Unit 1 – Language in the Peer Group

Lesson 1 – Introducing Linguistics and Lesson 2 – What is Slang?

Class time: 57 minutes

Objective: To introduce students concept of linguistics and slang.

Materials Needed:

-PowerPoint: (Unit1_Lesson1_PPT.ppt) and Unit 2 What is Slang?

-Student journals

-Table plates materials

-Extra profile packages for new students

Before Students Arrive: (10 minutes)

1.Tech set up: Open up both PowerPoints presentations.

2.Prepare students table plates tools (e.g., paper and markers)

3.Prepare journals

  1. These will be handed out after instructor discusses the expectations on presentation

As Students Come In: (5-7 minutes)

  1. As students come in, hand out materials for their desk plates and also 2 demographic forms. Instruct students to create name signs for their desks.
  2. Remember to collect these at the end of the class. (This will happen every time)

Present PPT on Lesson 1 (15 - 20 minutes)

SLIDE 2: Classroom Environment and Climate (5 minutes)

  • Switch to slide 2 in the PPT. Go over the listed points to explain why this class is special and exciting. Make an important note of the sensitivity of many of the issues in this class: we may sometimes talk about language or ideas that some people may find offensive or uncomfortable. Inform students to be respectful of others’ feelings, and to inform the instructors or mentors if there are any feelings of disrespect by anything that happens in the class.
  • Participation rubric

SLIDE 3: What Is Linguistics? (5 min)

  • Example 1
  • They’ll probably say it’s wrong.
  • Ask why (they’ll probably say “bad grammar”)
  • Have they heard someone say something like this, or said it themselves? Did they understand this sentence? Do people who speak this way follow any grammatical rules?
  • Example 2
  • They should immediately see that (1) makes a lot more sense than (2).
  • Ask them why (because of word order).
  • Example 3
  • They may think this sounds weird. Do they know anywhere that people say this?
  • Some may know that you can say it this way in England and in some parts of the US.
  • It may sound too formal to some of them.
  • Point out the difference between what’s linguistically acceptable and what’s socially acceptable.
  • Would (1) or (3) be more acceptable among their friends?
  • Would (2) ever be acceptable?
  • In making clear that this is not an English class, don’t belittle English.
  • Just say that we’re not talking about language in terms of right and wrong but in terms of its social uses.
  • From this perspective everyone has some linguistic expertise
  • They use language for social purposes
  • They encounter languages in social situations
  • Since we are interested in how language is used by all people, then all people are linguistic experts in the communities and places they use language

In order to think about this, we're going to do a quick brainstorming activity with what we just talked about using the journal that you will use and keep for this class.

-Hand out the journal

-Explain what the journal will be used for

  • a journal that they’ll use for this class
  • They shouldn’t use the journal for their other classes and they shouldn’t remove any pages from it unless there’s something they don’t want us to see.
  • We’ll make copies of their journal work but they can keep the journal.

SLIDE 4: What's You Linguistic Expertise? (5 -7 min)

Bring up PowerPoint slide with the following questions and have students write/brainstorm about them for a 1 minute! (set a time limit) in their journal.

  • What languages do you speak, whether fluently or not? (English counts!)
  • Are there languages that used to be spoken in your family but aren’t anymore?
  • What parts of the country have you been to? Did people speak differently there?
  • What special vocabulary do you know based on your activities, like sports or hobbies (surfing? skating? computer games? fashion? etc.)
  • What special vocabulary do you know based on your social group (i.e., slang)

As you review each questions, ask students to share answers from what they wrote in their journals!

SLIDE 5: Inform students that they are all linguistic experts in some way (1-2 minutes)

  • They’ll learn from you and each other
  • You’ll learn from them.
  • What they discover about language through this class will be brand-new knowledge that will contribute to research.
  • The first research project we will do is about slang.

Lesson 2 – What is Slang? (15 - 20 minutes)

ACTIVITY – INTRODUCING SLANG

Go through PowerPoint with notes as provided. On Slide 3, go through example of which they think are/aren’t slang. (Each term should be able to be clicked through individually.)

  • Students should be asked to define the words and justify their answer. This will help them develop a working definition of slang
  • Some things to note after they answer:
  • stoked: slang when used as an expression of enthusiasm, but it also has a nonslang meaning
  • awesome: very widely used, but probably still slang; there’s also a nonslang meaning (e.g., it’s in the bible)
  • cool: still used after all these years! Probably the oldest ongoing slang word
  • hi: not slang, just casual language (very widespread)
  • ain’t: not slang; this is nonstandard grammar (but NOT “incorrect”)
  • wicked good (slang, but not around here)
  • jerk: used to be slang, now it’s too common to be slang
  • shoal (Carp slang)

Then ask: Which of these words would they use? Why/why not? What other terms might they use for these meanings?

  • They should notice that different age groups, social groups, and regions use different forms of slang

Advance to Slide 4, for the actual definition of slang. Go over the definition item by item. Ideally some of the characteristics of slang in slide 4 will have come up already during the discussion.

Overview – Unit 1 Project and Small Assignments (3 min) –

Briefly go over what their slang project will look like after completing the PPT presentation on Slang.

Q&A and Wrap-Up (remaining of time)

Collect Table names