This is the (tentative) class-by-class schedule that I envisage for this course. As usual, there will be slight changes here and there as the term unfolds, but it should give you a clear idea on what we intend to cover over the semester. This is also where a lot of the course materials will be uploaded (readings, assignments, exams). It's a convenient way of grouping (almost) everything in one table on a single page. So, do check here often.
Date
Topics
Readings and relevant links
Assignments and events
Sept 7
What is linguistics about?
The nature of human language
Chapter 1
Questionnaire: Please fill in the questionnaire and send it to me by e-mail before Wednesday's class.
Sept 9
The nature of human language cont.
"Design features"
 
Sept 14
The nature of human language cont.
The biological basis of language
Chapters 1 and 10 cont.
Jackendoff's chapters cont.
HW1 assigned: .pdf 
Sept 16
More on the biological basis for language
Prescriptivism vs. descriptivism
Goals of linguistic theory
Chapter 8 (section on language and the brain)
Broca's aphasia
Wernicke's aphasia
PET scan experiment
 
Sept 21
Phonetics: Consonants
Chapter 2
HW1 due
Sept 23
Phonetics cont. Vowels
Coarticulation

Lecture Slides
HW2 assigned: .pdf 
Sept 28
Syllable structure
Prosodies (aka Suprasegmentals)
 
Chapter 2
 
Sept 30
Phonology: Phonemes and allophones
 
Chapter 2
HW2 due (deadline extended till 12:30pm on Friday Oct 2)
Oct 5
Phonology cont.: Phonological rules
 
Chapter 2
HW3 assigned: .pdf 
Oct 7
Morphology
Morphemes and Allomorphs
 
Chapter 3
First talk in the Linguistics series this Fall

“Study Abroad in China: Do Students Become More Fluent?”

by Hang Du (Chinese Dept)
Oct 12
Fall Break
Have fun!
 
Oct 14
The Lexicon
Processes of word formation
 
Morphological typology
 
Chapter 4

Chapter 11, pp. 255-265

 
HW3 due
Oct 19
English plural allomorphy
Turkish Vowel Harmony
Morphological typology cont. 
 
 
Oct 21
Syntax: Constituency

Lecture slides
Chapter 5
Midterm assigned: pdf
Oct 26
Syntax cont.: Phrase structure grammar

Lecture slides
Chapter 5

Also make sure to read Chapter 5 from O'grady et al's book on reserve in the library
 
Oct 28
Syntax cont.: Transfomrations
UG: Principles and Parameters
Head directionality

Lecture slides
Chapter 5

Chapter 11: Section on syntactic typology
Second talk in the Linguistics series this Fall

“Applied Linguistics 101:  Language Matters in the Worlds of Education, Geopolitics, and Social Justice”
by Shawna Shapiro (Writing)

MIDTERM DUE
Nov 2
UG: Principles and Parameters cont.
First language acquisition

Lecture slides
 
LAP one-page proposal due

HW4 assigned:
pdf 
Nov 4
More on first language acquisition: Evidence from Binding
 
Chapter 9
 
Nov 9
Sociolinguistics: Language in social contexts
The language-dialect distinction (or lack thereof)
Regional dialects of American English
 
HW4 due
Nov 11
Sociolinguistics: Language in social contexts cont.
Language and ethnicity (African American English)
Language attitudes
The standard vs. nonstandard
Styles
 
HW5 assigned: .pdf 
Nov 16
Language Change: Lexical, semantic, and morphological change

Lecture slides
Chapter 12
 
Nov 18
Syntactic change
Phonological change

Historical linguistics: reconstruction

Lecture slides
Chapters 12 and 13
HW5 due
Nov 23
Explaining language change

Creating language out of thin air: Pidgins and Creoles
David Crystal's Encyclopedia: chapter on pidgins and creoles, pp. 334-339.

Jackendoff 1993: Patterns in the Mind, Chap 10, pp. 130-139

 
Nov 25
Thanksgiving Break
Eat Turkey!
 
Nov 30

LAP Presentations

Click HERE to see the presentations order
 

Read McGregor's discussion of language and cognition and the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis (Chapter 8)

Read Crystal's discussion of "Language and thought", pp. 14-15 in the Encyclopedia
 
 
Dec 2
Finale: List of topics covered

Course response forms
Third talk in the Linguistics series this Fall
 
“Raising Bilingual Children in Monolingual Environments: A Case Study”
by Ana Martinez-Lage (Spanish)

Dec 4
LAP due by 1pm
 
 
Dec 8
Final Exam assigned
 
 
Dec 10
Final Exam due
 
 
 

added on 2007-02-12 at 4:07 pm
updated on 2009-12-24 at 4:29 pm