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Dr. Mary Jane Hurst Office: English/Philosophy 485 Call 742-2501 for current office hours Office phone: 806.742-2500 ext. 253 |
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Dr. Hurst -- English 3371.002 -- Fall 2008 INTRODUCTION TO LINGUISTICS - COURSE INFORMATION Required Texts: Rowe, Bruce M. and Diane P. Levine. A Concise Introduction to Linguistics. Second Edition. Boston: Pearson, 2009.
Additional essays available from the reserve desk of the library or from CopyTech. Recommended Texts and Materials: Supplemental materials available at www.faculty.english.ttu.edu/hurst and at the library reserve. Callahan, David. The Cheating Culture. Orlando: Harcourt, 2004. Thaler, Richard H. and Cass R. Sunstein. Nudge. New Haven: Yale UP, 2008. Urrea, Luis Alberto. The Devil’s Highway. New York: Little, Brown, 2004 Course Objective and Course Design: This course will provide an introduction to the study of language at the undergraduate level. Our primary objective is to learn what language is and how language systems work. We will first examine the main components of language – sounds, word forms, and sentence structure – and we will then investigate principles of language variation and language change. Our approach will be descriptive rather than prescriptive, and our primary focus will be on the English language. Class meetings will be organized around a lecture-discussion format. Specific learning outcomes and assessment methods are listed on a following page. Course Requirements: Students will conduct themselves in a manner appropriate for a university classroom and will assist in maintaining an environment that is conducive to learning. Distracting or other inappropriate behavior may result in a directive to leave class. Students will attend class regularly, having completed the designated readings and assignments, and will participate positively in class discussions. Students will take two tests and a final exam. The final exam, which is comprehensive, will count as two grades. The tests and the exam will cover material presented in the lectures and discussions as well as material presented in the textbooks. Students will be expected to demonstrate college-level writing skills in completing the tests and exam. Students will write two papers. Specific written instructions for the papers will be distributed in class. Students will deliver oral presentations about their independent work. How to Get in Touch with Your Professor: Send Dr. Hurst an e-mail message to maryjane.hurst@ttu.edu. Visit her in 485 English in the half hour before or after class. Visit her in the President’s Office (please call ahead at 742-2121) during business hours. Call her office in 150 Administration (742-2121) or 485 English (742-2500, x 253). Speak to her before or after class to arrange an appointment. Leave a message on her home answering machine. ----------
COURSE POLICIES -- INTRODUCTION TO LINGUISTICS
In order to earn a passing grade for English 3371, a student must successfully complete all course requirements. FINAL GRADES will be determined by averaging each student's six semester grades (2 regular tests, 2 papers, and final exam worth 2 grades). No material to be graded other than the final exam will be accepted or considered after the last day of regular classes.
Students are expected to be PRESENT, PUNCTUAL, AND PREPARED each class day. To avoid being penalized unnecessarily, students should inform their professor, in advance when possible, of special situations that affect their attendance or their preparation. The English Department does offer correspondence classes, but this is not one of them. Students with more than seven absences should expect an automatic F in the course.
HOMEWORK problems may be assigned to coordinate with lectures and discussions. Unless otherwise announced, homework will not be collected or graded; we will simply go over it in class. Doing the homework will reinforce course concepts and will help in preparing for the tests, so students should make honest efforts to complete any such assignments. EXTRA CREDIT will be available as described elsewhere in the course information packet and in the syllabus.
Students should NOT expect INDIVIDUAL MAKE-UP TESTS. Students should be present on test days except in cases of extreme emergencies. On the last day of class, a make-up exam may be administered for any student who missed one of the earlier tests. The make-up, which can substitute for only ONE regular test, may cover material from the entire semester. IF UNIVERSITY CLASSES SHOULD BE CANCELLED (as, for example, in a weather emergency) on a day when a test is scheduled or an assignment is due, the test will be administered or the assignment collected on the next class day. Please note that students will be excused for the observance of a religious holy day and the time necessary to travel for this observance; in accordance with state policy, students will be permitted to take an exam or complete an assignment missed during such an excused absence.
