Nora C. England

Examines various aspects of languages in the Americas, including their linguistic structures, the cultural domains in which they exist, and their histories of language contact and change.

Examines various aspects of languages in the Americas, including their linguistic structures, the cultural domains in which they exist, and their histories of language contact and change.

Doctoral Forum is designed to help PhD students write the qualifying paper in their fifth semester. The main objective is to have a draft of the QP by the end of the semester. In addition, the process from the QP forward in the graduate program will be reviewed and professional skills will be practiced in conjunction with writing the QP. These include abstract writing, preparing a curriculum vitae, making handouts and slides, and giving presentations.

This course will introduce you to linguistics, the scientific study of language. How are human languages structured? Do humans have an innate capacity for language? How do children learn language? How is adult language learning different? How did the languages of the world evolve? What are the differences between verbal and non-verbal communication? Is there a "universal grammar"? How diverse and different are the languages of the world? How much does "language endangerment" and language extinction around the world affect global cultural diversity? Should every country have one "official" language? Are standard languages preferable to regional dialects? In short, this class is about everything you always wanted to know about language, and maybe a few things you never even thought to ask.

Although many think of the Maya as a mysterious ancient people, lost somewhere in the jungles of Central America, and writing in an unknown and unknowable language, in fact the Maya never disappeared. Not only can we find, and read, Mayan words written beautifully and poetically in hieroglyphic texts from over a thousand years ago, we can also hear Mayan words today in millions of homes, businesses, churches, radio stations and political arenas in Mexico and Guatemala. We will look at the more than thirty Mayan languages spoken today, examining what they are like, how they relate to each other, who speaks them, how the people who speak them live, and how they have changed over time. We will also go back in time to the Classic period and learn to read the texts that were left behind, and then go back even further, to the beginnings of the Mayan language family, to examine how change has occurred.

This course will be a combination of discussion and presentations and will cover topics such as recent trends in the documentation and description of the world’s languages, research ethics, research technology, and preparation for research including research design, types of data and how they fit into specific research agendas, funding and IRB proposal writing, presentation and publication of research data and analysis, and dissertation writing. The course will give students the opportunity to pursue their own research in a guided, collegial environment. Graduate students from other departments are welcome!

Doctoral Forum is designed to help PhD students write the qualifying paper in their fifth semester. The main objective is to have a draft of the QP by the end of the semester. In addition, the process from the QP forward in the graduate program will be reviewed and professional skills will be practiced in conjunction with writing the QP. These include abstract writing, preparing a curriculum vitae, making handouts and slides, and giving presentations.

This course will introduce you to linguistics, the scientific study of language. How are human languages structured? Do humans have an innate capacity for language? How do children learn language? How is adult language learning different? How did the languages of the world evolve? What are the differences between verbal and non-verbal communication? Is there a "universal grammar"? How diverse and different are the languages of the world? How much does "language endangerment" and language extinction around the world affect global cultural diversity? Should every country have one "official" language? Are standard languages preferable to regional dialects? In short, this class is about everything you always wanted to know about language, and maybe a few things you never even thought to ask.

The Signature Course (UGS 302 and 303) introduces first-year students to the university’s academic community through the exploration of new interests. The Signature Course is your opportunity to engage in college-level thinking and learning.

Examines various aspects of languages in the Americas, including their linguistic structures, the cultural domains in which they exist, and their histories of language contact and change.

Doctoral Forum is designed to help PhD students write the qualifying paper in their fifth semester. The main objective is to have a draft of the QP by the end of the semester. In addition, the process from the QP forward in the graduate program will be reviewed and professional skills will be practiced in conjunction with writing the QP. These include abstract writing, preparing a curriculum vitae, making handouts and slides, and giving presentations.

