Hans C. Boas

Description

This course provides extensive insights into the structure and analysis of word meanings. Introducing Charles Fillmore’s theory of Frame Semantics, the first part of the course discusses the openness and richness of word meanings, reflecting the rich variety of human experiences. Consider words such as Tuesday, barber, and alimony. These words necessitate an understanding of concepts (or semantic frames) such as repeatable calendar events, grooming and hair, and marriage and divorce. By investigating the types of references to diverse practices, processes, and objects in the physical and social world, we learn how a theory of word meaning needs to include more than the small linguistically significant set of primitive concepts proposed by other linguists such as David Dowty, Ray Jackendoff, Beth Levin, James Pustejovsky, and Anna Wierzbicka.

The second part of the course presents the concept of a semantic frame as developed by Fillmore and his associates. Frames offer rich conceptual backgrounds against which word meanings are understood. Their primary role in an account of text understanding is to explain how our text interpretation can leap far beyond what the text literally says. They may be evoked by words such as alimony, or they may be introduced by patterns among the facts the text establishes. Consider the sentence We never open our presents until morning, which evokes the Christmas frame by describing a situation that matches salient facts of Christmas practice, even though no word in it is specific to Christmas. In this part of the course we learn (1) how frames are discovered and described, thereby providing an organizing principle for a rich open lexicon, (2) how they are distinguished from and linked to other frames (frame-to-frame relations), and (3) how frame-semantic information is syntactically relevant. More specifically, we apply Frame Semantics to discover (1) the kinds of syntactic constructions and valence patterns lexical meanings are compatible with, (2) the kinds of participants that become subjects and objects, (3) regular semantic patterns of oblique markings and valence alternations, and (4) Regular patterns of inference licensed by category, syntactic construction or closed class lexical item. Finally, we discover how semantic frames can be applied to cross-linguistic analysis.

The third part of the course employs the FrameNet database (http://framenet.icsi.berkeley.edu) to analyze the meaning of a given word as a network of interrelated senses. Some of these senses are more central, or basic, and others are less central, or peripheral. In this approach, the processes of metaphor and metonymy are central in describing the full range of meanings which a particular word can evoke. Finally, we look at how Frame Semantics integrates with Construction Grammar and how results from research in Frame Semantics have been applied in a variety of computational applications.

Rationale for cross-listing in Germanic Studies: The course deals with word meanings in a contrastive / comparative perspective. Cultural and linguistic concepts across different languages will be at the core of the course. As in the past, I expect the course to attract students from Linguistics, English, Spanish & Portuguese, Communication, and French & Italian.

Class format/ method of instruction: Class will be conducted in a discussion-style format with regular assignments and a final term paper. The course will be of greatest interest to students in Linguistics, English, Spanish & Portuguese, and French & Italian.

Course Objectives

The main objectives of the course are to:

-- analyze primary cross-linguistic data illustrating word meanings and the cultural concepts associated with them

-- critically investigate claims in the literature and detect empirical problems with them

-- learn about different theories of lexical semantics (word meaning)

-- learn how to present a conference-style paper

-- learn how to write a paper that can be submitted to a conference and an academic journal_____.

Course Outcomes

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

-- write and present papers on lexical semantics at academic conferences;

-- have the background to write a dissertation in the area of lexical semantics

-- critically engage with the existing literature

-- analyze linguistic data from a variety of typologically different languages

GRADING

Homework: 20%

One in-class presentation of book chapter / article: 20%

Final paper: 60% (Consists of (a) 5% bibliography; (b) 5% conference-style abstract; (c) 10% in-class presentation of final paper; (d) 10% first draft of final paper (8–15 pages); (e) 30% final paper (minimum of 25–30 pages, including bibliography))

The seminar will be conducted in English, with materials available in ­­­­English.

Readings/Films:

Cliff Goddard. 2011. Semantic Analysis. 2^nd edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Class reader on CANVAS (selection of relevant articles and book chapters).

Description

This course provides an introduction to the cultural aspects of German language variation (spatial, social, and chronological).  The course opens with an overview of the history of the German language in order to understand the roots of present-day varieties of German.  We will then discuss traditional German dialectology, as well as more sociolinguistically-oriented approaches to language.  From there, we will investigate the cultural status of various varieties of German within Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Luxembourg, as well as German language varieties overseas, in North America, Australia, and Africa.  In this context, we will also discuss German in contact with other languages, such as French, Danish, Russian, Hungarian, and English; and the cultural and linguistic results thereof; as well as the cultural and political status of German in officially multilingual societies like Switzerland and unofficially multilingual societies like Germany. 

We will see how differences in linguistic behavior attain social and cultural significance, how social and political developments (e.g. the division and reunification of Germany) can motivate linguistic and cultural change, and how people change their linguistic and cultural behavior when confronted with a different political or social environment.  Most importantly, we will come to understand the role of language in shaping culture and society in the German-speaking world. 

This course is taught in German. 

Prerequisite: Three semester hours of upper-division course-work in German with a grade of C or better.

Required Text

-Barbour, S. and Stevenson, P. 1998. Variation im Deutschen: Soziolinguistische Perspektiven. 

            Berlin: de Gruyter.

-Other readings will be posted on Blackboard. 

Course requirements and grading

Essays:            30%

Term paper:    40%

Quizzes:          15%

Participation: 15%

Essays:

You will write three brief (3-4 page) essays over the course of the semester.  Topics will be distributed at least one week in advance.  I will return your essay to you, with corrections and comments; you may then rewrite the essay and give me the final version within one week.  Both the original and final versions will be graded (50% for grammar and 50% for content); if you choose to rewrite the paper, the original version will count for 1/3 of the final grade, and the final version for 2/3.  You must include a list of sources (Literaturhinweise) at the end of the paper.

Term paper:

You will write an 8-10 page term paper.  You will also give a brief (5-10 minutes) in-class presentation on your term paper topic. 

Quizzes:

Four quizzes will be given in class over the course of the semester.  They will invite your comments on readings and discussions, and will be given at the beginning of class.  Your lowest quiz grade will be dropped.  The instructor also reserves the right to give short quizzes, both announced and unannounced, about the material we have read and discussed.

