English 478/678

Introduction to Linguistics

Winter 2003

 

Instructor:  Dr. Deborah Crusan

Office:  479 Millett Hall

Office Hours:  T TH 11:00-1:45

And by appointment

Phone:  (o): (937) 775-2846 (h): (937) 324-4660

email: deborah.crusan@wright.edu

Class Day/Time: T TH 2:00 – 3:40

350 Oelman

 

Course Objectives:

This course is designed to give you a basic understanding of certain aspects of the English language, to lead you to investigate your own linguistic tenets and attitudes, and to guide you to the recognition that language is enormously and wondrously complex.  Through the acquisition of a theoretical framework, you will be better able to analyze the universal components inherent in language and apply this knowledge to the biological and social contexts of language.

 

Required Text:

Stewart, T. W., Jr. & Vaillette, N. (Eds.).  (2001).  Language files:  Materials for an introduction to language

and linguistics, 8th ed.  Columbus, OH: Ohio State University Press.

 

Course Requirements and Grading:

Since this course is cross-listed as an undergraduate and a graduate course, there will be two sets of requirements—one for undergrads enrolled in 478 and one for grads enrolled in 678.

 

 

478 Students

678 Students

Quizzes/Exams

65%

35%

Exercises

20%

20%

Research Paper

----

30%

Attendance/Participation

15%

15%

                                                                                               

                                                           

Graduate Project:

For students taking this course for graduate credit (678), a research paper will be an additional requirement.  The paper will address a topic regarding some aspect of language that is particularly interesting to you.  The final paper is due on Tuesday, March 11, 2002 in class.   Please use the following timetable (last date to complete each step in is parentheses) when performing your research and writing your paper:

 

1.       Tentative selection of topic and individual conference to discuss selection (2/6).

2.       Preparation of a working bibliography and conference to discuss entries (2/13).

3.       Working draft (work in progress) and individual conference to discuss progress (2/20).

4.       Working draft (final rough paper) and individual conference to discuss APA style for final draft (3/6).

 

Conferences are MANDATORY and will aid you at each step of the writing process.  It is your responsibility to schedule your conferences promptly.  

 

Attendance:

Attendance is an absolute necessity.  However, because I know that life sometimes presents unavoidable circumstances, you are permitted two absences. These absences should be saved for when you really need them.  Under no circumstances will you be allowed to miss more than two classes without penalties.  For every absence after two, you will lose 50 points from your final grade!  So . . . . . plan absences wisely, and if you don’t need ‘em, don’t use ‘em!

 

Homework Assignments:

Homework should be neatly written or word-processed and must be handed in on the day it is due; late work will not be accepted!

 

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

This is a tentative schedule.  Changes, if any, will be announced in class.  It is your responsibility to record those changes and prepare accordingly.   A reading is to be completed for the day it is listed; the same is true for the exercises listed.  For example, the phonetics description and transcription exercises on pp. 54-56 must be handed in on Thursday, January 15.

 

 

Readings in the text  

Exercises due 

Week 1

 

 

T  January 7

Introduction to the course

Begin learning phonetic symbols   

 

Syllabus “reading”

 

 

Introduction of course participants

 

 

 

 

TH January 9

The Fundamentals

 

 

Files 1.1, 1.2, 1.3

p. 10

 

 

 

Week 2

 

 

T  January 13

Phonetics

 

 

Files 3.1 & 3.2

 

 

 

 

TH January 15

Phonetics

 

 

Files 3.3, 3.6, 3.7

pp. 54-56

 

 

 

Week 3

 

 

T  January 21

Phonology

 

 

File  4.1

p. 75

 

 

 

TH January 23

Phonology

 

 

Files 4.2 & 4.3

pp. 82-84; File 4.4 in class/groups

 

 

 

Week 4

 

 

T  January 28

PHONETICS  QUIZ   

 

 

Morphology

 

 

File 5.1

pp. 118-119

 

 

 

TH January 30

Morphology

 

 

Files 5.4, 5.5, 12.7

 

 

File 5.6 in groups

 

Week 5

 

 

T  February 4

Syntax 

 

 

Files 6.1 & 6.2

pp. 157, 163-164

 

 

 

TH February 6

PHONOLOGY/MORPHOLOGY EXAM     

LAST DAY FOR GRADUATE TOPIC SELECTION

 

 

 

Week 6

 

 

T February 11 

Syntax

 

 

Files 6.3, 6.4, 6.5

pp. 169-170, 183-184

 

 

 

TH February 13

Syntax 

 

 

File 6.6

pp. 189-190

 

 

LAST DAY FOR GRADUATE WORKING BIB CONFERENCE

 

 

 

Week 7

 

 

T February 18

Semantics

 

 

Files 7.1 & 7.2

 

 

 

 

TH February 20

Semantics

 

 

File 7.3 & 7.5

LAST DAY FOR GRADUATE WORKING DRAFT CONFERENCE

 

 

 

Week 8

 

 

T February 25

Pragmatics

 

 

Files 8.1 & 8.3

pp. 227 #1, 233-234

 

 

 

TH February 27

SYNTAX  QUIZ    

 

 

 

 

Week 9

 

 

T March 4

Sociolinguistics

 

 

Files 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 10.4

pp. 305-306, 311

 

 

 

TH March 6

Sociolinguistics

 

 

Files 10.5, 10.6, 10.7, 10.8

pp. 340-341

 

 

LAST DAY FOR GRADUATE APA STYLE CONFERENCE

 

 

 

Week 10

 

 

T March 11

Sociolinguistics

 

 

Files 11.1, 1.2, 11.3, 11.4

GRAD RESEARCH PAPER DUE

 

 

 

TH March 13

SEMANTICS, PRAGMATICS, SOCIOLINGUISTICS EXAM  

 

 

There will be no final exam in Introduction to Linguistics.