ELN101: Introduction to Language

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Course information

  • Instructor: Tomonori Nagano, Ph.D.
  • Syllabus: Syllabus
  • Homepage: https://www.t-nagano.com/mycourses/ELN101/
  • Email: tnagano@lagcc.cuny.edu
  • Phone: 718-482-5484
  • Office: B-234FF
  • Office hours: E-mail is preferred, with which you should expect my response within 24 hours. Also, please talk to me after class if you have any question about the class.
  • Class schedule:
    • Mon & Wed 10:30-12:45pm (Room B-129)
    • Tue 10:30-12:45pm (C-222)
    • Thur 10:30-12:45pm (C-253/Lab with Ms. Saki Amemiya)

Announcements

  • The Fall 2017 semester begins on Thursday, September 8, 2017 (see the academic calendar for important dates in Spring 2016)
  • You will receive the first few chapters of the textbook by e-mail. Please make sure to submit your e-mail addresses on the first day of the class. By the third week, you should buy the textbook at the college's bookstore or online (try this link here)

Weekly schedule

Class topic: Course outline, grade policy, homework & exams; Phonetics
What you should do this week
  • Just skim Yule Ch.1 & 2 "Introduction" pp.1-24
  • Read Yule Ch.3 "The sounds of language" pp.25-40
  • Optional reading: Language Files (phonetics)
Due this week
  • Visit Blackboard:
    1. Visit the BlackBoard site (http://bit.ly/laguardia_bb). Log in with your CUNYPortal account. If you have trouble accessing the BB, please go to B-127 (BlackBoard Helpdesk).
    2. If you want to see your current grades, click on "ELL101.0358 in Spring 2016" and go to the "Tools" and "My Grades." This is where you will see your grades for your works
  • Do "Week 01: Introduction to Linguistics Module" (online video lecture, post-lecture quiz, and Ch.1 Study Questions 1,4 and Ch.2 Study Questions 1,5). The first online work is due on Tuesday, March 15th, 2016.
Class topic: Phonetics & IPA
What you should do this week
  • Study the vocal tracts (e.g., alveolar ridge, hard palate, nasal cavity). You should be familiar with these terms by next week.
  • Study the IPA. You should be able to describe IPAs in terms of articulatory features by next week (e.g., [b] = voiced bilabial stop)
  • Make the IPA flashcard. Study the IPA symbols using them. (click here for an example)
  • Do the sample quiz questions.
Due this week Tuesday, March 22 is CUNY Friday (following the Friday schedule)
Quiz (Thursday, March 24): Phonetics (see the sample quiz and the answer key; here are another sample quiz and answer key)
Class topic: Phonetics & IPA and Phonology
What you should do this week
  • Start reading Ch.4 of the textbook "The Sound Patterns of Language" (pp.39-49).
Due this week Class topic: Phonology
What you should do this week
  • Start reading Ch.4 of the textbook "The Sound Patterns of Language" (pp.39-49).
Due by the next class Quiz (Thursday, April 7): Phonology (see the sample quiz and the answer key)
Class topic: Phonology and Morphology
What you should do this week
  • Start reading Ch.5 of the textbook "Word formation" (pp.50-61) and Ch.6 of the textbook "Morphology" (pp.65-78).
Due this week Quiz (Tuesday, April 19th): Morphology (see the sample quiz and the answer key)
Class topic: Morphology
What you should do this week
  • Keep reading Ch.5 of the textbook "Word formation" (pp.50-61) and Ch.6 of the textbook "Morphology" (pp.65-78).
Due by the next class
  • Morphology Online Work (Do the exercises in "Week 05: Morphology Module" at http://bit.ly/laguardia_bb) is due on Tuesday, April 19th.
  • Morphology Homework (Do the exercises in "Week 05: Morphology Homework" at http://bit.ly/laguardia_bb) is due on Tuesday, April 19th.
Spring break
Class topic: Morphology and Syntax
Midterm exam (on Tuesday, May 3rd) (see the sample mid-term and the answer key | the extra exercises on IPA and the answer key)
What you should do this week
  • Prepare for the mid-term next week.
    • Phonetics: names of the vocal tracts (review HW), articulatory description (e.g., [p] = voiceless bilabial stop), reading words written in IPA (e.g., [bjuti] = beauty), choosing the correct IPA transcription for a word, and reading sentences written in IPA (review in-class exercises & HW)
    • Phonology: definitions of basic terms (e.g., phone, phoneme, allophone, minimal pair etc.) (review HW & Quiz), phonology exercises (review in-class exercises & HW)