This course will introduce you to linguistics, the scientific study of language. How are human languages structured? Do humans have an innate capacity for language? How do children learn language? How is adult language learning different? How did the languages of the world evolve? What are the differences between verbal and non-verbal communication? Is there a "universal grammar"? How diverse and different are the languages of the world? How much does "language endangerment" and language extinction around the world affect global cultural diversity? Should every country have one "official" language? Are standard languages preferable to regional dialects? In short, this class is about everything you always wanted to know about language, and maybe a few things you never even thought to ask.

The Signature Course (UGS 302 and 303) introduces first-year students to the university’s academic community through the exploration of new interests. The Signature Course is your opportunity to engage in college-level thinking and learning.

Doctoral Forum is designed to help PhD students write the qualifying paper in their fifth semester. The main objective is to have a draft of the QP by the end of the semester. In addition, the process from the QP forward in the graduate program will be reviewed and professional skills will be practiced in conjunction with writing the QP. These include abstract writing, preparing a curriculum vitae, making handouts and slides, and giving presentations.

This course will introduce you to linguistics, the scientific study of language. How are human languages structured? Do humans have an innate capacity for language? How do children learn language? How is adult language learning different? How did the languages of the world evolve? What are the differences between verbal and non-verbal communication? Is there a "universal grammar"? How diverse and different are the languages of the world? How much does "language endangerment" and language extinction around the world affect global cultural diversity? Should every country have one "official" language? Are standard languages preferable to regional dialects? In short, this class is about everything you always wanted to know about language, and maybe a few things you never even thought to ask.

The Signature Course (UGS 302 and 303) introduces first-year students to the university’s academic community through the exploration of new interests. The Signature Course is your opportunity to engage in college-level thinking and learning.

Examines various aspects of languages in the Americas, including their linguistic structures, the cultural domains in which they exist, and their histories of language contact and change.

This course will introduce you to linguistics, the scientific study of language. How are human languages structured? Do humans have an innate capacity for language? How do children learn language? How is adult language learning different? How did the languages of the world evolve? What are the differences between verbal and non-verbal communication? Is there a "universal grammar"? How diverse and different are the languages of the world? How much does "language endangerment" and language extinction around the world affect global cultural diversity? Should every country have one "official" language? Are standard languages preferable to regional dialects? In short, this class is about everything you always wanted to know about language, and maybe a few things you never even thought to ask.

This course is a practical introduction to language documentation and preservation. Language diversity will be discussed, including its benefits, the status of the world’s language, their endangerment, and the possibilities for their maintenance and/or preservation. Practical methods for describing, documenting, and preserving languages will be introduced, with appropriate exercises for learning how to use them. The focus of the exercises will be on the phonological and morphological analysis of restricted data sets. The role of linguists in conjunction with communities of speakers who wish to document or revitalize their languages will also be discussed.

This course will be a combination of discussion and presentations and will cover topics such as recent trends in the documentation and description of the world’s languages, research ethics, research technology, and preparation for research including research design, types of data and how they fit into specific research agendas, funding and IRB proposal writing, presentation and publication of research data and analysis, and dissertation writing. The course will give students the opportunity to pursue their own research in a guided, collegial environment. Graduate students from other departments are welcome!

Doctoral Forum is designed to help PhD students write the qualifying paper in their fifth semester. The main objective is to have a draft of the QP by the end of the semester. In addition, the process from the QP forward in the graduate program will be reviewed and professional skills will be practiced in conjunction with writing the QP. These include abstract writing, preparing a curriculum vitae, making handouts and slides, and giving presentations.

This course will introduce you to linguistics, the scientific study of language. How are human languages structured? Do humans have an innate capacity for language? How do children learn language? How is adult language learning different? How did the languages of the world evolve? What are the differences between verbal and non-verbal communication? Is there a "universal grammar"? How diverse and different are the languages of the world? How much does "language endangerment" and language extinction around the world affect global cultural diversity? Should every country have one "official" language? Are standard languages preferable to regional dialects? In short, this class is about everything you always wanted to know about language, and maybe a few things you never even thought to ask.

