Spring 1999
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.
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 current
Linguistics course schedule (undergrad).
LIN 306: Introduction to the Study of Language
This course is an introduction to the scientific study of language - the academic
discipline known as linguistics. What does it mean to say that you "know"
a language? How is language organized in the brain? What does it mean to a linguist
to "analyze" a language? How do languages resemble each other, how are
they different? Why and how do languages change? Do dolphins have language? Does
language control our view of reality? What role does language play in society and
in politics? What is the best way to learn a foreign language? What kind of language
should be taught in schools? Is English the World Language? What are the different
language families in the world?
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).
See306 Home Page for prerequisites, requirements,
and texts.
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LIN 312: Discourse on the Internet
We will take a sociolinguistic look at the way people do things with words on
the Internet, focusing on USENET discussion groups for our data. We will identify
the features of Internet discourse style and determine how people construct communities,
represent themselves as authorities, betray their genders and other characteristics
of their identities.
Prerequisites
None
Requirements
Semi-weekly 1-2 page observations, some guided to specific topics
and some free.
Mid-term exam.
Term paper, including proposal, draft, and final version (writing component section
only).
Class presentation.
Texts
Packet of readings and data.
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LIN 312: Language and Religion
This course will explore the relationship between two fundamental characteristics
of the human experience: human language and human religious beliefs. How is the perception
of what language is effected by the belief structures we adopt in our daily lives?
Linguists generally see language as a manifestation of the physiological processes
of the brain. Religions, however, sometimes view language as more of a supernatural
force. Language is the primary means by which the individual is able to communicate
(and thereby develop a unique relationship) with his or her creator. For a number
of these religions, certain languages are believed to be more 'holy' than others
(e.g., the language in which the holy scriptures of a particular religion are written).
In many cases, languages which no longer have any native speakers are retained for
use in religious ceremonies due to the belief that they are in some way more pleasing
to the deity which is being worshipped (e.g., Latin in Catholicism). It is hoped
that by exploring themes like this we will be able to arrive at a better understanding
of what human language is and how it is perceived in light of religious convictions.
Some additional topics are given below:
The language of prayer - how does one communicate with God and how does
God communicate with an individual? What are the various modes of communication?
Many faiths believe that God is able to communicate in an audible 'human' voice while
others believe that God communicates nonverbally by means of altering one's thoughts
or emotions.
The ritualistic use of language - many religions believe that certain locutions
can cause supernatural forces to intercede in our daily lives (e.g., casting spells,
saying the rosary, faith healing), implying that there is a type of supernatural
power in the spoken word.
The tongues of angels - many religious groups believe that God has given us
the ability to 'speak in tongues.' From a Judeo-Christian perspective, the purpose
for this is two-fold: (1) to serve as a sign of God's power to unbelievers, and (2)
to edify the church. The specific language manifested by the speaker may be either
a foreign language (living or dead) with which the speaker has presumably had no
prior familiarity or a 'heavenly' language unknown to humankind. What is the linguistic
evidence for this phenomenon? What are the characteristics of these languages?
The channeling of spirits - many religions believe that the dead are able
to communicate with the living through an appropriate medium or 'guide.' The spirit
is though to possess the medium and to communicate through them. One of the more
interesting aspects of this phenomenon is the fact that the persons channeling these
spirits often take on the linguistic persona of the spirit in question. For example,
an English-speaking medium channeling the spirit of a soldier from the French revolution
might speak with a 'French accent' during the session.
Prerequisites
None
Requirements
Course requirements will include two exams, four short ìreading summaries,î
2-3 page summaries of assigned readings, and one 8-10 page paper which will be based
on the readings and class discussions. A first draft of this paper will be due a
week or so after the midterm exam, and a final draft will be due on the last class
meeting. Grading will be based on satisfaction of the following requirements:
- 20% - four 2-3 page written summaries of assigned readings (5% each).
20% - Midterm Exam.
20% - Final Exam.
30% - Paper (8-10 pages).
10% - Attendance, Participation.
Texts
TBA
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LIN 312: Social Life of Language-W
How do six dictionaries fit into our heads? What is the plural of ëwugí? Why are
written and spoken language not the same? How is silence part of language? What does
naming really do? Why canít computers interpret poems? What if speakers had no accents?
