Introduction to Linguistics

Summer 2003 Prof. Gregory

What is this course about?

       Very simply, linguistics is the discipline that attempts to study human language. It attempts to answer questions such as: What is the nature of language? How does language work? How does a child learn her first language? How do adults learn a second language? What is the connection between language and thinking? What is the connection between language and society or culture? How do people communicate with language when they cannot speak or hear?

This course provides students with a survey of the basic issues in the field of linguistics. Topics studied include the nature of language, how sounds are made and given meaning (phonetics and phonology); how sounds are combined into meaningful units such as words, sentences and discourse (morphology and syntax); how language has meaning and how speakers of a language create meaning (semantics and pragmatics); how do people use language to create discourse; what is the connection between thinking and language; how do we acquire a first and second language. The course will focus primarily on English (and to some extent Japanese) to provide examples of the topics and issues covered and will attempt to draw attention to linguistic comparisons between the two languages.

        This course will take the approach of mapping out the broad landscape of language study for those who have little or no understanding of the field of linguistics in general. Specific course objectives include helping students gain an appreciation for the complex relationship between language, society and identity; helping students develop some rudimentary language analysis skills which they can employ in probing the social uses of both their first and second languages; and assisting students in applying the knowledge they gain about language and the analytic skills they develop to their experience as second language learners.

How will we learn?

       This course will combine English language learning with learning about linguistics. Students will learn in the following ways:

• reading texts
• writing reaction papers
• participating in group discussions and learning activities
• giving presentations about what you have learned
• solving linguistic problems
• learning from film clips and resources on the World Wide Web

What materials will we use?

Our textbook is a collection of readings taken from:

• Yule, George. 1996.The Study of Language. 2^nd Edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Fromkin, Victoria, Robert Rodman, Nina M. Hyams. 2002. An Introduction to Language, 7^th Edition. Boston, Mass.: Heinle Publishers.

What are the course requirements?

       You will be responsible for all in-class and homework assignments, such as the following:

• Regular reading assignments
• Unit tests
• Linguistic problem solving activities
• Group projects
• Class participation
• A final exam

How are grades earned?

      An A through F grading system will be used. Grades will be based on the quality of the student's work and her/his effort. Class participation is a significant part of the grade. You will receive the same grade for both the Applied English class and the Elective class.

A+	97 - 100	.	B-	80 - 83
A	94 - 96		C+	77 - 79
A-	90 - 93		C	74 - 76
B+	87- 89		C-	70 - 73
B	84 - 86		F	0 - 69

What are the attendance policies?

• Come to every class and arrive on time; please don't come to class tired or hungry
• If you miss more than 20% of the classes, you will receive an "F".
• 3 tardies = 1 absence.
• If you will not be in class, please talk to me, leave a voice mail message for me, or e-mail me in advance. This is polite in all small college classes in the US.
• All absences are unexcused and you are always responsible for both class work and homework, even if you are ill. Please do not skip class because you have not done your homework or have not studied for a test. (Check the TIUA Information Catalog explanation of TIUA policies on attendance).

How to contact me:

By e-mail: wgregory@willamette.edu OR wgregory@attbi.com

By phone: 373-3306 (desk) or 3300 (reception)

In person: Office #203

Our class web page: http://www.tiua.edu/American_Studies/Summer_2003/linguistics/index.html