WEEK BY WEEK COURSE OUTLINE

Readings:

LI = The Language Instinct (Page numbers refer to the 2000 and 2007 "Perennial" editions. The original 1994 "HarperPerennial" is identical in content. If you have the 1994 edition, make sure that you are reading the right pages.)
APS = Academic Publishing Services lecture book (available in bookstore)
Dates Topic Readings
Week 1    
Tu 1/10 "The Language Instinct": Language as an "instinct";
how is language related to thought? is language a
product of culture?		 LI Chapter 1-3
(except pp.64-69)
APS pp. 9-14
Th 1/12 Film: Discovering the Human Language: "Colorless Green Ideas" (The Human Language Series #1) APS pp. 17-23
Week 2    
Tu 1/17 Syntax: Introduction LI Chapter 4
APS pp. 25-33
Th 1/19 Syntax (continued)  
Week 3    
Tu 1/24 Morphology: Introduction LI Chapter 5
APS pp. 37-45
Th 1/26 Structure of words (continued)  
Week 4    
Tu 1/31 Articulatory phonetics LI Chapter 6
APS pp. 49-58
Th 2/2 Phonetics vs. Spelling  
Week 5    
Tu 2/7 Film: "In Search of the First Language" (Nova) LI Chapter 8
(just skim pp. 232-241)
APS pp. 63-68
Th 2/9 Language classification and the sources of language diversity APS pp. 69-78
Week 6    
Tu 2/14 Film: Acquiring the Human Language: "Playing the Language Game" (The Human Language Series #2) LI Chapter 9
(except pp. 287-293)
APS pp. 81-88
Th 2/16 Language acquisition APS pp. 89-95
Week 7    
Tu 2/21 Language and the Brain

Film: "The Mind: Language" (program from a PBS series on the mind), outlined in APS pp. 99-104; clips from this film will be incorporated into the lectures; the full video will be placed on reserve in the Powell Media Laboratory

 LI Chapter 10
(skip pp. 324-333)
APS pp. 105-117
Th 2/23 Language and the Brain (continued)

LI Chapters 9 & 10 (cont.)
APS pp. 105-117 (cont.)
Week 8    
Tu 2/28 Film: “The First Signs of Washoe” (Nova)

APS pp. 123-128
Th 3/1 Chimps cannot talk! LI Chapter 11 (pp. 340-351)
APS pp. 129-133
Week 9    
Tu 3/6 The origin of language LI Chapter 11
(pp. 351-381)
APS pp. 139-148
Th 3/8 The origin of language (continued)

Week 10    
Tu 3/13 Prescriptive grammar LI Chapter 12
APS pp. 153-158
Th 3/15
  • Prescriptive Grammar (conclusion)
  • Audiotape: George Carlin, "Seven Dirty Words You Can Never Say on Television" and discussion of how language can be "obscene"
  • Wrap up
  • Course evaluation
  • COURSE PAPERS DUE IN SECTIONS
APS pp. 165-167

FINAL EXAMINATION: Wednesday, March 21, 3:00-6:00