Ling 290: Introduction to Linguistic Analysis

Fall 2007 CRN 13002, MWF 10:00-10:50, 125 McKenzie Hall, University of Oregon

PROFESSOR: Doris Payne Straub 229, 346-3894, dlpayne@uoregon.edu Office Hours: Mon 3:00-5:00; other times by appointment GTF: Anna Pucilowski Straub 240, 346-5920, apucilow@uoregon.edu Office Hours: TBA

And the following mean... ?? I saw her duck. Mary adores men who love women who don't smoke. They hit the man with a cane. A table is wanted by a lady with square legs.

Course Goals

• To stimulate curiosity about language, what it reveals about the human mind, and the human cultures it reflects.
• To increase ability in critical thinking, analysis, problem-solving, hypothesis formulation and evaluation, and written expression.

Specific Course Objectives.  By the end of the course, you should:

• Be able to understand and work with the basic concepts and methodologies of linguistic science.
• Be able to discuss language issues in an informed way with both linguists and non-linguists.
• Be prepared to enter any intermediate linguistics course here or elsewhere.

Required Materials:

• Finegan, Edward.  2008.  Language, Its Structure and Use (Fifth Edition).  Boston:  Thomson Wadsworth.
• Materials linked to Course web page

LEARNING ACCOMODATIONS: If you have a documented disability, please meet with me immediately to discuss your needs. If you have not already requested a notification letter from Disability Services outlining recommendded accomodations, please do so soon. You may contact Disability Services in 164 Oregon Hall, at 346-1155, or via disabsrv@uoregon.edu.

Course Schedule
Expectations and Grading
 

Expectations

To learn, you have to be actively engaged with the material; ultimately, the responsibility of learning is yours. To facilitate your engagement and learning, we will provide you with:

• Weekly discussion sections.  These are an integral -- not optional -- part of the course.
• Regular reading assignments.  Please do before the class lecture for which they are assigned; come with your questions, and be prepared to discuss the material.
• Office hours, E-mail communication with professor and GTF, & course web page at:  http://www.uoregon.edu/~dlpayne/dcourses/290/
• If you are enrolled in this class, you should regularly consult your Blackboard site.
• Academic dishonesty, such as cheating or plagiarism, will be (potentially) rewarded with a failing grade for the entire course. Academic dishonesty is never a good way to learn anything, thwarts the purpose of true education, and is unjust to your fellow students. For homework, you are encouraged to discuss and problem-solve together, but you must write up your own work to turn in.  For all exams, you must work on your own and turn in your own work.

Course grade is based on the following:

• 20%            Eight weekly homework assignments and attendance.  (Late assignments are not accepted.)
• 40%            2 out of 3 midterm exams.  We will not schedule early or make-up exams, and will use your two highest midterm grades.
• Required      Research Awareness requirement.  You will receive an incomplete until this is finished.
• 40%            Comprehensive final. No early or make-up exams are given, so plan accordingly.

Homework is graded as follows:
 

Condition 2: To acknowledge the accuracy of your work and the importance of clear reasoning and expression, homework will be marked 1, 2, 3, or 4 as follows:

4 = Great: Accurate and insightful throughout, well-written, well-argued.  (Never expect us to guess what you mean, or to hunt for the answer to a question.)
3 = Good work: some things could be improved; well-written.
2 = Some insight: analysis has a ways to go; fair writing
1 = Missing the point, and/or difficult to follow writing (but we recognize you tried)

To achieve the indicated grade, Condition 1 is necessary but not sufficient.  For example, if all assignments are on time and complete, you will not receive an A unless your work is also accurate, insightful, well-written, and well-argued.

If you meet Condition 1, but Condition 2 is above or below the target, your grade will be adjusted up or down 1/2 grade, respectively.  For example, if you turn in 6 complete assignments on time, and the accuracy/writing is 3 or 4 points average, you will receive a C+ homework grade.

"RESEARCH AWARENESS" REQUIREMENT

Linguists conduct research using a variety of methods and in a variety of cultural and political settings. Some research involves interviews in "field" situations, and other research involves experimental techniques in a laboratory setting.  One requirement for Ling 290 is to complete a "research awareness" component.  During the course of this term, you must complete ONE of the following:

• Participate in 4.5 hours of research as part of the human subject pool. Chances are, this is the least strenuous way of fulfilling this requirement, and the "subject pool" is a good way to begin to understand experimental methods.  The Linguistics and Psychology Departments cooperate in maintaining a "subject pool" for experimental research. To encourage participation in this pool, students in Ling 290 and certain other courses receive credit for participation in experiments.  Participation in experiments allows students to directly contribute to research programs in a way that is otherwise seldom possible at the undergraduate level.  Consult http://psychweb.uoregon.edu/undergrad/humansubjects.htm for further information about the subject pool, and how to fulfill the requirement in this fashion.
  
• Attend 3 Linguistics Department Colloquia during the term (nearly every Friday at 3:00 in Straub 145; check the Linguistics Department Home page for specific colloquia.) It is not expected that you will necessarily understand everything.  Have a faculty member sign that you were present on the colloquium handout or turn in a short-paragraph length summary for each talk's topic; due by the end of the term.