Active participation is an essential part of a seminar class; after all, you all are joint creators in the content of the class. Consequently, you are expected participate every time with questions and reflections on that week's readings. No points are given for meeting this bare minimum.

Students who do not participate at least once in that day's class discussion will be marked as absent.

Students who are absent more than three times over the course of the semester will have their grade reduced by one letter per absence over three.

Excused absences can be granted for religious, military, or illness, but they should be requested in advance so that we can discuss the implications and accommodation strategies that they will require. Unforeseen illnesses can be excused, but you should reach out as soon as you know you'll miss class or ASAP after.

Students will present on one theoretical article over the course of the semester. In general these will be on Tuesdays at the beginning of class, though this may shift to accommodate no more than one presentation per class. 

Please sign up for your presentations at the link on Canvas.

A passing grade on this assignment meets all the following objectives:

• Presentation lasts 15 minutes.

• Presentation articulates the key points of the reading.

• Presentation also draws connections to other readings and the language communities studied in class.

• Presentation includes at least 3 questions to prompt further class discussion.

• Nothing needs to be turned in for this assignment, the presentation is sufficient.

In place of a final exam, you will 1) propose a final research paper (due the week after Spring Break), 2) present a research presentation to the class on your topic (due the final week of class), and 3) expand that into a research essay (due during exam week).  Each of these components is described at the end of this section.

As these three components build off each other, the theme of the project builds off this theme: Students will pick one minoritized/minority language of the Hispanic world and describe how linguistic labor manifests in that unique context. The final paper should respond to the following points:

• A brief introduction to the language you've chosen including the number of speakers, the geography, the relationship it has with other languages, etc. 

• The historic and current situation of the language - Why have you concluded that it is minoritized? Is it official in a geography? Is it standardized in any capacity? Are its speakers currently being persecuted or stigmatized?

• Who is working to protect the language? What steps are they taking?

The language you choose can be a "hybrid" language, an indigenous language, or a minoritized language in Spain or in the historic colonies of Spain in the Americas, Africa or Asia. Some examples of possible languages for study include:

• Llanito (The “Spanglish” of Gibraltar)

• Mapundungun (Indigenous language of the Mapuche people of Chile and Argentina)

• Chavacano (Philippines)

• Fang (Indigenous language of Ecuatorial Guinea)

• Criollo sanandresano AKA Raizal (Creole language spoken in the Colombian archepelago of San Andrés and Providencia)

• Euskera, Gallego, Catalan, Occitan, or another minoritized language of Spain

• The movement to separate Andaluz from Castilian

• Any other language that meets the criteria.

This assignment consists of three elements, each of which is described in more detail below. This tripartite model is meant to replicate the conference paper and publication cycle. The elements are as follows:

1. Proposal

2. Presentation

3. Final Paper

Proposal

The proposal is meant to articulate what you intend to present in your presentation. Your project inevitably will change as you work on it, but your proposal should serve as a guide. The proposal also gives the professor a chance to comment and redirect before you've invested a significant amount of time.

A passing grade on this assignment meets all the following objectives:

• Proposal identifies and discusses ONE minoritized language on which the student will present

• Proposal articulates a coherent narrative of what will be presented in the presentation

• Proposal does NOT not include citations at this point. 

• At least three relevant articles are mentioned in a bibliography at the end of the proposal. Bibliography should be in MLA, APA, or another convention of your choosing .
  (A works cited list does not count towards your word count)

• Proposal is 200-250 words in length

• Proposal is written in Spanish

• Proposal has been spell-checked and grammar-checked prior to submission.

  • • Proposal is uploaded to Canvas by the due date (the Tuesday after spring break).

All students are required to submit a proposal for a passing grade in the class.

Presentation

The presentation should present the essential preliminary findings on the aforementioned points. However, your presentation has a time limit, so you should choose carefully the aspects you think would be essential to informing the class about the language and community you've chosen. Remember, they may have little to no knowledge about your topic.

A passing grade on this assignment meets all the following objectives:

• Presentation is 12-15 minutes long (plus question time)

• Presentation can be either extemporaneous or read, but students should practice their presentation to ensure it's engaging and that it uses time well. (Monotone reading of a written paper is not very interesting for the audience.)

  • • • • • If you're planning on reading, aim for about 8 pages of written text. Practice what you've written and adjust up or down for length.

• If visual tools such as PowerPoint is used, they do not distract from the presentation, but rather add value. If you choose to use them, they should be presented professionally. 

  • • • • • A works-cited final slide should be included if you choose to make a PowerPoint.

• Presentation follows the general theme of the proposal, though as mentioned above, your work may evolve between the proposal stage and the presentation stage.

• Presentation is conducted during the assigned time slot in the last two weeks of class.

All students are required to present a final presentation for a passing grade in the class.

Final Paper

The final paper should expand the content of your presentation and present it as a draft of a publishable quality research paper.

A passing grade on this assignment meets all the following objectives:

• Final paper is 12-15 pages in length

• Final paper addresses more points than were covered in the presentation, or addresses the same points in more detail

• Final paper is written in Spanish

• Final paper has been spellchecked and grammar checked prior to submission

• Final paper is submitted on Canvas no later than April 26th at noon (12:00)

IMPORTANT: The final paper is required for students seeking an A in the class, it is not required for those content with a B or C. Contact the professor for more details if you're curious about which option to take.