yyc1 5 / 10 2 Dec 11, 2013 #1Imagine you are a professor, charged with teaching a new course. Emory University offers over 1,000 courses in a wide range of academic subjects. You are free to choose whatever subject you want. What class would you create? What would you hope students would leave your class having learned? (250 word limit)Sarcasm can be seen as a form of social cognition, requiring the mental perception of figuring out what others are thinking. As a professor, I would strive to teach how to detect and understand the linguistic principles behind the art of sarcasm. To correctly identify sarcasm, one requires the ability to extract the minute points of weakness in a conversation, along with possessing complete contextual understanding in the given scenario. This in itself is a cognitive challenge, demanding that one understand the meaning of a sarcastic reference in a larger social context. Comprehending the meaning behind specific uses of irony or satire, especially in literature, can best be understood by an individual who can distinguish the use of specific forms of sarcasm. Having the ability to wield sarcastic contexts can also aid students in further cultivating skills in identifying the use of mood and tone of voice. I would want this course to force students to look at how the capability to analyze verbal sarcasm creates a fuller understanding of social relations. Detecting sarcasm demands us to exercise a certain level of empathy, by requiring that we adopt the perspective of the speaker in order to assess the meaning behind a deliberately false statement. While most adults have the comprehension to use and pinpoint generic sarcastic statements, I hope to further the student's understanding past this superficial point. The final goal being that students use this knowledge to make connections between academic or social circumstances to what they have learned.any comments or suggestions would be appreciated :)
