| Course Number: | Linguistics 2000H |
|---|---|
| Instructor Name: | |
| Micha Elsner | |
| Office: | Ohio Stadium 118b |
| Office hours: | 3pm Wednesday, or on request |
| Email: | elsner.14@osu.edu |
| Meeting Date/Time: | |
| MWF 10:20-11:10 | |
| Classroom Location: | |
| Campbell 213 | |
This course is an introduction to linguistics, the scientific study of language. The course will cover basic tools for data collection, research and argumentation in the social sciences, and specifically for collecting and analyzing language data.
We will look at how the sounds of human language are produced, how the symbolic structure of language enables us to communicate, and how language relates to culture in general. This version of the course will especially emphasize experimental, corpus-driven and computational approaches to the study of language.
You will be required to read sections of the textbook (Language Files) before most classes, and there will be exercises from Language Files assigned on a Monday-to-Monday basis. These exercises are due by the beginning of class, and are mainly assigned as a check that you understand the material; they are scored on a 0/1 basis (you get credit just for turning them in).
There are five large homeworks. These each take the form of some kind of hands-on project along with a writeup of what you did, why you did it and how it worked. The homeworks make up 50% of your grade in total, so you must make sure to turn them in on time! Each one is due at the beginning of class on the day specified (which may not be a Monday). The homeworks have different requirements and you should read the assignment carefully before beginning.
There is a final essay which is expected to be 7 pages or less long. A list of suggested topics is posted on Carmen. The essay is your chance to explore an area of linguistics that the course does not cover in detail. A topic is due early in the semester and you must turn in a draft later on for comments by the instructor. Problems with the draft will not count against you, but turning it in is worth 5% of your grade. The essay is due during finals week and is worth 10% of your grade.
There is a midterm exam, which is worth 15% of your grade. There is no final exam, because final exams are boring.
You will be permitted to earn extra credit by participating in a Linguistics department experiment or attending a Linguistics department colloquium (2%). Other extra credit opportunities may be announced later in the semester.
| Day | Topic | Reading | Assigned | Due |
| Aug 26 W | Intuitive phonology | Onsets | ||
| 28 F | Intuitive phonology | |||
| 31 M | Phonetics (the IPA) | LF 2.1 | LF 2.8 (6,7,15) | |
| Sept 2 W | Phonetics (consonants) | LF 2.2 | ||
| 4 F | Phonetics (vowels) | LF 2.3 | ||
| 7 M | Labor day (no class) | LF 2.8 (18,19) | LF probs | |
| 9 W | Phonetic processes | TBD | Essay topic | |
| 11 F | Cut-and-paste synthesis (laptop!) | watch S. King talk | Cut-n-paste | Onsets |
| 14 M | Phonetics (acoustics) | LF 2.6 | LF 2.8 (34,35), 3.6 (26) | LF probs |
| 16 W | Phonetics (acoustics) | |||
| 18 F | Phonology (phones and allophones) | LF 3.2 | ||
| 21 M | Phonology (rules) | LF 3.3 | LF 3.6 (34,37) | LF probs |
| 23 W | Phonology (?) | |||
| 25 F | Phonology (the syllable) | LF 3.1 | ||
| 28 M | Morphophology | LF 4.1 | LF 3.6 (43), 4.6 (24a-i) | |
| 30 W | Morphology (inflections and derivations) | |||
| Oct 2 F | Morphology (compounding) | LF 4.4 | ||
| 5 M | Morphology (parts of speech) | LF 5.1, 5.4 | LF 5.6 (18) | LF probs |
| 7 W | Morphology (?) | |||
| 9 F | Syntax (basics) | LF 5.2, 5.3 | ||
| 12 M | Syntax (constituents) | Grammarbot, LF 5.6 (29) | Cut-n-paste, LF probs | |
| 14 W | Syntax (grammars) (laptop!) | LF 5.5 | ||
| 15 F | Fall break (no class) | |||
| 19 M | Syntax (drawing trees) | no LF probs this week :) | LF probs | |
| 21 W | Midterm review | Grammarbot (1) | ||
| 23 F | Midterm | |||
| 26 M | Syntax (?acquisition) | TBD | TBD | |
| 28 W | Syntax (?) | TBD | ||
| 30 F | Semantics (lexical) | LF 6.1, 6.2 | Translation | Grammarbot (2) |
| Nov 2 M | Semantics (aspect) | TBD | LF 6.5 (9,12,13,14) | TBD |
| 4 W | Semantics (acquisition) | TBD | Essay draft | |
| 6 F | Semantics (formal) | LF 6.3, 6.4 | ||
| 9 M | Semantics (?) | LF 6.5 (22,24) | LF probs | |
| 11 W | Pragmatics (Grice) | LF 7.1, 7.2 | ||
| 13 F | Pragmatics (reference) | TBD | ||
| 16 M | Veterans' day (no class) | LF 7.6 (5,15) | LF probs | |
| 18 W | Pragmatics (reference) | |||
| 20 F | Pragmatics (speech acts) | LF 7.4, 7.5 | ||
| 23 M | Sociopragmatics (register) | LF 11.4 | Sociomap, LF 10.6 (15,16,20) | Translation, LF probs |
| 25 W | Sociolinguistics (dialect) | LF 10.1, 10.3 | ||
| 27 F | Sociolinguistics (identity) | LF 10.5 | ||
| 30 M | Day before Thanksgiving (no class) | |||
| Dec 2 W | Day after Thanksgiving (no class) | |||
| 4 F | Sociolinguistics (dialect/attitudes) | TBD | ||
| 7 M | Acquisition and change | LF 8.2, 8.3 | LF probs | |
| 9 W | Historical change | LF 13.1, 13.3 | Sociomap | |
| 14 M | (class is over) | Final essay |
Midterm: 15 Final essay: 10 (complete) + 5 (draft) 5 projects: 50 (10 each) Weekly homeworks: 10 Attendance and participation: 10 Experiment or talk: 2 (extra)
| no A+ | A 93-100 | A- 90-92 |
| B+ 87-89 | B 83-86 | B- 80-82 |
| C+ 77-79 | C 73-76 | C- 70-72 |
| D+ 67-69 | D 60-66 | no D- |
| no E+ | E 0-59 |
It is the responsibility of the Committee on Academic Misconduct to investigate or establish procedures for the investigation of all reported cases of student academic misconduct. The term "academic misconduct" includes all forms of student academic misconduct wherever committed; illustrated by, but not limited to, cases of plagiarism and dishonest practices in connection with examinations. Instructors shall report all instances of alleged academic misconduct to the committee (Faculty Rule 3335-5-487). For additional information, see the Code of Student Conduct.
Students with disabilities that have been certified by the Office for Disability Services will be appropriately accommodated and should inform the instructor as soon as possible of their needs. The Office for Disability Services is located in 150 Pomerene Hall, 1760 Neil Avenue; telephone 292-3307, TDD 292-0901. If you do not get me your disability form on time, my ability to help you will be limited, so please be prompt.