Participation:

Participation includes attendance, asking questions, answering my questions, and taking part in class discussions.  Attendance is crucial.  Unexcused absences will result in poor grades for participation!  Absences will be unexcused except in cases of documented emergency (normally medical or family).  You will need to sign in at the beginning of each class.  Please notify me as soon as possible by e-mail or phone if it is necessary for you to be absent from class.  In accordance with University of Texas policy, you may be excused from class to participate in religious observances and official obligations like club or varsity sports.  In such cases, written documentation must be presented to the instructor at least one week before the absence takes place.

Participation grade profiles:          

A:        volunteers frequently and is well-prepared

B:        volunteers several times and is well-prepared

C:        does not usually volunteer but is usually well-prepared

D:        does not volunteer and is generally poorly prepared

F:         consistently unprepared

Language in class

The language of essays, written exercises, and class discussions is German.  If you find yourself in a linguistic bind, swamped by German syntax, or at a loss for a German word, feel free to make a temporary switch to English.  You will not be penalized for resorting to English, although you should do your best to avoid it.  

Description

This course deals with the dynamics underlying language contact and language death.  The first part of the course reviews the principles of language contact and the different results of language shift. The second part of the course is concerned with theoretical constructs used to describe and analyze the different linguistic mechanisms and socio-political causes underlying language death around the world.

The third part of the course applies the models discussed in the first two parts of the course to the description and analysis of Texas German, an endangered dialect that will go extinct within the next 30 years (see http://www.tgdp.org). First, we review older analyses of Texas German in order to understand the structure of Texas German as it was spoken fifty years ago. Then, we learn how to conduct linguistic field interviews. Starting with a controlled environment of informants (room mates, relatives, friends), students learn how to elicit data using lists of English words, phrases, and sentences. If students like to participate, they are taken by the instructor on a fieldtrip where they observe and conduct linguistic interviews with some of the remaining speakers of Texas German.

During the fourth part of the course we analyze recordings of Texas German and compare relevant morphological, phonological, and syntactic properties of Texas German with data recorded five decades ago. Finally, students identify a particular linguistic phenomenon in Texas German that they want to analyze and describe its distribution among the data they have collected. If students are interested, we will also compare and contrast Texas German data with data from other languages that are in contact with English in Texas such as Czech, Spanish, Swedish, and Kickapoo.

No knowledge of German required. This course is taught in English. All reading materials are in English.

GRADING

(1) Homework: 20%;

 (2) Two in-class presentations of paper or book chapter: 20%;

 (3) Final paper: 60% (5% bibliography, 10% abstract, 10% in-class presentation of final paper, 5% first draft of final paper, 30% final paper).

Readings/Films:

Boas, H.C. (2009): The Life and Death of Texas German. Duke University Press.

Clyne, M. (2003): Dynamics of Language Contact. Cambridge University Press.

Class Reader on Blackboard/Canvas

Description

This course provides extensive insights into the structure and analysis of word meanings. Introducing Charles Fillmore’s theory of Frame Semantics, the first part of the course discusses the openness and richness of word meanings, reflecting the rich variety of human experiences. Consider words such as Tuesday, barber, and alimony. These words necessitate an understanding of concepts (or semantic frames) such as repeatable calendar events, grooming and hair, and marriage and divorce. By investigating the types of references to diverse practices, processes, and objects in the physical and social world, we learn how a theory of word meaning needs to include more than the small linguistically significant set of primitive concepts proposed by other linguists such as David Dowty, Ray Jackendoff, Beth Levin, James Pustejovsky, and Anna Wierzbicka.

The second part of the course presents the concept of a semantic frame as developed by Fillmore and his associates. Frames offer rich conceptual backgrounds against which word meanings are understood. Their primary role in an account of text understanding is to explain how our text interpretation can leap far beyond what the text literally says. They may be evoked by words such as alimony, or they may be introduced by patterns among the facts the text establishes. Consider the sentence We never open our presents until morning, which evokes the Christmas frame by describing a situation that matches salient facts of Christmas practice, even though no word in it is specific to Christmas. In this part of the course we learn (1) how frames are discovered and described, thereby providing an organizing principle for a rich open lexicon, (2) how they are distinguished from and linked to other frames (frame-to-frame relations), and (3) how frame-semantic information is syntactically relevant. More specifically, we apply Frame Semantics to discover (1) the kinds of syntactic constructions and valence patterns lexical meanings are compatible with, (2) the kinds of participants that become subjects and objects, (3) regular semantic patterns of oblique markings and valence alternations, and (4) Regular patterns of inference licensed by category, syntactic construction or closed class lexical item. Finally, we discover how semantic frames can be applied to cross-linguistic analysis.

The third part of the course employs the FrameNet database (http://framenet.icsi.berkeley.edu) to analyze the meaning of a given word as a network of interrelated senses. Some of these senses are more central, or basic, and others are less central, or peripheral. In this approach, the processes of metaphor and metonymy are central in describing the full range of meanings which a particular word can evoke. Finally, we look at how Frame Semantics integrates with Construction Grammar and how results from research in Frame Semantics have been applied in a variety of computational applications.

Class format/ method of instruction: Class will be conducted in a seminar format with discussions of primary texts, analysis of corpus data, and solving data sets. The course will be of greatest interest to students in Germanic Studies, Linguistics, English, French & Italian, and Spanish & Portuguese.

Course Objectives

The main objectives of the course are to:

-- learn the main principles of the theory of Frame Semantics and compare them with other prominent theories of lexical semantics

-- learn how to analyze, explain, and systematize word meanings;

-- learn how to apply this knowledge to foreign language teaching, computational linguistics, literary analysis, and cultural anthropology;

-- learn how to conduct independent research using electronic text corporal and large lexical databases;

-- learn how to write conference abstracts and how to deliver conference papers;

-- learn how to write research papers.

Course Outcomes

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

-- analyze word meanings according to different lexical semantic theories;

-- use a variety of on-line text corpora and lexical databases to solve questions in a variety of research fields;

-- apply this knowledge to determine how knowledge of word meaning is important in different disciplines.

