course syllabus - UCLA Summer Sessions Online Courses

LINGUISTICS 1 – Introduction to Study of Language (5 units)
Professor Russell Schuh (schuh@humnet.ucla.edu)
UCLA Department of Linguistics
THIS SYLLABUS IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
Class Website: http://online.ucla.edu
Objectives/Course Description
The most complex ability and set of facts that any human being ever acquires is the
(implicit) knowledge of a native language. This course examines what the nature of
language is, how the science of linguistics analyzes language data, and how language is
integrated within culture and history. Everyone speaks a language and everyone is
interested in language at some level. We all notice different accents, we all are aware of
“grammatical mistakes” that we and others make, and we all make and understand jokes
and play games that use language in clever ways. Language is a continual object of
interest in newspapers, magazines, radio, and television. This course will use such
materials as a source of data for analysis and, in some cases, as a way to draw attention to
myths about language which many, if not most people believe.
The course will be organized around the main text, The Language Instinct. This book has
been a bestseller and can be found in virtually any bookstore, yet the author, Steven
Pinker, is a respected linguist, and although the book is written for a popular audience, it
presents a serious picture of language as viewed by many linguists (I can’t say all
linguists—linguists have diverse ways of looking at things!).
Course content will be present as a combination of lectures and videos. The videos will
parallel the chapters in The Language Instinct. Lectures will expand on themes in the
textbook and the videos. You will be responsible for information from all three sources—
textbook, videos, lectures—in multiple choice quizzes, written essays, a short paper, and
in the final examination.
How Class Works
Students can watch lectures via mobile device or desktop browser. Reading assignments
accompany most lectures. Online quizzes, written essays, a short paper, and a final exam
determine the final grade.
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Required Texts
1 – Course Reader, available for download from http://study.net
This reader outlines all the lectures and includes discussion questions. In order for
students to get the online course reader, they will have to go directly to http://study.net
and register. As part of the registration process, students are asked to select a school.
Choose University of California, Los Angeles. After registering, students will then be
asked to choose the course they are taking – in this case, Linguistics 1. Please follow the
additional steps on the site to purchase and download the course reader.
2 – Steven Pinker, The Language Instinct, Harper Perennial, 1994. [Perennial Classics
edition, 2000, 2007]
The content of all these editions is identical. The page numbers in the 1994 edition are different from
the pages in the 2000 and 2007 editions (the latter two are identical in all respects). Page numbers in
the course syllabus, lecture notes, and assignments will refer to the 2000/2007 editions. You can use
the 1994 edition as long as you are aware that you may need to look at pages different from those in
the course materials.
The Pinker book is available at the UCLA Bookstore, most large bookstores, and from
online booksellers such as Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
Screenings
Required films/videos can be streamed from the class website.
Assignments
Quizzes: There will be an online quiz for each of the 11 lessons (Lessons 10 and 11 will
be combined into a single quiz). Quizzes consist of 10 multiple choice, single correct
answer questions. Quizzes become available on the course website on the Friday
preceding the week when the relevant lessons are covered (Monday of the first week for
Lesson 1) and are due by 11:59 pm PDT on the Sunday following the week for those
lessons. If you do not submit a quiz within the given window, you will not receive credit
for it. Once quizzes have been graded, an answer key will be posted. The three lowest
quiz scores will be dropped in calculating the course grade (see below).
Essays: An "Essay" in Linguistics 1 consists of two short answer questions related to an
individual lesson. Responses to each question can be no longer than 150 words. A total of
9 essays are assigned in weeks 1 through 5. None are assigned in week 6. The purpose of
the essays is to allow students to succinctly demonstrate that they understand
fundamental concepts. The lowest essay score is dropped when calculating your final
grade. Week one's assignment can be downloaded on the first day of class. Subsequent
assignments are available on Fridays. Assignments are due Sundays at 11:59 PDT.
Assignments are submitted via Turnitin. Keys are posted when assignments are due.
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Paper: You will write a paper of 4-6 pages (typed, double spaced, 12-point type), due by
Friday of the sixth week. The paper is to be submitted via Turnitin. See the class website
for topic and instructions.
Final Exam: The final exam is timed, multiple choice (80 questions), and cumulative for
the entire course. It is an open book and open note exam and will be given the last day of
class. The exam can be taken one of two ways: 1) on campus, proctored traditionally in a
classroom, and 2) through ProctorU, a third-party service that allows students to take
their exam at home through the use of a home computer with Internet connection and a
webcam.
The three-hour exam will be administered on campus on Friday, August 2 at an hour and
in a room to be announced. Students who take the exam through ProctorU have three
hours to complete the exam within a 24-hour window (to accommodate different time
zones). The exam will be available through ProctorU beginning Friday, August 2 at 12:01
am PDT and must be completed by 11:59 pm PDT. This means that students must start
the exam by 8:59 pm PDT in order to meet the deadline.
ProctorU charges $33.75, payable directly to that service prior to the start of the test.
More information about ProctorU can be found at the end of this syllabus and also at:
http://www.proctoru.com/
TA Review Sessions
TA Review Sessions are one-hour, live meetings led by Teaching Assistants during
which students have the opportunity to further review course material and to ask their
TAs course-related questions.
Review Sessions are conducted through the course website, and do not require students to
purchase any special hardware or software. Teaching Assistants will appear by live video
feed, and students will interact with them using text chat.
There will be three Review Session opportunities each week for each TA on days/times
listed on the class website. Students can choose to attend any number of sessions per
week.
Academic Integrity
Any written assignment must be solely the work of the student who turns it in. Compiling
a written assignment by pasting together extracts from websites is unacceptable and is a
form of plagiarism. ALL WRITTEN WORK MUST BE SUBMITTED THROUGH
TURNITIN. The course website will explain how to do this.
UCLA’s policies on academic integrity and student conduct may be found at:
http://www.studentgroups.ucla.edu/dos/students/integrity/
http://www.studentgroups.ucla.edu/dos/students/conduct/
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Grade Breakdown
Your final grade is calculated as follows:
Total points % of grade
Quizzes: 10 X 10 points each, lowest three scores dropped 70 points 25%
Essays: X 9, lowest score dropped 80 points 25%
Paper 40 points 20%
Final Exam 80 points 30%
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SCHEDULE
Note: Lecture videos and film/video screenings should be viewed in the order listed on
this syllabus.
Week One
Lesson 1:
Introduction
Videos: Lecture: Introduction, Part 1
Lecture: Introduction, Part 2
Screening: Discovering the Human Language: Colorless Green Ideas
(The Human Language Series #1)
Reading: The Language Instinct, Chapters 1-3 (except pp. 64-69)
Course Reader, pp. 9-23
Quiz:
Due Sunday at 11:59 pm PDT
Essay: Covers Lesson 1; due Sunday at 11:59 pm PDT
Week Two
Lesson 2:
Syntax
Videos: Lecture: Syntax, Part 1
Lecture: Syntax, Part 2
Reading: The Language Instinct, Chapter 4
Course Reader, pp. 25-33
Quiz:
Due Sunday at 11:59 pm PDT
Lesson 3:
Morphology
Videos: Lecture: Morphology, Part 1
Lecture: Morphology, Part 2
Reading: The Language Instinct, Chapter 5
Course Reader, pp. 37-45
Quiz:
Due Sunday at 11:59 pm PDT
5

