Introduction to Linguistics: HSS Course

[Antariksh Bothale]

Hi

I had told you how Prof. Vaijayanthi Sarma had decided to take a semester off for sabbatical and hence the Linguistics course wasn't run in Spring '11. Well, the good news is that she has informed me that she is going to run it in Fall '11, i.e. next semester.

I will recommend this course to all those who are even mildly enthu about languages in general. You will learn quite a lot, and more than the factual learning, Linguistics also leads to a lot of +ve change in perspective. 

Last year, those who attended the PopularLinguistics sessions I had conducted would find the course very familiar, since we have covered the basics of almost everything that the course adjusted. You will find it easy and fun. Even those who didn't attend, the course is not tough, and you will enjoy classes. 

Watch out for it when you choose electives next sem.

[Antariksh Bothale]

Dunno why I wrote adjusted in the above mail. The word I wanted to write was addresses.

[Priyank Parikh]

But if we've attended the sessions, which if I'm not wrong were taken
based on the course slides of this course, it doesn't make sense
right?
Unless formalizing everything and introducing testing makes it much
more concrete.

[Antariksh Bothale]

Well, it's your call. The sessions had to be sped up, so it is possible that you would get a more comprehensive picture in the course. We did some topics pretty comprehensively, like Phonology and Morphology, so I think there the course won't have a lot of new stuff, but for stuff like Phonetics, Syntax and the stuff we didn't cover, it would be helpful. 

Also, yes, formalizing and testing does help. A lot of the joy of linguistics is figuring out stuff. In the sessions, you mostly just listened.  

2011/4/24 Priyank Parikh <priyan...@gmail.com>

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Antariksh Bothale
Institute Secretary for International Relations
4th Year, Mechanical Engineering
IIT Bombay

[Antariksh Bothale]

Hi

As I had announced on the group, Introduction to Linguistics is running this semester in Slot 2. The course code is HS 466. The course description on ASC is scary and off-putting, so I am attaching a small document (which is actually the first lecture handout). This introduces the topics that will be discussed in the course and also gives a few examples.

If you have any other doubts regarding the course, please ask them here.



Antariksh Bothale | 5th Year (Dual Degree) | Mechanical Engineering | IIT Bombay

[Antariksh Bothale]

Nonetheless, for sake of completeness, I am posting the details given on ASC.

The scientific study of language as it has developed in the twentieth century has vital links with many other modern theories and disciplines which include the communication sciences and the systems approach. This course is an introduction to the science of language, called linguistics. It deals with the structure and function of language, with particular attention to Noam homsky`s `generative` model. The following topics will be discussed: Language and communication: animal and human communication; artificial and natural languages; social functions of language. The `science` of language: language as a system; levels of linguistic structure; the `generative` model of Chomsky. Evolution and variation of language: historical change; geographical variation; social variation.Language and mind: language and thought; language and the brain; language acquisition and child language.

The description is a bit outdated.

[Priyank Parikh]

2003! :P
slot 2 sux. damn.