PAPERS will be collected at the beginning of the class period on which they are due. Any LATE PAPER will be penalized two letter grades for each class period that elapses before the paper is submitted. Other requirements for the papers are written on a separate instruction sheet. EARLY SUBMISSIONS are welcome.
Students are encouraged to set up APPOINTMENTS or CONFERENCES with their professor. Constructive feedback about the course is encouraged at any time. Students must take responsibility for their own learning; if an individual does not understand course material or if a person needs additional information about an assignment, then that student should make an appointment to talk to the professor.
Students are expected to behave honorably, respectfully, and maturely. Ideas discussed in literature and language classes can be controversial. However, students will maintain appropriate decorum in their speech and behavior, at all times showing respect for other people and their ideas. Students will also exhibit integrity in their classwork and in their dealings with their classmates. PLAGIARISM or other forms of cheating will not be tolerated. Any student found cheating can expect to receive an F for the course and to endure any other penalties invoked by the student's dean.
Any student who, because of a DISABLING CONDITION, may require special arrangements in order to meet course requirements should contact the instructor as soon as possible to make necessary accommodations. Students requesting such services will need to present verification from the appropriate university office as it is university policy that such accommodations are not made prior to completion of the approved TTU process.
OTHER INFORMATION about university policies can be located in the Undergraduate Catalog and in the Directory of Classes. Students with concerns not addressed in this policy statement should discuss their situations with their professor at their earliest convenience. --------- English 3371 (Introduction to Linguistics) Learning Outcomes and Assessments Upon successful completion of this course, a student should be able to do the following:
Assessment methods for the above learning outcomes will include the following: v Graded papers, tests, and final exam. v Oral presentations. v Class discussions and class analyses. v Non-graded homework assignments and discussions of end-of-chapter questions. v Brief in-class review sessions. v Non-graded quizzes. v Consultations during office hours. ---------- Extra Credit in English 3371.002 – Fall 2008 Extra credit opportunities (maximum of 5 points per event and a semester maximum of 12 points total per student) will be available in connection with the Presidential Lecture & Performance Series (www.presidentialseries.ttu.edu) and/or the Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar Lecture. Credit can be awarded for proof of attendance and a brief (1-2 paragraph) analysis of the event.
Address by Ethicist David Callahan 9/8 at 3:30 P.M. in the Allen Theatre Free/no tickets required
Performance of “From the Top with Christopher O’Riley” 9/16 at 7:00 P.M. in the Allen Theatre Tickets on sale through TTU Select-A-Seat
Address by Political Scientist Loch Johnson 9/29 at 7:30 P.M. in 169 Human Sciences (?) (Time and Place to Be Confirmed) Free/no tickets required
Performance by Pianist Marc Andre Hamelin 10/19 at 7:30 P.M. in Hemmle Recital Hall Tickets on sale through TTU Select-A-Seat
Panel Discussion with 2007 Texas Tech University Presidential Book Award Winners Michael Borshuk, John Beusterein, and Stefan Estreicher 10/28 at 3:30 P.M. in the Matador Room of the SUB Free/no tickets required ---------
Fall 2008 - English 3371.002 Syllabus - Dr. Hurst Assignments should be prepared in advance. Homework will not be collected or graded. This syllabus is subject to change; any changes will be announced in class Aug 26 T First Day of Class. Course Introduction. Aug 28 Th What Is Linguistics? Reading: Chapter 1. Sept 2 T Birds and Bees (Animal Communication): Do Animals Think? Reading: Animal Language Chapter in Library Packet. Sept 4 Th Cetaceans and Primates (Animal Communication). Homework: Study Terms and Study Questions 4, 5, 6, 9, & 14 (pages 42-43) in Packet and Study Terms and Study Questions (pages 22-27) in textbook Sept 9 T Morphology: Units of Meaning. Reading: Chapter 4. Sept 11 Th Morphology. Sept 16 T Morphology: Word Formation. Homework: Study Terms and Study Questions (pages 109-111) Sept 18 Th Test One. Maximum three point extra credit opportunity: print/copy one interesting and complex entry from the OED and attach a one-paragraph analysis of that word. Sept 23 T Phonetics: Units of Sound. Reading: Chapter 2. Sept 25 Th Phonology: Sound Rules. Reading: Chapter 3. Sept 30 T Phonology and Syntax. Homework: Phonology Terms and Exercises as Assigned Oct 2 Th Syntax: Grammatical Structures. Reading: Chapter 5. Oct 7 T Syntax. Oct 9 Th Syntax. Homework: Syntax Exercises as Assigned. Oct 14 T