Introduction to Linguistics

Fall 2007~Spring 2008

	Schedule:
	Fall 2007	Spring 2008

	Objectives:
	To learn:
	(1)	what linguistics is;
	(2)	some basic knowledge in this field;
	(3)	to think about language as a thing, apart from its everyday uses and meanings, so that we can understand what those uses and meanings are, and how they are achieved;
	(4)	to examine our beliefs about language, languages, and speakers;
	(5)	to observe and to analyze, and to write and talk about our observations and analyses.

Textbooks:

Nash, Thomas. Discovering Language: An Introduction to Linguistics for Chinese Students. Taipei: The Crane, 1986.

Yule, George. The Study of Language. 3rd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2006.

Recommended:

Crystal, David. The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language. 2nd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1997.

Grading Policy:
Fall 2007		Spring 2008
Quizzes (2)	22%	Midterm Exam	20%
Final Exam	22%	Final Exam 20	20%
Report (pairs or trios)	25%	Exercises (4) 20	20%
Exercises (4)	15%	Report (pairs)	30%
Other assignments	6 %	Participation and attendance*	10%
Participation & attendance*	10%
[*minus 0.5 points each tardy, 1.0 each unexcused absence; if Participation & attendance score reaches zero, semester grade will be failing]		*minus 0.5 points each tardy, 1.0 each unexcused absence; if score reaches zero, semester grade will be zero

About your Report...

Read the guidelines first.

Guidelines

Report Topics
Fall 2007	Spring 2008
。Code-switching	。Questions in Chinese morphology
。Mandarin in the mouths of nonnative speakers	。The syntax of spoken language
。Gestures	。Interpersonal meaning
。Computer-mediated communication	。Borrowed words
。Cell phone talk
Topic Descriptions
Fall 2007	Spring 2008
Student Sample Report
Sample Report 1 (Pauses) Sample Report 2 (Code-switching) Sample Report 3 (Code-switching) Sample Report 4 (Mandarin sounds in the mouths of non native speakers)