THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN
FALL 2014
FR/ITL 396K – Introduction to Romance Linguistics
T-TH 12:30-2, MEZ 1.104
Instructor:
Cinzia Russi
Office:
HRH 3.110B
Office hours: T-TH 2-3:301 and by appointment (please, feel free to contact me via email any
time)
Email:
russi@austin.utexas.edu
Table of Contents
I.
Course Objectives
2
II.
Format and Procedures
2
III.
My Assumptions
2
IV.
Course Requirements
3
V.
Grading Procedures
4
VI.
Academic Integrity
4
VII. Other University Notices and Policies
5
VIII. A Word about Conduct in a College Classroom
6
IX.
Tentative Course Schedule
8
X.
Tentative List of Readings
10
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I.
Course Aims and Objectives
The main objective of this course is to introduce students to the Romance languages, both as a set
of closely related linguistic systems that share a common ancestor and as a major historical,
linguistic and cultural phenomenon.
We will start with a brief introduction and classification of the Romance languages presently
spoken, followed by a short discussion of the crucial tenets of the major theoretical frameworks
currently adopted (i.e., functionalism and formalism). We will then continue with sketching their
historical background, starting with an overview of their common ancestor, Latin. We will then
move to the diachronic analysis of the major Romance languages.
Detailed linguistic analysis of (extracts of) texts from different historical periods will serve as a tool
to assess our learning, and will give it an empirical, concrete dimension.
By the end of this course, students will have:
a. Developed or strengthened the analytical skills necessary for reading scholarly articles; have
become familiar with the most important scholars in the field.
b. Mastered how to write abstracts for conference presentations and articles and how to
deliver a paper to a peer audience.
c. Improved the skill required to conduct research and write scholarly articles.
II.
Format and Procedures
1. General format – The course will include lecture sessions and in-class discussion sessions.
a. In the lecture sessions, I will present linguistic structures and data, which will be
summarized in handouts. It will be the students’ responsibility to go over the material
presented in class and, whenever needed, integrate it through further independent reading
that I will suggest.
b. During the in-class discussion sessions I expect active participation, in the form of giving
concrete and lively input to the discussion, from all the students. Therefore, the students a
required to complete the reading assignments as listed in the syllabus.
2. Feedback Statement – During this course I will be asking you to give me feedback on your
learning in informal as well as formal ways, which may include anonymous surveys about how my
teaching strategies are helping or hindering your learning. It’s crucial for me to know your
expectations as well as your reaction to what we’re doing in class, so I encourage you to respond to
these surveys, ensuring that together we can create an environment effective for teaching and
learning.
III.
My Assumptions
I assume that all the students are familiar with the fundamental notion of the main areas of
linguistics (i.e., phonetics/phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics). I also assume that
students will actively seek my assistance whenever they deem necessary.
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IV.
Course Requirements
Graduate standing is required. Consent of Graduate Adviser must be obtained.
1. Class attendance and participation policy
Since this course cover a relatively large amount of material, students really cannot afford missing
class. Thus, I strongly advise you to look carefully at the calendar in order to plan any activity that
may take you away from school appropriately.
Should you be forced to miss a class meeting, please, try to inform me as soon as possible so that
we can make plans to catch up.
a. Ground Rules for participation in discussions or activities
As mentioned above, participation in class discussion is a must not an option. I would like you to
keep in mind that I consider tolerance and respect for others’ view two extremely valuable quality.
Also, since we are a somewhat large group, I kindly ask you to use time wisely so that we all have
the opportunity to express ourselves.
b. Religious Holy Days
By UT Austin policy, you must notify me of your pending absence at least fourteen days prior to
the date of observance of a religious holy day. If you must miss a class, an examination, a work
assignment, or a project in order to observe a religious holy day, I will give you an opportunity to
complete the missed work within a reasonable time after the absence.
2. Course Readings/Materials
All our readings will be posted on Canvas.
3. Assignments, Assessment, and Evaluation
a. Written assignments – They will consist of
i. Summaries of articles.
ii. Textual analyses, which usually will be assigned after we complete each topic. The written
assignments will be corrected and discussed in class then they will be collected and
checked. Full credit will be received only for complete and neat work.
 Written assignments must be typed; handwritten assignments will not receive credit.
b. Oral presentations – The students will give a class presentation of their term paper. The oral
presentations are expected to be about 20 minutes long and will be followed by a
question/discussion period.
c. Term paper – The students will write a research paper of a length of about 20-25 pages, which
will be due on the day scheduled for the final examination. (Date and time of Final Exam are
available at http://registrar.utexas.edu/schedules/082/finals/index/html)
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The only restriction that applies to the research topic is that it falls within the domain Romance
linguistics; that is, it can focus on any Romance language (or dialect), and any subfield of
linguistics. Although there are basically no restrictions to the choice of the research topic, students
are required to discuss it with the instructor before they start their research. The topic should be
chosen within the first four weeks of class. The students are required to discuss the topic they
choose with the instructor before starting their research and/or data collection.
The research paper will consist of three parts:
1. An abstract, which will include the following:
a. A brief presentation of the topic;
b. A clear and detailed statement of the main research question/s that the paper will
address;
c. A meaningful explanation of why you chose this specific topic and why you consider it
worth of investigation.
2. A preliminary annotated bibliography.
3. The final paper: The final paper will be a ‘standard’ linguistic paper, in which the research
questions are addressed thoroughly and coherently, and the proposed analysis is
theoretically justified and supported by empirical data. More detail on the organization,
format, etc. will be provided during the semester.
4. Use of Canvas in class – I will use Canvas to post additional course materials, both required
and supplemental.
You can find support in using Blackboard at the ITS Help Desk at 475-9400, Monday through
Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., so plan accordingly.
V.
Grading Procedures
Grades will be calculated as follows:






