Introduction to General Linguistics
Spring, 2015
Thursdays 5:30-8:00
Instructor: Mary Call
Office: CS 240F Telephone: 973-655-5137 or 4286 e-mail: callm@mail.montclair.edu
Hours: Mondays & Thursdays 3:45-4:45, and 8:00-8:30 pm, or by appointment
Text: An Introduction to Language, 10th Ed. by Victoria Fromkin, Robert Rodman, and Nina Hyams
Other readings may be assigned as needed.
Criteria for Evaluation:
-5 Quizzes*
15% each = 75% of course grade
-Homework Assignments (late work will not be considered)
10% of course grade
-Written report and oral presentation on Chapter 8, 9, 10, 11, or 12
15% of course grade
-Participation in classroom discussions
Students are required to monitor their Canvas accounts.
Objectives of the Course:
This course is designed to introduce you to the field of linguistics, the scientific study of human
language. Language, which plays a central role in all human endeavors, consists of several subsystems.
Working with linguistic data taken from a variety of languages, we will investigate the patterns that each of these
subsystems (morphology, syntax, semantics, phonetics, and phonology) exhibits. We will also examine the use
of language in its social context.
Calendar:
What is language?
1/22 Chapter 1
Morphology: The Words of Language
1/29 Chapter 2
2/5
2/12 MORPHOLOGY QUIZ
Syntax: The Sentence Patterns of Language
2/12 Chapter 3
2/19
2/26
3/5
SYNTAX QUIZ
Semantics: The Meaning of Language
3/5
Chapter 4
3/12
3/19 SPRING BREAK
3/26 SEMANTICS QUIZ
Phonetics: The Sounds of Language
3/26
Chapter 5
4/2
4/9
PHONETICS QUIZ
Phonology: The Sound Patterns of Language
4/9
Chapter 6
4/16
4/23 PHONOLOGY QUIZ
Language in Society
4/23 Chapter 7
4/30 PAPERS AND ORAL PRESENTATIONS DUE
Student Oral Presentations
5/7
LANGUAGE IN SOCIETY QUIZ
*6 quizzes will be given. There will be no makeups. The lowest quiz grade will be dropped.