Summer/Fall 2002
Undergraduate Course Listings and Descriptions
To reduce file size, listings for undergraduate and graduate courses may be viewed
separately. This document contains undergraduate courses only. Graduate
courses are in a separate document. Undergraduate lingustics courses
specifically geared toward non-majors are also listed in a separate document,
in addition to being listed below.
Click on the course name for the course description. Click on home icon 
to see the
home page for that course, if there is one. For more information on these courses
(including instructor, course time and course location), see the Summer
Linguistics course schedule (undergrad) or Fall
Linguistics course schedule (undergrad).
Summer 2002
Fall 2002
LIN 306: Introduction to the Study of Language (TBA)
This course will introduce you to linguistics, the scientific study of language.
In what ways do languages differ? In what ways are languages the same? How do languages
change over time? Why do languages change? What are the differences between verbal
and non-verbal communicating? Do dolphins speak? How do children learn language,
and how do adults learn language? Does language control our view of reality? How
does language interact with social class? What kind of language should be taught
in schools? What language problems do other countries have? What are the different
language families of the world?
The course will deal with sociolinguistics
(language in society), historical linguistics
(language change and language relationships), and formal linguistics. Basic material
covered under formal linguistics includes phonetics
(the properties of speech sounds), phonology
(the systematic sound patterns of language), morphology
(the grammatical structure of words), syntax
(the structure of sentences), and semantics/pragmatics
(the meaning and use of words and sentences).
See 306 Home Page for prerequisites, requirements,
and texts.
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LIN 306: Introduction to the Study of Language (King)
This course will introduce you to linguistics, the scientific study of language.
In what ways do languages differ? In what ways are languages the same? How do languages
change over time? Why do languages change? What are the differences between verbal
and non-verbal communicating? Do dolphins speak? How do children learn language,
and how do adults learn language? Does language control our view of reality? How
does language interact with social class? What kind of language should be taught
in schools? What language problems do other countries have? What are the different
language families of the world?
The course will deal with o sociolinguistics
(language in society), historical linguistics
(language change and language relationships), and formal linguistics. Basic material
covered under formal linguistics includes phonetics
(speech sounds), phonology (sound
patterns), morphology (word formation),
syntax (sentence formation), and semantics (the meaning and use of words
and sentences).
Prerequisites
None
Requirements
There will be three exams given at equal intervals through the semester.
Texts
Fromkin & Rodman, An Introduction to Language. 6th edition
Course supplement from Speedway Copying
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LIN 306: Introduction to the Study of Language-H (Meier)
This course is an introduction to the scientific study of languageñthe academic
discipline known as linguistics. Here are some of the questions we'll ask: What does
it mean to say that you ìknowî a language? How is language organized in the brain?
How do children learn languages? What does it mean to a linguist to ìanalyzeî a language?
How do languages resemble each other, how are they different? Why and how do languages
change? Do chimpanzees have language? Does language control our view of reality?
What role does language play in society and in politics? What is the best age for
learning a foreign language?
In the first half of the course we survey formal linguistic theory: phonetics
(speech sounds), phonology (sound
patterns), morphology (word formation),
syntax (sentence formation), and semantics (meaning). The rest of the
course is given over to sociolinguistics
(language in society) and historical
linguistics (language change and language relationships).
Prerequisites
None
Requirements
There will be four exams given at equal intervals through the semester. There
will also be short homework assignments throughout the semester.
Texts
Fromkin & Rodman, An Introduction to Language. 6th edition
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LIN 312: Language & National Security (Warren)
This class will examine the role of language in National Security issues. The
class will be divided into three parts. First, we will overview the languages cited
by the National Security Education Act of 1991. Examples include Arabic, Chinese,
Korean, Pashto, and Farsi. We will examine these languages from a typological viewpoint,
the students will learn to classify them in terms of their relation to other languages.
Second, weíll examine the role of linguistics in National Security issues. Weíll
discuss code breaking, interception, and construct a hypothetical translator. The
student will become familiar with acoustic phonetics, syntax, and semantics, three
core areas of linguistics. Third, once every two weeks, weíll examine open source
information and analyze it on the basis of National Security implications. Each student
will focus on a specific area and language of the world and report on their area
when significant news is published in open sources (newspapers, online, etc). This
will sharpen the studentsí skills of examining and analyzing text and discourse.
