Sookmyung Women`s University
Graduate School of TESOL
Introduction to Linguistics
Policy
Fall 2006
Overview: This three-hour-per-week course is designed to provide students with instruction in the underlying psychological systems of language and English in particular and how this vast body of knowledge can be of benefit to English language teachers in the classroom and beyond. In addition to focusing on the mere transfer of material, the classroom will also serve as a model environment for the student teachers.
Objectives: This main objective of this course is to get the students to understand the complicated collection of interrelated systems which compose language. Basically, students should leave this course will a sound but basic comprehension of how language works. In addition to this, the course will be geared toward how all this knowledge can be used by working teachers. In short, the second goal of this course is to answer the question all students of this subject constantly ask themselves; why do I need to know all this?
Text and Materials:
Summer reading
• McWhorter, John. (2003). The power of Babel: A natural history of language. London: Arrow.
Main texts
For this course we are going to use three main texts. The first of these is a rather high level generative introduction to the field. This is contrasted with a simple introduction to the field of cognitive linguistics. Both these will be tempered with a very basic collection of articles about linguistics. The `handbook` is deigned to help those not at all familiar with linguistic theory and provides valuable background information.
• Radford, Atkinson, Britain, Clahsen, and Spencer. (1999) Linguistics: An introduction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Aronoff, M. and J. Rees-Miller (Eds.) (2001) The handbook of linguistics. Oxford: Blackwell.
• Lee, David (2001) Cognitive linguistics: An introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Additional Materials: Students must bring to each class a folder to hold any papers that the instructor gives out.
Methodology
English Only: Students must conduct all course work in English. This means all writing, note-taking, and discussion must be in English. Use of Korean will result in a significantly lower participation grade.
Classroom: Various approaches will be employed in the classroom. Direct lecturing will kept to a minimum while group work, in-class activities, and direct and indirect questioning will be stressed. Remember students, as always, the classroom is supposed to serve as a model. Be critical and observant of what your instructor does.
Attendance: Students are expected to attend all scheduled classes. Two or more absences will result in a significantly lowered final grade. Being late twice is counted as an absence. Arriving more than half an hour late is also counted as an absence. Students themselves are responsible for all material covered and assigned in class during their absence. If you are going to be absent and know it beforehand, make sure you contact me as far in advance as possible.
Assignments
Homework: Students will be given homework on a regular basis. The homework will usually come in the form of exercises from both texts and outside sources as well as questions based on the reading which the students are expected to answer. All assignments, unless there are contrary instructions, must be typed and handed in during class on the day they are due.
Summer Reading Project: Students are expected to read a book, McWhorter (2003), prior to the course begin. A brief writeup related to this reading is due in the second week of class (September 21st).
Exams
Midterm Exam: The midterm will come in the 10th week of class (November 16th). It will be given in class and will cover the material that has been covered in the first nine weeks of the class.
Final Exam: The final exam will be administered in class on the 15th week of the course (December 21st). It will be a short exam and will cover only the material reviewed from week 10 to 14.
Final Project: The final project will be a short do-at-home project. It will cover, potentially, all the material given in the course. It is due no later than December 24th (This date is subject to change).
Grades: Final grades will be based on performance in the following categories.
Assignments 35%
Participation 25%
Midterm Exam 10%
Final Exam 10%
Final Project 20%
Important Notes
-Late assignments will not be accepted for marks and missed in class work cannot be made up. If, however, you know in advance that you will be late or absent make sure you contact the teacher and maybe something can be worked out.
-The penalty for plagiarism and cheating is automatic failure. Don`t try it.
Instructor - Stephen P. van Vlack
Office - Sookmyung Professional Center 410
Tel. - 710-7761
E-mail - [email protected]
There is also a web site which runs parallel to this course. The website will contain study questions and summaries of what was discussed in class. Please make sure you visit the web site on a regular basis. The address is:
http://www.geocities.com/utlaagt