S326 Introduction to Hispanic Linguistics  (3 credits)
Prerequisite:  S310 or S311 or equivalent

Linguistics is the field which studies how languages work: how
they are put together at various levels (sounds, forms, meanings,
etc.), how we think people organize what they know about their
language, how languages change over time and how they vary by
location and according to social factors. One of the most
interesting facts of linguistics is that speakers of a language know
many things about the language, and show that they do through their
use of the language, although they aren't aware that they know these
things.

S326, Introduction to Hispanic Linguistics, looks at how
Spanish works.

In this course, students will gain a knowledge of:

-- the sounds of Spanish: their pronunciation (phonetics) and   how
we think speakers might organize their knowledge of sounds
phonology) as well as representations of sounds by spelling;

--  the 'building-blocks' of Spanish (its morphemes), e.g.,
'dorm-', 'con', 're-' '-ndo';

-- grammatical structure and how sentences are put together(syntax);

-- words (lexicology) and meanings (semantics);

-- how Spanish developed from Latin and other sources (historical
linguistics);

-- how it varies geographically (dialectology) and socially
(sociolinguistics).

There will be a mid-term exam and a final exam at the time
announced in the schedule of classes, as well as a variety of
learning tools such as short homework assignments, small projects,
and mini-quizzes.

S326  4529   10:10A-11:00P  MWF  BH209  Professor Mary Clayton

Note to current majors who matriculated to IU prior to Fall 2003:
S326 can fulfill the 400-level linguistics requirement.