2022-23

It is an old idea in semantics and philosophy that discourse context can be modeled as a collaborative game between interlocutors, constrained by the intentions, beliefs and goals of the interlocutors. The general principles of how people coordinate in discourse context also have implications for other lines of inquiries, such as how word meaning changes diachronically, or how we interact with each other in the social world around us. The specific cognitive underpinning of people’s ability to collaborate and to draw inferences, however, is far from clear. In this class, we hope to gain some understanding of how (or whether) we can experimentally assess and computationally model some of the fundamental theoretical constructs, such as Question Under Discussion, alternatives, common ground. We will do so by examining a few specific empirical cases, including scalar implicatures, presuppositions, and semantic adaptation between interlocutors. This class is primarily a discussion class, but depending on students’ specific background and interests, we may conduct some hands-on exercises of experimental work.

Fri : 01:30 PM-04:20 PM

Rosenwald Hall 208

This is the second in a two-course sequence designed to provide a foundation in the scientific study of all aspects of linguistic meaning. The second quarter focuses on the syntax-semantics interface and cross-linguistic semantics. The class will introduce in detail a theory of the way in which the meaning of complex linguistic expressions is formed compositionally from the meaning of constituent parts, and the interaction of semantic and syntactic composition. This theory will form the basis for exploring some empirical questions about the systematicity of cross-linguistic variation in the encoding of meaning.

This course is a continuation of Syntax I. The emphasis will be on A'-movement and ellipsis operations within the framework of Principles and Parameters and the Minimalist Program. Although we will examine different types of movement and ellipsis constructions, as well as their interactions, the objective will be to understand to what extent we can develop a general theory of syntax. The course will have a strong cross-linguistic aspect to it, examining data from Irish, Austronesian languages, Mayan languages, Wolof, Russian, Romance, Germanic, and others. The topics will include wh-movement in questions, relative clauses, and other constructions, islands and other constraints on movement, sentence fragments (sluicing, split questions), VP-ellipsis, and gapping.

Students are required to submit the College Reading and Research Course Form.

TBA.

Mon Wed : 04:30 PM-05:50 PM

Wieboldt Hall 111

Spoken by around 18 million in Central and Eastern Africa, Kinyarwanda / Kirundi is one of the most spoken Bantu languages and has the status of an official language in Rwanda and Burundi. Based on a conversation book and a grammar guide, this course integrates speaking practice and linguistic discussion. It will allow the students to understand fundamental structures of Kinyarwanda in various areas. Topics include sound and tonal patterns, noun class agreements, verb moods, and sentence structures. Additionally, this course provides important listening and expressive reading skills. It will allow the students to discover elements of the Rwandan culture and to participate in elementary conversation about everyday life in Kinyarwanda. This is a general introduction course with no specific prerequisites. It allows fulfilling the non-Indo-European language requirement.

Tue Thu : 03:30 PM-04:50 PM

Classics Building 111

Based on Swahili Grammar and Workbook, this course is a continuation of Linguistic Introduction to Swahili I. It addresses complex issues related to grammatical agreement, verb moods, noun and verb derivation, non-typical adjectives and adverbs, double object constructions, subordinate / coordinated clause constructions, and dialectal variation. Additionally, this course provides important listening and expressive reading skills. For advanced students, historical interpretations are offered for exceptional patterns observed in Swahili, in relation with other Bantu languages. This course allows fulfilling the non-Indo-European language requirement.

Tue Thu : 02:00 PM-03:20 PM

Classics Building 111

Language disorders are an important domain for looking at many aspects of linguistic structure, and in some cases, provide key data for answering questions about the nature of human language. In this course, we will work directly on case studies and language data of disordered speech  in order to understand specific linguistic patterns associated with these disorders, and to explore how these patterns can inform questions about linguistic structure. The course will be divided into four units, each devoted to a different language disorder (apraxia, aphasias, stuttering and cluttering, and Autism spectrum disorder). We will explore the specific aspects of language affected in each disorder, discuss findings from current and classic research articles, and engage in the description and analysis of samples of disordered speech.

Tue Thu : 12:30 PM-01:50 PM

Cobb Hall 304

This is a survey course in the psychology of language. We will focus on issues related to language comprehension, language production, and language acquisition. The course will also train students on how to read primary literature and conduct original research studies.

Tue Thu : 11:00 AM-12:20 PM

Cobb Hall 101

This course is an introduction to sociolinguistics, the study of language in its social context. We will look at variation at all levels of language and how this variation constructs and is constructed by identity and culture, including relationships between language and social class, language and gender, and language and ethnicity. We will also discuss language attitudes and ideologies, as well as some of the educational, political, and social repercussions of language variation and standardization.

Tue Thu : 02:00 PM-03:20 PM

Pick Hall 218