In this class, we will ask questions, find answers, and ask more questions about
the nature of language. We will investigate language by drawing on your everyday
experience with language and the world around you. We will address topics such as
the evolution of language, language & the brain, language acquisition, computer
processing of human language, language & advertising, language & identity,
and youth language & slang. Class-time will be split up into in-class writing
activities, discussions on the readings, and brief lectures expanding on one aspect
of your readings for the day, which will include providing examples from Germany
and its language. (However, no knowledge of German is required for this class.)
Since this is a writing component class, you will get lots of writing practice and
feedback on your writing. You will write three essays. The first essay will follow
a discussion of the nature of language and its manifold definitions. In this essay,
you will explore your definition of language, which could involve answering the question:
which aspect of language matters most to you? The second essay will be a review of
a book or two articles that address some question about language. For your third
essay, you have three options. You can either follow up on the topic you researched
in writing your second essay, or: you can explore a new topic of your choice; or:
you can analyze a text (e.g. an ad, an article, a rap song) linguistically.
Prerequisites
None
Requirements
3 Essays, 20 % each: 60 %
2 Tests, 10% each: 20 %
Participation : 10 %
Class Report: 10 %
Texts
Reader with texts from:
Goshgarian, Gary. Exploring Language
Fromkin, Victoria and Robert Rodman. An Introduction to Language
Pinker, Steven. The Language Instinct
Lieberman, Philip. Eve Spoke
Johnstone, Barbara. The Linguistic Individual
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LIN 315: Speech Science (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: respiration, phonation, coarticulation, vowel & consonant production
and acoustic cues underlying this perception. [This course fulfills the Area C (Science)
requirement.]
Prerequisites
None
Requirements
TBA
Texts
TBA
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LIN 323L: English as a World Language (same as E 323L)
This course studies the growth and spread of English around the world. Since there
is no linguistics course prerequisite for this class, it begins with a brief overview
of linguistics concepts and an introduction to the phonetics and phonology essential
for the course. It then moves to a brief study of the historical and social forces
that caused English to evolve as a language separate from its Germanic origins. It
studies the dissemination processes which first resulted in the spread of English
from southern England to Wales, Scotland, and Ireland and then the transportation
of the language to North America, Africa, Central and Southeast Asia, and Oceania.
The course attempts a typology of major national and regional varieties of English
and considers the social and communicative functions of each. Approximately three-fourths
of the course will be devoted to looking at the rise of national varieties through
a wide-angle lens. At the same time one-fourth of the course will focus on the lexical
features of a single linguistic microcosm-the language of U.T. students-which will
serve as a "laboratory" for theory and processes essential to a better
understanding of the nature, development, and social functions of distinctive varieties
of the English language. The course is conducted through lectures, discussions, videotapes,
audiotapes, and student presentations.
Prerequisites
E 316K or equivalent.
Requirements
Students may choose one of two grading options.
Option One: The semester grade will be based upon three 50-minute tests (90%) and
an oral report (10%).
Option Two: The semester grade is based upon contractual obligations. To earn the
grade of C, the student must fulfill all of the requirements of the UT language study.
To earn the grade of B, the student (in addition to fulfilling the requirements for
the grade of C) must submit an acceptable paper on a relevant topic agreed upon by
the student and the instructor. To earn the grade of A, the student (in addition
to fulfilling the requirements for the grade of B) must make an acceptable oral report.
Texts
The Story of English
English Around the World
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LIN 340: Automata Theory
This course is an introduction, on the undergraduate level, to automata theory,
formal languages, and theory of computation. We will primarily follow the materials
in the first six chapters of the textbook listed below. Specific topics to be covered
are: Finite Automata and Regular Languages, Push-Down Automata and Context-Free Languages,
Turing Machines, Church's Thesis, and Uncomputability.
Prerequisites
CS 336 or consent of the instructor.
Requirements
TBA
Texts
Lewis & Papadimitriou, Elements of the Theory of Computation.
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LIN 344K: Phonetics
Phonetics is the science of speech sounds. There are two subdisciplines. One is
classical articulatory phonetics, which is concerned with a classification of speech
sounds according to idealized postures adopted by the speech apparatus during production.
