LINGUIST 200 : Syntax

Arts

2020 Semester One (1203) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Continues on from LINGUIST 100 or 103 and consists of a formal and a functional part, providing problems and exercises in syntactic analysis, as well as an introduction to grammatical theories and types of grammatical system.

Course Overview

This course continues on from LINGUIST 100 or 103 and consists of a formal model of syntax, providing problems and exercises in syntactic analysis, as well as an introduction to language universals and typology.

What determines how words are put together in a particular order in a sentence? The course explores the answer to this question from the perspective of Generative Grammar, a dominant theory of syntax due to Noam Chomsky and colleagues. Students will learn development of this theory from the mid 1950s to recent times – focusing on how this framework attempts to study syntax in a scientific way. More specifically, students will learn how a preliminary Transformational Grammar model developed into a more recent X-bar model of Syntax. Students will be exposed to variation and universals in the syntactic patterns found in natural languages, and at the end of the course, are expected to be able to construct and evaluate different types of syntactic analyses and argumentation. 
 
No prior knowledge of any other language is assumed.

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: LINGUIST 100 or 103

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice
Capability 2: Critical Thinking
Graduate Profile: Bachelor of Arts

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Understand the larger objective of studying syntax (Capability 1.1)
  2. Be able to think about grammar in an analytical way 
 (Capability 1.1)
  3. Know about the basic syntactic tools for analyzing sentences
 (Capability 1.1)
  4. Be able to use these tools to represent abstract syntactic structure (Capability 1.2)
  5. Be able to form and test hypotheses about sentence structure (Capability 2.3)
  6. Be aware of cross linguistic syntactic variation (Capability 1.1)
  7. Acquire skills in critical thinking, academic literacy, collection and presentation of linguistic data (Capability 2.1 and 2.3)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Assignments 30% Individual Coursework
Mid-Semester Test 30% Individual Test
End-Semester Test 40% Individual Examination

Learning Resources

Lecture Notes
(Redacted) lecture notes for this course will be made available through the Canvas site. 

Primary Textbook
Carnie, Andrew. (2013). Syntax: A generative introduction (3rd edition). John Wiley & Sons.
The library has a digital copy of the book for easy access to students.

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week on each 15 point course that they are enrolled in, including class time and personal study and assignment preparation.

Digital Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website at http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Well-being always comes first
We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - for more information, look at this Canvas page (https://canvas.auckland.ac.nz/courses/33894), which has links to various support services in the University and the wider community.

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter (https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html).

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.

Published on 23/01/2020 01:23 p.m.