Syntax. Homework: Syntax Exercises as Assigned. Oct 16 Th Test Two. Maximum three point extra credit opportunity: transcribe your name and these two sentences into phonemic symbols, and provide tree diagrams for both sentences: “Linguistics is an interesting subject. Its relevance to daily life and its intellectual significance impress me.” Oct 21 T Semantics. Reading: Semantics section of Chapter 6. Oct 23 Th Student Oral Reports. Paper 1 Is Due. Oct 28 T Student Oral Reports, continued. Assignment: Conduct independent research for Paper 2 as explained in class. Oct 30 Th Sociolinguistics (Dialects, Styles, and Registers). Nov 4 T Sociolinguistics: Ebonics, Spanglish, Bilingualism. Reading: Chapter 7. Nov 6 Th Sociolinguistics: Language and Gender. Reading: Maltz and Borker Essay in Library Packet. Nov 11 T Language Change: The Indo-European Theory. Reading: Chapter 12. Nov 13 Th Language Change: Germanic History and Languages in Britain. Nov 18 T Language Change: From Old English to Middle English. Nov 20 Th Language Change: From Middle English to Modern English. Nov 25 T Oral Reports on Papers Nov 27 Th Thanksgiving Day – University Holiday. Dec 2 T Last Day of Classes. Finish Oral Reports and Prepare for Final Exam. Paper 2 Is Due. Dec 8 Mon 7:30-10:00 A.M.: Final Exam. (The final exam, which is comprehensive, counts as two grades.) ---------- English 3371 – Article/Journal Review – Paper One Assignment: Write an essay that summarizes and evaluates either a linguistics article or a linguistics journal along the lines of the questions noted below. The title of the essay should be A Review of First Name Last Name’s “Title of Article” or A Review of Title of Journal. The essay should be about four to five typed pages and should be prepared with care in regard to matters such as sentence structure, paragraph development, and usage. If possible, develop an argumentative edge around which the entire discussion is built. Follow the essay with a bibliography, prepared flawlessly in MLA documentation style, that lists the article or articles discussed and any other works cited or mentioned in the discussion. Attach to the essay at least ten pages of photocopies from the article/journal and any other sources you have consulted as part of your research. The journal or articles you select for review must be obtained in paper form from the library; web articles or web-based materials can be used as supplementary resources but not as the main focus of your review. You also need to get advance approval for your particular article or journal choice to make sure that you have made a choice that will enable you to succeed with this assignment and to make sure that different materials will be discussed during the in-class presentations. I. Journal Review Directions Select one linguistics journal. Some suggestions for appropriate journals can be found at http://www.faculty.english.ttu.edu/hurst/. Check with me to make sure that the journal you have identified is of sufficient complexity and depth to merit attention in this assignment. After I have given approval to your selection, read several issues of the journal (at least three or four). In your written review, discuss and evaluate the journal, some of its articles, and what it contributes to scholarship in its particular context. In thinking about and evaluating the journal, consider issues such as the following:
II. Article Review Directions Select one interesting article about language in a linguistics journal or in an edited book about linguistics. Some suggestions for appropriate journals and books can be found on my web page http://www.faculty.english.ttu.edu/hurst/. Check with me to make sure that the article you have identified is of sufficient complexity and depth to merit attention in this assignment. After I have given approval, read the article closely as many times as necessary in order to understand it. Some suggestions for reading a scholarly linguistics article can be found at http://www.faculty.english.ttu.edu/hurst/. Besides reading the article itself, you must do some investigation about the journal or book in which the article appears and about the author or authors of the study. Finally, you must do some research into the topic covered by the article and identify other publications that treat the same subject; read a couple of those other publications as a basis for critiquing the article you have selected. In your written review, discuss and evaluate the article and what it contributes to scholarship in its particular context. In thinking about and evaluating the article, consider issues such as the following:
