Ling 324-Q Semantics
Spring 2012
Syllabus
Instructor: Nancy Hedberg
Office: RCB 9211
Office hours: Tues. 11:30-12:20, Fri. 12:30-1:20, and by appointment
Lectures: Tues. 10:30-11:20, SWH 10061; Thurs. 9:30-11:20, WMC 3535
Prerequisites: Ling 222
Email: hedberg@sfu.ca
Web page: www.sfu.ca/~hedberg
Course Description:
People use sentences to mean things: to convey information about themselves and about states of affairs in the world. This class provides an introduction to the study of how meaning is encoded and expressed in natural language. We will examine basic concepts in the study of formal aspects of meaning: e.g., compositional semantics, truth-functional connectives, and quantification in natural language. Basic formal tools and techniques in doing semantic analysis will be studied, supplemented by rigorous problem solving exercises. We will also discuss how formal aspects of meaning are distinguished from the pragmatic aspects of meaning: e.g., contextual dependence of meaning, speech acts and conversational implicature.
Readings:
Lectures notes, which can be downloaded from the instructorÕs website, are required reading.
Recommended course text: Meaning and Grammar, 2nd edition, 2000. Gennaro Chierchia and Sally McConnell-Ginet
Required material covered from the recommended course text will also be available on reserve at Bennett Library, Burnaby Campus:
Appendix: Set Theoretic Notation and Concepts: pp. 529-540.
Chapter 1: The Empirical Domain of Semantics: pp. 1-52.
Chapter 2: Denotation, Truth and Meaning: pp. 53-98.
Chapter 3: Quantification and Logical Form: pp. 113-173.
Required readings on pragmatics from Paul PortnerÕs What is Meaning:
Fundamentals of Formal Semantics is also available on reserve at Bennett
Library, Burnaby Campus.
Section 1.3.3: Semantic meaning versus speakerÕs meaning: pp. 24-25.
Chapter 10: The pragmatics of what is given.
Chapter 11: The pragmatics of inference
Tentative Course schedule:
Introduction: 1/5
Mathematical
Preliminaries: 1/5, 1/10, 1/12
(read ÒAppendix: Set Theoretic Notation and ConceptsÓ)
Assignment 1: Due 1/17
Methodological Preliminaries: 1/12, 1/17, 1/19 (read ÒThe Empirical Domain of SemanticsÓ)
(Presentations Assignment 1: 1/26
Introduction to
Propositional Logic: 1/24, 1/26 (begin reading ÒDenotation, Truth and
MeaningÓ)
Assignment 2: Due 2/2
Truth Conditional Meaning of Sentences: 1/31, 2/2, 2/7, 2/9 (finish reading ÒDenotation, Truth and MeaningÓ)
(Presentations Assignment 2: 2/9)
READING WEEK: NO CLASS:
2/14, 2/16
Assignment 3: Due 2/21
Pragmatics I: Gricean theory (Read Portner ch. 11): 2/21, 2/23
Grice
handout:: 2/21
Here is an on-line pdf of GriceÕs ÒLogic and
ConversationÓ: Highly recommended.
Preview of Midterm Exam: 2/23
(Presentations Assignment 3: 2/28)
MIDTERM EXAM: Thursday, 3/1
Cummings
poem handout (about the difference between
proper names and quantifiers)
Introduction to Predicate
Logic (begin reading ÒQuantification and Logical FormÓ): 3/6, 3/8, 3/13,
3/15 5 hours
Assignment 4: Due 3/20
Here is a picture of Frege
and a list of his contributions to our course.
Quantifier Scope Ambiguities in the Syntax (continue reading ÒQuantification and Logical FormÓ): 3/15
Truth Conditions of Quantified Sentences in English (finish reading ÒQuantification and Logical FormÓ): 3/20, 3/22, 3/27
Russell
handout (about definite descriptions): 3/27
(Presentations Assignment 4: 3/27)
Assignment 5 Due 3/29
Pragmatics II (read Portner ch. 1.3.3, ch. 10): 3/29, 4/3, 4/5
Steven Pinker on Indirect Speech Acts. (TO VIEW IN CLASS)
Barbara Partee on Is This a Good Time for Formal Semantics? (TO VIEW IN CLASS: WE DIDNÕT GET TO IT BUT I RECOMMEND THIS SHORT VIDEO)
David Kaplan: The Meaning of Ouch and Oops. (TOO LONG AND TOO TECHNICAL TO REVIEW IN CLASS PROBABLY: STILL RECOMMENDED)
(Presentations Assignment 5: 4/5)
Preview of Final Exam: 4/10
FINAL EXAM: Saturday, 4/14, 8:30-11:30 a.m.
Course Requirements:
Regular Homework Assignments: 15%
Presentation of homework: 5%
Midterm exam: 35%
Final exam: 45%
Grading:
Assignments will be graded on a …- (68%), …(84%) …+ (100%) basis. No late assignments will be accepted. Groups of up to 4 students may turn in an assignment as a group, with each member of the group receiving the same grade. Each student will be responsible for presenting the answer to part of an assignment once during the semester. The correct answers for the assignments will be conveyed through these presentations. Percentage scores on exams will be based on objective criteria guided by qualitative judgment, according to the following scale. Final letter course grades will be computed from total percentage scores on the basis of the same scale. Some of the exam questions will be essay questions; evaluation of these will depend on clear, concise, logical argumentation in proper academic English.
97-100 A+ Extraordinary performance
93-96 A Excellent performance
89-92 A-
85-88 B+
80-84 B Good performance
76-79 B-
72-75 C+
68-71 C Satisfactory performance
64-67 C-
50-63 D Marginal performance
< 50 F Unsatisfactory performance (fail)
General Expectations Concerning Student Behavior:
1. Students are expected to attend class every day.
2. Students are expected to have read the assigned readings before class. Because the readings and notes are sometimes complex, students are expected to read them multiple times.
3. Students are expected to bring the assigned notes to class.
4. Late assignments will not be accepted without prior approval from the instructor.
5. There will be no makeup exams. This is departmental policy.
6. Students are responsible for all materials in the assigned readings and lectures.
7. Academic dishonesty is forbidden. It will result in disciplinary action. Academic dishonesty includes cheating and plagiarism. For information on academic dishonesty visit the following website, http://www.sfu.ca/policies/teaching/index.htm
Students requiring accommodations as a result of a disability, must contact the Centre for Students with Disabilities (778-782-3112 or email to csdo@sfu.ca).