SPRING 2001
This information effective for Spring 2001.
Check with instructor the first day of class for any changes.
[LING-051] [LING-080C] [LING-116] [LING-140] [LING-153] [LING-181] [LING-187]
Instructor: Geoffrey K. Pullum, e-mail: pullum@ling.ucsc.edu
MWF 11:00-12:10
Cowell 131
Phonetics is the study of human speech sounds. This course emphasizes the acquisition of four related skills: recognition, transcription, description, and production of speech sounds. The focus is not on any particular language. Given a good grasp of phonetics, one can listen to any human language and record accurately on paper the way it sounded so that any other phonetician could read it back. This skill is extremely useful for anyone who ever plans to be in a foreign language environment, and is also applicable in a number of other domains, for instance, speech therapy, research work on machine recognition and synthesis of speech, dialect acquisition for actors, foreign pronunciation for broadcasters, and of course the study of linguistics. The work will involve learning a highly useful phonetic alphabet and acquiring an understanding of the articulatory and acoustic properties of speech sounds. In addition, students will apply this knowledge in order to understand better facts about language sound systems, e.g., why certain sounds are common or uncommon.
Prerequisites: none. General Education Code: IH (Introduction to Humanities)
Instructor: Jaye Padgett, e-mail: padgett@cats.ucsc.edu
MWF 12:30-1:40
Porter 144
This course examines how language interacts with structures of social and political authority. It deals with how prestige varieties of a language develop and how that development is connected with social, political, and economic conditions. It examines the mechanisms used in contemporary societies to maintain the position of prestige dialects and those who use them; in particular, we will examine the mythology of language purity and 'correct usage' that is often an important part of the support system for a prestige dialect. The course also deals with similar patterns and processes in bilingual and multi-lingual communities and the social mechanisms of language variation and change. Course requirements: Readings, class discussions, and a series of short written assignments (roughly one every two weeks).
Prerequisites: none. General Education Code: T5 (Topical: Humanities & Arts or Social Sciences).
Staff
MWF 2:00-3:10
Cowell 134
This course investigates how sentences mean what they mean and how they can be used to communicate more than what they mean. We will be interested in developing precise ways of describing the possible interpretations of a sentence and how that range is related to its syntactic structure. We pursue this goal by considering three topics: (i) the lexical semantics of verbs and a theory of the semantic information in a lexical entry, (ii) the semantics of quantification and the description of scope ambiguities, and (iii) classical problems involving sense and reference and proposed solutions involving the construction of models of discourse reference. We will also make a survey of the development of the study of semantics within generative linguistic theory. Course requirements: Written work for the course consists chiefly of two problem sets corresponding to a midterm and a final. Additionally, students must submit (and revise as directed) two short essays (squibs) on some problem of interest.
Prerequisites: Semantics I (LING 53); Syntax I (LING 52) or Syntactic Structures (LING 55).
Instructor: Jennifer Smith, e-mail: smith@ling.ucsc.edu
MWF 11:00-12:10
Porter 144
This course is an introduction to historical linguistics. It focuses on basic questions in phonological and morphological change: Is sound change regular? What are the strengths and the limits of the comparative method? What does the study of linguistic variation and of language acquisition tell us about the sources and the trajectories of changes in language? What does the contemporary theory of phonology (and of grammar) have to say about the ways linguistic systems change over time? Course requirements: Weekly homeworks, weekly quizzes, midterm, and final. Please see the following web-address for further information: http://ling.ucsc.edu/~smith/ling140.html
Prerequisite: Phonology I (LING 101)
Instructor: Patricia Sulli\van, e-mail: tricia@cats.ucsc.edu
TTH 2:00-3:45
Stevenson 152
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) is designed to give students practical experience in teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) to adults in the United States and English as a Foreign Language (EFL) to adults abroad. Creativity, interactive participation, and problem solving are central to this course. Class time includes practical activities, mini-lectures, practice of student-prepared lessons, and discussion of the readings. Readings focus on theories, methods, techniques, and specific activities for teaching English to non-native speakers. In addition to class time, students spend 4-6 hours per week observing/practice teaching in a local ESL class where they are responsible for designing and presenting some original lessons. Course requirements: practicum, readings, lesson demonstrations, short response papers, and final portfolio.
Prerequisites: none.
Instructor: Donka Farkas, e-mail: farkas@ling.ucsc.edu
MWF 9:30-10:40
Earth & Marine B214
This is a class in comparative grammar, which has a dual purpose. We first seek to systematically survey major phonological, morphological, and syntactic properties of several Romance languages. By doing so, we will also develop an appreciation of the goals and methods of constructing grammatical explanations. Students entering the course should have one Romance language other than English whose structure they intend to explore. The course will satisfy the 'Structure of' requirement for Language Studies students, who will focus on their major language.
Prerequisites: As preparation for this course, students should have taken LING 20 or some equivalent linguistics courses in syntax and phonology. Some knowledge of either Italian, French, or Spanish is also required.
Staff
TTH 8:00A-9:45A
Cowell 216
This course examines the linguistic structure of Japanese: phonology (sound structure), morphology (word structure), and syntax (sentence structure). The goal of the course is to discover the differences and similarities of English and Japanese from a contemporary linguistics perspective and to gain a deeper understanding of the structure of a natural language through a detailed investigation of Japanese. The course will satisfy the 'Structure of' requirement for Language Studies students. Course requirements: Weekly homework assignments, midterm, and final.
Prerequisite: As preparation for this course, students should have taken LING 20 or some equivalent linguistics courses in syntax and phonology. Some knowledge of Japanese is also required.