This class is ideal for military and government majors, but should be accessible
to computer science majors, math majors, or any student with an interest in examining
National Security issues. No prior knowledge of Linguistics or National Security
is necessary.
Prerequisites
None
Requirements
TBA
Texts
Course Packet,
The Code Book: The Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptography
by Simon Singh.
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LIN 312: Language, Gender, Ethnicity and Asian American Identities
(Chun)
In this course, we will examine various linguistic issues of importance to Asian
Americans, including bilingualism, code switching, stylization, and accent. We will
also address the relevance of these issues to personal and political identifications
of ethnicity, gender, and sexuality. In our attempt to describe Asian American linguistic
practices, we will ask ourselves questions such as the following: How important is
it to be bilingual? Is language-mixing harmful? Do some Asian Americans speak with
an accent? Do some speak 'white'? Do any talk 'black'? In order to answer these and
other questions, basic concepts and approaches from various disciplines within the
social sciences will be introduced, but a special emphasis will be placed on applying
conceptual tools from sociolinguistics and linguistic anthropology. Although the
topics of discussion will relate to Asian American experiences, students will have
the opportunity to discuss issues of social identity and language more generally:
What does it mean to be an ethnic American? What do Americans speak like? How are
ethnicity, gender, and sexuality related? In what specific ways can language be used
to represent a person's identity?
In addition, we will also discuss the social position of Asian Americans in popular
and academic discourses, in order to understand how language and representations
of language are used (and can be used) in the process of Asian American identity
construction. We will explore various images of Asians and Asian Americans ('the
model minority', 'the exotic Oriental', 'the inscrutable alien', 'the kung-fu master',
'the fob') and discuss the relevance of these images to Asian American linguistic
practices. Diversity within the 'Asian American community' will be explored, as well
as the relationship between Asian Americanness to a diverse range of social identities
in the US. Students will engage in hands-on data collection and incorporate their
personal experiences and observations in their academic discussions and writing.
Prerequisites
None
Requirements
Final paper, weekly response/journal, class participation
Texts
TBA
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LIN 312: Culture & Communication-H-W (Stross)
Why do we humans sometimes not say what we mean and sometimes not mean what we
say? And how does communication contribute to culture and vice versa?. This course
intends to introduce culture as a crucial component of human communication and reproduction,
and to examine some of the ways that communication both creates and depends upon
culture. As language is the main mode of human communication, we start by outlining
basic concepts in linguistics. However, whereas linguistics focuses on the structure
of a communication system dealing primarily with referential meaning, we will also
consider several other aspects of meaning in language, focusing as much on language
use as on language structure, and we will consider other cultural systems and modes
of communication besides language, and the association of meaning with them. In the
process we will examine, various expressive speech genres, metaphors that we live
by, the power of language, gender preferences in communication, learning language,
proverbs, jokes, and multilingualism, among other topics.
The study of communication is, among other things, the study of the media, codes,
and signs (icons, indexes, and symbols) that give form and expression to discourse.
Its emphasis is on the rules and structure of discourse, investigating how signs
are organized to convey meaning. The study of communication extends beyond language
to include the forms, structure and effects of such media as wireless telephony,
computers, the internet, radio, television, and film. We will be concerned with the
impact of various media that are part of the communication revolution on children,
commerce, and education, and on its social, political, spiritual, and aesthetic effects.
In essence we want to know how forms of communication shape our culture and how our
culture has been shaping communication.
We will attempt to cover a broad range of topics, so that depth of coverage of
any of them will have to be limited. It is hoped that a wide ranging introductory
survey such as this will provide incentive for the student to explore specific issues
in greater depth in future coursework.
Prerequisites
None
Requirements
TBA
Texts
Required:
Nancy Bonvillain. 2000. Language, Culture, and Communication Prentice Hall 0-13-010429-9
Robert Young 1999. Understanding Misunderstandings. Univ. of Texas Press 0-292-79605-6
Recommended (and on reserve):
1) E.T. Hall, The Silent Language.
2) Keith Basso, Portraits of the Whiteman
3) Ray Jackendoff, 1994. Patterns In the Mind. Basic Books 0-465-05462-5
4) E.T. Hall, Beyond Culture
5) Tracy Novenger. 2001, Intercultural Communication. 0-292-75571-6
6) Deborah Tannen 1986. That's Not What I Meant
7) Deborah Tannen 1990. You Just Don't Understand.