GRADING

(1) Homework: 20% (2) One in-class presentation of book chapter / article: 20% (3) Final paper: 60% (Consists of (a) 5% bibliography; (b) 5% conference-style abstract; (c) 10% in-class presentation of final paper; (d) 10% first draft of final paper (8–15 pages); (e) 30% final paper (minimum of 25–30 pages, including bibliography))

The seminar will be conducted in ENGLISH, with materials available in ENGLISH. No knowledge of German required.

Readings:

Atkins, B.T.S., C.J. Fillmore, and C. R. Johnson (2003). Lexicographic relevance: Selecting information from corpus evidence. International Journal of Lexicography 16.3, 251–280.

Baker, C., Fillmore, C.J., & Cronin, B. (2003).”The structure of the FrameNet database,” in: International Journal of Lexicography 16.3, 281–296.

Baker, C. F., and J. Ruppenhofer (2002). FrameNet’s Frames vs. Levin’s Verb Classes. Proceedings of the 28th Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society, eds. J. Larson and M. Paster, 27–38. Berkeley: UC Linguistics Department.

Boas, H.C. (2005). From Theory to Practice: Frame Semantics and the Design of FrameNet. Semantik im Lexikon. Ed. S. Langer and D. Schnorbusch. Tübingen: Narr. 129–160.

Boas, H.C. (2006). A frame-semantic approach to identifying syntactically relevant elements of meaning. In P. Steiner, H.C. Boas H.C., & S. Schierholz (Eds.), Contrastive Studies and Valency. Studies in Honor of Hans Ulrich Boas (119–149). Frankfurt/New York: Peter Lang.

Boas, Hans C. (2007). Construction Grammar in the twenty-first century. English Language and Linguistics 11.3, 569–585.

Boas, Hans C. (2008a). The Structure of Lexical Entries and Grammatical Constructions in Construction Grammar.” Annual Review of Cognitive Linguistics 6, 113–144.

Boas, Hans C. (2008b).  Towards a frame-constructional approach to verb classification. In: Eulalia Sosa Acevedo and Francisco José Cortés Rodríguez (eds.), Grammar, Constructions, and Interfaces. Special Issue of Revista Canaria de Estudios Ingleses 57, 17-48.

Boas, H.C. (2009a). Recent trends in multilingual lexicography. In: H.C. Boas. (ed.), Multilingual FrameNets in Computational Lexicography: Methods and Applications. Berlin/New York: Mouton de Gruyter. 1–34.

Boas, H.C. (2009b). Semantic frames as interlingual representationas for multilingual lexical databases. In: H.C. Boas (ed.), Multilingual FrameNets in Computational Lexicography: Methods and Applications. Berlin/New York: Mouton de Gruyter. 59–100.

Boas, H.C. (2010). The syntax-lexicon continuum in Construction Grammar. Belgian Journal of Linguistics 24, 54-82.

Boas, H.C. (2011). A frame-semantic approach to syntactic alternations with build-verbs. In: P. Guerrero Meida (ed.), Morphosyntactic alternations in English (207-234). London: Equinox.

Croft, W. (2009). Connecting frames and constructions. Constructions and Frames 1.1, 7-28.

Croft, W. and A. Cruse (2004). Cognitive Linguistics. Cambridge: CUP.

Cruse, A. (1986). Lexical Semantics. Cambridge: CUP.

Fellbaum, C. (1998).  A semantic network of English verbs. In: C. Fellbaum (ed.), WordNet. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press. 69–104.

Fillmore, C. J. (1975). An Alternative to Checklist Theories of Meaning. Proceeedings of the First Annual Meeting, Berkeley Linguistics Society: 123–31.

Fillmore, C. J. (1976). Frame Semantics and the Nature of Language. Origins and Evolution of Language and Speech, eds. S. R. Harnad, et al., 20–32. New York: New York Academy of Sciences.

Fillmore, C.J. (1977). Topics in Lexical Semantics. In P. Cole (Ed.), Current Issues in Linguistic Theory (76–136). Bloomington: Indiana University Press.

Fillmore, C. J. (1978). On the Organization of Semantic Information in the Lexicon. Papers from the Parasession on the Lexicon, eds. D. Frakas, et al., 148–73. Chicago: Chicago Linguistic Society.

Fillmore, C.J. (1982). Frame Semantics. In Linguistic Society of Korea (Ed.), Linguistics in the Morning Calm (111–138). Seoul: Hanshin.

Fillmore, C. J. (1991). “Corpus linguistics” or “computer-aided armchair linguistics.” In: J. Svartvik (ed.), Directions in corpus linguistics: proceedings of Nobel Symposium. Berlin/New York: Mouton De Gruyter. 35–60.

Fillmore, C.J. (1985). Frames and the semantics of understanding. Quadernie di Semantica 6(2), 222–254.

Fillmore, C. J. (2003a). Organization of semantic information in the lexicon. In: C.F. Fillmore, Language Form, Meaning, and Practice. Stanford: CSLI Publications.

Fillmore, C. J. (2003b). Topics in lexical semantics. In: C.F. Fillmore, Language Form, Meaning, and Practice. Stanford: CSLI Publications.

Fillmore, C. J. (2007). Valency issues in FrameNet. In: T. Herbst, K. Götz-Vetteler (eds.), Valency: theoretical, descriptive, and cognitive issues. Berlin/New York: Mouton de Gruyter. 129–160.

Fillmore, C.J. (2008). Border Conflicts: FrameNet meets Construction Grammar. Plenary Lecture at EURALEX XIII, Barcelona, Spain.

Fillmore, C.J. (2009). A valency dictionary of English. Review Article. International Journal of Lexicography 22.1, 55–85.

Fillmore, C. J., and B. T. Atkins. (1992). Toward a Frame-based Lexicon: The Semantics of RISK and its Neighbors. Frames, Fields and Contrasts: New Essays in Semantic and Lexical Organization, eds. A. Lehrer and E. Kittay, 75–102. Hillsdale: Erlbaum.

