Syllabus INT 410
Introduction to Linguistics
Spring, 2009. ONLINE course 3 credits
Pauleena MacDougall, Instructor.
Office hours by appointment.
110 South Stevens Hall.
Office phone: 581-1848.
Email:
pauleena_macdougall@umit.maine.edu
This syllabus is subject to change. Changes will be
announced on First Class.
NOTE: This can be a very tough class. You
will have to stay on top of all assignments.
If you are not sure you can do so, do not sign up for
this class.
It takes maturity and organization to do well in this
class. However, I promise you will learn a lot.
All work is done on First Class except exams.
We will use Blackboard for our exams.
Technical Assistance: Contact
CED Technical Support Services
cedtechhelp@umit.maine.edu
1-877-947-HELP Our office hours are:
8:30am to 7:30pm Monday through Friday
Text:
Contemporary Linguistics: An Introduction(CL), William
O’Grady et al, Bedford/St. Martin’s Fifth Edition.
Visit and bookmark the site:
bedfordstmartins.com/linguistics
Language: Introductory Readings, (LIR)
Virginia Clark et.al. Bedford/St.Martin seventh edition.
Grades:
Four exams 40%, Homework & Class Discussion papers 40% Class Project
20%.
You are responsible for
everything on this syllabus. Please read carefully and keep a copy
in a convenient location.
Course Objectives:
The course introduces the basic areas of the study of linguistics:
Phonetics, Phonemics,
Morphology, Syntax, Semantics, Language Change,
Language and Society and Writing. New findings on brain research
and language production and language acquisition will
be discussed.
The course provides a foundation for students
interested in continuing upper-level study in linguistics, as well
as for
those who simply wish to understand linguistic issues
and debates appearing in the national media.
By the end of the course students will be able to:
·
Describe and give examples of ways in which human
languages are all alike and how they may differ.
·
Use the basic terminology of linguistics to describe
language phenomena.
·
Apply the tools of linguistic analysis to the sounds,
words, and sentences of a language.
·
Explain the ways in which languages change over time
·
Describe how and where language is processed in the
brain
·
Describe different usages of language in its social
context.
·
Understand something of the diversity of languages in
North America.
·
Evaluate evidence of animal communication.
Homework:
Homework assignments are an important requirement for
succeeding and passing this course.
Homework assignments are due by noon on Saturday each
week. Professor posts answers and what each answer is worth.
Cheating will result in 0 for the homework
assignment.
Academic honesty:
Cheating, plagiarism and all forms of
misrepresentation in academic work is unacceptable at the
University of Maine. Submission of another’s work
without appropriate attribution is a violation of the University of
Maine
Student Conduct Code. Any such acts will be reported
to the supervising faculty member or Department Chair for
appropriate action.
Students will also be expected to provide feedback to
the instructor on a weekly basis.
If you are having difficulty in any area or wish
additional help or explanation you should let me know immediately.
This is a course you don’t want to get behind on
because each week’s knowledge builds on the week before.
I am happy to meet with you to go over problems but
you should make an appointment (call or email).
IMPORTANT!!!!! In the same folder as this syllabus,
you will find a folder: IPAfont.
You will need this by week 3.
In the folder you will find a DoulosSil font that can
be used on both pc and mac computers.
You will need to download and install this font in
your font folder (control panel. You will also see a unicoder file
in this folder.
This is in Microsoft word. If you open this file you
can use it as a template for doing your homework using the
international
phonetic alphabet. There is a bar at the top of your
page under the usual MS Word instruction bars. There you will find
letters A-M
and N-Z. When you want to use a particular Unicode
you just select from there and insert it in your document. We will
be using
the IPA International Phonetic Alphabet in homework
during the phonetics and phonemics lessons, and you can do them in
the
word template and then email them to the homework
folder as an attachment.
*
IMPORTANT
*
If you have a disability for which you may be
requesting an accommodation, please contact either your instructor
or
Ann Smith, Director of Disability Services at their
new location in East Annex, 581-2319, as early as possible in
the term.
Ann Smith, Director of Disability Support Services
East Annex, Rm 123 581-2319 Ann.Smith@umit.maine.edu
Week 1. Language: A Preview.
(Classes begin January 14)
Overview of course. What is language?
Read in CL
pp. 1-11. Language and grammars
Exercises 1 a,b, 2, 3 a,b, 6 a,b Send all homework
to professor, not folder.
