{"id":5,"date":"2012-01-13T18:52:23","date_gmt":"2012-01-13T23:52:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ling-blogs.bu.edu\/lxtemplate\/?page_id=4"},"modified":"2012-09-06T18:09:40","modified_gmt":"2012-09-06T22:09:40","slug":"about","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/ling-blogs.bu.edu\/lx504f12\/about\/","title":{"rendered":"Course information"},"content":{"rendered":"

Meeting time:<\/strong> M 4-7, CAS 114A<\/p>\n

Instructor:<\/strong> Peter Alrenga
\nEmail:<\/strong> palrenga@bu.edu (preferred)
\nPhone: <\/strong>(617) 353-6221
\nOffice:<\/strong> 621 Commonwealth Ave., Rm. 110
\nOffice Hours:<\/strong> Tu 4-6pm, F 12-1pm (and by appointment)<\/p>\n

Prerequisite:<\/strong>\u00a0The prerequisite for this course is LX 502, \u201cSemantics I\u201c.\u00a0 Our readings and class discussions will presuppose a familiarity with the material covered in that class.<\/p>\n

Course Description:\u00a0<\/strong>The study of linguistic meaning comprises two disciplines:\u00a0 semantics<\/em>, the study of the conventional meanings carried by words and sentences, and pragmatics<\/em>, the study of how speakers use words and sentences to convey meaning.\u00a0 This course surveys several core issues in pragmatics.\u00a0 We will be particularly concerned this semester with the interaction between pragmatics and semantics, exploring the numerous ways in which the truth-conditional meaning of a sentence interacts with the context in which it is uttered.\u00a0 Our goals will be (i) to determine the extent to which these interactions are regular and well-defined, and (ii) to arrive at a more precise understanding of what constitutes an utterance context, and how various types of utterances may affect it.\u00a0 Along the way, we will also consider the relevance of pragmatic theory to other disciplines, such as cognitive psychology and the law.<\/p>\n

Reading:\u00a0<\/strong>There is no textbook for this course.\u00a0 Throughout the semester, we will read several foundational articles from the pragmatics literature, along with excerpted chapters from various pragmatics textbooks.\u00a0 Individual reading assignments will be distributed to students as PDFs available from the course website.<\/p>\n

Attendance & Participation:<\/strong>\u00a0Regular attendance is required for a passing grade in this course, and participation in class discussions is expected.\u00a0 Together, attendance and participation will account for 5% of your overall grade.<\/p>\n

Group Presentation:\u00a0<\/strong>Each of you will participate in one group presentation during the semester, in which your group will provide a comprehensive overview of one of the week\u2018s readings.\u00a0 These will take place on September 24, October 9 (Tues.), October 15, November 12 and November 19.\u00a0 The presentation will constitute 10% of your overall grade.<\/p>\n

Reading Responses:<\/strong>\u00a0 Throughout the semester, you will submit five reading responses, in which you will summarize that week\u2019s reading:\u00a0 what are the issues, what are the core proposals, and what arguments are advanced to support those proposals? Usually, I will pose specific questions about the reading, around which your discussion should be organized.\u00a0 Your responses need not be long (one single-spaced page of concise, targeted prose might suffice), but they should be thorough.\u00a0 The responses will constitute 35% of your overall grade.<\/p>\n

Problem Sets:<\/strong>\u00a0 You will also complete three problem sets during the semester.\u00a0 The problem sets will cover material from the readings and our class discussions.\u00a0 At times, you will also be asked to apply your understanding of this material to novel types of problems.\u00a0 Together, the problem sets will constitute 25% of your overall grade.<\/p>\n

Final Paper:\u00a0 <\/strong>You will also write and present a short paper (6-9 pages) on a topic in pragmatics.\u00a0 Depending on your interests, this might involve the description and analysis of some pragmatic phenomenon (perhaps in a language other than English), or an extended discussion of some paper(s) from the pragmatics literature that we have not already read.\u00a0 A one-page topic proposal will be due on Monday, November 19.\u00a0 On Monday, December 10, you will briefly present your paper to the rest of the class.\u00a0 The paper itself will be due at 12pm on Friday, December 21. The final paper will constitute 25% of your overall grade.<\/p>\n

Academic Conduct:<\/strong> You are expected to abide by Boston University\u2019s Academic Conduct Code (accessible at http:\/\/www.bu.edu\/academics\/resources\/academic-conduct-code\/<\/a>).\u00a0 Plagiarism in any form (including online sources) and other academic misconduct will not be tolerated.<\/p>\n

Late Policy:<\/strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>It is your responsibility to bring any potential scheduling conflicts to my attention promptly, so that alternative arrangements can be made.\u00a0 In the absence of any such prior arrangements, late work will not be accepted.<\/p>\n


\n<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Meeting time: M 4-7, CAS 114A Instructor: Peter Alrenga Email: palrenga@bu.edu (preferred) Phone: (617) 353-6221 Office: 621 Commonwealth Ave., Rm. 110 Office Hours: Tu 4-6pm, F 12-1pm (and by appointment) Prerequisite:\u00a0The prerequisite for this course is LX 502, \u201cSemantics I\u201c.\u00a0 Our readings and class discussions will presuppose a familiarity with the material covered in that …<\/p>\n

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