CI 569

Spring 2013

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Topics Discourse and Writing
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Credit: 4 hours.

Same as ENGL 584. See ENGL 584.

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CRN Type Section Time Day Location Instructor Section Details
32288
Lecture-Discussion
R
1:00PM -2:50PM
T
Lincoln Hall
Baron, D
Part of Term:
1
Date Range:
01/14/13-05/01/13
Section Title:
Language and Law
Section Info:
Topic Section R: Language and Law The law depends on our common understanding of language to frame and interpret everything from statutes and contracts to witness statements and judicial rulings. The law assigns meaning to language as well, sorting out ambiguity and resolving opposing readings of the same text. For example, in Washington, DC, v. Heller, 9 highly-educated Supreme Court justices came to two completely different interpretations of the Second Amendment (the one about the right to bear arms). In addition to considering various aspects of legal meaning-making, we?ll look at instances where language becomes the subject of the law: First Amendment cases from the Alien and Sedition Acts to George Carlin?s ?7 Dirty Words You Can?t Say on TV? to the USA Patriot Act. We?ll look at attempts to designate English as an official language at the federal, state, and local levels, as well as official language policies in schools and workplaces, together with various efforts to protect the rights of minority-language and minority-dialect speakers. We?ll look the language and privacy rights of employers and employees in the workplace. And we?ll consider intellectual property issues involving language: trademark, copyright, plagiarism (including the legal controversy over the Google Books Project), and impact of digital technologies on intellectual property concerns. Finally, we?ll consider some topics in forensic linguistics: interrogation and testimony; voiceprints, author identification, and language profiling. Readings?all of them available online?include legislation, court cases, and analyses of various language and law issues. Students will write a seminar paper and do a class presentation on an issue of their choice.
Restriction(s):
Restricted to Graduate - Urbana-Champaign.
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