Linguistics/English 394
Spring 2007
Prof. Suzanne Kemmer
Rice University

Course Information

Class meetings: TTh 9:25-10:40, Humanities Bldg. 119 Instructor contact: Office, Herring Hall 209; Tel., (348)-6225, email, kemmer ((AT)) rice.edu Instructor office hours: TTh 10:50-11:50 and by appointment T.A. contact: Ja-Yeon Jeong, email, nature ((AT)) rice.edu T.A. office and hours: Herring Hall 127, Monday/Wednesday 3:00-3:50. Course schedule Bibliography Rice WebCT login page

Online Dictionaries: OED | Merriam-Webster Online

Aims, focus and topics

We will explore grammatical patterns using various sources of data, including various reference works and linguistic corpora.

The general theme running through the course is how best to discover and describe grammatical patterns in English. The social dimension of prescriptivity in grammar will be addressed at relevant points, as will practical areas such as ways to address grammar in second language acquisition.

The course will largely be organized around the grammatical topics introduced in the textbook. In addition to the specific grammatical topics covered, we will find ourselves dealing with some larger questions throughout the course, including the following:

Grammar

• What is grammar?
  
• What kinds of basic elements do we need to make reference to in characterizing the grammatical units of a language?
  
• How does grammar change over time and what implications does this have for descriptions of grammar?
• What are some special characteristics of the English language and how are these different from the properties of other languages?
• What are some ways that the grammar of English has changed over time?

Data

• What kinds of data can we use?
  
• What advantages and disadvantages do they have?
  
• How do we evaluate the various possible types of data?
  

Theoretical dimensions

• What kinds of units does grammar make reference to?
• How do we represent the functional information of the sentence (what the parts of the sentence "do"), and how does this information relate to the corresponding structural information (what the parts "are")?
• What is the nature of grammatical categories?
• How do we specify the relation of grammar and meaning in a linguistic theory?

Textbook

Course management

The course will be managed through WebCT. Students should sign up as soon as possible, from their Rice computer account, for a WebCT account at the WebCT Login Page). Once you have a Rice WebCT account and a password, you can join the WebCT course Ling 394 listed with other Rice courses. How? By clicking on the "pencil" icon to the right of Ling 394.

If you have joined more than one WebCT course, you can see the list of your courses by clicking on My WebCT at the top left of the screen.

Course requirements

Assessment

• Final exam 40%
• Midterm 30%
• Assignments 27%
• Participation 3%
• Extra credit up to 3%
  Total 103%

Assignments

The assignments will be linked not only under the WebCT Assignments module, but also in a page directly accessible from the course website at Assignments List.

The current assignment schedule has 6 assignments, with point values of 2, 10, 12, 12, 12, 6 for a total of 54 points, yielding 27% of the total grade. Adjustments may be made by the instructor in the point values for the upcoming assignments, because the assignments are still under construction.

Exams

The exams are take home and not timed, although like the assignments they have an accessibility window during which you may access and submit them. Which materials are permitted to you to consult during the accessibility period are clearly spelled out in the individual Honor Code specifications for each exam. In general, the exams are open book although sometimes the textbook is the only text permitted for use.

The midterm is visible (as of 3/25) from a page called Midterm Information. On that page there is also a link to a rough grading scale for the exam. Only the raw score factors into the final grade, however.

Tips

• Don't get behind in the readings. The material is rather technical and it very quickly becomes hard to catch up. If you're short of time, it's better to quickly scan the chapter during the week we discuss it and then go back over it later, using the Key Terms as a guide.
• Utilize the study aids provided in WebCT: the Lecture Notes, the Study Questions, and the Assignment Information. These are part of the course materials.
• If even after reading the text and coming to class you don't know what the terms you hear and read mean or how they describe grammar, you'll need to slow down in reading and look up (in the glossary or a Linguistics dictionary) the Key Terms provided in the lecture notes, and perhaps get further help in office hours.
• If you don't know how to answer the study questions, you should also get help. They are designed to remind you of important issues we talked about in class.
• If the Assignment Information, posted after grading, doesn't help you in understanding what was expected on the assignments, talk to us.
• To summarize: Keep up with the readings, use the study aids, and take advantage of instructor and TA office hours for further explanations if you need them.

Disabilities

© 2007 Suzanne Kemmer
Last modified 25 March 2007