8) Deborah Tannen 1994. Talking from 9 to 5.
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LIN 312: Language, the Self & Sexuality (Peebles)
This course provides a broad overview of many issues in social and linguistic
theory related to the self, identity, and sexuality. We will begin by considering
the various aspects of ìselfhoodî that constitute individual and social identity,
e.g., sex, ethnicity, gender, sexuality. Is there such a thing as an ìauthenticî
or ìtrueî self? If so, how is the self expressed through language in daily life?
How much of identity is ìimage presentationî or ìimage managementî? What role does
language play in these image projections? We will then survey a range of topics to
begin learning about language and the ìselfî in relation to society, beginning with
gender and leading to various aspects of sexuality.
Students will get an introduction to basic components of linguistics as we analyze
male and female speech differences and inter-personal communication patterns. From
this, we will learn how to apply general theory to analyze phenomena in specific
contexts. Some instances of discussion will be: the language of dating and romance,
self- presentation in the language of personal ads, the development of self-identity
and sexuality in adolescents, and how the media portrays sexuality through language.
In dealing with identity and sexuality, we will be discussing issues related to both
heterosexual and homosexual identities and how those are managed and portrayed through
language both individually and in society.
Prerequisites
None
Requirements
Non-writing-component: Journal entries, a few quizzes, class
project/presentation, participation
Writing component: Journal entries, a few quizzes, 1 essay test, 1 paper in
two drafts, class presentation, participation
Texts
Course packet of readings; textbook TBA
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LIN 315: Speech Science (summer:Matyear, fall:Sussman)
[same as CSD 315S]
Speech Science is the field of study exploring the neuromuscular, aerodynamic,
and acoustic bases for speech production and speech perception. Topics discussed
include: anatomy and physiology of speech production, acoustic characteristics of
the speech signal, and perception of speech. [This course fulfills the Area C (Science)
requirement.]
Prerequisites
None
Requirements
TBA
Texts
Recommended: Borden & Harris, Speech Science Primer
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LIN 321L: American English (Underwood)
[same as E321L]
This course examines American English as a unique "branch" of the English
language. It begins with an informal study of the historical development of American
English. This study has two components--internal history and external history. The
internal history attends to matters of structure (i.e., differences in pronunciation,
morphology, syntax, and semantics), whereas the external history studies the interrelations
between language and society.
The remainder of the course focuses on the issues of linguistic imposition, status,
power, and domination in the United States. American English developed from several
transplanted varieties of British English, which competed with one another for acceptance
and approval. These varieties also competed with and were influenced by many other
languages. The American English that consequently developed became unique but not
uniform, and each of the new varieties of American English developed its own status
or lack of status. Just as "standard American English" became dominant
over other varieties of American English, American English itself became dominant
over other languages spoken within the boundaries of the US. The course studies the
issue of linguistic domination by focusing on topics such as these:
- how language variation relates to regional and social identity
- how the educational system institutionalizes linguistic prejudice
- how the judicial system protects the status quo and reinforces linguistic subordination
- how employers discriminate against some workers on the basis of linguistic prejudice
- what groups of Americans are systematically victims of institutionalized linguistic
discrimination
Prerequisites
Rhetoric and Composition 306 and English 316K or their equivalents,
and three additional semester hours of lower-division coursework in either English
or rhetoric and composition. Completion of 30 semester hours. No exceptions.English
Major Area: IV. Language or Writing
Requirements
Two objective tests 35%
A paper on British-American language differences 20%
A paper on your linguistic heritage 20%
A paper based upon a case study of linguistic discrimination 20%
Class performance 05%
Texts
Bryson, Bill, Made in America: An Informal History of the English
Language in the United States, New York: Avon, 1994
Lippi-Green, Rosina, English with an Accent: Language, Ideology, and Discrimination
in the United States, New York and London: Routledge, 1997
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LIN 323L: English as a World Language-W (Blockley)
English is presently spoken by 5.4% of the worldís population. It has no equal
at present for being the most widely used language, though this has not always been
the case and may not always be so. We will look at the steps that brought English
to this position over the last three centuries, at the role earlier English has played
in competition with other languages, and at what might be the core features of English
and what alters or preserves them, sometimes through the English-language media outside
this country. The focus in this course is on the description of the past and current
varieties of the language, not on the politics of ESL use and planning.
