Syllabus

Linguistics 1 Fall 2010

Instructor: Office: Office hours: Email: TAs: Patrick Farrell 279 Kerr Hall T 1112, TH 23, & by appointment pmfarrell@ucdavis.edu See home page of class web site

Time & place: MWF 1: 2:10-3:00 PM, 100 Hunt Hall Components: Lectures & discussion sections, readings, homework exercises, essay assignment, midterm exam, and final exam. Class web site: SmartSite (http://smartsite.ucdavis.edu). All course materials will be made available exclusively in electronic format, either being sent by email or being posted to SmartSite (or both), including assignments, class side handouts in PDF format, and podcasts, which can be subscribed to and downloaded automatically to iTunes or some other podcatcher. The online grade book allows you to access your grades on exams and assignments, as well as your final grade for the course. The online calendar shows due dates for assignments. Completed homework assignments can either be submitted in hard-copy form or uploaded to the site. Textbook: An Introduction to Language, 8th edition, by Victoria Fromkin, Robert Rodman, and Nina Hyams (available in UCD Bookstore, or via online vendors, such as http://www.alibris.com/search/books/isbn/9781413017731). The students companion site, which has tutorial quizzes, a practice exam, a glossary, web links, etc., is accessible via http://www.heinle.com. Type An Introduction to Language in the search field. Or use the link on SmartSite. Please note that there are many editions of this textbook. We are using the 8th edition, which you should be able to find a used or rentable copy of for a reasonable price. The book will also be on reserve in Shields Library. COURSE DESCRIPTION This course explores what human language is and what it means to know a language. Of central concern is how the scientific study of language elucidates the unconscious knowledge that enables speakers to understand their language and use it creatively. In addition to investigating various aspects of theoretical models of this knowledge, this course focuses on the structure of the English language and touches on such topics as how languages change through time, how languages are acquired, the neurological basis of language, and regional and social variation in language use. This course fulfills a General Education requirement (ArtHum or SocSci, Wrt) and is a prerequisite for many advanced and specialized courses in linguistics. DISCUSSION SECTIONS You should plan on attending the TA-guided discussion section that you are enrolled in (see Schedule of Classes for times and places). Discussion section meetings will be primarily devoted to clarifying the assignments, going over the solutions to the problems in the assignments, exploring additional problems, and otherwise assisting you in understanding and assimilating the information presented in class and the textbook and, thus, in preparing for the exams. Note: There are no discussion sections in week one. The first meetings are on Sept. 30 or Oct. 1.

HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS There will be six homework assignments assigned on a regular basis throughout the quarter. These assignments will have a small direct impact on your grade. More importantly, however, they will help you learn the fundamentals of linguistic analysis and become prepared for the exams. Due dates will be specified on the assignments themselves and on the class web site. Scores on each assignment will generally have one of the following values: 5 (= successful completion, on time), 3 (= successful completion, late), or 1.5 (otherwise). EXAMS There will be a midterm exam and a final exam with questions designed to test your mastery of concepts and analytical methods presented in the textbook and in class. The final exam will be comprehensive, although it will emphasize material covered subsequent to the midterm. Both exams will be of the multiple-choice kind. ESSAY There will be a short writing assignment (5-6 pages). Due date and topics will be detailed later. GRADES The course grade will be computed by adding the products of % of total points achieved on each course component and the weights specified below. The resulting percentage score will be converted to letter grades, following a standard conversion schema (80% = lowest possible score for B-; 90% = lowest possible score for A-; 93% = lowest possible score for A, etc.). Component Points Weight Homework 1.5-5 x 6 .15 Midterm 0-30 .25 Final 0-40 .35 Essay 0-10 .25

COLLABORATION You are invited and encouraged to collaborate with classmates on the homework assignments and in preparing for the exams. Since the course grades will not be curved, you are not competing with each other for grades.

Schedule
09/2409/27 09/2710/01 10/0410/08 10/1110/15 10/1810/27 10/25 10/2911/05 11/0811/12 11/1511/19 11/2211/29 12/0112/03 12/08 Knowledge of language & notions of grammar (read Chapter 1) Phonetics and the sounds of English (read Chapter 6) Phonology (read Chapter 7) Morphology (read Chapter 3) Syntax (read Chapter 4) MIDTERM EXAM (on topics through Morphology) Language and society (read Chapter 10) Semantics (read Chapter 5) Language change (read Chapter 11) Language acquisition (read Chapter 8) Language & brain (read Chapter 2) FINAL EXAM