Linguistics/English 394
Spring 2012
Prof. Suzanne Kemmer
Rice University

Course Information

Class meetings: TTh 9:25-10:40, Baker Hall 283 Instructor contact: Office, Herring Hall 209; Office tel., (348)-6225, Duncan RA suite tel. (348)-7106 email, kemmer@ Instructor office hours: TTh 10:50-11:50 and by appointment Course schedule Final Projects Bibliography Owlspace

Online Dictionaries: OED: The Oxford English Dictionary (online) | Merriam-Webster Online

Aims, focus and topics

The aim of this course is to introduce aspects of the structure of the English language, focusing on grammatical structures (syntax and morphology) rather than phonological structure.

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, with changes in order as indicated in the course schedule. 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?
• What are some kinds of grammatical differences found among different groups (geographical or social), and what implications does such grammatical variation have for language teaching?

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

The required textbook is:
Huddleston, Rodney, and Geoffrey Pullum. 2005. A Student's Introduction to English Grammar. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Course management

The course will be organized and run using Owlspace. All assignments and exams will be accessible through that site.

Course requirements

Assessment

Percentages for assessment may be adjusted.

• Assigned readings (read assigned chapter for class discussion on the day it is listed in course schedule).
• Participation in class and/or web discussions: 5%
• Assignments 20%
• 1 take-home midterm 40%
• Course project: 10% presentation/visuals, 25% write-up, total 35%.

Assignments

The assignments and project will be posted under the Assignments tool on Owlspace as we get to them. The Honor Code policy for each assignment will be posted along with its instructions on Owlspace.

The current assignment schedule has 3 assignments. The point values for each will be posted with the assignments. The total will be 20% of the grade.

Exam

The midterm is take-home and not timed, although like the assignments there is an accessibility window during which you may access and submit it. Which materials are permitted to you to consult during the accessibility period are clearly spelled out in the individual Honor Code specifications for the exam (as with the assignments).

The midterm will be visible from a page called Midterm Information.

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 Owlspace: the Lecture Notes (provided in a Wiki), any 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 me.
• To summarize: Keep up with the readings, use the study aids, and take advantage of instructor office hours for further explanations if you need them.

Disabilities

© 2012 Suzanne Kemmer
Last modified 8 November 2012