    • Morphology: new word-formation processes (e.g., coinage, compounding etc.), classification of English morphemes (e.g., free vs. bound, inflectional vs. derivational, prefix/infix/suffix etc.) (review HW & Quiz)
  • Start working on the take-home part of the mid-term (A two- or three-page paper: My Linguistic Narrative). This assignment is due on Thursday, May 19th, 2016.
Due by the next class No class on May 10
Last day to withdraw from class is Monday, May 16
What you should do this week
  • Write the take-home part of the mid-term (A two- or three-page paper: My Linguistic Narrative). This assignment is due on Thursday, May 19th, 2016. The take-home paper will be evaluated on the following points (see the grading rubrics here):
    1. Focus & Details: There is one clear, well-focused topic (6 points)
    2. Sentence Structure: Sentences are well-structured (grammatical) (6 points)
    3. Organization: The paper is presented in a logical order (introduction, body, and conclusion) (6 points)
    4. Use of sources: The paper cites at least three primary or secondary sources (6 points)
    5. Thoughtfulness: The paper presents an interesting and original idea (6 points)
  • Finish reading Ch.7 of the textbook "Grammar" (pp.80-93) and Ch.8 of the textbook "Syntax" (pp.95-108).
Due by the next class
  • Please e-mail me your draft of the take-home part of the mid-term (A two- or three-page paper: My Linguistic Narrative) by Thursday, May 19th, 2016.
Last day to withdraw from class is Monday, May 16
What you should do this week
  • Finish reading Ch.7 of the textbook "Grammar" (pp.80-93) and Ch.8 of the textbook "Syntax" (pp.95-108).
  • Study for the Syntax quiz.
Due by the next class
  • Take-home part of the mid-term (My Linguistic Narrative). This assignment is due on Thursday, May 19th, 2016.
  • Syntax Online Work (Do the exercises in "Week 06-08: Syntax Module" at http://bit.ly/laguardia_bb) is due on Tuesday, May 24th, 2016.
  • Syntax Homework (Do the exercises in "Week 06-08: Syntax Homework" at http://bit.ly/laguardia_bb) is due on Tuesday, May 24th, 2016.
Quiz: Syntax on Tuesday, May 24th, 2016 (See the sample quiz and the answer key; you can use this cheat sheet during the quiz.). Review your handout exercises to prepare.
Class topic: Semantics
What you should do this week
  • Study for the syntax quiz.
Due by the next class
  • Semantics Homework (Do the exercises in "Week 08-09: Semantics Module" at BlackBoard at http://bit.ly/laguardia_bb). There is no homework for Semantics (only post-video lecture questions).
Class topic: Language Acquisition
Quiz: Semantics on May 31st (See the sample quiz and the answer key; Skip (1)-(5) and (25)-(30))
You should submit your revised midterm paper (My Linguistic Narrative) on Blackboard by Tuesday, May 31 (deadline extended to Thursday, June 3)
What you should do this week
  • Study for the semantics quiz.
Due by the next class
  • Language Acquisition (Do the exercises in "Week 10: Language Acquisition Module" at BlackBoard at http://bit.ly/laguardia_bb). There is no homework for Language Acquisition (only post-video lecture questions).
Class topic: Language Acquisition
Quiz: Language Acquisition on Thursday, June 9th, 2016 (See the sample quiz and the answer key)
What you should do this week Due by the next class
  • NA
Final Exam is on Tuesday, June 14, 2016. If you cannot stay after 12:45pm (the exam will probably take about 1.5 hours), please let me know.
  • Download the final exam practice questions and the answer key (Note some questions are not covered in class and will not appear on the final exam)
  • If you lost the syntax cheat sheet, you can download it here.
  • Phonetics (20 points): a few questions from HW/In-class exercises and one or two short descriptive questions
  • Phonology (20 points): a few questions from HW/In-class exercises and one or two short descriptive questions
  • Morphology (20 points): a few questions from HW/In-class exercises and one or two short descriptive questions
  • Syntax (20 points): some questions from HW/In-class and three to four short descriptive questions
  • Semantics (20 points): some questions from HW/In-class and three to four short descriptive questions
  • Language Acquisition, Sociolinguistics or Pragmatics (Bonus questions): two to three short descriptive questions

Lecture Slides

Online Exercises Review

Practice Slides