Linguistics 3: Introduction to World Languages

Fall 2019
1 p.m. to 4:10 p.m. Friday | LAC-T1324
Instructor: Adrienne Lynett, Ph.D. | ​alynett@lbcc.edu
Virtual Office Hours: Mondays, 12 to 1 p.m.

Course Description
This course provides an introduction to the languages of the world: the diversity, structural characteristics,
and methods of classifying languages into families and types. It examines the distinctive features of
several representative languages through discussion, readings, and online materials. It addresses pidgins
and creoles; unaffiliated languages; language contact; language endangerment, death, and revitalization;
and new directions in research, along with related ethical and socio-political issues and concerns.

Required Readings
1. Textbook: Pereltsvaig, A. Languages of the World: An Introduction (2​nd​ Edition). Cambridge
University Press, 2017. ISBN: ​9781316621967​ (available at LBCC bookstore and Amazon)
2. Supplemental readings (available on course website)

Student Learning Outcomes

To complete this course, a student must be able to:
1. Utilize phonetics, morphology, syntax, semantics, and/or lexicon to systematically break down
linguistic structures.
2. Describe the geographical distribution and variety of family types that the world’s languages fall
into, based on linguistic classification and analysis principles.
3. Relate and/or summarize issues related to genealogical relatedness between languages,
considering macro-family proposals as opposed to language contact and mixed languages.
In order to achieve these objectives, students will:
1. Analyze and contrast the main features of two chosen languages (one of which may be the
student’s native language).
2. Describe how languages and dialects are formed.
3. Systematically research an individual language, collecting data using applied scientific
methodologies.
4. Evaluate a variety of solutions to data-set problems using applied linguistics principles and
methodologies,
5. Analyze and/or describe selected social-linguistic issues, including ethical issues, related to
linguistic and cultural minorities.
6. Explain how the exposure to a variety of languages and cultures has contributed to the student's
growth on a personal and scholarly level.

Course Requirements
1. Class Participation​ (10%): Thoughtful, respectful participation is essential to success in this
course. Your participation grade will reflect not only your attendance, but also your contributions
to class and online discussions. (See attendance policy below).
2. Quizzes​ (15%): A short online quiz will be given for each chapter of the textbook, due by 12:30
p.m. on Friday, before the lecture corresponding to that topic. Quizzes will be available on the
course website. You will be allowed 3 attempts, and you will earn the highest grade of those three
attempts. Quizzes cannot be submitted past the deadline. The lowest quiz score will be dropped.
3. Homework Assignments ​(15%): Homework exercises, derived from the course text, lectures,
 and/or supplemental readings, will be assigned after each lecture. These may include short answer
questions, problems, and/or mini essay assignments. They will be due by 10 p.m. on Thursdays.
Late homework will not be accepted. The lowest homework score will be dropped.
4. Midterm Exam​ (15%): The midterm exam will cover chapters 1-6 of the textbook, class
discussions, and supplemental readings.
5. Oral Presentation ​(10%): Each student will be expected to give a brief (about 10 minutes)
presentation about the language they are studying for their research paper (see below).
Presentations will take place during the penultimate class.
6. Research Paper​ (20%): For this analytical essay of 6-8 pages, you will do your own data
collection of a lesser-studied language. In your paper, you should describe the language as well as
provide some background on the language’s history, culture and traditions of its speakers, and
other pertinent information. This paper will be submitted online (using Turnitin). Late papers will
be subject to a penalty.
7. Final Exam​ (15%): This cumulative exam will be held on the last day of class.

Attendance Policy
Attendance and participation are requirements of this class. The instructor will record attendance and
participation for each class session. Being late to class three times (more than 10 minutes late) is
equivalent to one absence. Each student is responsible for all material covered in class when he or she is
absent. A student may miss one class with no excuse — no questions asked. Two or more unexcused
absences will result in a grade penalty. Students who miss 3 classes during the semester or two
consecutive weeks of class will be dropped from the class, in accordance with college policy.

Plagiarism
Plagiarism is defined in the Modern Language Association Handbook as “using another person’s ideas or
expressions without acknowledging that person’s work”. Writers who plagiarize are passing off the work
of others as their own. The violation may be unintentional, but unintentional plagiarism is still plagiarism.
Writers must always acknowledge others’ arguments, ideas, and notions, whether used in quotation or in
paraphrase. Consequences for plagiarism include failure on the written work in question and possible
failure of the course and referral to the Dean of Student Affairs for further disciplinary action.