Linguistics 101: Introduction to Language
Section 5 * TR 12:30-1:45 * Dey 307 * Fall 2008

Course description:

This course provides a background in many aspects of the study of human language, including the following:

• Phonetics/Phonology (linguistic sounds/sound structure and patterns),
• Morphology (word structure),
• Syntax (sentence structure), and
• Semantics (the meanings of words and expressions).

Other topics we will cover include (but are not limited to):

• Universals of human language,
• Language and the human brain,
• Language change,
• Child language acquisition,
• Social aspects of language.

Course goals:

By the end of the course you should

• Have examined your beliefs about language and language use
• Be aware of both the diversity among and the similarities between different language systems
• Be familiar with some basic linguistic methods for describing and analyzing languages.

Course 'style':

The design of this class uses the internet and email very heavily - be prepared to check the class website and your email regularly.

The following is a TENTATIVE SCHEDULE for important dates as well as the topics we will cover during the semester.

THESE ARE NOT THE READING ASSIGNMENTS!
The tentative reading syllabus can be downloaded here, but this schedule will likely change.
For up-to-date assignments, check the class log.

THIS SCHEDULE IS *EXTREMELY* SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

Tentative class schedule:

Week 1: Getting Started/Phonetics (Ch. 1, 2)

August 19 - Intro to course and linguistics; vocal tract anatomy
August 21 - IPA transcription

Week 2: Phonetics (Ch. 2)

August 26 - Transcription practice
August 28 - Consonants, vowels

Week 3: Phonetics/Phonology (Ch. 2, 3)

September 2 - Sound features, suprasegmentals, speech production
September 4 - Phonemes and allophones

Week 4: Phonology (Ch. 3)

September 9 - Distinctive features, rules
September 11 - Rule writing, syllables, phonotactics

Week 5: Morphology (Ch. 4)

September 16 - Allomorphy, affixes, derivation and inflection
September 18 - Word coinage, isolating morphemes

Week 6: Morphology (Ch. 4)

September 23 - Morphology problems
September 25 - *TEST 1*

Week 7: Syntax (Ch. 5)

September 30 - X-bar grammar, constituency, IPS
October 2 - Subcategorization, CPs, ambiguity, I-to-C movement

Week 8: Syntax/Semantics (Ch. 5, 6)

October 7 - Do-insertion, WH-questions
October 9 - Relations between words/sentences, 'meaning', syntax/semantics interface, compositionality

Week 9: Semantics (Ch. 6)

October 14 - Theta roles, pragmatics
October 16 - FALL BREAK: NO CLASS!

Week 10: Language Acquisition (Ch. 11)

October 21 - L1A: the problem, hypotheses about acquisition, phonetic development
October 23 - Phonological, lexical, and morphological development

Week 11: L1A/Historical Linguistics (Ch. 11, 7)

October 28 - Syntactic and pragmatic development; sound change
October 30 - *TEST 2*

Week 12: Historical Linguistics/Sociolinguistics (Ch. 7, 15)

November 4 - Morphological change, syntactic change, lexical change
November 6 - Semantic change; styles/registers, power/solidarity

Week 13: Sociolinguistics (Ch. 15)

November 11 - Dialects/ideolects, variation
November 13 - Pidgins and creoles

Week 14: Sociolinguistics/Language and the Brain (various)

November 18 - Gender and language, taboo language
November 20 - Neurolinguistics, critical period in L1A

Week 15: Language and the Brain (various)

November 25 - Linguistic relativity
November 27 - THANKSGIVING: NO CLASS!

Week 16: Linguistics on the Fringe (Ch. 16, 17)

December 2 - Writing systems; animal communication (?)

Final Exam:

Friday, December 12 @ 12 noon!