LANGUAGE IN THE USA LIN 4930 Spring 2017
Anderson 21 MWF 6th (12:50-1:40)

Lennie

Office hours: MWF 5th (11:45-12:35) Turlington Hall 4122

Text: Language in the USA: Themes for the Twenty-first Century. 2010. Edited by Edward Finegan and John R. Rickford. Cambridge: CUP.

Supplementary Materials will either be provided or accessible online.

This course will focus on linguistic diversity in the US and touch ontopics like American dialects, multilingualism in America, Native American languages, and sociolinguistic variation. Students will learn basic tools for dialect analysis and use them on class analysis projects. Course materials will include book chapters, online articles, and videos. This course will not assume previous knowledge of linguistics and is conceived of as an introductory course, friendly to freshmen and non-majors.

Grading

A= 93-100 A-=90-92.9 B+=87-89.9 B=83-86.9 B-=80-82.9 C+=77-79.9 C=73-76.9 C-=70-72.9 D+=67-69.9 D=63-66.9 D-=60-62.9 E=under 60

Your course grade will be based on:

Class participation 10%

4 short essays 20%

4 dialect analyses 20%

1 group project 20%

2 exams 30%

Class Participation: You are expected to attend class having completed all assigned readings and homework, and to participate with respect to pop quizzes, class activities and class discussions.

Short Essays: 1 page single-spaced (or 2 pages double spaced). Times New Roman size 12 font. (Approx. 500-600 words.)

Dialect Analyses: Problem sets to apply skills acquired in phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax and other areas to the linguistic analysis of dialects.

Group Project: 20 minute presentation exhibiting skills acquired in the analysis of linguistic and sociolinguistic data

Exams: Short Answer, Short Essay and/or Multiple Choice questions testing relevant linguistic analytical skills.