Fillmore, C.J., & Atkins, B.T.S. (2000). Describing Polysemy: The Case of Crawl. In Y. Ravin & C. Laecock (Eds.), Polysemy (91-110). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Fillmore, C.J. and C.F. Baker (2010). A frame approach to semantic analysis. In B. Heine & H. Narrog (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Linguistic Analysis (313-340). Oxford: OUP.

Fillmore, C.J., Johnson, C.R., & Petruck, M.R.L. (2003). Background to FrameNet. International Journal of Lexicography 16(3), 235–250.

Fillmore, C.J., Lee-Goldman, R., & R. Rhomieux (2012): The FrameNet Constructicon. In: H. C. Boas and I. A. Sag (eds.), Sign-based Construction Grammar, 309-372. Stanford: CSLI Publications.

Goddard, C. (2006). Ethnopragmatics: a new paradigm. In: C. Goddard (ed.), Ethnopragmatics. Berlin/New York: Mouton de Gruyter. 1–30.

Goddard, C. (2009). Cultural scripts. In: G. Senft (ed.), Language and Culture. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.

Goddard, C. (2010). The Natural Semantic Metalanguage Approach. In: B. Heine & H. Narrog (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Linguistic Analysis (459-489). Oxford: OUP.

Goddard, C. (2011). Semantic Analysis. 2nd edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Hasegawa, Yoko, Russell Lee-Goldman, Albert Kong and Kimi Akita (2011). FrameNet as a resource for paraphrase research. In: Constructions and Frames 3.1, 104–127 

Herbst, T., D. Heath, I. Roe, and D. Götz (2004). A valency dictionary of English. Berlin/New York: Mouton de Gruyter.

Levin, B. (1993). English Verb Classes and Alternations. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Levin, B. and M. Rappaport Hovav (2005).  Argument Realization. Cambridge: CUP.

Lyngfelt, B. (2012). Re-thinking FNI. On null instantiation and control in Construction Grammar. In: Constructions and Frames 4.1, 1–23.

Moore, K. Ezra (2011). Frames and the experiential basis of the Moving Time Metaphor. In: Constructions and Frames 3.1, 80–103.

Murphy, M. Lynne (2010). Lexical Meaning. Cambridge: CUP.

Nemoto, N. (2009): In: H. Iwasaki and M. Osawa (eds.), Tsukuba English Studies. A Festschrift in Honor of Yasuaki Fujiwara 29, 79–96. Tsukuba: Tsukuba English Linguistic Society.

Petruck, M. (1996). Frame Semantics. In J. Verschueren, J.-O. Östman, J. Blommaert, & C. Bulcaen (Eds.), Handbook of Pragmatics (1–13). Amsterdam and Philadelphia: Benjamins.

Ruppenhofer, J., et al. (2010): FrameNet II: Extended Theory and Practice. Technical Report, International Computer Science Institute, Berkeley. [http://framenet.icsi.berkeley.edu]

Ruppenhofer, J. and L. Michaelis (2010). A constructional account of genre-based argument omissions. In: Constructions and Frames 2.2, 158–184.

Schmidt, T. (2009). Kicktionary. A multilingual lexical resource for football language. In: H.C. Boas (ed.), Multilingual FrameNets in Computational Lexicography: Methods and Applications. Berlin/New York: Mouton de Gruyter. 101–134.

Snell-Hornby, M. (1983). Verb-descriptivity in English and German. Heidelberg: Carl Winter.

Sweep, J. (2010). A frame-semantic approach to logical metonymy. In: Constructions and Frames 2.1., 1–32.

Taylor, J. (1996). On running and jogging. Cognitive Linguistics 7, 21–34.

Vossen, P. (1998). Introduction to EuroWordNet. In: P. Bouilloon and F. Busa (eds.), The language of word meaning. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 363–383.

Description

This course provides an introduction to the cultural aspects of German language variation (spatial, social, and chronological).  The course opens with an overview of the history of the German language in order to understand the roots of present-day varieties of German.  We will then discuss traditional German dialectology, as well as more sociolinguistically-oriented approaches to language.  From there, we will investigate the cultural status of various varieties of German within Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Luxembourg, as well as German language varieties overseas, in North America, Australia, and Africa.  In this context, we will also discuss German in contact with other languages, such as French, Danish, Russian, Hungarian, and English; and the cultural and linguistic results thereof; as well as the cultural and political status of German in officially multilingual societies like Switzerland and unofficially multilingual societies like Germany. 

We will see how differences in linguistic behavior attain social and cultural significance, how social and political developments (e.g. the division and reunification of Germany) can motivate linguistic and cultural change, and how people change their linguistic and cultural behavior when confronted with a different political or social environment.  Most importantly, we will come to understand the role of language in shaping culture and society in the German-speaking world. 

This course is taught in German. 

Prerequisite: Three semester hours of upper-division course-work in German with a grade of C or better.

Required Text

-Barbour, S. and Stevenson, P. 1998. Variation im Deutschen: Soziolinguistische Perspektiven. 

            Berlin: de Gruyter.

-Other readings will be posted on Blackboard. 

Course requirements and grading

Essays:            30%

Term paper:    40%

Quizzes:          15%

Participation: 15%

Essays:

You will write three brief (3-4 page) essays over the course of the semester.  Topics will be distributed at least one week in advance.  I will return your essay to you, with corrections and comments; you may then rewrite the essay and give me the final version within one week.  Both the original and final versions will be graded (50% for grammar and 50% for content); if you choose to rewrite the paper, the original version will count for 1/3 of the final grade, and the final version for 2/3.  You must include a list of sources (Literaturhinweise) at the end of the paper.

Term paper:

You will write an 8-10 page term paper.  You will also give a brief (5-10 minutes) in-class presentation on your term paper topic. 

Quizzes:

Four quizzes will be given in class over the course of the semester.  They will invite your comments on readings and discussions, and will be given at the beginning of class.  Your lowest quiz grade will be dropped.  The instructor also reserves the right to give short quizzes, both announced and unannounced, about the material we have read and discussed.

