University of Waterloo
Department of English Language and Literature
ENGL 306A (Fall 2021): Introduction to Linguistics
Tuesdays, 11:30-12:50, HH1102
Dr Ken Hirschkop
Office: Hagey Hall 245
Office Hours: Wednesdays 11:00-12:00 am and Thursdays 3:00-4:00 pm (or by appointment): come to whereby.com/kenhirschkop
Email: khirschk@uwaterloo.ca
Territorial Acknowledgement
We acknowledge that we are living and working on the traditional territory of the Attawandaron (also known as Neutral), Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples. The University of Waterloo is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land promised to the Six Nations that includes ten kilometres on each side of the Grand River.
Course Aims and Outcomes
This course is an introduction to the field of linguistics. As linguistics is itself an entire discipline (like political science or physics), that is a very tall order. We will at least touch on almost all the major subfields in linguistics, including the history of language, sociolinguistics and linguistic variation, and pragmatics. While our focus will be on the ‘core’ areas of contemporary technical linguistics – phonology, morphology and syntax – we will also examine broader questions about how language works, where it comes from, and the role it has in social life. Wherever possible, we’ll also think about the relation between linguistics and rhetoric, which is an older tradition of thinking about language.
My aim is to provide you with knowledge of linguistics that will help you with the rest of your program, that will enrich your understanding of literature, rhetoric, and communication.
By the end of the course you should:
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Understand the basic shape of linguistics as a discipline and have a basic grasp of some of the philosophical and methodological issues facing linguists
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Be familiar and comfortable with a broad range of concepts in linguistics, which together cover most of the key subfields within the discipline
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Have a good grasp of basic concepts in phonology, morphology, syntax and the study of linguistic variation.
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Be able to analyse sentences and words grammatically.
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Be prepared for advanced or specialized study in linguistics
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Understand many of the key linguistic features of the English language.
Classes
We will have one ‘live’ class a week, on Tuesdays. But I will also post one recorded lecture, in the form of a narrated PowerPoint presentation, each week on Thursday. Make sure you attend class and listen to the recorded lecture each week: you will be responsible for knowing all the material contained in the lectures.
The class will be in lecture format, but questions and discussion are encouraged. You can ask questions in class or post them on the Discussion Board in LEARN. The material is often quite technical: if you aren’t clear about what a term means or how we analyse something, ask about it in class (if you are confused, chances are someone else is as well).
The PowerPoint presentations used in the live lectures will also be posted on the course LEARN site.
Readings:
There are no formal printed readings for the course; you’ll become acquainted with the material through lectures and occasional on-line material I’ll assign during the semester.
Throughout the term I will provide links to websites that provide information and analysis relevant to the topics on the course. You should look at these whenever you can: they will help master the material on the course.
Assessment:
The course is assessed on the basis of two midterm exams and a final exam. These will all be administered online, through LEARN. The first midterm will cover the material we look at in weeks 1-5 (general questions in linguistics, phonetics, phonology and morphology). The second midterm will cover syntax, discourse theory and speech act theory. The final exam will cover all the material on the course.
First midterm 25%
Second midterm 25%
Final Exam 50%
If you fail to take an examination, you will be given a mark of 0 for that exam, unless you provide evidence of a medical condition that made it impossible to sit the exam or of an unforeseeable domestic crisis. Please note that the Final Examination period for Fall 2021 is December 9-23 and that student travel plans are not acceptable grounds for granting an alternative final examination time (this applies also to the midterm exams).
Contingency Plans
If we need to suspend live classes at any point we will conduct classes, at the scheduled time on Tuesdays (2.30-3.50), via Zoom.
Week-by-Week Class Schedule:
Week 1 (September 10): Introduction
Online lecture (Narrated PowerPoint) What is language? How do we study it?
