Spring 2010
SPN 383N • Fundamental Issues of Spanish Syntax
| Unique | Days | Time | Location | Instructor |
| 47930 |
TTh |
2:00 PM-3:30 PM |
BEN 1.118 |
NISHIDA |
Course Description
I.COURSE OUTLINE The objective of this course is to examine how modern syntactic theory, in particular, generative grammar, deals with some fundamental issues of Spanish syntax and to evaluate its empirical and explanatory adequacy. This course also gives a theoretical foundation to those who wish to work in applied areas like second language acquisition and sociolinguistics The course is organized as follows: 0. Introduction: Representation of syntactic structure 1.1 Syntactic Structure of Sentences: Phrase Structure Rules 1.2 X-bar Theory: Lexical Projections (NP, VP, AP, and PP) 1.3 Extending X-bar Theory: Functional Projections (CP, I(T)P, and DP) 1. Issue ONE: Lexicon 4.1 Argument structure 4.2 Thematic Relations (?-roles) 2. Issue TWO: Inflection 2.1 Split Inflection: Tense, Agreement, and Negation 2.2 Aspect 2.3 V-movement 3. Issue THREE: Representation of Syntactic Functions 3.1 Subject (Null-subject/VP-internal Hypothesis and DP movement) 3.2 Object 3.2.1. Distribution of Clitics, CL/DP pairs, and DPs 3.2.2 Indirect Object (Complement or Adjunct?) 4. Issue FOUR: Lexicon-to-syntax mapping and DP Movement 4.1 Passive 4.2 Split intransitivity (Unaccusative/Unergative Contrast) 4.3 Reverse Psych Verbs 5. Issue FIVE: Complementation with a special reference to non-finite clauses 5.1 Finite vs. Non-finte clauses 5.2 Control (Subject-to-subject) vs. Raising 5.3 Object-to-subject Control 5.4 Causatives 6. Issue SIX: Clitic se 6.1 Unified analysis of se 6.2 Transitive/Intransitive alternation 6.3 Aspectual se and Eventualities 7. Issue SEVEN: Information articulation and syntax (Time permitting)
Grading Policy
1. Participation 15 % Tasks 10 Contribution to class discussion 5 2. In-class Review Tests 15 % 3. Take-home Essay (1) 15 % 4. Term Project (Presentation+paper) 40 % Presentation 10 Paper 30 5. Homework 5 % (by completion) TOTAL 100 %
Texts
TEXTBOOKS/CLASS MATERIALS 1. Textbooks: a. Carnie, Andrew. 2006. Syntax: A Generative Introduction. 2nd edition. London: Blackwell. b. Zagona, Karen. 2002. Syntax of Spanish. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. 2. Hand-outs with analytical problems prepared by Instructor 3. Various papers on Spanish/Romance syntax (made available for photocopying and through electronic files)
