Graduate Program in Linguistics at CUNY

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Computational Linguistics

Fall 2008 schedule

70100 Introduction to Theoretical Linguistics
3 credits, Bob Fiengo / Dianne Bradley

An introduction to the intellectual foundations, methodologies, and motivations of linguistics. What kinds of questions do linguists ask? What do some of the answers look like? And why?
The course will cover fundamental concepts in the core areas of linguistics, i.e., phonetics and phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics. Their role in fields such as first and second language acquisition, sentence processing, language change, sociolinguistics and pragmatics, may be explored depending on faculty specialization.
A substantial component of the course will be the discussion and demonstration of analytical techniques used in contemporary linguistics and applied to problem sets. A practicum will be attached to this course, taught by graduate student assistants.

72100 Syntax I
3 credits, Marcel den Dikken

This course provides an introduction to Principles and Parameters Theory (P&P). A relatively recent development within the framework of Chomsky’s Generative Grammar, P&P intends to account for cross-linguistic syntactic variation by pursuing the idea that a pre-determined set of principles underlies the grammars of all languages; the apparent differences we see among languages are the result of parameter settings. Although we will examine similarities and differences between languages, English (and other European languages) will be a main point of reference in our understanding of the theory. This course will also train the student to "do" syntax and to become proficient at engaging in syntactic argumentation.

79100 Logic for Linguists
3 credits, Alex Orenstein

I. An examination of key topics in formal logic which bear on issues in linguistics. This will encompass contrasting classical and non-classical syntactical and semantical approaches to sentence connectives, quantifiers, forms of the copula, modal notions and propositional attitude ascriptions. (I will work individually with those interested in mastering the techniques of first order predicate logic and the rudiments of modal logic used to demonstrate that an argument is valid, a sentence is logically true, a set of sentences is consistent, etc. )
II. On the philosophical logic side, various approaches to logical form, existentials and existential import (the quantifier vs. the copula tradition*), reference, presupposition, adverbial modification etc. will be discussed. Consideration will be given to looking into topics of special interest to students other than those just mentioned.
The course will be organized along the lines of texts such as Logic in Linguistics, Allwood, Cambridge Univ. Press Meaning and Grammar, Chercia and Ginet, MIT Press.
* Quine and the Fregean tradition: “Existence [being} is what existential quantification expresses”, “To be is to be the value of a variable”. Followers of the Aristotelian tradition in logic such as Kant and others: "Being is obviously not a real predicate --- Logically it is merely the copula of a judgement".

79300 Psychological Reality of Language
3 credits, Michael Devitt

The course will address issues about the psychological reality of language raised in my book, Ignorance of Language (2006), with attention to criticisms, particularly those by Louise Antony, John Collins, Paul Pietroski, Georges Rey, and Barry Smith.
Are the rules or principles of a language psychologically real in a competent speaker? Chomsky’s view that linguistics is part of psychology yields a very fast argument that they are, for a grammar is thought to be about the mind. The course will start by looking skeptically at this view, arguing that the grammar is about a linguistic reality. So, the grammar leaves the question of whether the rules or principles are psychologically real open.
The course will approach this question from a perspective on thought. This leads to the seemingly unChomskian idea that thought is in various respects “prior” to language. It leads also to the view that if “the language-of-thought hypothesis” is correct, then the rules/principles of a person’s language are likely to be similar to those governing the structure of her thoughts. The linguistic rules/principles would be, to that extent, psychologically real. The course will also raise doubts about whether the rules/principles are psychologically real in any other way. There seems to be no significant evidence that they are represented in the mind and, given what else we know, it is implausible that they are. And they seem the wrong sort of rules/principles to govern language processing.
Other controversial theses will be considered: that speakers’ linguistic intuitions do not reflect information supplied by the language faculty and are not the main evidence for grammars; that linguistics should be concerned with what idiolects share, not with idiolects; that language processing is a fairly brute-causal associationist matter; that the rules of “Universal Grammar” are largely, if not entirely, innate structure rules of thought; indeed, that there is little or nothing to the language faculty.

Requirements
(i) A brief weekly email raising questions about, making criticisms of, or developing points concerning, matters discussed in the class and reading for that week. 50% of grade.
(ii) A class presentation based on a draft for a paper (topic chosen in consultation with me). The draft to be submitted before Tuesday of the week of presentation. 20% of grade.
(iii) A 2,500 word paper probably arising from the draft in (ii). 30% of grade.