---------- Language Variation Essays – Paper Two Write three independent essays based on the topics below. Choose one topic from Group 1 AND one topic from Group 2 AND one topic from Group 3. Essays should be based on the discoveries made by students as they conduct their research, but papers should also make appropriate references to information and concepts from the class lectures and discussions, the textbook, and the videos. Each essay should be about two and a half to three and a half typed pages. Specific and linguistically-informed details and examples should be included. Group 1 1 a. Write a short account -- no more than three pages -- of your own linguistic autobiography. Explain why you talk the way you do and what factors have affected your idiolect. Use specific details and examples to support your generalizations. OR 1 b. Choose another individual whom you know very well. Observe the individual in a casual conversation and take careful notes about what he or she says and how he or she says it. In a short account using specific details and examples, analyze the person’s speech and discuss its geographical dialect, socioeconomic dialect, and related features of language variation. OR 1 c. Choose a fictional character and write an account of his or her language. Providing specific examples, discuss the character’s geographic dialect, socioeconomic dialect, and related features of language variation, commenting on how that character’s language affects a reader’s understanding of the novel or short story in which the character appears. AND Group 2 2 a. With someone of the opposite sex, visit three places: one that is traditionally male-oriented (such as a sports store or car repair shop), one that is traditionally female-oriented (such as a cosmetics counter or lingerie store), and one that is generally gender-neutral (such as a bank or bookstore or family restaurant). Make an effort in the gender-associated environments to reverse the traditional roles; for example, have the male partner ask questions or be the dominant shopper at the lingerie store and have the female partner ask questions or be the dominant shopper at the sports store. Observe how the two of you are treated: who greets you, how are you greeted, are there any linguistic cues about other people’s expectations of you in the three different environments? Using specific details and examples, write a short account (about three pages) of your experience and its sociolinguistic implications. (Note: you are not obligated to purchase anything as part of this assignment, but you should not harass or disrespect employees. Unless you are actually considering a purchase, avoid interactions with people who are paid on commission.) OR 2 b. Watch a minimum of two hours of television each from three different program times. Choose one time that is primarily or traditionally male-oriented (such as professional sports coverage), one that is traditionally female-oriented (such as a daytime soap opera), and one that is generally gender-neutral (such as a news program or a children’s cartoon time). Pay attention to the language used in the programs and, especially, the language used in commercials that air during those program times. Analyze the ways that people talk to each other and the ways that the programs and commercials communicate with the audience with respect to gender roles. Report and comment upon what you observe from an informed sociolinguistic perspective. AND Group 3 3 a. Ask three to five people not from this class about their opinions on either Ebonics or Bilingual Education. If you think it will produce better information for your paper, you can ask about both Ebonics and Bilingual Education, but it may be that a more meaningful paper will focus on just one or the other topic. Try to have your informants give you as much specific information as you can about these programs (for example, what they think the goals of the programs are and who they think might benefit from them or be harmed by them). Try to determine the source of their information. In your written paper, give a brief description of your informants (age, gender, education, occupation, etc.) and then analyze and evaluate their opinions from an informed linguistic perspective using specific examples and details. (During the interview or discussion itself, do not judge or correct your informants; your goal is to be strictly an observer during the interview.) OR 3 b. Ask three to five Spanish speakers over the age of thirty to tell you about their experiences when they were in school or when they were growing up with regard to Spanish. Were they encouraged or discouraged from using Spanish in school? Did they ever personally experience discrimination because of speaking Spanish at school? Did their parents encourage them to learn and speak Spanish? How did your informants’ linguistic experiences affect them while they were in school and during their adult lives? Summarize and analyze their accounts from an informed linguistic perspective. (During the interview or discussion, do not judge or correct your informants; your goal is to be an observer during the interview.) If you have access to three to five speakers of any other language, you may complete this assignment based on that language rather than Spanish.
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