Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Class Schedule & Homework Reminder

Remember that this week is unusual, schedule-wise.  Wednesday has Friday classes and there are no classes on Thursday and Friday, so I won't see you Thursday.  I'll see you again next Monday!


  • Your BP #3 is due on Wednesday.  
  • Then, you need to comment on your Blog Buddies' BP #3s before class next Monday.  

Don't forget: Blog Posts are 20% of your grade!


  • Please also read SoL Chapter 5 before class next Monday.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Blog Post #3 - Be a Linguistic Detective!


Be a Linguistic Detective!  Solve Two Linguistic "Mysteries"!


1. The Case of the Changing Prefix

We form negative meanings for words in like audible and edible by adding the prefix in- (inaudible and inedible). First, determine the negative versions of the following words:

balance      compatible     complete        decent             glorious     gratitude     legal        literate     mature     perfect       possible          rational           responsible     sane           tolerant       variable

Now, explain why some of the prefixes are different.  What are the phonological processes involved with their pronunciation?


2.  The Case of the Shifting Plural Suffix

The use of the plural -s has three different ways of pronunciation.  
a.  The plural sounds like /s/ for words like bat, book, cough, and ship.  
b.  However, it sounds like /z/ for words like cab, cave, lad, rag, and thing. 
c.  And the plural sounds like /ez/ for words like bus, bush, church, judge, and maze.

First, identify the phoneme that comes just before the plural in each of these words.

Now, can you discover what these sets of sounds (the final phoneme of the word and the phoneme for the type of plural it uses) have in common?

**Your BP#3 is due by Wednesday, Sept. 28**

Monday, September 19, 2011

Short Survey on using Blogs in this Class

Please go to the following site to take a brief survey about using blogs in this class:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Community2-0_StudentPreSurvey_Fall2011

**Please complete this survey before the end of the day this Thursday!**

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Blog Post #2 - How Do You Say Your Name?

You must imagine that you are attending a world conference on languages with people from every part of the world.  Everyone knows the International Phonetic Alphabet (I.P.A.). Since you are also an expert on I.P.A., you can make use of this knowledge.

1 - You will need to create your name tag, with both your regularly spelled name and your name spelled phonetically (transcribed in I.P.A.).

Example:
REBEKAH
/rə be kʌ/


2 - Also, please explain the pronunciation of your name for your fellow linguist colleagues.

For example, I can say, the first syllable of "Rebekah" has the onset of a voiced alveolar liquid with a rhyme of a mid, central unstressed (schwa) vowel, "rə."  The next syllable has a voiced bilabial stop onset with a rhyme of a mid, front vowel, "be." The final syllable has the onset of a voiceless, velar stop with a rhyme of a mid, central vowel, "kʌ."


3 - Finally, if you leave the convention, and go out on the street and meet other people who are not I.P.A. experts, they will see your name tag and ask you about it.  Please make a description for the way to pronounce your name for people who don't know linguistics.  Tell them what to do with their vocal cords, teeth, tongue, breath, etc.

For example, I would say  "for my name, you start by raising your tongue toward the palate in the back of the mouth to make an "r" sound and then make an "uh" sound, then put your lips together to make a "b" sound with an "eh" sound, and finally let your tongue hit the palate and push air through the space, making a "k" sound, followed by an "uh" sound. "Ruh-BEH-kuh."

**This is due on Monday, Sept. 19, before class.**

Helpful Websites for IPA Symbols and Transcription

Here are several helpful websites for your use in studying the IPA symbols and production (place and manner of articulation).  Some of them give you the audio links so that you can hear the phoneme pronounced, and others are good for copying the symbols to then paste into your blogs or elsewhere.

The sounds of English and the International Phonetic Alphabet
http://www.antimoon.com/how/pronunc-soundsipa.htm
This site has all the IPA vowels and consonants, along with sample words using the sounds, and you can click on the audio file to hear the words pronounced.

You can also copy the symbols and paste them into your blog post for your upcoming assignment.



IPA Phonetic Chart
http://www.esl-lounge.com/pronunciation/phonetic-chart.shtml
This site has consonant and vowel charts with large, clear symbols that you can easily see.


Basic Phonetic Transcription
http://uwf.edu/tprewitt/sounddescription.htm
This site has several "Sammy" figures with details about the way we use our mouths and throats for sound production.

They are using some other phonetic symbols - so don't worry about them - just use the ones we have in our book.



IPA Charts
http://www.yorku.ca/earmstro/ipa/
There are many phonetic charts on this site, and you can click on the charts, then click on the symbols to hear the pronunciation.


Type IPA phonetic symbols
http://ipa.typeit.org/
On this site, you can use the special keyboard on the site to type special phonetic symbols (and you can combine this with a regular keyboard for the IPA symbols that are the same as regular alphabet letters. You can then copy and paste these symbols into other places, such as blog posts or documents.

Monday, September 12, 2011

HW for Thursday, 9-15

As a reminder, for class on Thursday:

Ch. 3 in SoL
Please read Ch. 3 in SoL and be prepared to take a quiz on it (not open book this time!)  BIG HINT: Read and answer the study questions and discussion questions at the end of the chapter as a way to study for the quiz!

Comment on Peer Blogs
Be sure to read and comment on the BP #1s of your Blog Buddies (2 other people).  Write substantial comments, with interesting commentary or poignant questions!

Bring Index Cards
Please bring index cards (or a small notebook or small pieces of paper) to create phonetic flashcards in class on Thursday.

Blog Buddies Groups

BLOG BUDDIES LIST - ELL101.0973


Group A
Soledad
Esthefany
Eliza

Group B
Shanice
Lorayny
Anita

Group C
Jocelyn
Nicole
Jorge

Group D
Cassandra
Toniann
Leon

Group E
Patrich
Elvin
Emily

Group F
Gabi
Rasheeda
Tsomo

Group G
Krystalyn
Carlos
Therese

Group H
Ali
Joseph
Joel

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Blog Post #1 - Introduction


Please read the article "Does Your Language Shape How You Think?" from the NYTimes by Guy Deutscher.
Does Your Language Shape How You Think?

Please write a language autobiography about yourself by explaining your relationship to language (i.e., What language(s) do you speak, read, write, understand?  Is the language you speak in school the same language you speak at home, at work, with your friends?).

Reflect on how you learned your language(s) at home, in school.  How does language "happen," do you think?  What hypothesis do you have for the way a language is acquired?  Is the way you learn a second (or third, fourth) language the same as the way you learn your first language? What do you wonder about language?

COMMENTING ON PEER BLOGS

Remember, you must comment on your Blog Buddies' BP #1s.  Please write something substantial and not just "hey, thatz kewl." Try to make interesting commentary, observations, or ask pertinent questions.

Post your URLs here

Please post your blog URLs here in a comment so that I can add you to the list of blogs linked to my blog.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Welcome to Introduction to Language!

In this course, we will study many aspects of language learning and language usage.  We will study language production and structure, language around the US and around the world, and language and the brain.

This class blog will serve as a hub of a class network of blogs.  You will each create your own blog and publish posts on your thoughts and experiences about language and comment on one another's posts.