This subdiscipline is closely related to phonology which is concerned with the organization
of abstract hypothetical sound units into particular patterns in different languages.
The second, more modern, subdiscipline is concerned with how sounds are actually
produced, what their acoustical correlates are, and how they are perceived. The course
will begin with a review of classical articulatory phonetics, and of basic facts
regarding speech production, acoustics, and perception. Then a number of theoretical
issues will be considered, including questions regarding the evolution of speech,
the acquisition of speech, and the organization of speech in the brain. Finally,
a comparison will be made of the scientific merits of the two subdisciplines, as
attempts at teh understanding of human beings.
Prerequisites
LIN 306 or consent of instructor.
Requirements
TBA
Texts
Ladefoged, A Course in Phonetics
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LIN 345: Language Change and Language Variation
An introduction to the phenomenon of language change, to the linguistic and social
phenomena which influence it, and to the principles which linguists have developed
to account for it. These principles have led to methods, to be examined in the second
half of the class, for reconstructing the vocabularies and grammars of the prehistoric
parent languages of languages which exist today, or which have been preserved in
writing.
Prerequisites
LIN 344K
Requirements
Classes will be a mix of lectures, discussion, and problem solving
using data from a wide range of languages. Grade is based on homework assignments
(50%), two in-class examinations (40%), and class participation (10%).
Texts
Crowley, Terry. An Introduction to Historical Linguistics
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LIN 350: Arguing about Language-W
Although Americans generally donít realize it, they spend a great deal of time
arguing publicly and privately about language. (The 1996-7 debates about Ebonics
and continuing discussions about bilingual education and making English the national
language stand as examples at the national level.) Such debates are especially common
on university campuses, where the nature of hate speech and "political correctness"
have been hot topics within the past five years. Yet they also extend to writing
courses, where students are required to write what one researcher terms "hyperstandardized"
English; to courses in business and communication, where women learn "to talk
like men" in order to succeed; and to courses in language and gender, where
students debate why males and females seem to have such difficulty communicating
and who should change. As these examples illustrate, arguments about language transcend
simple labels like "liberal" or "conservative," "good old
boy" or "feminist."
What might studying these arguments teach us about language as tool and symbol
and about ourselves as individuals, members of various social groups, and members
of this society? In this course, weíll find out by considering in detail several
of these debates. Examining a range of textsópamphlets, newspaper and magazine articles,
television interviews, web sites, and academic analyzes of theseówill enable us to
analyze these efforts to affect language and its use; it will likewise force us to
read critically. Taping interviews with peers and analyzing the structure and nature
of their arguments will demonstrate the immediacy and power of such arguments in
our daily lives.
Students will help choose the particular language debates we examine.
Prerequisites
None
Requirements
The course will require critical thinking, reading, and writing. Writing
assignments will include journals, several 2-page analyzes of texts, one group presentation/paper,
and an individual project (which may be part of the group work). There will also
be a midterm and a final exam.
Texts
Selections from Cameron, Verbal Hygiene; Milroy & Milroy, Authority
in Language; and a reader of photocopied articles. Also, Lunsford & Ruskiewicz,
Everythingís and Argument We will also look for current readings on the Web.
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LIN 350.1: Language and the Brain
This course is designed to provide up-to-date information and theory regarding
language representation in the brain. No prior background is assumed as a complete
grounding in human neuroanatomy and neurophysiology is provided. Topics to be discussed
include: (1) localizationist vs. holistic arguments for language representation in
the brain; (2) brain scanning (PET, FMRI) studies; (3) the neuropathology of speech-language
disturbance following brain injury, i.e., aphasia, dysarthria; (4) left-right hemispheric
specializations.
The format is informal lecture-style with class participation encouraged. Note
packet available and essential.
Prerequisites
None
Requirements
Grading is based on four exams. No term paper.
Texts
None for purchase.
