPT, response to “Tell me about confirmation bias,” February 16, 2023, https://chat.openai.com but go here for more information on citing ChatGPT.]
Any use of AI tools for work in this class that may be considered a violation of Temple University’s Academic Honesty policy and Student Conduct Code, will be penalized. The use of unauthorized AI tools will result in an immediate "F" for the assignment.
Academic Guidelines
Academic Freedom*
Freedom to teach and freedom to learn are inseparable facets of academic freedom. I have the freedom and responsibility to design and facilitate our learning environment to best achieve the promise of the course as outlined in its official description. You have the responsibility to engage with the course in good faith and freedom from mistreatment when your opinion differs from mine. Note that it is not an abuse of this freedom for me to require that you support relevant opinions with clear argumentation and solid evidence. For more on academic freedom, consult the official Temple policy on the matter.
Academic Integrity*
Academic Honesty & Academic Freedom Policy: It is expected that everyone will adhere to Temple University’s official policies. Please consult the Student Bulletin (http://www.temple.edu/bulletin/Responsibilities_rights/responsibilities/responsibilities.shtm#honesty ) for a more detailed description. Violators of University Policy, particularly regarding academic integrity, will be punished. All of your work in this course should be your own. Regarding academic rights:
Freedom to teach and freedom to learn are inseparable facets of academic freedom. The University has adopted a policy on Student and Faculty Academic Rights and Responsibilities (Policy # 03.70.02) which can be accessed through the following link: http://policies.temple.edu/getdoc.asp?policy_no=03.70.02 .