Introduction to Language and Linguistics LING 3310

Transcription

1 Introduction to Language and Linguistics LING 3310 Clay Butler office: CS 408 / Clay_Butler@baylor.edu office hrs: MWF 2:20-3:30 pm TR 8:00-11:00 am 2:20-3:30 pm Description: This course is an introduction to the study of language from the perspective of the academic discipline known as linguistics. Linguistics is a mongrel discipline in many ways. A linguist may borrow ideas and theories from anthropology, sociology, pedagogy, philosophy, psychology, or other areas, and may ask questions that reflect this variety of disciplines. For example, does language control our view of reality? How do languages resemble and differ from each other? Is language biologically innate or is it learned socially? Do animals have language? What role does body language play in communication? Is there one correct way to speak English? What kind of language should be taught in school? This course is designed to introduce non-linguists to the study of language and to begin the process of answering these and many other language-related questions. ANT, ENG & LING: This course is cross-listed under three different prefixes. Please verify that you are registered for the correct section to insure you get the credit you need for your major or minor. If you are in Anthropology, you should be registered for the ANT section. If you are in English, Professional Writing, or Secondary Education, you should be registered for the ENG section. If you are in Linguistics, you should be registered for the LING section. All other majors and minors can be registered for any section. You must drop/add to get the correct course prefix during the semester; once the semester ends, the Registrar will not change the prefix. I will generally identify the class as LING Requirements: (1) work consistently (if not always accurately) on homework exercises (2) complete exams with a passing average score (no exam may be missed) (3) turn in all projects and assignments on time (4) demonstrate familiarity with required readings (5) attend class regularly and participate in class activities Texts: (1) Text Linguistics for Non-Linguists: A primer with exercises (Frank Parker & Kathryn Riley, 2010), 5 th edition, Allyn & Bacon <ISBN: > (2) Homework You will need to purchase a spiral-bound workbook in the bookstore called Homework Exercises (3) BearCat A few of our class readings are available for free through the BearCat online reserve list. Information on finding and printing these articles is given below.

2 Grading: (1) 20% Homework homework exercises are coordinated with the text (2) 10% Project everyone will write a 2-3 page paper (3) 40% Exams - there will be 2 in-class exams each counting 20% (4) 30% Final Exam Grading Standards: 89 B+ 79 C+ 69 D F A B C D 90 A- 80 B- 70 C- 60 D- (1) Homework: The homework exercises in the workbook are coordinated with the text. Many of the exercises are exactly the same as those found in the text, but many have changes. For some, I have changed the explanation because I thought the exercise in the text was confusing. For others, I have made the answer multiple choice or fill-in-the-blank, instead of open-ended. I left the exercise lettering (A, B, C, etc.) the same as the text so you can see where the questions are located in the chapter, but I have renumbered the problem sets within the exercise. Some exercises are skipped completely, and I have noted that in the workbook. You will also notice that the workbook includes exercises for chapters for which I m not taking up homework (chapters 12 and 13). For these chapters, I included the exercises for you to test your comprehension of the chapter and help prepare for the exams. Do not turn in exercises for chapters that are not listed on the Schedule. I will NOT accept late homework. I understand that there are exceptional circumstances that make it hard to turn in assignments on time, every time. To accommodate for difficult circumstances, I will drop the 2 assignments with the lowest scores when I calculate your final grade. If you cannot turn in an assignment on time, count it as one of your dropped scores. Homework is due at the beginning of class on the day listed on the Schedule. If you know you will not be in class when homework is due, you may turn in the homework early. Please write your name at the top of every page of the homework and staple all of the pages together before turning them in. If you are confused with an exercise, give it your best guess - partial credit may be given for a reasonable effort. (2) Project: The project is described in detail in the Project section. Briefly, you will select a short dialogue in a novel or short-story and write a paper analyzing it using Politeness Theory. (3) Exams: In-class exams will take the class period to complete and will consist of multiple choice questions, exercises, and short essay questions. Most of the questions will be very similar to the homework exercises, but there will also be questions from the lectures and other readings. The Final contains a significant amount of material covered on Exam 2, but no material from Exam 1. Syntax: While this course does not require a background in any area of linguistics, the section on syntax may be difficult for students who do not have a fair knowledge of grammar terminology. Here s a quick test: (1) Create a sentence with a direct object. (2) What is the passive form of this sentence, John saw a puppy? (3) What class of word is with? If you are unable to answer these questions

