This course is an introduction to basic goals and methods of current syntactic theory through a detailed analysis of a range of phenomena, with emphasis on argumentation and empirical justification. Major topics include phrase structure and constituency, selection and subcategorization, argument structure, case, voice, expletives, and raising and control structures.
This course will focus on the Deaf community that uses American Sign Language (ASL) as a lens into the disciplines of linguistics, psychology, and cultural studies, and how the use of ASL contributes to individual identity and identity within society. In addition to these disciplinary foci, topics of Deaf literature and art forms will figure in the discussion and readings, which come from a variety of sources and include seminal works in the field from historical and contemporary perspectives.
This course will address the wide range of multiple verb predicates across the world's languages. Readings will address the diagnostics for the category "serial verb" versus other types of multiple verb predicates in signed and spoken languages.
The Placement Proseminar is designed for linguistics Ph.D. students who are nearing completion of the degree and focuses strongly on the academic job search. The Placement Proseminar is normally taken by 5th and 6th -year doctoral students (assuming a 6-year program timeline) so that they complete the seminar prior to entering or as they are entering the job market. The weekly workshop-style seminar includes intensive work on the “core” application documents (c.v., job application letter, research statement, and statement of teaching philosophy); advice on choosing and preparing an appropriate writing sample; and job interview strategies and practice.
Looking at data from a wide range of languages, we will study the structure of words. We will consider the nature of the elements out of which words are built and the principles that govern their combination. The effects of word structure on syntax, semantics, and phonology will be examined. We will think critically about the concepts of morpheme, inflection, derivation, and indeed, the concept of word itself.
