APLI 604 – Applied Language Studies (Fall 2023)

General Information

Course Website: Moodle (via MyConcordia Portal)

Day/time: Tuesday (18:05 – 20:20 with 15 min break)
Classroom: FG 5.345
Professor: Jennifer Burton (Department of Education)
Office: FG 6.445 (1610 St. Catherine West)
Email: Jennifer.burton@concordia.ca
Office Hours: By appointment by email. You can meet me in person or on Zoom.

Course Description

This course examines the different theoretical concepts and methods used to analyze and
describe the linguistic structure of language and explores ways in which these can be applied
to the teaching of second languages. The course introduces students to the key concepts that
characterize the different components of language, namely phonology, morphology, syntax and
semantics, within an approach that recognizes that languages can be affected by the social,
psychological, and pragmatic aspects of human behaviour.

The course emphasizes applied perspectives to the study of language, including

sociolinguistic, psycholinguistic, multilingual, and affective approaches to L2 acquisition. The
goal of APLI 604 is to give future language researchers and teachers the tools necessary to
make sound decisions in the analysis and teaching of languages.

The course consists of 12 sessions of 2 hours and 15 minutes, held once a week on Tuesdays.
Classes consist of lectures, discussions, presentations, data analysis, and classroom applications
of current research.

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 Objectives

By the end of this course, students will be able to…

1. …understand different perspectives for the analysis of language in L2 acquisition:
psycholinguistic, sociolinguistic, multilingual, and affective approaches.
2. …examine current research on the L2 acquisition of the different components of language
to identify the ways research on language can be applied to the teaching of second
languages.
3. …analyze, synthesize, and evaluate research articles to identify the main components: main
argument, counterarguments, type of research, methodology, theoretical/conceptual
framework, limitations.
4. …summarize and synthesize literature on topics related to the course.
5. …acquire in depth knowledge of key concepts of language and its different components,
namely:
• The organization of sound systems (i.e., phonology).
• The structure of words (i.e., morphology).
• The structure of sentences (i.e., syntax).
• The study of meaning (i.e., semantics & pragmatics).

Evaluation Criteria

Assignment Due Date Grade Break-down

1. Team teaching presentation Group 1: Sept 26 (Phonology) Presentation 20%
Group 2: Oct 17 (Morphology) Peer evaluation 10%
Group 3: Oct 31 (Syntax)
Group 4: Nov 14 (Semantics)
2. Article review paper Oct 24 15%
3. Discussion forums Sept 19 5 x 2% each = 10%
October 3, 24
Nov 7, 21
4. Attendance & participation Nov 28 (Last class) 10%
self-evaluation
5. Final paper: Nov 7 (Final paper proposal due) Proposal = 5%
(proposal & paper) Dec 5 Final paper due Paper = 30%
Total 100%
Some assignments listed in the “Assignment” columns are presented in bolded and italicized
text. These assignments are substantial pieces of work and will require students to be thinking
and working for a substantial period of time before the due date (e.g., two weeks).

Important Dates

Deadline for withdrawal with tuition refund (DNE) from fall-term and two-term courses. Sep 18
Last day for academic withdrawal (DISC) from fall-term courses. Dec 5

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 Schedule*
*The schedule may be subject to modification
Week Date Topics Reading assignment Assignments
1 Sept. 5 Introduction to the Course None

2 Sept. 12 Second Language Acquisition (SLA) 1. O'Grady & Archibald Chapter 11

Multilingualism 2. Burton & Rajendram (2019)
3. Wilson & González (2017)
3 Sept. 19 Language in Social Context 1. O'Grady & Archibald Chapter 14 1. Discussion form 1 (Moodle)
Language and Power 2. Pennycook (2022)
4 Sept. 26 Introduction to Phonology 1. O'Grady & Archibald Chapter 3 1.. Team teaching presentation group

5 Oct. 3 Phonology: Implications & Research 1. Burgess & Spencer (2000) 1. Discussion form 2 (Moodle)
2. Cardoso (2011)
READING Oct. 10 NO CLASS
WEEK
6 Oct. 17 Introduction to Morphology 1. O'Grady & Archibald Chapter 4 1. Team teaching presentation group

7 Oct. 24 Morphology: Implications & Research 1. Ellis (2006) 1. Article review paper** 11:59 pm
2. Leonet et al., (2020) 2. Discussion form 3 (Moodle)
8 Oct. 31 Introduction to Syntax 1. O'Grady & Archibald Chapter 5 1. Team teaching presentation group

9 Nov. 7 Syntax: Implications & Research 1. Nagy et al. (2003) 1. Final paper proposal** 11:59 pm
2. Yabuki-Soh (2007) 2. Discussion form 4 (Moodle)
10 Nov. 14 Introduction to Semantics 1. O'Grady & Archibald Chapter 6 1. Team teaching presentation group

11 Nov. 21 Semantics: Implications & Research 1. Chen (2019) 1. Discussion form 5 (Moodle)
2. Kostadinovska-Stojchevska (2018)
12 Nov. 28 Course evaluations, key learning & Prepared to share details of your final 1. Attendance & participation self-
support for final paper paper with small groups evaluation 11:59 pm
Final paper due Dec 5** 11:59 pm

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 Description of Course Assignments

Please read the preliminary assignment descriptions below. More details will be given as the
course proceeds.