Weeks 2-3: The Sounds of Language
September 14 (Class)
Phonetics
September 16 (Online lecture)
Phonology
September 21 (Class)
Phonological rules: review
September 23 (Online lecture)
Sound change: an Introduction to Historical Linguistics
Weeks 4-5: Words and morphemes
September 28 (class)
Morphology – derivational
September 30 (online lecture)
Morphology - inflectional
October 5 (class)
Word structures – the classes of words
October 7 (online)
First Midterm Examination
Reading Week
Weeks 6-9: Syntax and discourse
October 19 (class)
Introduction to Syntax
October 21 (online lecture)
More syntax
October 26 (class)
Syntax (exercises and practice)
October 28 (online lecture)
The syntax of complex sentences
November 2 (class)
Syntax (exercises and practice)
November 4 (online lecture)
Language as discourse
November 9 (class)
Speech act theory, etc.
November 11 (online)
Second Midterm Examination
Weeks 10-13: Language, society, meanings
November 16 (class)
Finally, meaning
November 18 (online lecture)
Linguistic variation: dialects
November 23 (class)
Linguistic variation: sociolinguistics, urban vernaculars, registers, code-switching, indexicality
November 25 (online lecture)
History of the language
November 30 (class)
Language and society I
December 2 (online lecture)
Language and society II
December 7 (class)
Tuesday: Review for final examination
Additional Information
Academic integrity: In order to maintain a culture of academic integrity, members of the University of Waterloo community are expected to promote honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility. [Check the Office of Academic Integrity for more information.]
Grievance: A student who believes that a decision affecting some aspect of their university life has been unfair or unreasonable may have grounds for initiating a grievance. Read Policy 70, Student Petitions and Grievances, Section 4. When in doubt, please be certain to contact the department’s administrative assistant who will provide further assistance.
Discipline: A student is expected to know what constitutes academic integrity to avoid committing an academic offence, and to take responsibility for theiractions. [Check the Office of Academic Integrity for more information.] A student who is unsure whether an action constitutes an offence, or who needs help in learning how to avoid offences (e.g., plagiarism, cheating) or about “rules” for group work/collaboration should seek guidance from the course instructor, academic advisor, or the undergraduate associate dean. For information on categories of offences and types of penalties, students should refer to Policy 71, Student Discipline. For typical penalties, check Guidelines for the Assessment of Penalties.
Appeals: A decision made or penalty imposed under Policy 70, Student Petitions and Grievances (other than a petition) or Policy 71, Student Discipline may be appealed if there is a ground. A student who believes they have aground for an appeal should refer to Policy 72, Student Appeals.
Note for students with disabilities: AccessAbility Services, located in Needles Hall, Room 1401, collaborates with all academic departments to arrange appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities without compromising the academic integrity of the curriculum. If you require academic accommodations to lessen the impact of your disability, please register with AccessAbility Services at the beginning of each academic term.
Mental Health Support
All of us need a support system. The faculty and staff in Arts encourage students to seek out mental health support if they are needed.
On Campus
Due to COVID-19 and campus closures, services are available only online or by phone.
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Counselling Services: counselling.services@uwaterloo.ca / 519-888-4567 ext. 32655
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MATES: one-to-one peer support program offered by the Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA) and Counselling Services
Off campus, 24/7
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Good2Talk: Free confidential help line for post-secondary students. Phone: 1-866-925-5454
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Grand River Hospital: Emergency care for mental health crisis. Phone: 519-749-4300 ext. 6880
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Here 24/7: Mental Health and Crisis Service Team. Phone: 1-844-437-3247
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OK2BME: set of support services for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or questioning teens in Waterloo. Phone: 519-884-0000 extension 213
Full details can be found online on the Faculty of Arts website
Download UWaterloo and regional mental health resources (PDF)
Download the WatSafe app to your phone to quickly access mental health support information.
Academic freedom at the University of Waterloo
Policy 33, Ethical Behaviour states, as one of its general principles (Section 1), “The University supports academic freedom for all members of the University community. Academic freedom carries with it the duty to use that freedom in a manner consistent with the scholarly obligation to base teaching and research on an honest and ethical quest for knowledge. In the context of this policy, 'academic freedom' refers to academic activities, including teaching and scholarship, as is articulated in the principles set out in the Memorandum of Agreement between the FAUW and the University of Waterloo, 1998 (Article 6). The academic environment which fosters free debate may from time to time include the presentation or discussion of unpopular opinions or controversial material. Such material shall be dealt with as openly, respectfully and sensitively as possible.” This definition is repeated in Policies 70 and 71, and in the Memorandum of Agreement, Section 6