Foundations of Linguistics Homepage
Course Description
Ling 403: Foundations of Linguistics is a course about the ideas that have shaped the field of Linguistics today.
In this Proseminar, or small discussion group course, we will read some classic, highly influential texts in Linguistics that not only shaped the ideas of earlier generations of linguists, but still resonate today in the basic assumptions or contested issues in the field.
The primary aim of the course is to identify a number of the most seminal ideas in the history of the field, and also perhaps some neglected or unnoticed ideas that now seem very relevant. The purpose of the discussions and writings is to individually or collectively respond to these ideas in light of our current knowledge of the work done in Linguistics today.
A secondary aim of the course is to set the Linguistic ideas we discuss into relation with ideas in the other social sciences, and possibly even other fields, in their historical context.
Course instructor, meetings, contact
Instructor: Suzanne Kemmer
Class meetings: Tuesday/Thursdays 1:00-2:30, Herring 125
Instructor contact: Herring Hall 209; ext. 6225; email: kemmer AT rice.edu
Office hours:T/Th 10:45-11:45 and by appointment
Readings
For full references see Reading List in sidebar.
Tentative list of authors of the course readings
Hermann Osthoff and Karl Brugmann - 1870s
Ferdinand de Saussure - post-1916
Franz Boas - 1911
Edward Sapir - 1921
Leonard Bloomfield - 1930s
Benjamin Lee Whorf - 1940s
Charles Hockett - 1950s
Joseph Greenberg 1950s, early 60s
Noam Chomsky - late 1950s, 1960s
Authors in recommended readings or otherwise referred to
Karl Verner - 1870s
Hermann Paul - 1880s
Otto Jespersen - 1920s
Zellig Harris - 1950s, early 60s
Course requirements
- Readings, essays and biographies on course website and any lecture notes instructor places on Owlspace.
- Class attendance and general participation (please tell me before class via email when you will not be in class)
- 3 essays on selected topics: essentially, intelligent reactions to the readings, involving your own knowledge within and/or outside linguistics. As part of the challenge, the essays are limited to 3 double-spaced pages each.
- One original "thumbnail bio" (i.e. a short biography 2-3 pages long) of a figure in Linguistics we do not spend much time on in class and for whom there is no thumbnail bio written by the instructor. The material should integrate more than one authoritative source of information and include references.
Disabilities
If you have a documented disability that will impact your work in this class, please contact me to discuss your needs. Additionally, you will need to register with the Disability Support Services Office in the Ley Student Center.
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