TEXTS
Chomsky, Noam. 1986. Knowledge of Language: Its Nature, Origin, and Use. New York: Praeger Publishers. [ISBN: 0-275-91761-4]
Devitt, Michael. 2006. Ignorance of Language. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [ISBN: 0-19-925096-0]

RECOMMENDED
Antony, Louise, and Norbert Hornstein, eds. 2003. Chomsky and his Critics. Oxford: Blackwell. [0-631-20021-5]
Barber, Alex, ed. 2003. Epistemology of Language. Oxford: Oxford University Press. [ISBN: 0-19-925058-8]
Block, Ned, ed. 1981. Readings in Philosophy of Psychology, Volume 2. Cambridge MA: Harvard University Press. [ISBN: 0-674-74877-8]
Carruthers, Peter, and Jill Boucher, eds. 1998. Language and Thought. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. [ISBN: 0 521 637589]
Chomsky, Noam. 2000. New Horizons in the Study of Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. [ISBN: 0521658225]
Fodor, Jerry A. 1983. The Modularity of Mind: An Essay on Faculty Psychology. Cambridge MA: MIT Press. [ISBN: 0-262-56025-9]
Gleitman, Lila R, and Mark Liberman, eds. 1995. Language: An Invitation to Cognitive Science, Volume 1. Cambridge MA: MIT Press. [ISBN: 0-262-65044-4]

79400 Neurolinguistics of Bilingualism
3 credits, Loraine Obler

In this class we will read and critique aphasiological articles and imaging articles, comparing what they teach us of the phenomenology and underlying brain structures subserving bilingualism and multilingualism. Topics will likely include recovery from bilingual aphasia, language choice, code-switching, critical/sensitive period(s), proficiency, dyslexia and expertise. Students are strongly encouraged to attend the one-day (Friday, September 12) Eleanor Saffran Cognitive Science conference at Temple University in Philadelphia which will focus this year on Language processing in the Bilingual Brain: Implications for treatment of developmental and adult language disorders.

82100 Variationist Sociolinguistics
3 credits, Ricardo Otheguy

The purpose of the course is for students (a) to become familiar with the literature on variable linguistic phenomena, (b) to learn to discuss this literature critically and to evaluate the role of variability within linguistic theory, (c) to understand the effect of social factors on linguistic phenomena, (d) to understand and learn to develop social and linguistic constraint hierarchies for the analysis of variable linguistic phenomena, (e) to learn the basic statistical tools used in variationist research (correlation, anova, multiple regression, and logistic regression) using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, and (f) to design a variationist research project using data from the language of their choice. In preparation for the course, students may want to read Chapter 8 of Ralph Fasold’s The sociolinguistics of language, entitled ‘Linguistic Variation’, as well as some of the papers in J.K. Chambers et al.’s, The handbook of language variation and change, which will be used in the course.

82200 Seminars in Linguistics: Qualifying Paper
3 credits, Janet Fodor

From the Program's website: "Students write a Qualifying Paper in one of the core areas (i.e., Syntax, Semantics, or Phonology), under the supervision of a faculty member (supervisor). The content of the Qualifying Paper must be the student's original research."

There is no pre-established syllabus for this course. Each student will work out their own program of consultation, literature search and writing, to achieve their aims for the semester. Students will identify published papers to serve as a model for their QP, and will provide feedback for each other on their early drafts. Class participation is essential.

Please come to the first class prepared to report on how far along in your planning or writing you are, and to explain what kinds of assistance you will need during the semester. It is not a problem if you are only just beginning to think about your QP, but be ready to start thinking now!

There is no obligatory textbook, but you may find some useful tips in:
Projects in Linguistics (Second Edition)
Authors: Alison Wray, Kate Trott and Aileen Bloomer
ISBN13: 9780340905784ISBN10: 0340905786 paper, 320 pages
Price: $35.00 (06) A Hodder Arnold Publication Oxford University Press

Description
Following increased emphasis on research projects at the undergraduate level, this book, now in paperback, teaches students how to write good research projects in linguistics. Giving an overview of major themes of linguistics and introducing essential tools and techniques, the book provides practical advice on how to choose a research topic, collect data, analyse it, and write up the results. Incorporating over 300 project ideas and covering plagiarism, referencing, phonetic and orthographic transcription and tips on writing good English, Projects in Linguistics is a treasure trove of helpful information vital to students in the field.

72400 Semantics II
3 credits, William McClure