Topics will include a brief review of the history of English as a first language
since 1066; the history of English as a second or official language (including a
look at English loanwords in other languages); the distinctive features of English
over time and space: sounds, inflections, and grammar; the spoken and the written
varieties, with some attention to register and vocabulary; and brief case studies
from among the following environments: Australia, India, Tok Pisin and Sranan, West
and South Africa, Canada, Chicano English, and Estuary English.
Prerequisites
TBA
Requirements
Two in-class exams (25% each) and a final exam (25%).
Exercises and a weekly journal in which students independently formulate answers
to questions on the reading; quizzes will share the journal grade if they become
necessary to ensure timely reading of the assignments (total of 25%).
Texts
David Crystal, English as a Global Language, 1997 (Cambridge
UP)
Raymond Hickey, ed., The Legacy of Colonial English: A Study in Transported Dialects,
2002 (Cambridge University Press)
Peter Trudgill and Jean Hannah, International English, 3rd ed. 1994, with
recordings (Edward Arnold, 0-340-58654-1)
Coursepack (Foster, Romaine, Penfield, Burridge and Mulder, etc.)
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LIN 325: Introduction to Study of African-American English
(Green)
African American English (AAE), which is spoken by some African Americans, is
a linguistic variety that has set rules for putting sounds and other units together
to form words, putting words and phrases together to form sentences and interpreting
sentences. After clarifying the difference between AAE and the intended meaning of
Ebonics, we will investigate four areas: Speech events, components of the grammar,
history and educational issues. The section of speech events will focus on the communicative
styles of some African Americans and the role these styles play in the development
of verbal skills. In addition it will compare speech eventsñsuch as call and response
and strategies used in sermons and rapñin secular and religious environments. The
discussion of the components of the grammar will provide an analysis of present-day
patterns (sound patterns, word use and meaning, sentence structure) of AAE and explain
how they provide evidence to support the claim that the language system is rule-governed.
For example, in expressing the fact that nobody left, speakers of AAE can use two
types of sentences with two negatives (nobody and didnít):
1) Nobody did leave.
2) Didnít anybody leave?
These sentences are not accepted in mainstream America; however, they are formed
according to rules. They are not mainstream English with mistakes. Also, AAE speakers
use words that occur in other varieties of English, but they use them with different
meanings. Kitchen and steady have special uses in the following sentences:
3) I didnít know you could do that with your kitchen.
4) That girl was steady driving.
In this section of the course, we will address the difference between ësounding
Blackí and speaking AAE. Also, in this course, we will discuss hypotheses about the
African, Creole and English origins of AAE. Issues such as teacher attitudes, strategies
for instruction and attitudes toward AAE in the marketplace will be considered in
the section on education and employment. Finally, we will discuss the use and representation
of AAE in literature and the media. We will analyze passages from works such as Zora
Neale Hurston's Jonah's Gourd Vine and John Edgar Wideman's Brothers and
Keepers. In addition, we will compare speech events and minstrel speech in Warren
Beattyís Bulworth and Spike Leeís Bamboozled.
Prerequisites
There are no course prerequisites, but students should be interested
in the subject matter.
Requirements
1) Two 2-3-page papers; 2) Short homework assignments; 3) Midterm
exam and final exam
Texts
Green, L. 2002. African American English: A Linguistic Introduction.
Cambridge.
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LIN 344K: Phonetics: The Production and Perception of Speech
Sounds (Myers)
This is an introduction to the study of speech sounds in human languages, including
the following topics.
(1) (a) What are the sounds of English?
(b) How do people make those sounds?
(c) Whatís the difference among the various accents of English (e.g. General American,
British, Southern)?
(2) (a) What sounds are there in the worldís languages?
(b) How do people make those sounds?
(c) How do children and adults learn a pronunciation?
(3) (a) How do people distinguish different speech sounds?
(b) How can computers produce and ìunderstandî speech?
Students will explore their own speech and the speech of others, both through careful
listening and through computer analysis.
