SYLLABUS FOR INTRODUCTION TO LINGUISTICS
BSU Dual credit Course ENG 320,Spring, 2017
Instructor: Dr. Mindy ZhangOffice: Elliot B008B
Phone: 765-285-7413E-mail Address:
Class Meeting Time: 1:00-1:50M, W, F
Office Hours:Monday9:00-10:00, 11:00-12:00
Tuesday11:00-12:00
Wednesday9:00-10:00, 11:00-12:00
Friday9:00-10:00, 11:00-12:00
(or by appointment)
Course Description
This course is to provide an overview of the nature of language and a chance to do linguistic analysis. It will help increase students’ awareness of major areas of linguistics, its social significance, its universality, diversity and complexity. It will also help improve students’ analytical skills.
This course is available for dual credit and the BSU course number is ENG 320.
Course Prerequisite
Students need to have taken at least one foreign language for one year and got B or above for the course.
General Course Objectives
- Students will examine their own linguistic beliefs and attitudes.
- Students will be made aware of both the diversity of language systems and their fundamental similarities.
- Students will have a reasonable taste of most of the subfields of linguistics: phonetics, phonology, morphology, semantics, syntax, synchronic and diachronic linguistics, psycholinguistics, and sociolinguistics.
- Students will be equipped with some tools, techniques, and skills for linguistic analysis and practice in using these to arrive at organizing principles of a language.
- Students will be acquainted with the basic concepts necessary to pursue linguistics studies further, if they wish.
Course Outline
Weeks 1-2Chapter 1What is Language?
Weeks 3-4Chapter 2Brain and Language
Weeks 5-7Chapter 6Phonetics: The Sounds of Language
Weeks 8-10Chapter 7Phonology: The Sound Patterns of Language (The
mid-term paper is due on 2/27)
Weeks 11-12Chapter 3Morphology: The Words of Language
Weeks 13-14Chapter 10Language in Society
Weeks 15-16Chapter 4Syntax: The Sentence Patterns of Language
Weeks 17-18Chapter 4Syntax, Final Presentations (TheFinal Paper is due
on May 8)
Required Textbook
Fromkin, Victoria, Robert Rodman, and Nina Hyams. 2011. An Introduction to Language. Ninth Edition. Walsworth, Cengage Learning.
Course Methodology
This course will be a combination of lectures and discussions on major linguistic subfields and issues. Students will compare and contrast languages and will be asked to solve many linguistic problems so as to develop their analytical skills. They will also write research papers on specific topics.
Methods of Students’ Evaluation
Students will have a test at the end of each chapter. They will do a midterm project, which is to write a solution or an answer to a linguistic problem. They will also do a linguistic study on a chosen topic, write a final paper, and present it. The reading quizzes will be 5%. The chapter tests will be 55%. The mid-term paper will be 10%. The final paper will be 15%. The final presentation will be 5%. The homework, attendance, and the class participation will be 10%.
The grading scale is A (94-100%), A- (90-93%), B+ (87-89%), B (84-86%), B- (80-83%), C+ (77-79%), C (74-76%), C- (70-73%), D* (69% or below), I (Incomplete).
Homework and Assignments
Homework will be assigned at the end of each class. It should be submitted at the beginning of next class time. Two points will be given for each assignment that is completed. If an assignment is turned in late, no credits will be given unless the student gives a legitimate reason for his/her failure to submit it on time.
It is expected that students do their own homework independently. They are encouraged to ask questions to each other or to their teacher about the assignment, but not to copy from each other, which is considered academic dishonesty and will be penalized. We will use “SafeAssign” on the Blackboard to check the matches to other papers.
Tests
If the student misses a test due to an excused absence, s/he must arrange with me for a make-up no more than five days after the test is over. Exceptions will be made in the event of a serious illness or a special occasion. No make-ups will be given for unexcused absences on test or quiz days. Missing class (excused or unexcused) on the day before a test will not exempt the student from preparing for and taking the test with the rest of the class. Exceptions may be granted in advance of class in special cases.
Academic Integrity
All students are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. The academy’s academic integrity policy can be found in the Students Handbook. Students need to read that section carefully and be aware of the possible cases of violations and the violation consequences. Any academic integrity violation is not tolerated in this course and at the Academy.
Class Attendance Policy
It is expected that every student attend class on a regular basis. Punctual attendance is also mandatory. Any unexcused tardy greater than ten minutes is considered an unexcused absence. The student who has an excused absence needs to come to my office to make up for the class within three days. Sleeping during class time will be marked as absence. Laptops cannot be used in class unless they are told to.
Readings
All students are expected to complete any assigned reading before the class.
There will be a reading quiz at the beginning of each chapter.
Class Policy on Blackboard, Laptop and Cellular Phone
Blackboard will be used extensively: posting announcements, assignments, course documents, power point presentations, discussion, listening tests, external links, some of your grades, etc. Please make sure that you have access to Blackboard and know how to use it by the end of the second week. Everyone needs to check blackboard/e-mail on a daily basis. Sometimes you may be asked to send some of your assignment through Digital Box on Blackboard to me. You are not excused if you did not turn in homework because you did not check your e-mail regularly.
Since all of you have laptops, it is important to follow the rules on the use of laptops. The following are the rules for my classes:
1. DO NOT open the laptop unless you are told to. If you use the computer in class without the teacher’s permission, you will be marked as tardy or absent.
2. When you are allowed to use the computer in class, your laptop should be silent except the clicking of the keyboard. You may not read or send e-mail, play music or games, “IM,” participate in chat rooms, or download music or audio files during class. Do not hide toolbars. Keep all items you are working on visible on the screen and available for teacher’s inspection.
3. No audio or video taping with the computer or cellular phone without the teacher’s permission.
4. All materials found on the Internet must be properly documented like any other source of information to avoid plagiarism.
5. Remember to save your work frequently. Loss of file by accident is not an acceptable excuse for not turning in your work on time.
6. Cellular phone should be turned off during class time. If your parents want you to have it on all the time, it needs to be on “vibrate.”