Meeting time. Tuesdays and Thursdays 3:30-5:00, KCB 201.

Instructor. Paul Hagstrom, 621 Commonwealth Ave., room 105. Email: hagstrom@bu.edu (likely to get a quick response). Phone: 617–353–6220 (x3–6220). Office hours: T5-6, W4-5, R10:30-11:30.

Prerequisites. CAS LX 250 (Foundations of Language), or consent of instructor.

Course description. Exploration of linguistic focus from several perspectives. Developing a theoretical understanding of how languages signal focus through syntax and intonation, and how focus interacts with semantics and pragmatics, we examine how diverse aspects of language knowledge interact as a system.

Course Requirements. Homework. Weekly homework assignments. Midterm exam. There will be an in-class midterm on Thursday, October 15. Final exam. There will be a final exam, the date will be posted when it is known.

Homework. Whenever feasible, homework can be emailed to me at hagstrom@bu.edu. Text-only is preferred, but you may also send PDF, RTF, or Microsoft Word files. Postscript files are less welcome, and don’t even bother sending Word Perfect files. Wherever email won’t work for any reason (e.g., for tree diagrams), homework can be turned in at the beginning of class. Be aware that if you use any special fonts, I may not be able to read your homework—be sure you know how to “include” nonstandard fonts (or send it to me early, so I can let you know if I was unable to read it).

Late assignments. Late assignments will not be accepted without prior arrangement.

Readings. There is no textbook for this course. Individual readings (articles, book chapters) will be assigned throughout the semester. These readings will be available in the hallway outside my office suite, in a folder labeled LX500. You may take the readings out for no more than an hour to make a personal photocopy, and then they should be returned to the folder so that others may photocopy them.

CAS Student Academic Conduct Code. As a member of a CAS course, it is essential that you read and adhere to the CAS Student Academic Conduct Code. In particular, several types of plagiarism (any attempt to represent the work of another as your own) are defined by this academic conduct code. You can read the CAS Academic Conduct Code online, or get a copy in CAS 105.