Essays: Cover Lessons 2-3; due Sunday at 11:59 pm PDT
Week Three
Lesson 4:
Phonetics
Videos: Lecture: Phonetics, Part 1
Lecture: Phonetics, Part 2
Reading: The Language Instinct, Chapter 6
Course Reader, pp. 49-58
Quiz:
Due Sunday at 11:59 pm PDT
Lesson 5:
Videos:
Change
Screening: In Search of the First Language (Nova)
Lecture: Change, Part 1
Lecture: Change, Part 2
Reading: The Language Instinct, Chapter 8 (skim pp. 232-241)
Course Reader, pp. 63-78
Quiz:
Due Sunday at 11:59 pm PDT
Essays: Cover Lessons 4-5; due Sunday at 11:59 pm PDT
Week Four
Lesson 6:
Videos:
Language Acquisition
Screening: Acquiring the Human Language: Playing the Language
Game (The Human Language Series #2)
Lecture: Language Acquisition, Part 1
Lecture: Language Acquisition, Part 2
Reading: The Language Instinct, Chapter 9
Course Reader, pp. 81-95
Quiz:
Due Sunday at 11:59 pm PDT
6

Lesson 7:
Language and the Brain
Videos: Lecture: Language and the Brain, Part 1
Lecture: Language and the Brain, Part 2
Lecture: Language and the Brain, Part 3
Optional Screening: The Mind: Language (outlined in Course Reader, pp. 99-104)
Reading: The Language Instinct, Chapters 9-10 (skip pp. 324-333)
Course Reader, pp. 99-117
Quiz:
Due Sunday at 11:59 pm PDT
Essays: Cover Lessons 6-7; due Sunday at 11:59 pm PDT
Week Five
Lesson 8:
Videos:
Animal Communication and Comparison with Human
Communication
Screening: The First Signs of Washoe
(outlined in Course Reader, pp. 123-128)
Lecture: Animal Communication, Part 1
Lecture: Animal Communication, Part 2
Reading: The Language Instinct, Chapter 11 (pp. 340-351)
Course Reader, pp. 123-133
Quiz:
Due Sunday at 11:59 pm PDT
Lesson 9:
The Origin of Language
Videos: Lecture: The Origin of Language, Part 1
Lecture: The Origin of Language, Part 2
Reading: The Language Instinct, Chapter 11 (pp. 351-381)
Course Reader, pp. 139-148
Quiz:
Due Sunday at 11:59 pm PDT
7