Prerequisites
None
Requirements
TBA
Texts
Ladefoged, A Course in Phonetics (4th edition)
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LIN 350: Introduction to Computational Linguistics (Schwarz)
TBA
Prerequisites
TBA
Requirements
TBA
Texts
TBA
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LIN 350: Language Politics in Latin America (England)
The course considers the positions of indigenous languages with respect to Spanish
or Portuguese in Latin America, with particular attention to cases from the highland
areas of Mesoamerica and the Andes. The situation of indigenous languages is covered,
including demography, literacy, literatures, and maintenance and shift. Language
policy is discussed, with attention to issues of discrimination on the basis of native
language, proposals for officialization and standardization of indigenous languages,
ideologies regarding language and nation-building, and educational policies. The
connection between language and identity is considered, at the individual, community,
and national levels. The focus is on the contemporary Latin American situation, but
historical background is also taken into account, with attention given to the pre-contact
situation, Crown and colonial policy, and language policy after independence.
Prerequisites
TBA
Requirements
Three short (5 page) papers summarizing topics and readings, one term
paper (10-15 pages) on a topic to be decided between student and instructor, a class
presentation on the topic of the term paper.
Texts
Garzon, Brown, Richards, WuquÇ AjpubÇ: The Life of Our Language
Hill and Hill, Speaking Mexicano
Heath: Telling Tongues
Hornberger: Indigenous Literacies in the Americas
other readings TBA.
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LIN 350: Sign Languages and Signing Communities (Meier)
One of the most important findings of the last 25 years of linguistic research
is that the sign languages of the Deaf are natural languages with their own grammars.
Moreover, the grammars of these sign languages are independent of whatever spoken
language is used in the same community. The existence of sign languages provides
an important testing ground for many claims about the nature of human languages:
by comparing the structure of signed and spoken languages, we can gain insights into
how languages are shaped by the particular transmission modality in which they are
used. To what extent are spoken languages structured the way they are because they
are spoken and heard? To what extent are signed languages the way they are because
they are signed and seen? And, lastly, to what extent are all languagesñsigned or
spokenñstructured similarly because they all draw on the same linguistic and cognitive
capacities?
Among the issues that we will discuss are: 1) How have sign languages been viewed
over the last 200 years? 2) How have sign languages developed? 3) Non-signers are
often impressed by the pictorial quality (i.e., the iconicity) of many signs in American
Sign Language (ASL). Does iconicity have an important impact on the grammatical structure
of sign languages? 4) How are the grammars of ASL and other sign languages structured?
5) How are sign languages acquired by deaf children who are being raised in signing
households? 6) How do systems such as Manually Coded English differ from American
Sign Langauge? 7)What are signing communities like? We will, for example, compare
the signing community that once existed on Marthaís Vineyard to other signing communities
such as the larger American Deaf community and the Nicaraguan Deaf community.
Prerequisites
Upper division standing required.
Requirements
Homework exercises; two midterms and a final exam.
Texts
Klima & Bellugi. 1979. The Signs of Language.
Groce. 1988. Everyone Here Spoke Sign Language.
Padden & Humphries. 1988. Deaf in America.
Packet of articles.
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LIN 350.2: Language & Thought (Birdsong)
[meets with PSY 341K]
In this course we will explore some questions about the relation between language
and thought, taking a Cognitive Science approach. Languages vary in many ways, yet
the minds of speakers are similar. We will look at questions about the words people
use and how they think; whether language structure affects thought; and some cognitive
aspects of language. The course will begin with a short, general introduction to
the study of language.
The words people use affect and reflect the way they think. We'll consider studies
of word use in areas such as war, politics, minority groups,by and about women. At
the level of structure, we will study the 'Whorfian' hypothesis, which says in its
strongest form that the structure of a language determines the way speakers think.
There are interesting studies which compare speakers of English and languages with
radically different structures. We will look at supporting and dissenting studies
in areas such as color, time, and space.
In studying the relation between language and cognition, we will look at clinical
studies of normal children and adults, and pathological cases (spina bifida, Williams
syndrome). We will ask whether language and cognitive development always proceed
together, as they do in normal people, or whether the two can be dissociated.
Prerequisites
None
Requirements
Final paper; homework; discussion notes; midterm exam
Texts
A packet of selected articles and book chapters.
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LIN 357: Undergraduate Research
Hour(s) to be arranged. Offered on pass/fail basis only. May be repeated for credit.
