LIN 3201

Sounds of Human Language

Spring 2008

MWF 6th (12:50-1:40) FLG 285

 

Instructor: Sarah K. Wears-Garcia

Office: Yon Hall 312

Email: wears.garcia@gmail.com

Office phone: (352) 392-3286

Website: http://plaza.ufl.edu/sarahkay

Office hours: W 4th, R 5th-6th

                      (or by appointment)

 

TA: Divya V. Gogoi                  Email: divyav@ufl.edu

Office: TUR 4017                     Office phone: (352) 392-0639 x 241    Office hours: T 6th, W 4th

 

Overview:

This course enables the student to recognize and produce the sounds of the world’s languages, to understand how they are made, and to identify the physical properties that correspond to them.  The course material culminates at the end of the semester in the final fieldwork project.  LIN 3010 (Introduction to Linguistics) is a prerequisite for this course.

 

Required Texts:

 

Grading:

Tests (4)                                   40%                             A         90-100             C         70-76  

Drill sessions                             20%                             B+       87-89               D+       67-69

Fieldwork project                     15%                             B          80-86               D         60-66

Smalley exercises                      10%                             C+       77-79               E          below 60

Production quiz                         5%

Perception quiz                         5%

Participation                             5%

 

 

Tests:  Four tests will be given throughout the semester.  Some of the information on the tests will come from the texts; some will come solely from lectures.

 

Homework:  Homeworks will be available periodically throughout the semester.  You can complete them if you wish.

 

Drill sessions:  Divya will meet with small groups of students to practice what we cover in class.  Each session will be 25 minutes, and will take place in TUR 4101.  You should attend one session per week.  You are allowed to miss one session.  Because of the extra time commitment drill sessions require, formal class on Fridays will end 15-20 minutes early. 

 

Fieldwork project:  In the final weeks of class, a native speaker of a language which no one in the class has studied will join us so that you can practice field methods on the language.  You will interact with the speaker to determine the sound system of the language, and you will write up the results.

 

Smalley exercises:  You can listen to the Smalley recordings either at the language lab (Turlington Hall 1317) or online.  You will write up your answers to Smalley’s exercises, and they will be checked for completion, not accuracy.

 

Production quiz: Administered toward the end of the semester, after drill sessions have finished.  Divya will meet with each of you for 5-10 minutes and ask you to produce various sounds.

 

Perception quiz: Administered after the production quiz.  You will be required to identify or discriminate sounds presented to you.  The quiz will take approximately 5-10 minutes.  

 

Late work/make-ups:  All assignments will be collected at the beginning of class.  No late assignments will be accepted, with the exception of an excused absence.  If you know you will be unable to attend class on the day an assignment is due, put it in Divya’s mailbox (location TBD) before the class during which the assignment is due.

 

Cheating:  Cheating and plagiarism are not tolerated.

 

Students with disabilities:  Please contact me in whatever manner you find comfortable so I can help you accommodate your needs.  Students with disabilities are encouraged to register with the Disability Resource Center (Reid Hall) to determine appropriate accommodations.  For more information call (352) 392-8565 or visit their website.

 

Class website:  The online syllabus will be updated regularly.  Make it a habit to check the website for any updates or changes.

 

Week

Date

Topic

Assignments

Readings

1

1/7

Intro

- email me your preferred name

 

 

1/9

Intro

 

Cat Ch. 1

Rat 2-9

 

1/11

Airstream/initiation (pulmonic)

 

Cat Ch. 2.1-2.3

Rat 9

2

1/14

Airstream/initiation

HW #1

 

Cat Ch. 2.4

Rat 9-11

 

1/16

Airstream/initiation

HW #1 answers

Cat Ch. 2.5-2.7

Rat 11-15

 

1/18

TEST #1

 

 

3

1/21

NO SCHOOL – MLK Jr. Day

 

 

 

1/23

Phonation

Smalley 1

Cat Ch. 3.1-3.3

Rat 15-17

 

1/25

Phonation

 

Cat Ch. 3.4-3.6

4

1/28

Phonation

 

Cat Ch. 3.7-3.9

 

1/30

Manner of articulation

 

Cat Ch. 4.1-4.2

Rat 22-29

 

2/1

Manner of articulation

 

Cat. Ch. 4.3

5

2/4

Manner of articulation

 

Cat Ch. 4.4

 

2/6

Place of articulation

Smalley 5

Cat Ch. 5.1-5.2

Rat 17-21

 

2/8

Place of articulation

HW #2

Cat Ch. 5.3-5.4

6

2/11

Place of articulation

Schatz k-burst

HW #2 answers

Cat Ch. 5.5-5.7

 

2/13

TEST #2

 

 

 

2/15

Coarticulation

 

Cat Ch. 6.1-6.3

Rat 30-31, 38-40

7

2/18

Coarticulation

 

Cat Ch. 6.4-6.7

 

2/20

Sequences

 

Cat Ch. 7.1

Rat 31-32

 

2/22

Vowels

 

Cat Ch. 7.2

Rat 34-38

8

2/25

Cardinal vowels

CV1     CV5

CV2     CV6

CV3     CV7

CV4     CV8

 

Cat Ch. 7.3

Rat 32-33

 

2/27

TEST #3

 

 

 

2/29

More vowels

Smalley 7

Cat Ch. 8.1-8.3

9

3/3

More vowels

 

Cat Ch. 8.4-8.6

 

3/5

More vowels

 

Cat Ch. 8.7-8.9

 

3/7

Vowels and miscellaneous

 

 

10

3/10

SPRING BREAK

 

 

 

3/12

SPRING BREAK

 

 

 

3/14

SPRING BREAK

 

 

11

3/17

Prosody

 

Cat Ch. 9.1-9.3

Rat 40-47

 

3/19

Prosody

 

Cat Ch. 9.4-9.5

Rat 48-53

 

3/21

Phonemics

HW #4

Cat Ch. 10.1-10.5

Rat 53-61

12

3/24

Phonemics

 

Cat Ch. 10.6-10.10

 

3/26

TEST #4

Your choice:

Smalley 21

Smalley 14 & 22

 

 

3/28

Test review

 

 

13

3/31

Fieldwork – Group A

the Swadesh list

 

 

4/2

Fieldwork – Group B

Filing system (optional, but recommended)

 

 

4/4

Fieldwork – Group A

 

 

14

4/7

Fieldwork – Group B

 

 

 

4/9

Fieldwork – Group A

 

 

 

4/11

Dr. Hardman on field methods

 

 

15

4/14

Fieldwork – Group B

 

 

 

4/16

Fieldwork – Group A

 

 

 

4/18

Fieldwork – Group B

 

 

16

4/21

Fieldwork – Group A

 

 

 

4/23

Debriefing

Fieldwork project due