Participation:

Participation includes attendance, asking questions, answering my questions, and taking part in class discussions.  Attendance is crucial.  Unexcused absences will result in poor grades for participation!  Absences will be unexcused except in cases of documented emergency (normally medical or family).  You will need to sign in at the beginning of each class.  Please notify me as soon as possible by e-mail or phone if it is necessary for you to be absent from class.  In accordance with University of Texas policy, you may be excused from class to participate in religious observances and official obligations like club or varsity sports.  In such cases, written documentation must be presented to the instructor at least one week before the absence takes place.

Participation grade profiles:          

A:        volunteers frequently and is well-prepared

B:        volunteers several times and is well-prepared

C:        does not usually volunteer but is usually well-prepared

D:        does not volunteer and is generally poorly prepared

F:         consistently unprepared

Language in class

The language of essays, written exercises, and class discussions is German.  If you find yourself in a linguistic bind, swamped by German syntax, or at a loss for a German word, feel free to make a temporary switch to English.  You will not be penalized for resorting to English, although you should do your best to avoid it.  

Description:

This course is designed to introduce graduate students to the formal and functional study of the German language. At the beginning of the course, we will be concerned with the structural properties (‘building blocks’) of German: phonetics & phonology (the study of speech sounds and how to put them together), morphology (the analysis of words), syntax (the analysis of sentences and their construction), and semantics (the meanings of words and sentences). In this part of the course, we will focus on formal descriptions of sounds, words, and sentences and we will learn about rule systems that can be used to describe these ‘building blocks’ of the German language. The primary focus of this course is on Standard German. Throughout the semester we will also compare and contrast the linguistic structures of Standard German with those of Texas German as documented by the Texas German Dialect Project (http://www.tgdp.org), an on-going research project on the structure of Texas German. At the same time, we will pay special attention to contrastive linguistic issues, i.e. the structural differences between English, Standard German, and Texas German.

During the last weeks of the course we will take a look at a number of sociolinguistic issues. We will consider regional, social, and gender factors which influence language use, as well as attitudes toward different language varieties and the speakers who use them. Topics to be discussed will include (but are not limited to) regional dialects (Swabian, Low German, Swiss German, Texas German), language contact, "Gastarbeiterdeutsch" (foreign worker’s German), differences in language use between men and women, and political language in East vs. West Germany. This course is taught in English. Reading knowledge of German is recommended.

Required Readings:

 Fox, Anthony. 2005. The Structure of German. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Class Reader.

Evaluation:

(1)  Homework (due on the day noted in the schedule): 20%

(2)  Three in-class presentations of book chapters / articles (10% each). Two single class presentations of materials (in italics in course schedule), one joint-presentation of materials (in italics and bold in course schedule): 30%

(3)  Final paper (15-20 pages): 50%.

Language Contact and Language Death in Texas

GER 393  / LIN 383

Instructor: Hans C. Boas

- Course taught in English, All readings in English -

This course deals with the dynamics underlying language contact and language death in Texas.  The first part of the course reviews the principles of language contact and the different results of language shift (Thomason 2003, Wolfram 2003, Clyne 2004, Trudgill 2004). The second part of the course is concerned with theoretical constructs used to describe and analyze the different linguistic mechanisms and socio-political causes underlying language contact and death around the world (Gal 1984, Fishman 1985, Dorian 1989, Sasse 1992, Crystal 2001).

The third part of the course applies the models discussed in the first two parts of the course to the description and analysis of Texas German, an endangered dialect that will go extinct within the next 30 years (see http://www.tgdp.org). First, we review older analyses of Texas German in order to understand the structure of Texas German as it was spoken fifty years ago. Then, we learn how to conduct linguistic field interviews. Starting with a controlled environment of informants (room mates, relatives, friends), students learn how to elicit data using lists of English words, phrases, and sentences. Then, students are taken by the instructor on a fieldtrip where they observe and conduct linguistic interviews with some of the remaining speakers of Texas German.

During the fourth part of the course we analyze the field recordings and compare relevant morphological, phonological, and syntactic properties of Texas German with data recorded six decades ago. Finally, students identify a particular linguistic phenomenon in Texas German that they want to analyze and describe its distribution among the data they have collected.

No knowledge of German required. This course is taught in English. All reading materials are in English.

Required Readings:

Boas, Hans C. 2009. The life and death of Texas German. Durham: Duke University Press.

Class Reader

Evaluation:

(1) Homework: 10%; (2) Data collection and editing: 20%; (3) One in-class presentations of paper or book chapter: 10%; (4) Final paper: 60%.

Frame Semantics - GER 393K/ LIN 392

Course Description

This course provides extensive insights into the structure and analysis of word meanings. Introducing Charles Fillmore’s theory of Frame Semantics, the first part of the course discusses the openness and richness of word meanings, reflecting the rich variety of human experiences. Consider words such as Tuesday, barber, and alimony. These words necessitate an understanding of concepts (or semantic frames) such as repeatable calendar events, grooming and hair, and marriage and divorce. By investigating the types of references to diverse practices, processes, and objects in the physical and social world, we learn how a theory of word meaning needs to include more than the small linguistically significant set of primitive concepts proposed by other linguists such as David Dowty, Ray Jackendoff, Beth Levin, James Pustejovsky, and Anna Wierzbicka.

The second part of the course presents the concept of a semantic frame as developed by Fillmore and his associates. Frames offer rich conceptual backgrounds against which word meanings are understood. Their primary role in an account of text understanding is to explain how our text interpretation can leap far beyond what the text literally says. They may be evoked by words such as alimony, or they may be introduced by patterns among the facts the text establishes. Consider the sentence We never open our presents until morning, which evokes the Christmas frame by describing a situation that matches salient facts of Christmas practice, even though no word in it is specific to Christmas. In this part of the course we learn (1) how frames are discovered and described, thereby providing an organizing principle for a rich open lexicon, (2) how they are distinguished from and linked to other frames (frame-to-frame relations), and (3) how frame-semantic information is syntactically relevant. More specifically, we apply Frame Semantics to discover (1) the kinds of syntactic constructions and valence patterns lexical meanings are compatible with, (2) the kinds of participants that become subjects and objects, (3) regular semantic patterns of oblique markings and valence alternations, and (4) Regular patterns of inference licensed by category, syntactic construction or closed class lexical item. Finally, we discover how semantic frames can be applied to cross-linguistic analysis.