Examines various aspects of languages in the Americas, including their linguistic structures, the cultural domains in which they exist, and their histories of language contact and change.

This course will introduce you to linguistics, the scientific study of language. How are human languages structured? Do humans have an innate capacity for language? How do children learn language? How is adult language learning different? How did the languages of the world evolve? What are the differences between verbal and non-verbal communication? Is there a "universal grammar"? How diverse and different are the languages of the world? How much does "language endangerment" and language extinction around the world affect global cultural diversity? Should every country have one "official" language? Are standard languages preferable to regional dialects? In short, this class is about everything you always wanted to know about language, and maybe a few things you never even thought to ask.

This is an advanced seminar in the Structure of Mayan Languages. Specific topics will be selected according to individual interests and preparation. The course assumes a basic knowledge of the grammatical structure of Mayan languages. In general, each week will be devoted to a particular topic. The course requires reading, a class presentation, and a final paper.

Course Description:This course is a practical introduction to language documentation and preservation. Language diversity will be discussed, including its benefits, the status of the world’s language, their endangerment, and the possibilities for their maintenance and/or preservation. Practical methods for describing, documenting, and preserving languages will be introduced, with appropriate exercises for learning how to use them. The focus of the exercises will be on the phonological and morphological analysis of restricted data sets. The role of linguists in conjunction with communities of speakers who wish to document or revitalize their languages will also be discussed.

Doctoral Forum is designed to help PhD students write the qualifying paper in their fifth semester. The main objective is to have a draft of the QP by the end of the semester. In addition, the process from the QP forward in the graduate program will be reviewed and professional skills will be practiced in conjunction with writing the QP. These include abstract writing, preparing a curriculum vitae, making handouts and slides, and giving presentations.

This course will introduce you to linguistics, the scientific study of language. How are human languages structured? Do humans have an innate capacity for language? How do children learn language? How is adult language learning different? How did the languages of the world evolve? What are the differences between verbal and non-verbal communication? Is there a "universal grammar"? How diverse and different are the languages of the world? How much does "language endangerment" and language extinction around the world affect global cultural diversity? Should every country have one "official" language? Are standard languages preferable to regional dialects? In short, this class is about everything you always wanted to know about language, and maybe a few things you never even thought to ask.

Doctoral Forum is designed to help PhD students write the qualifying paper in their fifth semester. The main objective is to have a draft of the QP by the end of the semester. In addition, the process from the QP forward in the graduate program will be reviewed and professional skills will be practiced in conjunction with writing the QP. These include abstract writing, preparing a curriculum vitae, making handouts and slides, and giving presentations.

This course will introduce you to linguistics, the scientific study of language. How are human languages structured? Do humans have an innate capacity for language? How do children learn language? How is adult language learning different? How did the languages of the world evolve? What are the differences between verbal and non-verbal communication? Is there a "universal grammar"? How diverse and different are the languages of the world? How much does "language endangerment" and language extinction around the world affect global cultural diversity? Should every country have one "official" language? Are standard languages preferable to regional dialects? In short, this class is about everything you always wanted to know about language, and maybe a few things you never even thought to ask.

The Signature Course (UGS 302 and 303) introduces first-year students to the university’s academic community through the exploration of new interests. The Signature Course is your opportunity to engage in college-level thinking and learning.

Presented in this course are the basic tools for analyzing and describing a language you are documenting through linguistic field work, including phonetic transcription, the methods for the discovery and presentation of surface phonology, morphophonology, inflectional morphology, derivational morphology, grammatical categories, and syntax. There will be an emphasis on practice and drilling via transcription exercises and problem sets. In addition – where appropriate – we will study relevant aspects of linguistic typology in order to gain an advance idea of the kinds of structures and categories that can be encountered in field work. This course is intended as a companion course to LIN 385, Field Methods in Linguistic Investigation, which gives hands-on field elicitation training and to LIN 392, Linguistic Typology. It also serves as a companion to the “core” courses in Phonetics (381M), Phonology (380K, 381K), and Syntax (380L, 381L), which focus on largely complementary theoretical issues. While some students will have already taken field methods, or some or all of the core courses, none are a prerequisite. It is possible to take this course with little or no prior background in linguistics. Requirements Problem sets and exercises: 100%. Problem sets (except for Problem Set 1) are due on Thursday and should be turned in in class. It’s not my job to print your work.

Readings Required: Haspelmath, Martin & Sims, Andrea. 2010. Understanding Morphology. London: Arnold (New York: Oxford University Press). Available at UT Coop.

Payne, Thomas. 1998. Describing Morphosyntax: A Guide for Field Linguists. Cambridge University Press. Available at UT Coop.

Ladefoged sounds site: http://phonetics.ucla.edu/course/chapter1/chapter1.html or alternately, the CD sold with: Ladefoged, Peter. 2001. Vowels and Consonants: An Introduction to the Sounds of Languages. Blackwell.

Students with disabilities The University of Texas at Austin provides upon request appropriate academic accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. For more information, contact the Office of the Dean of Students at 471-6259, 471-6441 TTY.

Doctoral Forum is designed to help PhD students write the qualifying paper in their fifth semester. The main objective is to have a draft of the QP by the end of the semester. In addition, the process from the QP forward in the graduate program will be reviewed and professional skills will be practiced in conjunction with writing the QP. These include abstract writing, preparing a curriculum vitae, making handouts and slides, and giving presentations.

This course will introduce you to linguistics, the scientific study of language. In what ways do languages differ? In what ways are languages the same? How do languages change over time? Why do languages change? What are the differences between verbal and non-verbal communicating? Do dolphins speak? How do children learn language, and how do adults learn language? Does language control our view of reality? How does language interact with social class? What kind of language should be taught in schools? What language problems do other countries have? What are the different language families of the world? The course will deal with sociolinguistics (language in society), historical linguistics (language change and language relationships), and formal linguistics. Basic material covered under formal linguistics includes phonetics (the properties of speech sounds), phonology (the systematic sound patterns of language), morphology (the grammatical structure of words), syntax (the structure of sentences), and semantics/pragmatics (the meaning and use of words and sentences).
Texts

Fromkin, Rodman, & Hyams. An Introduction to Language. 9th edition

The objective of this course is to analyze what makes a good grammar.  A set of five grammars will be chosen by each student to read and analyze, from the perspectives of general readability, completeness, usefulness for looking up specific information, usefulness for comparative/typological information, and usefulness for speakers. Evaluative problems involving the selected grammars will be assigned. Additional topics will cover sources for linguistic questionnaires and elicitation sessions, how to collect and analyze texts, and what are the uses of elicited material and text material in grammar writing.  Two papers are required: 1) a short paper on one of the evaluative topiccs, and 2) a final paper on one of two different topics: a) for those students who already have data that they are in the process of analyzing, the final paper will consist of a detailed outline of a grammar plus several representative sections; or b) for those students who do not have data that they are in the process of analyzing, the final paper will consist of a thorough critique of a grammar (not one of the ones assigned for class), with a reworked outline and several representative sections. 

Course Description

This course is an introduction to the indigenous languages that are and have been spoken in the Americas. It begins with an overview of the languages and their status, and then considers some of the diverse linguistic structures that American indigenous languages have. The cultural and social domains in which American indigenous languages exist are examined, as is the history of language contact and language change in different areas.
Texts

Shirley Silver and Wick R. Miller. 1997. American Indian Languages. The University of Arizona Press. Additional readings will be assigned.

The Signature Course (UGS 302 and 303) introduces first-year students to the university’s academic community through the exploration of new interests. The Signature Course is your opportunity to engage in college-level thinking and learning.

For detailed Course Schedule, download attachment.

Course Description:
This course is a practical introduction to language documentation and preservation. Language diversity will be discussed, including its benefits, the status of the world’s language, their endangerment, and the possibilities for their maintenance and/or preservation. Practical methods for describing, documenting, and preserving languages will be introduced, with appropriate exercises for learning how to use them. The focus of the exercises will be on the phonological and morphological analysis of restricted data sets. The role of linguists in conjunction with communities of speakers who wish to document or revitalize their languages will also be discussed.

Course Requirements:
Two partial exams, two short papers and frequent problem sets.

Grading Policy:
Exams: 30% (15 points each)
Short papers: 20% (10 points each)
Problem sets: 40% (each problem 5 points)
Class participation: 10% (sounds quiz 4 points, attendance 6 points)
(Attendance is required, unless you have a valid medical or other reason for not being able to attend. You must inform me about absences before class for an absence to be excused. After two unexcused absences, 2 points will be subtracted for each additional absence, up to a total of 6 points.)

Reading (on Blackboard):
Bird, Charles and Timothy Shopen. 1979. Maninka. Chapter 2 in Languages and Their Speakers, edited by Timothy Shopen. Cambridge, MA: Winthrop, pp. 59-111.
Crystal, David. 2000. Chapter 2: Why Should We Care? in Language Death. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press, pp. 27-67.
England, Nora. 2003. Mayan Language Revival and Revitalization Politics: Linguists and Linguistic Ideologies. American Anthropologist 105(4): 733-743.
Hale, Ken. 1992. Language Endangerment and the human value of linguistic diversity. Language, Vol.
68, No. 1. pp. 35-42.
Haviland, John B. 1979. How to Talk to your Brother-in-law in Guugu Yimidhirr. Chapter 4 in Languages and Their Speakers, edited by Timothy Shopen. Cambridge, MA: Winthrop, pp. 161-
239.
Hill, Kenneth C. 2002. On Publishing the Hopi Dictionary. In Making Dictionaries, edited by William Frawley, Kenneth C. Hill, and Pamela Munro. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, pp. 299-311.
Hinton, Leanne. 2001. Language Revitalization: An Overview. Chapter 1 in The Green Book of Language Revitalization in Practice, edited by Leanne Hinton and Ken Hale. New York:
Academic Press, pp. 3-18.
Nettle, Daniel and Suzanne Romaine. 2000. Chapter 2: A World of Diversity, in Vanishing Voices: the Extinction of the World’s Languages. New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 26-49.
Reyhner, Jon. 1999. Some Basics of Indigenous Language Revitalization. Introduction to Revitalizing Indigenous Languages, edited by Jon Reyhner, Gina Cantoni, Robert N. St. Clair, and Evangeline Parsons Yazzie. Flagstaff, AZ: Northern Arizona University, pp. v-xx.

For detailed Course Schedule, download attachment.

Course Description

Presented in this course are the basic tools for analyzing and describing a language you are documenting
through linguistic field work, including phonetic transcription, the methods for the discovery and presentation of surface phonology, morphophonology, inflectional morphology, derivational morphology, grammatical categories, and syntax. There will be an emphasis on practice and drilling via transcription exercises and problem sets. In addition – where appropriate – we will study relevant aspects of linguistic typology in order to gain an advance idea of the kinds of structures and categories that can be encountered in field work.

This course is intended as a companion course to LIN 385, Field Methods in Linguistic Investigation, which gives hands-on field elicitation training and to LIN 392, Linguistic Typology. It also serves as a companion to the “core” courses in Phonetics (381M), Phonology (380K, 381K), and Syntax (380L, 381L), which focus on largely complementary theoretical issues. While some students will have already taken field methods, or some or all of the core courses, none are a prerequisite. It is possible to take this course with little or no prior background in linguistics.

Requirements

Problem sets and exercises: 100%. Problem sets (except for Problem Set 1) are due on Thursday and should be turned in in class. It’s not my job to print your work.

Readings

Required:
Haspelmath, Martin. 2002. Understanding Morphology. London: Arnold (New York: Oxford
University Press). Will be made available.
Payne, Thomas. 1998. Describing Morphosyntax: A Guide for Field Linguists. Cambridge University
Press. Available at UT Coop.
Ladefoged sounds site:
http://phonetics.ucla.edu/course/chapter1/chapter1.html

or alternately, the CD sold with:

Ladefoged, Peter. 2001. Vowels and Consonants: An Introduction to the Sounds of Languages. Blackwell.

Students with disabilities

The University of Texas at Austin provides upon request appropriate academic accommodations for
qualified students with disabilities. For more information, contact the Office of the Dean of Students at
471-6259, 471-6441 TTY.

For detailed Course Schedule, donwload attachment.

This course will introduce you to linguistics, the scientific study of language. How are human languages structured? Do humans have an innate capacity for language? How do children learn language? How is adult language learning different? How did the languages of the world evolve? What are the differences between verbal and non-verbal communication? Is there a "universal grammar"? How diverse and different are the languages of the world? How much does "language endangerment" and language extinction around the world affect global cultural diversity? Should every country have one "official" language? Are standard languages preferable to regional dialects? In short, this class is about everything you always wanted to know about language, and maybe a few things you never even thought to ask.

Please check back for updates.

This course will introduce you to linguistics, the scientific study of language. How are human languages structured? Do humans have an innate capacity for language? How do children learn language? How is adult language learning different? How did the languages of the world evolve? What are the differences between verbal and non-verbal communication? Is there a "universal grammar"? How diverse and different are the languages of the world? How much does "language endangerment" and language extinction around the world affect global cultural diversity? Should every country have one "official" language? Are standard languages preferable to regional dialects? In short, this class is about everything you always wanted to know about language, and maybe a few things you never even thought to ask.

Please check back for updates.

This course will introduce you to linguistics, the scientific study of language. How are human languages structured? Do humans have an innate capacity for language? How do children learn language? How is adult language learning different? How did the languages of the world evolve? What are the differences between verbal and non-verbal communication? Is there a "universal grammar"? How diverse and different are the languages of the world? How much does "language endangerment" and language extinction around the world affect global cultural diversity? Should every country have one "official" language? Are standard languages preferable to regional dialects? In short, this class is about everything you always wanted to know about language, and maybe a few things you never even thought to ask.

This course will introduce you to linguistics, the scientific study of language. How are human languages structured? Do humans have an innate capacity for language? How do children learn language? How is adult language learning different? How did the languages of the world evolve? What are the differences between verbal and non-verbal communication? Is there a "universal grammar"? How diverse and different are the languages of the world? How much does "language endangerment" and language extinction around the world affect global cultural diversity? Should every country have one "official" language? Are standard languages preferable to regional dialects? In short, this class is about everything you always wanted to know about language, and maybe a few things you never even thought to ask.

Individual study to be arranged with a faculty member.

Prerequisite: Graduate standing and consent of instructor and the graduate adviser.

Restricted enrollment; contact the department for permission to register for this class. May be repeated for credit.

Conference Course in Linguistics. Supervised research. Conference course. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and consent of instructor and the linguistics graduate adviser.

This course will introduce you to linguistics, the scientific study of language. How are human languages structured? Do humans have an innate capacity for language? How do children learn language? How is adult language learning different? How did the languages of the world evolve? What are the differences between verbal and non-verbal communication? Is there a "universal grammar"? How diverse and different are the languages of the world? How much does "language endangerment" and language extinction around the world affect global cultural diversity? Should every country have one "official" language? Are standard languages preferable to regional dialects? In short, this class is about everything you always wanted to know about language, and maybe a few things you never even thought to ask.

Individual study to be arranged with a faculty member.

Prerequisite: Graduate standing and consent of instructor and the graduate adviser.

Restricted enrollment; contact the department for permission to register for this class. May be repeated for credit.

Please check back for updates.