1. Team teaching presentation (Presentation 20% + peer evaluation 10% total 30%)
In teams of 2-5, students will be required to facilitate a 60-minute class presentation on a major
linguistics concept (phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics). This activity is designed so you
be become an expert in a topic. To teach a topic, you must know the content well. You will be
responsible for teaching the class the topic from the chapter in our course textbook. All students
will have read the chapter BEFORE class. All presentations must provide: (1) a general overview
of the chapter; (2) review of a few (3-5) key concepts and their relevance for language teaching
and research (10 min); and (3) an application of the learning to teaching or research related to the
topic (e.g., group discussion/task in-person or online, quiz, class game, practice). You will sign
up for your team-teaching presentation in week 2.

2. Article review paper** (15%)

Students will review an article of their choice related to one of the topics covered in our course
(see “Articles for Review” on the main page). The review paper should be 800-1,000 words in
length. A list of potential articles is posted on our Moodle page regularly. Students can choose an
article from outside the list, with prior approval from the instructor. The list provides full
references for the articles, and students will be asked to locate them using their own means (e.g.,
the Concordia library website, Google Scholar).

3. Discussion forums (5 x 2% each = 10%)

On certain weeks, the professor will post discussion questions using the “Forum” function on our
Moodle page. The questions will address issues from that week’s course content. For the
Reflections, student will have to post a reflective response to a prompt. Your written reflection
(150-300 max) should act as entry point for you to reflect upon the class content of the week and
tie it to your area of interest. First, students must post 1 response to a discussion question
(approximately 150-300 words). These are due on Monday for weeks that include discussion
forums. Next, students must comment on 1 other student’s original response or a subsequent
comment (approximately 100-200 words). Comments can react/build-on the original response.
Follow-up comments are due on Tuesday before class for weeks that include discussion forums.

4. Attendance & Participation, Self-Evaluation (10%)

You are asked to conduct your own self-assessment for 10% of the final course grade. In addition
to regular attendance and timely completion of assignments, you are asked to reflect on your
participation in and contribution to class discussion and activities. You are required to participate
in each of the Moodle-based activities created for this course (discussion, chat). Provide a brief
rationale (250-300 words) for the grade you supply. Submit the self-assessment on the last day of
class. Note that for every class missed, you are required email your instructor and write a critical

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analysis (500 words) of one required readings of that week. Submit this on Moodle by Friday of
the week you missed.

5. Final proposal** and paper** (Proposal = 5% + paper = 30% Total = 35%)

Students will write a final paper (approximately 2,000 words) that addresses a specific topic in the
discipline of Applied Language Studies. The paper will consist mostly of a review/synthesis of
published literature related to the chosen topic (i.e., a “literature review”). This includes the
identification and explanation of key themes or sub-topics, a critical assessment of the strengths
and weaknesses of previous research, and identification of avenues for future research. Prior to
finalizing their topic and writing their paper, students must submit a proposal (400 words) that
will allow the instructor to provide feedback and guidance.

Important Information on Submitting Assignments

• All assignments (including the final paper) must be submitted via Moodle, unless prior
arrangements have been made with the instructor. You are responsible for ensuring that
your assignment is properly deposited on Moodle and is not a corrupted file. Files that are
not deposited by the deadline or that are corrupted will have 10% deducted per day.

• Start and finish assignments early. If you are having trouble doing the assignment, contact me
(Jennifer). You should be asking for a meeting with me rather than an extension because I
grant EVERYONE a 48 hour extension for assignments marked with a double
Asterix(**), no questions asked and no email required. After 48 hours assignments will not be
accepted unless under special circumstances (e.g., medical documentation), in which case you
have communicated with me 48 hours before the original due date if possible.

• Each credit represents a minimum of 45 hours of academic activity (including lectures,

tutorials, etc.). As a result, a 3-credit course represents a minimum of 135 hours of academic
activity (3 credits x 45 hours). If we describe a term as consisting of 13 weeks (12 of scheduled
lectures, 1 of final exam or final project writing), this translates into a MINIMUM of 10 hours
of work per class.