The third part of the course employs the FrameNet database (http://framenet.icsi.berkeley.edu) to analyze the meaning of a given word as a network of interrelated senses. Some of these senses are more central, or basic, and others are less central, or peripheral. In this approach, the processes of metaphor and metonymy are central in describing the full range of meanings which a particular word can evoke. Finally, we look at how Frame Semantics integrates with Construction Grammar and how results from research in Frame Semantics have been applied in a variety of computational applications.

This course is taught in English. No knowledge of German is required.

Required Texts

Class reader on electronic reserve.

Description

This course provides an introduction to the cultural aspects of German language variation (spatial, social, and chronological).  The course opens with an overview of the history of the German language in order to understand the roots of present-day varieties of German.  We will then discuss traditional German dialectology, as well as more sociolinguistically-oriented approaches to language.  From there, we will investigate the cultural status of various varieties of German within Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Luxembourg, as well as German language varieties overseas, in North America, Australia, and Africa.  In this context, we will also discuss German in contact with other languages, such as French, Danish, Russian, Hungarian, and English; and the cultural and linguistic results thereof; as well as the cultural and political status of German in officially multilingual societies like Switzerland and unofficially multilingual societies like Germany. 

We will see how differences in linguistic behavior attain social and cultural significance, how social and political developments (e.g. the division and reunification of Germany) can motivate linguistic and cultural change, and how people change their linguistic and cultural behavior when confronted with a different political or social environment.  Most importantly, we will come to understand the role of language in shaping culture and society in the German-speaking world. 

This course is taught in German. 

Prerequisite: Three semester hours of upper-division course-work in German with a grade of C or better.

Required Text

-Barbour, S. and Stevenson, P. 1998. Variation im Deutschen: Soziolinguistische Perspektiven. 

            Berlin: de Gruyter.

-Other readings will be posted on Blackboard. 

Course requirements and grading

Essays:            30%

Term paper:    40%

Quizzes:          15%

Participation: 15%

Essays:

You will write three brief (3-4 page) essays over the course of the semester.  Topics will be distributed at least one week in advance.  I will return your essay to you, with corrections and comments; you may then rewrite the essay and give me the final version within one week.  Both the original and final versions will be graded (50% for grammar and 50% for content); if you choose to rewrite the paper, the original version will count for 1/3 of the final grade, and the final version for 2/3.  You must include a list of sources (Literaturhinweise) at the end of the paper.

Term paper:

You will write an 8-10 page term paper.  You will also give a brief (5-10 minutes) in-class presentation on your term paper topic. 

Quizzes:

Four quizzes will be given in class over the course of the semester.  They will invite your comments on readings and discussions, and will be given at the beginning of class.  Your lowest quiz grade will be dropped.  The instructor also reserves the right to give short quizzes, both announced and unannounced, about the material we have read and discussed.

Participation:

Participation includes attendance, asking questions, answering my questions, and taking part in class discussions.  Attendance is crucial.  Unexcused absences will result in poor grades for participation!  Absences will be unexcused except in cases of documented emergency (normally medical or family).  You will need to sign in at the beginning of each class.  Please notify me as soon as possible by e-mail or phone if it is necessary for you to be absent from class.  In accordance with University of Texas policy, you may be excused from class to participate in religious observances and official obligations like club or varsity sports.  In such cases, written documentation must be presented to the instructor at least one week before the absence takes place.

Participation grade profiles:          

A:        volunteers frequently and is well-prepared

B:        volunteers several times and is well-prepared

C:        does not usually volunteer but is usually well-prepared

D:        does not volunteer and is generally poorly prepared

F:         consistently unprepared

Language in class

The language of essays, written exercises, and class discussions is German.  If you find yourself in a linguistic bind, swamped by German syntax, or at a loss for a German word, feel free to make a temporary switch to English.  You will not be penalized for resorting to English, although you should do your best to avoid it.  

This course is designed to introduce graduate students to the formal and functional study of the German language. At the beginning of the course, we will be concerned with the structural properties (‘building blocks’) of German: phonetics & phonology (the study of speech sounds and how to put them together), morphology (the analysis of words), syntax (the analysis of sentences and their construction), and semantics (the meanings of words and sentences). In this part of the course, we will focus on formal descriptions of sounds, words, and sentences and we will learn about rule systems that can be used to describe these ‘building blocks’ of the German language. The primary focus of this course is on Standard German. Throughout the semester we will also compare and contrast the linguistic structures of Standard German with those of Texas German as documented by the Texas German Dialect Project (http://www.tgdp.org), an on-going research project on the structure of Texas German. At the same time, we will pay special attention to contrastive linguistic issues, i.e. the structural differences between English, Standard German, and Texas German.

During the last weeks of the course we will take a look at a number of sociolinguistic issues. We will consider regional, social, and gender factors which influence language use, as well as attitudes toward different language varieties and the speakers who use them. Topics to be discussed will include (but are not limited to) regional dialects (Swabian, Low German, Swiss German, Texas German), language contact, "Gastarbeiterdeutsch" (foreign worker’s German), differences in language use between men and women, and political language in East vs. West Germany.

This course is taught in English. Reading knowledge of German is recommended.

Readings

Fox, Anthony. 2005. The Structure of German. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Class Reader.

Grading

(1)  Homework (due on the day noted in the schedule): 20%

(2)  Three in-class presentations of book chapters / articles (10% each). Two single class presentations of materials (in italics in course schedule), one joint-presentation of materials (in italics and bold in course schedule): 30%

(3)  Final paper (15-20 pages): 50%.

This course deals with the dynamics underlying language contact and language death in Texas.  The first part of the course reviews the principles of language contact and the different results of language shift (Thomason 2003, Wolfram 2003, Clyne 2004, Trudgill 2004). The second part of the course is concerned with theoretical constructs used to describe and analyze the different linguistic mechanisms and socio-political causes underlying language contact and death around the world (Gal 1984, Fishman 1985, Dorian 1989, Sasse 1992, Crystal 2001).