Course Agenda & Assignments

Wed
1-4 / Course Overview & Syllabus. Levels of Dialect Analysis. Intro to IPA.
Reading for Friday:
Finegan, E. 1985. “Unconscious Attitudes Toward Language Variation.” In The English Language Today, edited by Sidney Greenbaum, 92-98.
Dennis Preston on US Language Attitudes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kW3K3OclnE
IPA: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/5a/IPA_vowel_chart_2005.png
http://www.ipachart.com/ (See Slide Set 1)
Fri
1-6 / Language Attitudes. Descriptive v. Prescriptive. IPA.
Reading for Monday:
“They Speak Really Bad English Down South and in New York City.”
http://www.pbs.org/speak/speech/prejudice/attitudes/
Take the NYT regional dialect quiz
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/12/20/sunday-review/dialect-quiz-map.html?_r=0
IPA: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/5a/IPA_vowel_chart_2005.png
http://www.ipachart.com/ (See Slide Set 2)
Mon
1-9 / Language Attitudes. IPA. Descriptive v. Prescriptive.
Reading for Wednesday:
Lakoff, Robin. 1990. “Language Bosses.” In Talking Power, edited by Robin Lakoff, 283-292.
IPA: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/5a/IPA_vowel_chart_2005.png
http://www.ipachart.com/ (See Slide Set 3)
Wed
1-11 / Language Attitudes. IPA. Dialect Analysis.
Reading for Friday:
Lakoff, Robin. 1990. “Language Bosses.” In Talking Power, edited by Robin Lakoff, 292-302.
IPA: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/5a/IPA_vowel_chart_2005.png
http://www.ipachart.com/ (See Slide Set 4)
Fri
1-13 / Language Attitudes. IPA. Dialect Analysis
Reading for Wednesday:
IPA: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/5a/IPA_vowel_chart_2005.png
http://www.ipachart.com/
(See Slide Set 5; Exam Study Sheet 1)
Homework: Essay 1 (Due Wednesday 1-18)
Mon
1-16 / NO CLASS
Wed
1-18 / Language Attitudes. IPA. Dialect Analysis.
Reading for Friday:
Davis, Lawrence. 1983. “Chapter 1: Some Basics.” In English Dialectology: An Introduction, edited by Lawrence Davis, 1-7.
IPA: https://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~krussll/phonetics/transcription/english-symbols/consonants.html
http://www.yorku.ca/earmstro/ipa/consonants.html (See Slide Set 6)
Fri
1-20 / What is a dialect? IPA. Dialect Analysis.
Reading for Monday:
Davis, Lawrence. 1983. “Chapter 1: Some Basics.” In English Dialectology: An Introduction, edited by Lawrence Davis, 7-15.
IPA: https://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~krussll/phonetics/transcription/english-symbols/consonants.html
http://www.yorku.ca/earmstro/ipa/consonants.html (See Slide Set 7)
Mon
1-23 / What is a dialect? IPA. Dialect Analysis.
Reading for Wednesday:
Davis, Lawrence. 1983. “Chapter 2: Regional Dialectology.” In English Dialectology: An Introduction, edited by Lawrence Davis, Pages 16-24.
(See Slide Set 8; See Exam Study Sheets 2 & 3)
Homework: Dialect Analysis I: Phonetics. Due Monday 1-30
Wed
1-25 / What is dialectology? Dialect Analysis.
Reading for Friday:
Davis, Lawrence. 1983. “Chapter 2: Regional Dialectology.” In English Dialectology: An Introduction, edited by Lawrence Davis, Pages 46-58.
Fri
1-27 / What is dialectology? Dialect Analysis (NCVS).
Reading for Monday:
Davis, Lawrence. 1983. “Chapter 2: Regional Dialectology.” In English Dialectology: An Introduction, edited by Lawrence Davis, Pages 62-68.
(Exam Study Sheet 4)
Mon
1-30 / Review of Dialect Analysis I. Discussion of Group Project 1.
Reading for Wednesday:
Kretzschmar, William A. 2004. “Standard American English Pronunciation.” In A Handbook of Varieties of English, edited by Edgard Schneider, Kate Burridge, Bernd Kortmann, Rajend Mesthrie & Clive Upton, 257-263.
Homework: Dialect Analysis II: Phonology. Due Monday 2-6
Wed
2-1 / Standard American English. Dialect Analysis.
Reading for Friday:
Kretzschmar, William A. 2004. “Standard American English Pronunciation.” In A Handbook of Varieties of English, edited by Edgard Schneider, Kate Burridge, Bernd Kortmann, Rajend Mesthrie & Clive Upton, 264-268.
Nagy, Naomi and Julie Roberts. 2004. “New England Phonology.” In A Handbook of Varieties of English 270-272.
Fri
2-3 / Standard American English. Dialect Analysis.
Reading for Friday:
Nagy, Naomi and Julie Roberts. 2004. “New England Phonology.” In A Handbook of Varieties of English 273-280.
Mon
2-6 / Review of Dialect Analysis II. Morphology/Syntax.
Reading for Wednesday:
F&R Chapter 1: 3-7
W&SE 97-101
Homework: Dialect Analysis III: Morphology/Syntax. Due Monday 2-13
Wed
2-8 / Origins of American Dialects. Morphology/Syntax.
Reading for Friday:
F&R Chapter 1: 8-13
W&SE 102-106
Fri
2-10 / Origins of American Dialects. Morphology/Syntax.
Reading for Monday:
F&R Chapter 1: 13-16
W&SE 143-148
Mon
2-13 / Review of Dialect Analysis III. Dialect Analysis.
Reading for Wednesday:
F&R Chapter 3: 39-44.
Excerpts from Weldon, Tracey. 2004. “Gullah Phonology.” In A Handbook of Varieties of English 393-397.
Wed
2-15 / Regional Dialects. Gullah. Dialect Analysis.
Reading for Friday:
F&R Chapter 3: 44-52
Excerpts from Weldon, Tracey. 2004. “Gullah Phonology.” In A Handbook of Varieties of English 400-403.
Fri
2-17 / Regional Dialects. Gullah. Dialect Analysis.
Reading for Monday:
Homework: Prepare Group Presentation Monday 2-20
Mon 2-20 / GROUP PRESENTATION
Dialect Analysis
Reading for Wednesday:
“Appalachian English: Morphology & Syntax.” In A Handbook of Varieties of English.
245-253.
Wed
2-22 / GROUP PRESENTATION
Dialect Analysis
Reading for Wednesday:
“Appalachian English: Morphology & Syntax.” In A Handbook of Varieties of English.
253-263.
Fri
2-24 / Exam Review
Homework: Study for Exam
Mon
2-27 / EXAM 1
Reading for Wednesday:
F&R Chapter 4: 58-64
Homework: Essay 2 (Due Monday 3-13)
Wed
3-1 / Social Varieties
Reading for Friday:
F&R Chapter 4: 64-74
Fri
3-3 / Social Varieties
Reading for Friday:
F&R Chapter 5
Mon
3-13 / Social Varieties. AAVE
Reading for Wednesday:
Edwards, Walter. 2004. “AAVE Phonology.” In A Handbook of Varieties of English 383-391
Wed
3-15 / Social Varieties AAVE
Reading for Friday:
Excerpts from Wolfram, Walt. 2004. “Urban AAVE Morphology and Syntax.” In A Handbook of Varieties of English 319-326
Fri
3-17 / Social Varieties. AAVE.
Reading for Monday:
Excerpts from Wolfram, Walt. 2004. “Urban AAVE Morphology and Syntax.” In A Handbook of Varieties of English 326-334
Mon
3-20 / Social Varieties. Chicano English.
Reading for Wednesday:
Excerpts from Santa Ana, Otto & Robert Bayley. 2004. “Chicano English: Phonology.” In A Handbook of Varieties of English 417- 426
Homework: Dialect Analysis IV: AAVE; Appalachian & Chicano Varieties. Due Monday 3-27
Wed
3-22 / Social Varieties. Chicano English
Reading for Friday:
Santa Ana, Otto & Robert Bayley. 2004. “Chicano English: Morphology & Syntax.” In A Handbook of Varieties of English 374-382.
Fri
3-24 / Appalachian English
Reading for Monday:
“Appalachian English: Morphology & Syntax.” In A Handbook of Varieties of English. 245-258
Mon
3-27 / Multilingualism
Reading for Wednesday:
F&R 10 Spanish in the Northeast by A. Zentella
Homework: Essay 3 Due Monday 4-3
Wed
3-29 / Multilingualism
Reading for Friday:
F&R Chapter 11: Spanish in the Northeast by A. Zentella
Fri
3-31 / Multilingualism
Reading for Monday:
F&R Chapter 9
Mon
4-3 / Multilingualism
Reading for Wednesday:
F&R Chapter 7
Homework: Essay 4 Due Monday 4-10
Wed
4-5 / Multilingualism
Reading for Friday
F&R Chapter 17
Fri
4-7 / Reading for Monday:
F&R Chapter 18
Mon
4-10 / Language & Education
Reading for Wednesday:
F&R Chapter 19
Wed
4-12 / Adolescent Language
Reading for Friday:
F&R Chapter 22
Fri
4-14 / Language, Gender & Sexuality
Reading for Monday:
Homework: Study for Exam
Mon
4-17 / Exam Review.
Mon
4-19 / EXAM 2