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English 503: Graduate Introduction
to Linguistics
SYLLABUS
This is a provisional plan; details may change. |
| Introduction to Linguistics - Week 1
Reading: Ch. 1 of 'Contemporary Linguistics' (CL). Assigned M 1/8 for W 1/10. |
| Unit 1 Sound (Phonetics & Phonology) - Weeks 1,
2, 3
Reading: Ch. 2 of CL Assigned M 1/8; finish by W 1/17. Ch. 3 of CL: Assigned W 1/10; read by W 1/17. Note: Paper proposals are due Wed. 1/17. Submit one page detailing the kind of project you will be doing (literary analysis, child language, etc.); the source of your data (particular works of literature or persons whose speech you will record, etc.); and a preliminary idea of the research question you will use the paper to explore.
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| Assigned Wed. 1/17: (1) Read the 'Phonology and Literature'
section of Traugott & Pratt's Ch. 2. (2) Find copies of Emily
Dickinson's poem #67 'Success is counted sweetest' and Poe's 'The Raven'.
For #67, look for metrical patterning: What is the pattern? Does she break
the pattern? For 'Raven', look for examples of phonological cohesion/parallelism
(rhyme, assonance, alliteration, etc.). In class, I will ask for your results
and then we will discuss ways the sound patterning in each poem contributes
to the poems' message. This is not a graded assignment and doesn't have
to be written up. It's practice for the real graded problem #1, which I
expect to hand out next Wed.
Don't forget to get your paper proposal to me by Fri. 4 pm if you haven't already done so. Also: I put a book on reserve that could be very helpful for literary analysis (except metaphor). It is 'Exploring the language of poems, plays and prose' by Mick Short. Don't forget that there are also model term papers on reserve. |
| Here are some handouts about phonetics and phonology that you will find useful supplements to the textbook and class lectures: I have generous exercises in transcription (mostly phonemic) on my website. Each exercise has a key linked to it. These would be excellent practice for Graded Problem #1 as well as for analysis of sound techniques in literature. Here is a list of exercises: |
| Some sound-symbolism sites:
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Studios/9783/phond1.html http://www.conknet.com/~mmagnus/LIA.html Book: 'Sound Symbolism' By Leanne Hinton, Johanna Nichols and John Ohala, 1994, Cambridge U. Press. 4 Link+ libraries have this book. |
| 01/29/01 Mon.
Assigned Wed. 01/24: (1) Graded Problem #1 was handed out. Due date is Mon. Feb. 5 with possibilities for extensions if needed. (2) Read Chapter 4 of CL. Come prepared to discuss exercises 1 & 2 of Ch. 4. (3) Bring to next class (01/29) a short example of literary use of sound devices (sound symbolism; phonological cohesion, etc.) in a poem or piece of prose or other literary genre. I have prepared some tips on working Part I of the Graded Problem. Click here. |
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Unit 2 Words (Morphology & Lexicon) - Weeks 4, 5 Assigned Mon. 01/29/01: Come to class Wed. prepared to discuss Ch. 4 exercises 5, 6, 10, 11, 13, 14. Mon. 02/05/01: Exercises above will be discussed in class on Wed. 02/07. Read Traugott and Pratt 'Morphemes, the Lexicon, and Style' for Wed. Keep in mind that there is a participation grade for this class; discussion of problems is one way to get points for this grade. Reminder: Keep working on your papers. Come by office hours for help. Mon. 02/12: Assigned last Wednesday were: Ch. 4, ex. 12, and 15 to 20. These mostly practice terminology. Also: Monday, bring a piece of writing (prose, poem, drama, or nonfiction) which displays some of the morpho-lexical literary devices discussed in Traugott & Pratt. I handed out a sheet with excerpt from K. Vonnegut's 'God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater' to analyze for how lexical items (words, stock phrases) are used to achieve the effect of satire or irony. There was no new reading assignment. Assigned Mon. 02/12: Go to the following web
pages and read about Frame Semantics:
http://www.icsi.berkeley.edu/~framenet/FSTheoryI.html
You don't need to master all of the details of implementation of the FrameNet project. I am interested in your getting acquainted with Frame Semantics as a theory of how word meanings (and associated information) are stored. There is also a reading on reserve entitled 'Culture and Cognition',
also on the subject of schema/frame theory. This reading would be useful
for anyone who is doing a paper that involves schema/frame analysis. It
may be assigned later in the quarter.
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| Unit 3 Phrase, Sentence, Text (Syntax) -Weeks 6, 7
Wed. 02/14: Assigned for Wed. 02/21: Read Ch. 5 up to but not including 2.3. Try ex. 3, 4, 6, 7. You may find this reading easier if you read my 'Syntax: Terms and Concepts' handout before or simultaneously with Ch. 5. Click here for this handout: http://cla.calpoly.edu/~jrubba/syn/SyntaxT&C.html
Note this is a multi-page document. Some parts are long; will require a lot of paper to print out. NO CLASS MON. 02/19. Presidents' Day.
Check your e-mail between now and next class
meeting for notice that graded problem #1 is graded and can be picked up.
I plan to have them all done by Monday.
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Unit 6 Metaphor in Everyday Language and in Literature - Weeks 9
& 10
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Tues. 3/13:
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| Note: Campus is closed Mon. Jan. 15 and Mon. Feb. 19 for holidays. No class on those days. |
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