L503: Survey of Linguistics

Fall 1998

Announcements
Course details
Homework assignments
Schedule and lecture notes
Web sites

Announcements

Nov. 25: Homework 6 assigned, due Thurs.., Dec. 10
Nov. 10: Homework 5 assigned, due Tues., Nov. 24
Oct. 25: Homework 4 assigned, due Tues., Nov. 10
Oct. 15: Exam 1 will be available on Thurs., Oct. 22 and due Tues., Oct 27
Oct. 5: Homework 3 assigned, due Tues., Oct. 20
Sept. 22: Homework 2 assigned, due Tues., Oct. 6
Sept. 17: two talks of interest Fri., Sept. 18, Gupta, Rumbaugh
Sept. 9: Homework 1 assigned, due Thurs., Sept. 17

Course Details

Time and Place

Instructor

Michael Gasser
Lindley 230H, gasser@cs.indiana.edu (Please include "L503" in the subject.)
Office hours: W 4-5, F 9:30-11:30; appointments

Textbook

Language Files (7th ed.), Ohio State University Press, 1998.

Course Content

This course introduces linguistics to graduate students. It provides a survey of the main concepts and methods of analysis in all of the major subfields of linguistics -- phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, and historical change -- as well as a consideration of areas less central to linguistics -- acquisition, processing, and sociological factors. For each topic, focus will be on the areas of general agreement among linguists, but some attention will also be paid to points of divergence between modern linguistic theories.

Prerequisite

Graduate standing.

Coursework

Homework assignments (50%)
There will be six or seven homework assignments, each worth 10 points. The lowest one or two homework grades will be dropped. The focus in the homework is on solving problems. You may collaborate with up to two other students on homework if you want as long as you report this when you turn in your work.
Exams (50%)
There will be two take-home exams, each covering roughly half of the course and requiring about three hours to complete. The focus in the exams is on generalizations about how language works and on comparison of difference views of language. Most questions will be essays.

Students

Email to everyone

Homework Assignments

Homework 1: Basic ideas
Homework 2: Phonetics
Homework 3: Phonology
Homework 4: Morphology
Homework 5: Syntax
Homework 6: Semantics and pragmatics

Other Web Sites

LINGUIST List: all sorts of language-related resources and the LINGUIST mailing list
Ethnologue: a catalogue of over 6,700 languages
Language Files Home Page

Schedule and Lecture Notes

takes you to the full page for a topic, Contract

to an outline.

Language (Week 1)

Reading: 1

How Language Is Studied (Week 2)

Reading: 2

Introduction to Language Acquisition (Week 2)

Reading: 9.1-3, 9.8-9
Homework 1

Phonetics (Weeks 3 and 4)

Reading: 3, 9.4
Homework 2

Phonology (Weeks 5 and 6)

Reading: 4, 9.5, 10.1-5
Homework 3

Morphology (Weeks 7 and 8)

Reading: 5, 9.6, 10.6-7
Homework 4

Exam 1

Available Thursday, Oct. 22, due Tuesday, Oct. 27
Covers material through phonology

Syntax (Weeks 9, 10, and 11)

Reading: 6, 9.10, 10.8
Homework 5

Semantics (Weeks 12 and 13)

Reading: 7, 9.7, 9.11, 10.9
Homework 6

Pragmatics (Week 14)

Reading: 8
Homework 7

Language Contact and Variation, Wrapup (Week 15)

Reading: 11, 12
Reading: 14.1-2

Exam 2

Topics

[IU Bloomington] [IU Linguistics Department]

Last updated: 15 September 1998
URL: http://www.indiana.edu/~gasser/L503/
Comments: gasser@cs.indiana.edu
Copyright 1998, The Trustees of Indiana University