Lectures

This page contains links to the lecture notes for each class. These notes cover most of the topics discussed in class, and sometimes fill in some details that were passed over in class, or answer some questions that arose in class. All of the language examples used in class will be reproduced here - therefore, you do not need to worry about copying down every detail in class ... and can spend more time thinking about what the examples mean.

Important: these notes are intended as a supplement, and are not a substitute for regular attendance in class. They will be posted after class, often a number of days later (they do take a while to prepare!), and much of the content of the notes will be difficult to understand if you have not already attended class.

1. Introduction: language as a biological system
2. Prescriptive and descriptive grammar
3. Languages of the World
4. More on Languages of the World
5. Phonetics I
6. Phonetics II
7. Phonetics III
8. Phonology I: Phonological Alternations
9. Phonology II: Identifying Phonemes
10. Phonology III: Phonology and Literacy
11. Morphology I: What's in the Mental Dictionary?
12. Morphology II
13. Syntax I: Syntax and Creativity
14. Syntax II: Arguments, Modifiers and Ambiguity
15. Syntax III: Word Order
16. Syntax IV: Transformational Grammar
17. Semantics I: Language and thought
18. Semantics II: Syntax and semantics in language learning
19. Sociolinguistics I
20. Sociolinguistics II
21. Language Acquisition I
22. Language Acquisition II
23. Language and Brain I
24. Language and Brain II