VI.
Written assignments
Class discussion
Abstract of the term paper
Annotated bibliography
Oral presentation
Term paper
20%
15%
10%
10 %
15%
30%
Academic Integrity
University o f Texas Honor Code – The core values of The University of Texas at Austin are
learning, discovery, freedom, leadership, individual opportunity, and responsibility. Each member
of the university is expected to uphold these values through integrity, honesty, trust, fairness, and
respect toward peers and community.
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Each student in this course is expected to abide by the University of Texas Honor Code given
above. Any work submitted by a student in this course for academic credit will be the student’s
own work.
You are encouraged to study together and to discuss information and concepts covered in lecture
and the sections with other students. You can give “consulting” help to or receive “consulting”
help from such students. However, this permissible cooperation should never involve one student
having possession of a copy of all or part of work done by someone else, in the form of an e-mail,
an e-mail attachment file, a diskette, or a hard copy.
You are not allowed to recycle previous work (i.e., work done for previous courses) without
previously discussing it with me.
Should plagiarism occur, both the student who copied work from another student and the student
who gave material to be copied will both automatically receive a zero for the assignment. Penalty
for violation of this Code can also be extended to include failure of the course and University
disciplinary action.
VII. Other University Notices and Policies
1. Use of E-mail for Official Correspondence to Students – All students should become familiar
with the University’s official e-mail student notification policy. It is the student’s responsibility to
keep the University informed as to changes in his or her e-mail address. Students are expected to
check e-mail on a frequent and regular basis in order to stay current with University-related
communications, recognizing that certain communications may be time-critical. It is recommended
that e-mail be checked daily, but at a minimum, twice per week. The complete text of this policy
and instructions for updating your e-mail address are available at
http://www.utexas.edu/its/policies/emailnotify.html.
2. Documented Disability Statement – Any student with a documented disability who requires
academic accommodations should contact Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) at (512)
471-6259 (voice) or 1-866-329-3986 (video phone). You can refer to the SSD’s website for more
disability-related information:
http://www.utexas.edu/diversity/ddce/ssd/for_cstudents.php
Please, notice that instructors are not required to provide accommodations without an official
accommodation letter from SSD.
Please notify me as quickly as possible if the material being presented in class is not accessible (e.g.,
instructional videos need captioning, course packets are not readable for proper alternative text
conversion, etc.).
Please notify me as early in the semester as possible if disability-related accommodations for field
trips are required. Advanced notice will permit the arrangement of accommodations on the given
day (e.g., transportation, site accessibility, etc.).
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3. Behavior Concerns Advice Line (BCAL) – If you are worried about someone who is acting
differently, you may use the Behavior Concerns Advice Line to discuss by phone your concerns
about another individual’s behavior. This service is provided through a partnership among the
Office of the Dean of Students, the Counseling and Mental Health Center (CMHC), the
Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and The University of Texas Police Department (UTPD).
Call 512-232-5050 or visit http://www.utexas.edu/safety/bcal.
4. Q drop Policy – The State of Texas has enacted a law that limits the number of course drops for
academic reasons to six (6). As stated in Senate Bill 1231: “Beginning with the fall 2007 academic
term, an institution of higher education may not permit an undergraduate student a total of more
than six dropped courses, including any course a transfer student has dropped at another
institution of higher education, unless the student shows good cause for dropping more than that
number.”
5. Emergency Evacuation Policy – Occupants of buildings on the UT Austin campus are required
to evacuate and assemble outside when a fire alarm is activated or an announcement is made.
Please be aware of the following policies regarding evacuation:

Familiarize yourself with all exit doors of the classroom and the building. Remember that
the nearest exit door may not be the one you used when you entered the building.

If you require assistance to evacuate, inform me in writing during the first week of class.

In the event of an evacuation, follow my instructions or those of class instructors.

Do not re-enter a building unless you’re given instructions by the Austin Fire Department,
the UT Austin Police Department, or the Fire Prevention Services office.
VIII. A Word about Conduct in a College Classroom
To make our time together as valuable as possible, we all have to work hard at it. The following
basic principles may give us come guidelines:
 Every student has the right to learn as well as the responsibility not to deprive others of their
right to learn.
 Every student is accountable for his or her actions.
 In order for you to get the most out of this class, please consider the following:
 Attend all scheduled classes and arrive on time – Late arrivals and early departures are very
disruptive and violate the first basic principle listed above.
 Please do not schedule other engagements during this class time – You probably wouldn’t appreciate it
if I did! I will try to make class as interesting and informative as possible, but I can’t learn the
material for you.
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 If you have trouble hearing the lecture or media presentation because of distractions around you, quietly
ask those responsible for the distraction to stop – If the distraction continues, please let me know. It
is often impossible for me to hear such things from my position in the classroom.
 Please, do not forget to shut off (or at least silence!) her cellular phones during class and to
refrain from eating.
 Please let me know immediately if you have any problem that is preventing you from
performing satisfactorily in this class.
I look forward to working with you and wish
you a wonderful semester!
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