Grading

For the final course grade, the weighted average will be rounded to the nearest whole number,
and converted to letter grades using the following:
0-49 = F 75-79 = B-
50-52 = D- 80-84 = B
53-56 = D 85-89 = B+
57-59 = D+ 90-93 = A-
60-64 = C- 94-96 = A
65-69 = C 97-100 = A+
70-74 = C+

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 Required Readings

a) Textbook

We will be using a textbook for our class, and it is important that you have access to it.

O'Grady, W. & Archibald, J. Contemporary linguistics analysis: An introduction. Pearson.

This textbook has been through multiple editions over the years. For our class, any edition from
6th to 9th will work:

6th edition: ISNB 9780321476661

7th edition: ISNB 9780321714510
8th edition: ISNB 9780321836151
9th edition: ISNB 9780134652306

The paper copy of the book (9th edition) can be purchased at the Concordia Bookstore:
https://www.bkstr.com/concordiastore/product/contemporary-linguistic-analysis-577855-1

However, the book is used in many linguistics courses in North America, so there are many low-
cost, used copies available for sale (e.g., Amazon.ca). If you'd like a new copy of the latest
edition, directly from the publisher, it can be purchased
at https://www.pearson.com/store/p/contemporary-linguistic-analysis-an-
introduction/P200000002639/9780135396223.

b) Other required readings

Along with chapters from the textbook, students will be asked to read several additional works.
Readings from week 2-6 are available on Course Reserves:

Burgess, J., & Spencer, S. (2000). Phonology and pronunciation in integrated language
teaching and teacher education. System, 28(2), 191-215.
Burton, J., & Rajendram, S. (2019). Translanguaging-as-resource: University ESL instructors’
language orientations and attitudes toward translanguaging. TESL Canada
Journal, 36(1), 21-47.
Cardoso, W. (2011). The development of coda perception in second language phonology: A
variationist perspective. Second Language Research, 27(3), 1-33.
Chen, Y. C. (2019). Teaching figurative language to EFL learners: an evaluation of metaphoric
mapping instruction. The Language Learning Journal, 47(1), 49-63.
Ellis, R. (2006). Current issues in the teaching of grammar: An SLA perspective. TESOL
Quarterly, 40 9(1), 83-107.

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Kostadinovska-Stojchevska, B. (2018). The semantic aspect of the acquisition of synonyms,
homonyms and antonyms in the teaching process of English as a foreign
language. European Journal of Foreign Language Teaching.
Leonet, O., Cenoz, J., & Gorter, D. (2020). Developing morphological awareness across
languages: Translanguaging pedagogies in third language acquisition. Language
awareness, 29(1), 41-59.
Nagy, N., Blondeau, H., & Auger, J. (2003). Second language acquisition and ‘real’ French:
An investigation of subject doubling in the French of Montreal Anglophones. Language
Variation and Change, 15, 73-103.
Pennycook, A. (2022). Critical applied linguistics in the 2020s. Critical Inquiry in Language
Studies, 19(1), 1-21.
Wilson, J., & González Davies, M. (2017). Tackling the plurilingual Student/Monolingual
classroom phenomenon. TESOL Quarterly, 51(1), 207-219.
Yabuki-Soh, N. (2007). Teaching relative clauses in Japanese. Studies in Second Language
Acquisition, 29, 219-252.

You can find the first 7 weeks of the articles on the “Course reserves” site curated for our course
by the Concordia library. After week 7, you will need to search for the articles from the library site
or on Google Scholar. Being able to access a variety of publications is a crucial skill for MA
students. If you have any issues with access, please let me know.

See the course website (Moodle) for a list of articles recommended for review.

Behaviour & Guidelines

All individuals participating in courses are expected to be professional and constructive throughout
the course, including in their communications.

Discussion Guidelines
Students will engage in discussion on course readings and lectures in class. Students will exchange
ideas and viewpoints using “I” statements to remain focus on discussing ideas rather than
individuals. Impact:
• Build and enhance interpersonal relationships between students
• Foster sense of belonging and acceptance within the classroom
• Minimize display of negative behaviours toward one another
• Learn from one another’s unique perspective

Participation
If there is something you are dealing with that is impacting your ability to participate, please have
a conversation with me. Your engagement in these extra activities can provide a rich learning
environment for class discussion.

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Communication
Concordia students are subject to the Code of Rights and Responsibilities which applies both when
students are physically and virtually engaged in any University activity, including classes,
seminars, meetings, etc. Students engaged in University activities must respect this Code when
engaging with any members of the Concordia community, including faculty, staff, and students,
whether such interactions are verbal or in writing, face to face or online/virtual. Failing to comply
with the Code may result in charges and sanctions, as outlined in the Code.