Prerequisite: LIN 306 with a grade of at least C.
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LIN f360K: Introduction to English Grammar-W (Hancock)
[meets with E 360K]
An informal introduction to the rules of English sentence construction. After
developing rules for simple sentences, we will examine several basic types of sentential
complements and then go on to discuss various types of modifying structures. We will
also look at a number of special constructions in English, including existential
sentences, cleft sentences, and direct questions. Finally, we will discuss several
topics (for instance, tense and aspect) which have to do with the way English sentences
are interpreted. From time to time, we will examine parallel constructions in other
languages.
Prerequisites
Upper division standing.
Requirements
TBA
Texts
TBA
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LIN 360K: Intro to English Grammar (Underwood)
[meets with E 360K]
he title of this course can create confusion since grammar has at least six commonly-understood
meanings in contemporary American English. This section of E/LIN 360K assumes that
grammar means the characteristic system of inflections and syntax of the language
as dictated by a system of constitutive rules. Constitutive rules are radically different
from regulative rules. Constitutive rules of grammar define the inherent nature of
the language; regulative rules, on the other hand, are imposed upon the language
to dictate what is to be preferred and avoided in the manipulation of that language.
This orientation of this section of 360K is descriptive, not prescriptive. The purpose
of this section of 360K is to teach students to analyze the structure of sentences
and to become more sophisticated in their understanding of language variation. It
does not presume to teach them skills in the use of English. This section also assumes
a fundamental distinction between the grammar of English and the mechanics of the
writing system of English. The course does not include any attention to "mechanics"
(spelling, punctuation, and capitalization). If one assumes that E/LIN 360K is a
"refresher" course in the kind of grammar typically taught in American
primary and secondary schools, then one egregiously misunderstands the nature and
function of this class.
The course begins with a brief, but critical, review of the traditional, Latinate
description of English grammar to establish its numerous inadequacies. The course
progresses with the development of a phrase structure analysis of English syntax.
Students learn tests for constituents and for relationships between constituents
that are objectively verifiable, and they learn principles of categorization for
lexical and phrasal constituents. They use these tests and principles to analyze
sentences and justify their analyses.
The course assumes a familiarity with traditional, Latinate grammar of English,
which is commonly taught in primary and secondary schools in this country. Students
who have forgotten what they were taught about grammar may want to review on their
own. Those students who claim that they were never taught grammar or those who insist
that they do not remember any grammar that they were taught will not be disadvantaged.
However, they may not appreciate the significance of the approach of this course
as much as those who were taught "traditional grammar" and remember their
experience.
Prerequisites
Rhetoric and Composition 306 and English 316K or the equivalents,
plus three additional semester hours of lower-division coursework in either English
or Rhetoric and Composition. Completion of 30 semester hours. No exceptions. Note:
E 360K and LIN 360K cannot both be counted
Requirements
Approximately twelve syntax exercises: 20%
A syntax analysis project: 50%
Three syntax tests: 25%
Class performance: 5%
Texts
One course packet available from Speedway Printing in Dobie Mall
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LIN 360K: Introduction to English Grammar-W (Kimball)
[meets with E 360K]
This course is not intended to teach writing skills or to provide a thorough review
of rules of usage. Instead, we will look at the linguistic structure of English from
two points of view: traditional grammar and transformational-generative grammar.
Topics we will cover include traditional grammatical description and terms, linguistic
evidence for the constituent structure of English sentences, arguments for transformations,
and some basics of modern work on syntax and questions of usage.
Prerequisites
TBA
Requirements
Attendance: Class attendance is mandatory, both for whole-class
discussion sessions and for group work. Attendance will be taken during each class.
If you must miss class for a valid reason, get in touch with me as soon as possible.
Students with more than four (4) unexcused absences will fail this class.
Homework: I will not accept late homework except by prior arrangement.
Structure and scheduling of the class: The class is divided
into two types of meetings: whole-class and group meetings. The course packet contains
assignments structured around linguistic analysis and written explanations of grammatical
structures for both individual and group work. Homework assignments will, in general,
be drawn from Kolln and Funk.
Writing assignments 55%
Homework 12%
Group work 33%
Texts
M. Kolln and R. Funk, Understanding English Grammar, Macmillan
6th ed.