3 correctly or are nervous about your grammar background, you have several weeks to prepare. You might try reviewing The Little, Brown Handbook by Fowler and Aaron <PE1112.F >. BearCat Reserves: The required readings listed as BearCat in the Schedule can be found through Canvas : Baylor Libraries : Electronic Reserves. Each article requires a login: your BearID & the course password: Butler Attendance: Students who miss 12 or more classes will automatically receive a grade of F in the course. Any absence, including a sickness or a university-related activity, will simply count as an absence; no distinction will be made between "excused" and "unexcused. In addition, students who miss 9 or more classes will not make an A grade for the course regardless of their class average grade; the highest possible grade in this case is a B. Absent students are responsible for all material (including handouts) missed and should make independent efforts to collect notes from other students and to finish readings before consulting the instructor. Incompletes: An incomplete grade is reserved for students who have attended class regularly and who are missing only the final exam for a sound and documented (usually medical) reason. Computers: If you want to use a computer or other electronic device for taking notes, please move to a seat on the back row to minimize distractions to other students. Please stay off the internet. Contacting Me: is a good way to communicate with me. Feel free to questions about homework, the project, or other concerns. The best way to make an appointment to meet with me is to come by my office first and write your name on a slot on the calendar attached to my office door. ing Assignments: If you an assignment, I will send you a REPLY verifying that I received it. You should save the REPLY as proof of receipt. If you do not receive a REPLY, you should assume I did not receive it and take other actions to turn in your assignment on time. Academic Success: I have high academic expectations of you and believe every student who has been admitted to Baylor can be successful in my classes. Familiarize yourself with the culture of success we have at Baylor by stopping by the Paul L. Foster Success Center in Sid Richardson or by going to: Academic Integrity: Any work submitted under your name is expected to be your own, not composed by anyone else in whole or in part, nor handed over to another person for complete or partial revision. Be sure to document all ideas that are not your own. Instances of plagiarism or any other act of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Honor Council and may result in failure of the course. Not understanding plagiarism is not an excuse; it is your responsibility to be very familiar with the Honor Code at:

4 Students Needing Accommodations: Any student who needs academic accommodations related to a documented disability should inform me immediately at the beginning of the semester. You are required to obtain appropriate documentation and information regarding accommodations from the Office of Access and Learning Accommodation (OALA). Contact Information: (254) Paul L. Foster Success Center, 1st floor on the East Wing of Sid Richardson. Military Student Advisory: Veterans and active duty military personnel are welcomed and encouraged to communicate, in advance if possible, any special circumstances they have (e.g., upcoming deployment, drill requirements, disability accommodations). You are also encouraged to visit the VETS Program Office with any questions at (254) Title IX: If you or someone you know would like help related to an experience involving sexual or gender-based harassment, sexual assault, sexual exploitation, stalking, intimate partner violence, or retaliation for reporting one of these type of prohibited conduct, please contact the Title IX Office at (254) or report online at

5 Project For this project you will select a short-story or novel and conduct a pragmatic analysis of a section of dialogue (i.e., talk between 2 or more people) using Brown and Levinson s Politeness Theory (PT). We will discuss this theory in class, and you will read an article (Brown & Levinson) about it. Do s - Your job is to use PT to try to explain why the characters are saying what they are saying. Be sure to include these 3 features of PT: 1 - face-threatening acts (FTA), 2 - negative politeness and positive politeness, and 3 - power (P), distance (D), and rank (R). You may spend most of your paper on only one of these, but do your best to mention each of these 3 features. - Start your paper with the dialogue, which can be in a smaller font, be single-spaced, and be indented. - Stay focused on describing the dialogue. I want to know how PT applies to the dialogue. - Keep in mind that PT is always present and operating in a conversation; you are to describe how it is operating. - Your paper should be about 2 pages in length. Do not exceed 3 pages. Use double-spacing and a 12 pt font. No cover page or project folder is needed. Double-sided printing is encouraged. - Your paper should include a complete citation for your short-story or novel and page numbers for each quotation. Any standard format is acceptable. I will assume all references to PT are from the BearCat (Brown) article, so you do not need to give in-text citations for that article. If you use any other sources, you must include in-text citations and a Work Cited section. - You should proof-read your paper before turning it in because I will mark down for poor grammar. A poorly written paper will not get an A grade regardless of content. Take advantage of the Writing Center (in Carroll Science, room G-06 phone ), where English graduate students are available to help you with style, formatting, and other issues. - Before class on the due date, upload a digital copy of your paper through Canvas and bring a printed copy of your paper to class. Note that I will use the printed copy to grade. - The paper is due at the beginning of class on the day listed on the Schedule for Paper Due. - If you have questions about the appropriateness of your topic or focus, please contact me. Do Not s - DO NOT give long explanations of PT; instead, analyze the dialogue, the characters, and the situation using the theory. - DO NOT give too much background on the plot and characters. Some background is necessary and should be included, but be careful not to just summarize the story. - DO NOT give overly long quotations (i.e., no more than ½ page). Most of the paper should be your analysis. - DO NOT forget to upload your document to Canvas (-5 pts if not uploaded before due) - DO NOT turn in your paper late. Papers turned in after class on the due date, but on the same day will be penalized 5 points. Papers turned in after the due date, but within 24 hours (e.g., due on Monday at 9:05 am, turned in on Tuesday before 9:05 am) will be penalized 10 points. Papers turned in within 7 days (e.g., due on Monday at 9:05 am; turned in before 9:05 am the following Monday) will be penalized 20 points. After 7 days a 0 will be entered in the grade book.