Week 2. Phonetics: The Sounds of Language
(week begins January 22)
Readings CL
pp. 15-32. Exercises 1a, 3a-h, 5a-d
Read in LIR
chapter 1. Nine ideas about language. Write a 1-2 pp response and
email to the class discussion folder.
See:
bedfordstmartins.com/linguistics/phonetics. Click on American
dialects.
See
bedfordstmartins.com/linguistics/phonetics.
Go to IPA vowels and consonants.
Week 3. Phonetics: The Sounds of Language
(week begins January 28)
Readings CL pp. 32-50. Read very carefully.
Homework: Exercises 7a-d, 9c and d.
Week 4. Phonology The Sounds of Language.
(week begins February 4)
Readings CL pp. 57-76 Exercises 1, 2.
Week 5. Phonology: The Sound Patterns of Language
(February 11)
Readings CL
pp.76-108. Exercises 10, 11.
Read Chapter 8 in LIR
What is Phonology. Write a 1 pp. response. Do you get it?
Exam 1. Chapters 1-3
Week 6. Morphology (February 19)
.Readings CL pp. 111-139
Exercises 1, 3, 5
Read Chapter 12 in LIR
Mc-: Meaning in the Marketplace. Write a 1 page response in
discussion folder.
Week 7. Syntax (February 25)
Readings CL
pp.151-198.
Exercises 2, 3a,b; 6a,b,9.
Read LIR
Chapter 13: Syntax: The Structure of Sentences. Write a 1
page response for discussion folder.
Exam 2.
Chapters 4 and 5. (You can take the exam anytime between March 1 and
March 18)
*****BREAK (2 weeks)*****
Week 8. Semantics(Classes resume March 17)
Readings CL
pp.201-241
Exercises 1 a-d; 3 a, b; 9
Read in LIR
Chapter 15: Bad Birds and Better Birds: Prototype theories. Write a
1 page response for discussion folder.
Week 9. Historical Linguistics (March 24)
Readings CL pp. 245-284
Exercises 1a-e; 2 a-c, 10
Read in LIR chapter 22
Dialects. Write a 1 page response for discussion folder.
Week 10. Classification of Language (March 31)
Readings CL
pp. 291-322
Exercises 1,3 a , b; 6
Exam 3 April 7-14 Chapters 6-8
Week 11. Indigenous Languages of North America
(April 7)
Readings CL
pp.325-342
Read Chapter 34 in LIR:
Native Tongues. Write a 1 page response for the discussion folder.
Week 12. Language in Social Contexts (April 14)
Readings CL pp.
485-527
Exercise: Do one of the exercises on page 527. Your
choice.
Read Chapter 28 in LIR
Suite for Ebony and Phonics. Write a 1 page response for discussion
folder.
Week 13. Writing and Language (April 21)
Readings CL
pp. 531-552
Read in LIR Chapter 50
Languages and Writing. Write a 1-2 pp. report on one of the
discussion questions on page 776.
Your choice. Submit for homework.
Week 14. Animal Communication (April 28)
Readings CL
pp. 555-585
Exercise 4.
Exam 4.
Chapters 5, 10 -12. (May 5-9)
Week 15. Class Project Due.
(May 9)
Class Project Description.
Choose from one of the projects below. If you have another idea,
you MUST clear it with me
first before you start on it. Project essays should
be 5-7 pages. You must cite your resources, if you use them by
putting author,
date and page # (if its a quote) at the end of the
section where it appears. At the end of your paper list a
bibliography if you use
written sources. Interviews should also be listed:
person’s name, date of interview, place of interview.
1.
Interview a student or friend from a non-English speaking country
about their native language. Do a little background
research
on the country and the language and write a paper explaining and
placing in context the situation of that language
in the
country.
What language(s) do they speak, what language(s)
is/are taught in school. Is the native language endangered? What
other
languages is it related to? Are there dialects of the
language? Transcribe a paragraph of the language in IPA. Can you
tell by
listening where the word boundaries are? Do you hear
certain syllables being inflected? Summarize your experience doing
this.
2.
Write a
paper following the guidelines of question # 9 on page 752 in LIR
about global languages.
3.
Go to
page 362 of LIR. Queston # 4 refers to Language families. Write a
paper following the guidelines in question 4.
Write a report on a pigeon or creole language. Go to page 498 of LIR
question 2 for guidance.
