LING 310 |
Syllabus |
Fall 2007 |
| instructor: | Prof. Nathan Sanders | office: | Stetson D14 | |
| email: | nsanders@williams.edu | phone: | x4714 | |
| AIM: | NathanSanders | hours: | MR 1-2pm, 4-5pm | |
| and by appointment |
From the course catalog: Phonology is the study of sound patterns within and across languages. This course builds upon prior knowledge of phonetic description and requires familiarity with the International Phonetic Alphabet. In this course,we will develop, question, and improve upon formal descriptions for the internal structure of sounds and for the rules governing their systematic behavior. Specific topics to be covered include distinctive feature theory, phonemes, allophones, linear rules, rule ordering, opacity, morphology, autosegmental phonology, and current trends in phonological theory. Format: lecture/discussion. Requirements: participation in discussions, weekly homework, a midterm exam, and a finalexam. Prerequisites: Linguistics 100 or Linguistics 210. No enrollment limit (expected: 10).
The prerequisite can be satisfied by displaying knowledge of the International Phonetic Alphabet. Specifically, you should know all of the symbols for the phonemes and major allophones of English and be familiar with the symbols for non-English sounds (especially the more common sounds like front round vowels, trills, retroflexes, uvulars, etc.). You should also have a basic understanding of the geography of the vocal tract.
There is no textbook for this course, though occasional readings will be distributed. All information needed to learn the material will be made available in lecture.
Your grade for the course is calculated as a weighted combination of your class participation (12%), homework average (56%), midterm exam score (16%), and final exam score (16%). See supplemental handout on grading for further information.
Homework is generally assigned on a Tuesday and due the following Tuesday, so you should usually have a full week to work on it. Homework is available from this website, so missing lecture is not an excuse for skipping homework. Homework is due at the beginning of class since solutions are often discussed in lecture. For this reason, late homework cannot be accepted. To compensate for this strict policy, your lowest homework grade is dropped when computing your grade for the course.
You are encouraged to work together in groups, but in accordance with the Williams College Honor Code, you must write up your own solutions, in your own words, listing the names of all students you consulted with. Suspected violations will be pursued to the full extent of College policy!
Your homework should be either neatly written or typed in a reasonable font with reasonable spacing and margins for writing comments (e.g. 10-12pt font, double-spaced prose, 1-1.5" margins, using only one side of the page). Please, do not submit spiral-bound paper with ragged edges! Staple (rather than paper clip or fold) multiple pages together. Be sure to put your name on every page in case they get separated.
There are two exams: a midterm and a final. Both exams are essay-style take-home exams that are somewhat more difficult and comprehensive than a typical homework assignment. Unlike with regular homework, you are not allowed to work on these exams with anyone else! Suspected violations of the Honor Code will be pursued to the full extent of College policy!