The third part of the course applies the models discussed in the first two parts of the course to the description and analysis of Texas German, an endangered dialect that will go extinct within the next 30 years (see http://www.tgdp.org). First, we review older analyses of Texas German in order to understand the structure of Texas German as it was spoken fifty years ago. Then, we learn how to conduct linguistic field interviews. Starting with a controlled environment of informants (room mates, relatives, friends), students learn how to elicit data using lists of English words, phrases, and sentences. Then, students are taken by the instructor on a fieldtrip where they observe and conduct linguistic interviews with some of the remaining speakers of Texas German.

During the fourth part of the course we analyze the field recordings and compare relevant morphological, phonological, and syntactic properties of Texas German with data recorded six decades ago. Finally, students identify a particular linguistic phenomenon in Texas German that they want to analyze and describe its distribution among the data they have collected.

No knowledge of German required. This course is taught in English. All reading materials are in English.

Readings

Boas, H.C. 2009. The life and Death of Texas German. Durham: Duke University Press.

Clyne, M. 2003. Dynamics of Language Contact. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Class Reader

Grading

10%     Homework

20%     Data collection and editing

10%     In-class presentation of paper or book chapter

60%     Final paper

Please check back for updates.

Description

This course provides extensive insights into the structure and analysis of word meanings. Introducing Charles Fillmore’s theory of Frame Semantics, the first part of the course discusses the openness and richness of word meanings, reflecting the rich variety of human experiences. Consider words such as Tuesday, barber, and alimony. These words necessitate an understanding of concepts (or semantic frames) such as repeatable calendar events, grooming and hair, and marriage and divorce. By investigating the types of references to diverse practices, processes, and objects in the physical and social world, we learn how a theory of word meaning needs to include more than the small linguistically significant set of primitive concepts proposed by other linguists such as David Dowty, Ray Jackendoff, Beth Levin, James Pustejovsky, and Anna Wierzbicka.

The second part of the course presents the concept of a semantic frame as developed by Fillmore and his associates. Frames offer rich conceptual backgrounds against which word meanings are understood. Their primary role in an account of text understanding is to explain how our text interpretation can leap far beyond what the text literally says. They may be evoked by words such as alimony, or they may be introduced by patterns among the facts the text establishes. Consider the sentence We never open our presents until morning, which evokes the Christmas frame by describing a situation that matches salient facts of Christmas practice, even though no word in it is specific to Christmas. In this part of the course we learn (1) how frames are discovered and described, thereby providing an organizing principle for a rich open lexicon, (2) how they are distinguished from and linked to other frames (frame-to-frame relations), and (3) how frame-semantic information is syntactically relevant. More specifically, we apply Frame Semantics to discover (1) the kinds of syntactic constructions and valence patterns lexical meanings are compatible with, (2) the kinds of participants that become subjects and objects, (3) regular semantic patterns of oblique markings and valence alternations, and (4) Regular patterns of inference licensed by category, syntactic construction or closed class lexical item. Finally, we discover how semantic frames can be applied to cross-linguistic analysis.

The third part of the course employs the FrameNet database (http://framenet.icsi.berkeley.edu) to analyze the meaning of a given word as a network of interrelated senses. Some of these senses are more central, or basic, and others are less central, or peripheral. In this approach, the processes of metaphor and metonymy are central in describing the full range of meanings which a particular word can evoke. Finally, we look at how Frame Semantics integrates with Construction Grammar and how results from research in Frame Semantics have been applied in a variety of computational applications.

This course is taught in English. No knowledge of German is required.

Texts

Class reader on electronic reserve.

Grading

(1) Homework: 10%

(2) Two in-class presentations of book chapters / articles (15% each): 30%

(3) Final paper: 60% (Consists of (a) 5% bibliography; (b) 5% conference-style abstract; (c) 10% in-class presentation of final paper; (d) 10% first draft of final paper (8–15 pages); (e) 30% final paper (25–30 pages))

Purpose of the course
This course will provide upper-division students possessing a basic knowledge of and interest in German with a thorough overview of the structure of the language from a theoretical linguistic point of view. The implicit approach will be contrastive, viewing the German data against the background of English. Previous coursework in linguistics is helpful but not required. The course will be taught in English and is divided into the following general parts:

1.    History and Geography of German
2.    Phonetics & Phonology (the study of speech sounds and how they are combined)
3.    Morphology (analysis of words)
4.    Syntax (analysis of sentences)
5.    Lexical Semantics (meanings of words)
6.    Sociolinguistics (language variation)

Course Goals
By the end of this course, you should be able to do the following:

1.    Explain how (and why) human beings are able to acquire and use their specific linguistic abilities.
2.    Analyze and discover the organizing principles of German sounds, words, sentences, and dialects.
3.    Relate acquired linguistic knowledge to everyday language use.
4.    Understand how German differs from English and why.

Required Text     
Johnson, Sally (1998): Exploring the German Language. New York: Arnold.

Course Activities
•    The Stundenplan on page 4 lists the reading assignments. You will be expected to have completed all exercises in the Johnson book for the assigned sections on a separate sheet of paper and checked (with a red pen) in the answer key which is at the end of the Johnson book. Please hand in your (checked) homework on days which start with coverage of a new chapter.
•    All assignments must be handed in on paper. No electronic versions will be accepted.
•    Short quizzes (5 – 10 minutes) covering the homework assignments will be given throughout the semester (roughly 4 –8 quizzes throughout the semester). These quizzes will be unannounced and will be given at the beginning of class, so arrive on time.  Missed quizzes may not be made up.
•    Material presented in class is not necessarily covered in the textbook. Materials from additional readings handed out in class are fair game for tests and quizzes.

