Fall 2017 - LING 111 D100
Introduction to English Vocabulary Analysis (3)
Class Number: 8175
Delivery Method: In Person
Overview
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Course Times + Location:
Sep 5 – Dec 4, 2017: Tue, 8:30–11:20 a.m.
Burnaby -
Exam Times + Location:
Dec 6, 2017
Wed, 3:30–6:30 p.m.
Burnaby
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Instructor:
Cliff Burgess
burgess@sfu.ca
1 778 782-4114
Office: RCB 8115
Description
CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:
Introduces the linguistic pathways by which selected contemporary English vocabulary has arisen. Word etymologies are derived through the application of analytical tools leading to a deeper understanding of language change and word meaning. Students with credit for LING 110 may not take this course for further credit. Breadth-Social Sciences.
COURSE DETAILS:
LING 111 introduces linguistics through the medium of the English language. Linguistics is likely to be a new subject for many of you and I think you will like it a lot. You’ll learn about where words come from and how and why their meanings and forms change. We’ll consider the historical context in which English and its ancestral languages are, and were, spoken and how this context shapes English vocabulary today.
The things you’ll learn in LING 111 will help you to build vocabulary and enhance your reading ability and expressive power. Here’s where you’ll discover how words may evolve street meanings quite different from their traditional dictionary meanings. You’ll also learn how dictionaries are created and how key words in fields that you’ll be majoring in have come to look and sound the way that they do.
Practical issues like translation and interpretation feature in this course, too. Finally, toward the end of LING 111, we will examine how technology, social media, and even typography impact modern English vocabulary. And no course of this kind would be complete without a look at the influence of World Englishes — English as it is spoken in different parts of the world — and how these varieties influence the vocabulary of one another.
Grading
- 2 Midterms (15%) each 30%
- Assignments 25%
- iClicker quizzes (5 @ 2% each) 10%
- Final Exam 30%
- FASS Forward Initiative Participation 5%
NOTES:
| NOTE: STUDENTS WITH CREDIT FOR LING 110-3 MAY NOT TAKE THIS COURSE FOR FURTHER CREDIT. |
1. Students should familiarize themselves with the Department’s Standards on Class Management and Student Responsibilities at http://www.sfu.ca/linguistics/undergraduate/standards.html.
2. A grade of “FD” may be assigned as a penalty for academic dishonesty.
3. Students’ requests for accommodation of their religious practices must be made in writing by the end of the first week of classes or no later than one week after a student adds a course.
4. Students requiring accommodations as the result of a disability must contact the Centre for Students with Disabilities (778.782.3112 or csdo@sfu.ca).
Materials
REQUIRED READING:
— Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary. 2003. [11th edition] ISBN 0877798095. Necessary for assignments.
— A weekly slide deck will be available for download from the course Canvas site beginning in September 2017. New installments will be posted at regular intervals.
— i>Clicker. Any model will work.
Registrar Notes:
SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://students.sfu.ca/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating. Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.
Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community. Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS