Course Description
Language and the Mind is a 6-week tour of the science of language and its position within the human mind. Language is one of our most distinctive characteristics as humans. It is also one of our most misunderstood characteristics, and it is often the cause of heated conflict (sometimes involving nasty looks, even). Our goal in this class will be to step back from the fray and take a look at the objective facts about human language.Except in case of severe brain damage, speaking a language is something that seems both effortless and intuitive for all adults. Similarly, any child can learn to speak any human language if the child is exposed to that language from an early age, with almost no direct teaching. (Reading and writing are an entirely different matter, however.) And yet, a close look at any human language shows that it is an extremely sophisticated system. This suggests that there is something special about the human mind that makes it able to learn and use language. Linguistics is a science which aims to discover how human languages work (any language, not just English), and what it is about human minds that makes them able to learn and use language.
In addition, we will also examine how language affects the perception of an individual, and what influence language itself has over thought.
The questions that we will be concerned with in this course include:
- What are the units of human languages?
- What is it about human minds that gives us this special ability to master language?
- How do children learn language? What circumstances lead to language disorders?
- What evidence is there for language influencing how we perceive and think about the world?
Readings
Readings will come from Jackendoff's Patterns in the Mind:
Language and Human Nature, Basic Books; Reprint Editiion, ISBN:
0465054625 (paperback). Can be found at the University
Book Center, Amazon.com,
or Half.com.
In addition, we will be reading several excerpts and articles, which can be found here.
Grading
Grades will be based on the following:
- Homeworks = 40%
- Quizzes = 40%
- Final = 15%
- Class Participation = 5%
Schedule
Tentative Schedule
| Date | Topic | Reading | Assignments | |
Week 1 | ||||
| July 11 | What is Language?
Lecture 1: (ppt), (black & white pdf) |
|
HW 1 assigned | |
| July 12 | What is Language? Animal Communication & Human Instincts: Lecture 2: (ppt), (black & white pdf) |
|
HW 1 due | |
| July 13 | Animal Communication & Human Instincts
Quiz 1: What is Language? |
|
HW2 assigned | |
| July 14 | Animal Communication & Human Instincts |
|
||
| July 15 | Animal Communication & Human Instincts Sentences Lecture 3: (ppt), (black & white pdf) |
|
HW3 assigned | |
Week 2 | ||||
| July 18 | Sentences Quiz 2: Animal Communication & Human Instincts |
|
HW 2 due HW4 assigned |
|
| July 19 | Sentences | HW 3 due |
||
| July 20 | Sentences | |||
| July 21 | Sentences |
HW 4 due HW5 assigned |
||
| July 22 | Sentence Interpretation, Language Learning, & Universals Lecture 4: (ppt), (black & white pdf) Quiz 3: Sentences | |||
Week 3 | ||||
| July 25 | Sentence Interpretation, Language Learning, & Universals |
|
HW 5 due HW6 assigned |
|
| July 26 | Sentence Interpretation, Language Learning, & Universals | |||
| July 27 | Sentence Interpretation, Language Learning, & Universals |
HW 6 due | ||
| July 28 | Sounds Lecture 5: (ppt), (black & white pdf) Quiz 4: Sentence Interpretation, Language Learning, & Universals |
|||
| July 29 | Sounds | HW7 assigned | ||
Week 4 | ||||
| Aug 1 | Sounds | |||
| Aug 2 | Sounds |
HW 7 due HW8 assigned |
||
| Aug 3 | Sounds | |||
| Aug 4 | Sounds |
|
||
| Aug 5 | Sounds | HW 8 Lab Data should be completed | ||
Week 5 | ||||
| Aug 8 | Sounds The Influence of Language on Thought Lecture 6: (ppt), (black & white pdf) |
|
||
| Aug 9 | Language and Color Lecture 7: (ppt), (black & white pdf) Quiz 5: Sounds |
HW 8 Lab Analysis due | ||
| Aug 10 | Language and Color |
|||
| Aug 11 | Language and Space Lecture 8: (ppt), (black & white pdf) |
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| Aug 12 | Language and Space | |||
Week 6 | ||||
| Aug 15 |
Language and Navigation Lecture 9: (ppt), (black & white pdf) Quiz 6: The Influence of Language on Thought, Language and Color, Language and Space |
|||
| Aug 16 | Language and Navigation Language and Number Lecture 10: (ppt), (black & white pdf) |
|||
| Aug 17 |
Language and Number Theory of Mind Lecture 11: (ppt), (black & white pdf) |
Bring questions for review | ||
| Aug 18 | Final Review | Study for final | ||
| Aug 19 | Final |
Academic Integrity
You may discuss homework problems with others, but you must write up the answers to the homework yourself in your own words.
Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated.
The University requires the following pledge in some circumstances:
I pledge on my honor that I have not given or received any unauthorized assistance on this assignment/examination.
Students with Disabilities
If you have a disability that needs to be accommodated, please see me so that we can make appropriate arrangements.
Missing Class (aka "A Bad Idea (TM)")
If you will be absent from class and you know ahead of time, please mention it to me. Because this course meets every day, it gets pretty fast-paced and you can fall behind if you don't plan ahead.
This class was designed using materials from previous Language & the Mind courses taught by Colin Phillips and Andrea Zukowski. I am very grateful indeed for their kind help.