Testing and Evaluation

A.  Midterm exam 30%

B.  Final exam 40%

C. Short quizzes 10%. 

D. Class participation 10%.

E. Homework 10%.

Description:

This course is designed to introduce graduate students to the formal and functional study of the German language. At the beginning of the course, we will be concerned with the structural properties (‘building blocks’) of German: phonetics & phonology (the study of speech sounds and how to put them together), morphology (the analysis of words), syntax (the analysis of sentences and their construction), and semantics (the meanings of words and sentences). In this part of the course, we will focus on formal descriptions of sounds, words, and sentences and we will learn about rule systems that can be used to describe these ‘building blocks’ of the German language. The primary focus of this course is on Standard German. Throughout the semester we will also compare and contrast the linguistic structures of Standard German with those of Texas German as documented by the Texas German Dialect Project (http://www.tgdp.org), an on-going research project on the structure of Texas German. At the same time, we will pay special attention to contrastive linguistic issues, i.e. the structural differences between English, Standard German, and Texas German.

During the last weeks of the course we will take a look at a number of sociolinguistic issues. We will consider regional, social, and gender factors which influence language use, as well as attitudes toward different language varieties and the speakers who use them. Topics to be discussed will include (but are not limited to) regional dialects (Swabian, Low German, Swiss German, Texas German), language contact, "Gastarbeiterdeutsch" (foreign worker’s German), differences in language use between men and women, and political language in East vs. West Germany.

This course is taught in English. Reading knowledge of German is recommended.

Required Readings:

Russ, Charles V.J. (1994): The German language today. A linguistic introduction. London/New York: Routledge.
Class Reader.

Evaluation:

(1)  Homework (due on the day noted in the schedule): 20%

(2)  Three in-class presentations of book chapters / articles (10% each). Two single class presentations of materials (in italics in course schedule), one joint-presentation of materials (in italics and bold in course schedule): 30%

(3)  Final paper (15-20 pages): 50%.

See attachment

see attachment

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This course is an introduction to formal syntax, which refers to the use of a mathematically precise formalism to model the syntax of human languages.  Formulating precise models allows us to study the properties of particular human languages empirically, testing our theories against the challenge of new data.  The course will introduce students to Head-Driven Phrase Structure Grammar (HPSG).  In HPSG, the words of a language are equipped with information about the way they combine with other words and phrases and the meaning of the resulting combination.   The forms and meanings of the parts of a sentence are combined bit by bit until we derive a meaning for the whole sentence. The lexicon also encodes the systematic relations between word forms, such as voice alternations and derivational cognates.  Since HPSG is a complete, fully explicit framework for grammatical description, students will be able to grasp the workings of an entire language, from morphemes to words to sentences, including a formal semantic system for representing meaning.  This is a hands-on course in which we will tackle syntax puzzles of increasing complexity.  LIN 372L is not an official prerequisite, but it is recommended as background to this course.

Textbook: Ivan Sag, Thomas Wasow, and Emily Bender. 2003. Syntactic Theory: A Formal Introduction, 2nd Edition. Stanford: CSLI Publications.

Basis for grading:  Class participation (10%), Problem sets (60%), Tests (30%)

Prerequisites:  LIN 306

Class Participation (10%)              

Exploratory Practice Project (20%)

Daily Homework (20%)                

3 Writing Tasks (20%)

3 Tests (30%)

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.

This course is an introduction to formal syntax, which refers to the use of a mathematically precise formalism to model the syntax of human languages.  Formulating precise models allows us to study the properties of particular human languages empirically, testing our theories against the challenge of new data.  The course will introduce students to Head-Driven Phrase Structure Grammar (HPSG).  In HPSG, the words of a language are equipped with information about the way they combine with other words and phrases and the meaning of the resulting combination.   The forms and meanings of the parts of a sentence are combined bit by bit until we derive a meaning for the whole sentence. The lexicon also encodes the systematic relations between word forms, such as voice alternations and derivational cognates.  Since HPSG is a complete, fully explicit framework for grammatical description, students will be able to grasp the workings of an entire language, from morphemes to words to sentences, including a formal semantic system for representing meaning.  This is a hands-on course in which we will tackle syntax puzzles of increasing complexity.  LIN 372L is not an official prerequisite, but it is recommended as background to this course.

Textbook: Ivan Sag, Thomas Wasow, and Emily Bender. 2003. Syntactic Theory: A Formal Introduction, 2nd Edition. Stanford: CSLI Publications.

Basis for grading:  Class participation (10%), Problem sets (60%), Tests (30%)

Prerequisites:  LIN 306

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.

Class Participation (10%)              

Exploratory Practice Project (20%)

Daily Homework (20%)                

3 Writing Tasks (20%)

3 Tests (30%)

Please check back for updates.

Class Participation (10%)              

Exploratory Practice Project (20%)

Daily Homework (20%)                

3 Writing Tasks (20%)

3 Tests (30%)

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.

This course is an introduction to formal syntax, which refers to the use of a mathematically precise formalism to model the syntax of human languages.  Formulating precise models allows us to study the properties of particular human languages empirically, testing our theories against the challenge of new data.  The course will introduce students to Head-Driven Phrase Structure Grammar (HPSG).  In HPSG, the words of a language are equipped with information about the way they combine with other words and phrases and the meaning of the resulting combination.   The forms and meanings of the parts of a sentence are combined bit by bit until we derive a meaning for the whole sentence. The lexicon also encodes the systematic relations between word forms, such as voice alternations and derivational cognates.  Since HPSG is a complete, fully explicit framework for grammatical description, students will be able to grasp the workings of an entire language, from morphemes to words to sentences, including a formal semantic system for representing meaning.  This is a hands-on course in which we will tackle syntax puzzles of increasing complexity.  LIN 372L is not an official prerequisite, but it is recommended as background to this course.

Textbook: Ivan Sag, Thomas Wasow, and Emily Bender. 2003. Syntactic Theory: A Formal Introduction, 2nd Edition. Stanford: CSLI Publications.

Basis for grading:  Class participation (10%), Problem sets (60%), Tests (30%)

Prerequisites:  LIN 306

Class Participation (10%)              

Exploratory Practice Project (20%)

Daily Homework (20%)                

3 Writing Tasks (20%)

3 Tests (30%)

Please check back for updates.