Essays: Cover Lessons 8-9; due Sunday at 11:59 pm PDT
Week Six
Lesson 10:
Videos:
Prescriptive Grammar
Lecture: Prescriptive Grammar
Reading: The Language Instinct, Chapter 12
Course Reader, pp. 153-158
Lesson 11:
Videos:
Obscenity
Lecture: Obscenity
Screening: George Carlin, Seven Dirty Words You Can Never Say on
Television
Reading: The Language Instinct, Chapter 12
Course Reader, pp. 165-167
Quiz:
Covers Lessons 10-11; due Friday at 6:00 pm PDT
Paper:
Due Friday at 6:00 pm PDT
Final Exam:
Covers all course content; available Friday at 12:01 am PDT and due at
11:59 pm PDT. Once the exam is begun, it must be completed within a
three-hour window.
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What We Do
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their assessment at any location while still ensuring the academic
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computer, you can take exams at home, at work, or anywhere you have
internet access.
Preparing for Your Exam
You can take exams through ProctorU seven days a week. You will be connected to a live person during your
exam that will be there to guide you through the process and assist with any technical problems. If you have
any questions, please call our proctor line at 205-870-8122.
Below is a quick list of procedures, followed by a more detailed explanation of the typical exam appointment.
Student Checklist
Your allotted exam time doesn’t begin until you are entered into the exam by your proctor.
Have your student or government issued-ID ready, as you will have to show it to your
proctor to verify your identity.
ProctorU will run an applet, or temporary program on your computer that will allow us to
view your screen and what programs are running during your exam session. This program
will expire once you close it. Please close all unnecessary programs before logging in to
ensure the best experience.
Test your equipment at www.proctoru.com/testitout before your appointment to ensure
everything works. Please see our technical requirements listed below.
Make sure you have a fast and reliable internet connection. If you are connected through an
intermittent WiFi connection, you may want to plug in directly to your modem, to avoid
disconnecting during your exam. If you lose connectivity, please continue the test and email
the course instructor immediately and call ProctorU at 205-870-8122.
Please turn off all cell phones and find a comfortable, quiet spot in a well-lit room. Try to put
light sources in front of you, such as windows or lamps, so they don’t cast shadows on your
face. Your proctor will need a clear view of your surroundings and face in order to grant
access to your exam.
If your Learning Management System allows, please remember to save each answer as you
go in case you lose connectivity or there is an error with the testing site.
Some course instructors allow scrap paper and others do not. If scrap paper is allowed be
prepared to show it to the proctor to ensure it is blank.
Taking Your Exam
ProctorU allows you to take your exam on demand or by appointment. All appointments should be made at
least 3 days in advance. To make an appointment, simply create an account at http://go.proctoru.com, or
your school’s ProctorU web portal, then log in, click on the “new exam” link and select the exam, date, and
time you desire. You will receive a confirmation email of your reservation at the email address that you
provided to ProctorU. Reservations made within 72 hours of your exam are subject to a $5 late reservation
fee. Students without an appointment can take their exam on demand within 15, 30 or 45 minutes utilizing
“Take it Now”. This premiere feature is designed to give test takers added convenience and only costs $8.75.
Late registrations and “Take it Now” are subject to availability.
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Real People. Real Proctoring.

Procedure
Plan ahead for your session. Make sure you have a quiet, private location in which to take the test.
The area and room around your computer will be scanned using a web cam prior to your exam, so all
non-authorized materials should be put away and the area should be clutter-free. If you are using a
public computer lab, you must have a web cam connection and use headphones, so you won’t disturb
others. You will also be required to show picture identification to your proctor at the time of your
exam. Approved forms of identification include, but are not limited to, a driver’s license, military
identification card, passport, or school-issued identification card. No breaks are allowed during your
testing session and cell phones and other devices will not be permitted in the testing area. No other
people are allowed in the area in which the test is being taken. Any unauthorized notes or other
attempts to cheat will abort the test session and will be reported to your instructor.
At the date and time of your appointment, return to http://go.proctoru.com, log in, and a message
will appear saying, “You have an exam. Click here to begin.” Click on this button and it will
automatically take you to the proctor page. Fill out your personal information and hit submit. You
will then be directed to a screen which will connect you to your proctor. Just follow the steps on the
screen and a proctor will be connected with you shortly.
Once connected, your designated proctor will walk you through the set up process and you will log
into your testing portal. Your proctor will also supply the password for your examination. Your exam
time will begin when the proctor enters the examination password on your screen. If you have any
problems connecting, please call ProctorU at 205-870-8122.
Technical Requirements
Students are responsible for meeting the following technical requirements:
A reliable computer running Windows XP (or higher) or Mac OS X 10 (or higher).
A web cam with 640x480 video pixel resolution or higher.
Headphones or working speakers connected to the computer.
A working microphone connected to the computer. We recommend a web cam that has a built in
microphone.
A web browser with Adobe Flash Player installed. We recommend Flash Player 11.
A reliable, high-speed internet connection.
The ability to allow video and screen-sharing connections to the computer you will be using to take your
exam.
Students can test their computer, web cam, and internet connection at www.ProctorU.com/Testitout.
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