I can be reached by email at the address and numbers indicated on the first page of this document.
I do not respond to email messages in the evening, on weekends, or on holidays.

Ethical Behaviour/Academic Integrity

Plagiarism
The most common offense under the Academic Code of Conduct is plagiarism, which the Code
defines as “the presentation of the work of another person as one’s own or without proper
acknowledgement.” Plagiarism is a serious offense and will not be tolerated.

Content belonging to instructors shared in online courses, including, but not limited to, online
lectures, course notes, and video recordings of classes remain the intellectual property of the
faculty member. It may not be distributed, published or broadcast, in whole or in part, without the
express permission of the faculty member. Students are also forbidden to use their own means of
recording any elements of an online class or lecture without express permission of the instructor.
Any unauthorized sharing of course content may constitute a breach of the Academic Code of
Conduct and/or the Code of Rights and Responsibilities. As specified in the Policy on Intellectual
Property, the University does not claim any ownership of or interest in any student intellectual
property. All university members retain copyright over their work.

This includes material copied word for word from books, journals, Internet sites, professor’s
course notes, etc. It refers to material that is paraphrased but closely resembles the original source.
It also includes for example the work of a fellow student, an answer on a quiz, data for a lab report,
a paper or assignment completed by another student. It might be a paper purchased from any
source. Plagiarism does not refer to words alone –it can refer to copying images, graphs, tables
and ideas. “Presentation” is not limited to written work. It includes oral presentations, computer
assignments and artistic works. Finally, if you translate the work of another person into any other
language and do not cite the source, this is also plagiarism.

In simple words: Do not copy, paraphrase or translate anything from anywhere without saying
where you obtained it.

(Source: The Academic Integrity Website: concordia.ca/students/academic-integrity)

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ChatGPT and Similar Generative AI Applications in Assignments
Because ChatGPT can automatically write assignments—and because the university specifically
has an academic code that requires all student work be original (that is, written by the student, not
a machine)—use of ChatGPT in course assignments does/could violate the Code of Conduct. You
may not use ChatGPT for a course assignment unless you have explicitly been given permission
to do so. If you have not received permission and use of ChatGPT is detected, it will need to be
reported as a violation of the Code and students could be subject to penalties.

Third Party Software

Students are advised that external software, website and/or tool (“Third Party Technology”) will
be used in the course and students may be asked to submit or consent to the submission of personal
information (for example, name and email) to register for an online service. Students are
responsible for reading and deciding whether or not to agree with the Third Party Technology’s
terms of use. Use of any Third Party Technology is voluntary. Students who do not consent to the
use the Third Party Technology should identify themselves to the course instructor as soon as
possible, and in all cases before the DNE deadline, to discuss alternate and mutually acceptable
modes of participation.

Extraordinary Circumstances

In the event of extraordinary circumstances and pursuant to the Academic Regulations, the
University may modify the delivery, content, structure, forum, location and/or evaluation scheme.
In the event of such extraordinary circumstances, students will be informed of the changes.

List of Student Services

LIST OF STUDENT SERVICES:

1. Access Centre for Students with Disabilities

https://www.concordia.ca/students/accessibility.html

2. Student Success Centre

https://www.concordia.ca/students/success.html

3. Counselling and Psychological Services

https://www.concordia.ca/health/mental-health/counselling.html

4. Concordia Library Citation and Style Guides

https://library.concordia.ca/help/citing/

5. Health Services
https://www.concordia.ca/health.html?utm_source=redirect&utm_campaign=health

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6. Financial Aid and Awards
https://www.concordia.ca/students/financial.html

7. Academic Integrity
https://www.concordia.ca/conduct/academic-
integrity.html?utm_source=redirect&utm_campaign=academic-integrity.html

8. Dean of Students Office

https://www.concordia.ca/students/life/dean-of-
students.html?utm_source=redirect&utm_campaign=dos

9. International Students Office

https://www.concordia.ca/students/international.html

10. Student Hub

https://www.concordia.ca/students.html

11. Sexual Assault Resource Centre

https://www.concordia.ca/conduct/sexual-
assault.html?utm_source=redirect&utm_campaign=sexual-assault.html

12. As a Concordia student, you are a member of the Concordia Student Union and have many
resources available to you including:
a. HOJO (Of Campus Housing and Job Bank) https://www.csu.qc.ca/services/hojo/
b. CSU Advocacy Centre https://www.csu.qc.ca/services/advocacy-5/

13. Otsenhákta Student Centre

https://www.concordia.ca/students/otsenhakta.html?utm_source=redirect&utm_campaign=abori
ginal

14. Birks Student Service Centre

https://www.concordia.ca/students/birks.html

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