Course packet: available at Jennís.
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LIN 364M: History of English Language (Cable)
This course aims to present the historical development of English by striking
a balance between the internal historyñsounds, inflections, vocabularyñand the external
historyñthe political, social, and intellectual forces that have determined the course
of that development at different periods. The main topics (which will be covered
fully in class lecture-discussion) include the Indo-European Family of Languages,
Old English, The Norman Conquest and the Subjection of English (1066-1200), The Re-establishment
of English (1200-1500), The Renaissance (1500-1650), The Appeal to Authority (1650-1800),
The Nineteenth Century and after, and the English Language in America.
Prerequisites
Upper division standing.
Requirements
There will be regular homework exercises on vocabulary, phonological
change, etc., due at the beginning of the class period.
Late homework will not be accepted.
Texts
Albert C. Baugh and Thomas Cable, A History of the English Language
Thomas Cable, A Companion to Baugh & Cableís History of the English Language
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LIN 372L: Syntax & Semantics: The Structure and Meaning
of Utterances (Wechsler)
In this course we will study the syntax and semantics of human language. Syntax
is concerned with how words are combined to form sentences. Semantics is concerned
with what those sentences mean, and how the meaning is of a sentence is constructed
from the meanings of the component words. We will survey syntactic and semantic phenomena
from a wide variety of the world's languages. This will reveal regular patterns lurking
within human languages, despite their sometimes chaotic surface appearance. We will
also discover surprising similarities across seemingly diverse languages.
Prerequisites
TBA
Requirements
TBA
Texts
Radford, Andrew. Transformational Grammar--A First Course.
Cambridge University Press. ISBN: 0-521-34750-5
A reading packet.
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LIN f373.4: Concepts in Judaic Cuture - W (Bar-Adon)
This course is designed to fill the need for an authorative culture-enriched course
which will introduce the student to the basic concepts, ideas, trends, epochs, personalities,
and outstanding works representing the various areas of Jewish life and letters ó
in both ancient and modern Israel and the cultural centers they created in the Diaspora
in the last two millennia, and the languages they used. This will include such areas
as religion & theology, philosophy & mysticism, literature and linguistics,
history, customs and folklore, ancient and modern life, Jewish languages (including
Yiddish).
The primary aim is to introduce students to the rich Judaic culture, from Biblical
times to the present, including aspects of special relevance to Western Judeo-Christian
civilization (including influence of translations of the Hebrew Bible on English
literature). Indeed, by better understanding the Biblical genius and post-Biblical
Judaic culture, one will find a key to various literary and artistic traditions of
the Western world.
The format of this course will combine lecture, slide/film presentations, class
discussion and studentsí reports on topics/readings of their choice. Needless to
say, students will be encouraged to present questions about concepts and topics they
would like to clarify, in class or in individual sessions.
The size and structure of this inter-disciplinary (and multi-cultural) course
are designed to offer individual attention to students who wish to work on specific
topics of interest to them within the broad area of Judaic culture. Thus, majors
in English may concentrate on Jewish writers in the U.S. (inclding Nobel Prize Laureates
Saul Bellow and Isaac Bashevis-Singer), or on the Hebraic and Judaic impact on English
literature(e.g., John Milton), or on Bible as literature; Middle East Studies students
may concentrate on aspects of Hebraic and Judaic cultures in Israel, relations with
Arabic and Islamic cultures during the Golden Age in Spain and in the Middle East
ó past and present; Linguistics students may concentrate on topics relating to various
Jewish languages (e.g., Hebrew through the ages-Biblical to Modern, the recent revival
of Hebrew; Yiddish and its history; Judeo-Spanish/Ladino), and so on. For this reason,
students will have the option of either taking the final set of essay questions or
writing a paper within their special area of interest.
Prerequisites
None except for studentís registering under English 379N: 9 semester
hours of lower-division English, including E314K or the equivalent.
Requirements
Regular assignments and class participation; oral report on reading of studentís
choice, and, written assignments ( to fulfill the Substantial Writing Requirement).
- One set of essay questions on material of the first half on the term (at mid-term)
(6 pages).
- One written report to supplement the above Oral Book Report (2 pages).
- One final set of essay questions, or a term paper on a topic of the studentís
choice (8 pages).