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LIN 360K: Introduction to English Grammar
The title of this course is misleading. Two-thirds of the course is devoted to
"grammar" (the study of the systems of inflection and syntax of the language),
the remaining one-third to "usage" (the study of how words and phrases
are actually used and attitudes toward those uses). The course does not include any
attention to "mechanics" (spelling, punctuation, and capitalization). The
purpose of the course is to teach students to analyze the structure of sentences
and to become more sophisticated in their understanding of usage. It does not presume
to teach them skills in the use of English.
The course begins with the establishment of theoretical framework for studying
the English language. Following 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. Additionally, the course establishes the basis for usage controversies, examines
various approaches to usage choice, and surveys critically the different sources
of information about English usage.
This is not a remedial course. 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
will need to review on their own.
Note: E 360K and LIN 360K cannot both be counted
Prerequisites
Upper division standing.
Requirements
The semester grade is based upon no more than ten take-home quizzes
(30%), no more than ten homework excercises (20%), and no more than three tests (50%).
Texts
Three course packets available from Speedway Printing in Dobie Mall.
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LIN 372K: Sound Patterns: Sound to Sound
In this course, we study the sound patterns of human language: what possibilities
there are and how they are to be represented. The focus will be on methods of analysis,
applied to a broad range of languages.
Prerequisites
Upper division standing & LIN 344K
Requirements
Weekly problem sets.
Texts
Ladefoged, Peter A Course in Phonetics, 3rd ed.
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LIN 373: Language and Speech in American Society (meets with
ANT 325N, SOC 352M.3)
Just talking to friends around the University or listening to the radio and watching
TV makes us aware of the diversity of ways of speaking in the United States. This
diversity becomes even more striking when we look at American society more generally,
in relation to history and geography, with regard to such social and cultural categories
as gender, ethnicity, and class, and in terms of such institutions as politics, law,
and education. This course provides useful and interesting understanding of the languages,
dialects, and patterns of speaking in American society.
Topics covered:
Languages and dialects in the USA
Black English/Ebonics
Spanish and English in Mexican American speech communities
Language and language use among American Indians
Men's and women's speech
Language and medicine
Language and law
Language and education
Playful, expressive, and artistic uses of language
Storytelling
Nonverbal communication
Prerequisites
Upper division standing.
Requirements
Two exams during the semester; no final exam.
Three short projects involving analysis of language and speech.
In the compilation of the grade, exams count 45%, projects count 45%, and class participation
counts 10%.
Texts
Textbook and course packet
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LIN 373.7: Intro to Cognitive Science-W (same as CGS 360.1
& PHL 365.2)
This course itnroduces the inter-disciplinary field of Cognitive Science, the
modern study of mind and brain. The field draws on research in psychology, computer
science, linguistics, philosophy, and neuroscience.
One leading idea in Cognitive Science has been that computation of information
underlies many mental activities. Another is that there are specialized modules of
mind for certain mental processes, whereas others are general. Also, all mental processes
are ultimatelty realized in the brain, and research at a concrete level has begun
to give fairly clear ideas about how the brain actually works. But there is still
a wide gamut between abstract and computer models of sub-systems of cognition and
their implementation in the brain.
We will learn about the Cognitive Science approach in several key areas, including
coginitive psychology, linguistics, language acquisition, vision, neuroscience, and
artificial intelligence. There will be several presentations in class by faculty
members of UT who are activiely engaged in research in Cognitive Science.
This course is suitable for anyone interested in learning about Cognitive Science.
It is introductory; not a technical course. Discussion will be emphasized.
Prerequisites
Upper division standing.
Requirements
Regular discussion notes on the readings, a mid term examination and
two essays, each in a preliminary and a final version.
Texts
1. Paul Thagard, Mind: Introduction to Cognitive Science. Cambridge,
Mass.: MIT Press. 1996. $22.50
2 & 3: Daniel Osherson (ed.), An Invitation to Cognitive Science, Vol.
1: Language, edited by Lila R. Gleitman and Mark Liberman. Cambrdige Mass.:
MIT press. 1995. $25.00. Vol. 3: Thinking, edited by Edward E. Smith and Daniel
N. Osherson. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press. 1995. $27.50.
4.: The MIT Encyclopedia on Cognitive Science, available on-line at http://mitpress.mit.edu/MITECS/.
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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.
6-Nov-98
Comments to: linclass@www.utexas.edu