ENGL 306A: Introduction to Linguistics
Winter 2022
(Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11:30-12:50, St J2 2007)
Dr Ken Hirschkop
Office: Hagey Hall 245 Email: khirschk@uwaterloo.ca
Office Hours: Tuesdays, 1:00-1:30 pm, Thursdays, 10:30-11:30 am (or by appointment)
Course Aims and Outcomes
This course is an introduction to the field of linguistics. As linguistics is itself an entire discipline (like political science or physics), that is a very tall order. We will at least touch on almost all the major subfields in linguistics, including the history of language, sociolinguistics and linguistic variation, and pragmatics. While our focus will be on the ‘core’ areas of contemporary technical linguistics – phonology, morphology and syntax – we will also examine broader questions about how language works, where it comes from, and the role it has in social life. Where possible, we’ll also think about the relation between linguistics and rhetoric, which is an older tradition of thinking about language.
My aim is to provide you with knowledge of linguistics that will help you with the rest of your program, that will enrich your understanding of literature, rhetoric, and communication.
By the end of the course you should:
- Understand the basic shape of linguistics as a discipline and have a basic grasp of some of the philosophical and methodological issues facing linguists
- Be familiar and comfortable with a broad range of concepts in linguistics, which together cover most of the key subfields within the discipline
- Have a good grasp of basic concepts in phonology, morphology, syntax and the study of linguistic variation.
- Be able to analyse sentences and words grammatically.
- Be prepared for advanced or specialized study in linguistics
- Understand many of the key linguistic features of the English language.
Readings:
There are no formal printed readings for the course; you’ll become acquainted with the material through lectures and occasional on-line material I’ll assign during the semester.
Throughout the term I will provide links to websites that provide information and analysis relevant to the topics on the course. You should look at these whenever you can: they will help master the material on the course.
The PowerPoint presentations used in the lectures will be posted on the course LEARN site. When the course is being delivered remotely, recordings of the lectures will be posted on the site.
Classes
Because there are few readings, nearly all the material covered will be presented in class. Attendance is therefore essential. The class will be in lecture format, but questions and discussion are encouraged. There will be times when I will want questions about the material from the class and times when we practice certain analytic procedures in class. The material is often quite technical: if you aren’t clear about what a term means or how we analyse something, ask about it in class (if you are confused, chances are someone else is as well).
If you have to self-isolate due to Covid, you can use the Powerpoint presentations on LEARN to cover the material.
Assessment:
The course is assessed on the basis of two midterm exams, administered remotely, and a final exam, which will be administered in-person if possible. The first midterm will cover the material we look at in weeks 1-5 (general questions in linguistics, phonetics, phonology and morphology). The second midterm will cover syntax, discourse theory and speech act theory. The final exam will cover all the material on the course.
First midterm 25%
Second midterm 25%
Final Exam 50%
If you fail to appear for an examination, you will be given a mark of 0 for that exam, unless you provide evidence of a medical condition that made it impossible to sit the exam or of an unforeseeable domestic crisis. Please note that the Final Examination period for Winter 2021 is April 8-26 and that student travel plans are not acceptable grounds for granting an alternative final examination time (this applies also to the midterm exams).
Class Schedule:
What is language?
January 6 (week 1)
Thursday: What is language? How do we study it?
The sounds of language (weeks 2-3)
January 11, 13
Tuesday: What is linguistics?
Thursday: Phonetics
January 18, 20
Tuesday: Phonology
Thursday: A brief history of sound changes in language (and an introduction to historical linguistics)
Words, morphemes, and meanings (weeks 4-6)
January 25, 27
Tuesday: Morphology - derivational
Thursday: Morphology – inflectional
February 1, 3
Tuesday: Word structures – the classes of words
Thursday: The meanings of words
February 8, 10
Tuesday: Review for midterm
Thursday: No class
February 15
Tuesday: First midterm examination (remote)
Syntax, style, and discourse: combining words into sentences (weeks 6-10)
February 17
Thursday: Introduction to Syntax (with Professor Randy Harris)
February 22, 24
Tuesday: Syntax
Thursday: Syntax
March 1, 3
Tuesday: Syntax
Thursday: Syntax (exercises and practice)
March 8, 10
Tuesday: Language as discourse, speech act theory
Thursday: Syntax review
March 15
Tuesday: Second midterm examination (remote)
Language and society (weeks 10-13)
March 17
Thursday: Linguistic variation: dialects
March 22, 24
Tuesday: Linguistic variation: sociolinguistics
Thursday: Linguistic variation: urban vernaculars, registers, code-switching, indexicality
March 29, 31
Tuesday: Language and society
Thursday: Language and society
April 5
Tuesday: Review for final examination
Additional information
Academic integrity: In order to maintain a culture of academic integrity, members of the University of Waterloo community are expected to promote honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility. [Check the Office of Academic Integrity for more information.]
Grievance: A student who believes that a decision affecting some aspect of their university life has been unfair or unreasonable may have grounds for initiating a grievance. Read Policy 70, Student Petitions and Grievances, Section 4. When in doubt, please be certain to contact the department’s administrative assistant who will provide further assistance.
Discipline: A student is expected to know what constitutes academic integrity to avoid committing an academic offence, and to take responsibility for their actions. [Check the Office of Academic Integrity for more information.] A student who is unsure whether an action constitutes an offence, or who needs help in learning how to avoid offences (e.g., plagiarism, cheating) or about “rules” for group work/collaboration should seek guidance from the course instructor, academic advisor, or the undergraduate associate dean. For information on categories of offences and types of penalties, students should refer to Policy 71, Student Discipline. For typical penalties, check Guidelines for the Assessment of Penalties.
Appeals: A decision made or penalty imposed under Policy 70, Student Petitions and Grievances (other than a petition) or Policy 71, Student Discipline may be appealed if there is a ground. A student who believes they have a ground for an appeal should refer to Policy 72, Student Appeals.
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Mental Health Support
All of us need a support system. The faculty and staff in Arts encourage students to seek out mental health support if they are needed.
On Campus
Due to COVID-19 and campus closures, services are available only online or by phone.
- Counselling Services: counselling.services@uwaterloo.ca / 519-888-4567 ext. 32655
- MATES: one-to-one peer support program offered by the Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA) and Counselling Services
Off campus, 24/7
- Good2Talk: Free confidential help line for post-secondary students. Phone: 1-866-925-5454
- Grand River Hospital: Emergency care for mental health crisis. Phone: 519-749-4300 ext. 6880
- Here 24/7: Mental Health and Crisis Service Team. Phone: 1-844-437-3247
- OK2BME: set of support services for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or questioning teens in Waterloo. Phone: 519-884-0000 extension 213
Full details can be found online on the Faculty of Arts website
Download UWaterloo and regional mental health resources (PDF)
Download the WatSafe app to your phone to quickly access mental health support information.
Academic freedom at the University of Waterloo
Policy 33, Ethical Behaviour states, as one of its general principles (Section 1), “The University supports academic freedom for all members of the University community. Academic freedom carries with it the duty to use that freedom in a manner consistent with the scholarly obligation to base teaching and research on an honest and ethical quest for knowledge. In the context of this policy, 'academic freedom' refers to academic activities, including teaching and scholarship, as is articulated in the principles set out in the Memorandum of Agreement between the FAUW and the University of Waterloo, 1998 (Article 6). The academic environment which fosters free debate may from time to time include the presentation or discussion of unpopular opinions or controversial material. Such material shall be dealt with as openly, respectfully and sensitively as possible.” This definition is repeated in Policies 70 and 71, and in the Memorandum of Agreement, Section 6