Texts
TBA
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LIN 373.1: Child Language (Echols)
[same as PSY 333P]
Examination of theory and research concerning the development of language in the
child.
Prerequisites
Psychology 301 with a grade of at least C, Psychology 304 or 333D,
Psychology 418 or an equivalent statistics course with a grade of at least C, and
upper division standing.
Requirements
TBA
Texts
TBA
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LIN 373.7: Intro to Cognitive Science (Stankiewicz)
[same as CGS 360.1, PHL 365.2. Meets with PSY341K.]
Each of us is equipped with a three-pound information-processing machine between
our ears that is allows us to interact with our current environment, remember past
events and speculate and plan for future events. This piece of machinery, called
the brain, is capable of accomplishing a plethora of computations from visually recognizing
friends and family to developing complex mathematical theorems. But how does the
mind/brain do this? The field of cognitive science is deeply interested in this issue
from both a mechanical (neural) and processing (computational) perspective.
This course will introduce students to some of the latest theories and research
in the area of cognitive science. Topics in the course range from "Form perception
and object recognition" to "Reasoning and decision making.
Prerequisites
Psychology 301 with a grade of C or better, Psychology 418 or an equivalent
statistics course with a grade of C or better, and upper division standing.
Requirements
Exams: Exams will consist of essay, short-answer and multiple-choice questions.
Mid-Term Exam 25% Final 25% Total 50%
Papers: There will be two substantial papers written for the course (7-9 pages
each). Students will be able to choose the paper topic from a list of suggested topics
or develop their own topic. A proposal for each paper is required. The proposal will
provide the basic premise of the paper along with a selection of references that
might be used in the final version of the paper. Papers will be graded on the clarity
(grammar and writing skills) and content.
Proposal Midterm Paper (2 pages) 5% Midterm Paper (7-9 pages) 15%
Proposal Final Paper (2 pages) 5% Final Paper (7-9 pages) 25%
Total 50%
Texts
An Invitation to Cognitive Science - 2nd Edition: Vol.
1 Lila R. Gleitman and Mark Liberman (Eds.)
An Invitation to Cognitive Science - 2nd Edition: Vol. 2 Stephen M. Kosslyn
and Daniel N. Osherson (Eds.)
An Invitation to Cognitive Science - 2nd Edition - Vol. 3 Edward E. Smith
and Daniel N. Osherson
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LIN 374M: Sociolinguistics (Zhang)
[same as ANT 374M]
This course examines language as a social practice and investigates language use
from a broad social, cultural and historical context in a diverse range of communities.
We will discuss a wide range of topics in the study of language and society. We will
learn a variety of theoretical and methodological approaches to the investigation
of linguistic data. We will also gain first-hand experience in sociolinguistic data
collection and analysis through project assignments. Throughout the course, emphasis
will be placed on applying sociolinguistic theories and findings to the linguistic
diversity of the US and communities with which students have personal experiences.
Students will be encouraged to compare and contrast their own experiences with those
discussed in readings and class lectures.
Some of the topics to be covered are: languages, dialects, and other varieties;
language variation (including regional, social and ethnic variation, style-shifting);
language challenge; language and gender; language contact (including bi/multilingualism,
code-switching, diglossia, pidgins and creoles, language maintenance, shift and death);
analysis of conversation; sociolinguistic fieldwork methods; language planning and
policy; sociolinguistics and education; other applications of sociolinguistics (including
language and law, language and medicine).
Prerequisites
ANT 302 or LIN 306. Same as ANT 374M.
Requirements
Attendance, class participation, 4 quizzes; one short paper; two mini
(group) projects; a midterm and a final exam.
Texts
Mesthrie, Rajend, Joan Swann, Andrea Deumert, and William L. Leap. 2000. Introduction
to sociolinguistics. Philadelphia: John Benjamins.
ISBN: 1 55619 206 1 (paperback)
ISBN: 1 55619 205 3 (hardcover)
A packet of readings from a copy shop to be announced in class.
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LIN 379: Conference Course
Individual instruction. Prerequisites: Six hours of upper-division Linguistics.
Consent of instructor must be obtained. Requirements: You must have the prior written
consent of the instructor before you register for or add this course. Undergraduate
conference course agreement forms are available in Calhoun 503.
19-Apr-02
Comments to: linclass@www.utexas.edu