INTRODUCTION TO ENGLISH LANGUAGE

2:00-3:50, M W F, JFSB B030

David Eddington

422-7452

Office Hours: MWF 1-1:50

4041 JFSB

eddington at byu edu

Prerequisites None

Required Texts

Contemporary Linguistics: An Introduction, 6^th edition, O’Grady et al.
Study Guide to Contemporary Linguistics: An Introduction, 6^th edition
Word on the Street, McWhorter.

Students who do well in this class . . .

attend regularly.
take detailed notes of the class lectures.
do all of the readings and workbook assignments on time.
participate in classroom activities.
talk to the professor individually about assignments and concepts that they are unclear about.

Outcomes and Assessments

By the end of the semester you will be able to explain what the major fields of linguistics are, what methods they employ, and what topics are of interest to each. In addition, you will be able to carry out basic phonological, morphological, syntactic, and historical analyses. Your ability to achieve these aims will be assessed through homework assignments and tests.

TENTATIVE SYLLABUS

	Material Covered	Homework Due
June 20	Introduction to class
June 22	Contemporary Linguistics pp. 1-32 Video of vocal folds vibrating Places of Articulation Listen to all of the sounds of the IPA	WB exercises 1.2-1.3 and rev. ex. on page 8; WB 2.2-2.4
June 24	33-51 (skip “other vowels and consonants”) English Consonants International Phonetic Alphabet English Vowels American and British Vowels	WB 2.7-2.9; 2.11-2.20, review ex. pp. 35-36
June 27	59-76 Vowel Position Phonemes and Allophones	WB 3.1-3.4, ex. 1 only; WB 3.5 ex. 1,3; 3.6 ex. 1, 2, 4 (Instructions are on WB p. 40 and in text pp. 97-102)
June 29	77-97 Distinctive Features Chart Vowel Features Chart Features Exercise	WB 3.9-3.10 (Instructions on WB 54-56); WB 4.1-4.3
July 1	115-131	WB 4.4-4.5
July 6	131-144	WB 4.6-4.8, 4.11-4.12
8	No Class: TEST 1 in Testing Center July 7 and 8th
11	155-168, 172-182 Trees	WB 5.1-5.4; WB 5.9-5.10, 5.11, ex. 1-6.
13	203-228	WB 6.1-6.2; 6.4-6.5
15	228-238; 485-500 Sociolinguistics California and Northern Cities Shifts	WB 6.7, review ex. p. 150-152
18	500-522; 429-440 Creole Language Gender Differences
20	441-456	Exercises in text p. 457 ex. 2, 5, 6.
22	No Class: TEST 2 in Testing Center July 21 and 22
27	245-263 Listen but don't watch	WB 7.1-7.3
29	263-277 Text Audio Farm Animals	WB 7.4-7.6 (#1-8 only); WB 7.7
Aug. 1	278-289; 351-366 Numbers in IndoEuropean IndoEuropean	WB review ex. P. 179-182; Exercises in text p. 386-387, ex. 3-4
3	367-385 Language Acquisition Syntax Experiment Stages of Acquisition Critical Period-Genie Linguistic Savant	Exercises in text p. 387-388 ex. 5, 10, 11, 13
5	Word on the Street Ch. 1-3 Bad Grammar Spanish in the US
8	Word on the Street Ch. 5-8
Aug. 10	FINAL EXAM 1:00-2:50, in classroom	FINAL EXAM 1:00-2:50, in classroom

Attendance I do not take attendance, but failure to attend class is highly correlated with poor test scores.

Tests There will be three tests, the first two of which are taken in the testing center. The last is taken in class during the scheduled final exam time. All of them are all weighted equally. They will include essay, definition, and fill in the blank type questions. Make up exams will not be given. Failure to take a test during the scheduled time due to a malfunctioning alarm clock, forgetting, missing your flight, etc. will still result in a grade of zero. Extenuating circumstances based on poor health will only be considered if I am notified before the test. Divulging the content of a test in any way with a student who has not yet taken it is considered cheating and will be reported to the Honor Code Office.

Homework These are exercises that will be assigned from the workbook or from the textbook. Do the homework exercises after reading the material in the textbook and the explanations in the workbook. After you have completed the homework, look up the answers in the back (when available) and correct your mistakes in a different color or indicate that no corrections were needed. Homework that has not been corrected in a different color will receive half credit. Please staple multiple page homework together. Points will be deducted for unstapled homework. If you know you will be absent please turn in your homework early since late homework will not be accepted. Homework is late after 3:50 pm on the day it is due. The two lowest homework scores will be dropped at the end of the semester. Please do not put homework in my box, under my office door, or e-mail it to me, as I will not accept it in these cases. That means it will be counted as zero points.

Grading

ASSIGNMENT

% of grade

Tests (238 points by 3)

Homework (12 points by 24)

There are actually 14 ,but the lowest two are dropped

Grade Breakdown

A+	96.5 and above	C	73.5% - 76.4%
A	93.5% - 96.4%	C-	69.5% - 73.4%
A-	89.5% - 93.4%	D+	66.5% - 69.4%
B+	86.5% - 89.4%	D	63.5% - 66.4%
B	83.5% - 86.4%	D-	59.5% - 63.4%
B-	79.5% - 83.4%	E	0 - 59.4%
C+	76.5% - 79.4%

Honor Code Standards In keeping with the principles of the BYU Honor Code, students are expected to be honest in all of their academic work. Academic honesty means, most fundamentally, that any work you present as your own must in fact be your own work and not that of another. Violations of this principle may result in a failing grade in the course and additional disciplinary action by the university. Students are also expected to adhere to the Dress and Grooming Standards. Adherence demonstrates respect for yourself and others and ensures an effective learning and working environment. It is the university’s expectation, and my own expectation in class, that each student will abide by all Honor Code standards. Please call the Honor Code Office at 422-2847 if you have questions about those standards.

Preventing Sexual Discrimination or Harassment Sexual discrimination or harassment (including student-to-student harassment) is prohibited both by the law and by Brigham Young University policy. If you feel you are being subjected to sexual discrimination or harassment, please bring your concerns to the professor. Alternatively, you may lodge a complaint with the Equal Employment Office (D-240C ASB) or with the Honor Code Office (4440).

Students with Disabilities If you have a disability that may affect your performance in this course, you should get in touch with the office of Services for Students with Disabilities (1520 WSC). This office can evaluate your disability and assist the professor in arranging for reasonable accommodations.