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ENG302: Semantics and Pragmatics |
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Professor: |
Dr. Sharon Cote |
Availability: |
I
am available during my office hours and by
appointment. |
Description: In this course we will think about meaning – about how
meanings are shaped with language (and with English in particular) and about
the boundaries of meaning at different levels of language. Specifically, we’ll
consider what kinds of meanings are contained in words and how word meanings
interact as we build meaningful phrases and how phrase meanings interact as we
build sentences. We’ll also discuss the assumptions we must make about how
other people are using language in order to have coherent and meaningful
discourses, and we’ll explore ways that meaning is actually a product of
inferential thought processes in particular linguistic and situational
contexts. We’ll look at some of the discourse meanings of different syntax
choices and, more generally, address the significance of the fact that we have
different ways of saying essentially the same thing.
Through this broad and intensive examination of issues in semantic and
pragmatic analysis, students should gain an appreciation of the difference
between casual and careful discussions of meaning in language, should acquire
the vocabulary needed for a careful discussion of meaning, should develop the
ability to describe certain semantic/pragmatic components of the meanings of
specific examples, and should become aware of how various theoretical
approaches reflect attempts to handle complex linguistic and cognitive issues
in these types of analyses.
Required Materials:
Murphy, M. Lynne (2010). Lexical Meaning, Cambridge University
Press.
Portner, Paul H. (2005). What is Meaning? Fundamentals of Formal Semantics
Additional readings will be made available on Blackboard, and some short
readings may be distributed.
Work, Grading, and Attendance:
"Ungraded" Assignments (12%), Three Exams (18% each), Semantic
Analysis of Adopted Word (10%), Final Semantic/Pragmatic Analysis of Adopted Paragraph(24%).
All work, other than in-class exams, must be completed BEFORE class time on the
day it is due and must be submitted on time and in-class except where noted or
in cases where permission for an alternative submission time/method is given in
advance. (In rare, well-justified circumstances that make it impossible to
contact me beforehand, I may consider requests after a due date.) Similarly,
exams must be taken as scheduled unless permission is granted for an
alternative. All graded work most be completed to
pass the course. Graded work must be done independently.
Assignments described as "ungraded" require an acceptable effort on
all parts of the assignment for credit, but assignments with incorrect answers
can still get full credit. In fact, you may sometimes be asked to consider
questions about new material to see what you can figure out by looking at this
material yourself before we discuss it. If desired, you are free to work on
ungraded assignments in discussion with other students, but each student should
still do all parts. On occasion, there may be an unscheduled assignment in
class. You may skip or miss one "ungraded" assignment without
affecting your overall grade for assignments at all. After that, each missed
ungraded assignment will reduce your overall grade for these assignments
proportionally.
General guidelines and options for the written analyses will be discussed
during the semester, and students are encouraged to come see me individually
with their own more specific questions.
Attendance at regular classes is strongly recommended but not absolutely
required, except for exam dates and, if applicable, any student presentation
dates (missing the latter could affect your grade on related work). Remember,
however, that assignments may be due on days you miss.
Of course, all your work for this course is subject to the JMU
Honor Code. If you have any questions about what constitutes plagiarism or
about other aspects of the honor code,see
me for clarification.
Other Course Policies:
Please read the full course policies
page for additional details about grading, attendance, and other issues.
Daily Schedule: (Note that this is a tentative schedule of what
will be discussed in each class period. Changes are possible. Check for
revisions.) You should have readings done before the first class date on which
they will be discussed.
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Date |
Topic |
Text Readings |
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8/28 |
"Why
would that carbonated falsehood have shnorked my
translucent dog?" - An introduction to the course |
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8/30 |
Poking Words with a Semantic Stick - some background for lexical semantics |
Murphy: Preface and Chapter 1 through the end of section 1.3.4) |
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9/4 |
Does that mean what I think it means? |
Murphy: Chapter 1(remainder) and Chapter 2 |
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9/6 |
Properties of a Prototypical Pizza |
Murphy: Chapter 3 |
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9/11 |
More on properties of word meaning |
reread Murphy: Chapter 3 **Note tentative readings adjustments from here on** |
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9/13 |
Which came first, the lexical chicken or the conceptual egg? and a start on the Many Identities of a Word Form |
Murphy: Chapter 4 and a start on Chapter 5 |
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9/18 |
The Family Life of Words |
Murphy: Chapter 5 |
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9/20 |
Slippery Meanings and the Perils of (Lexical) Paraphrase |
Murphy: Chapter 5 and a start on Chapter 6 (through 6.2.2) |
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9/25 |
Review |
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9/27 |
***TEST --- Note New Date *** |
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10/2 |
more on the complexity of word meaning(s) |
more on Murphy: Chapter 5 |
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10/4 |
So many -nyms, so little time |
Murphy: Chapter 6 |
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10/9 |
Taking "that" as given...? |
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10/11 |
Another take on what's "Given" |
First half of Portner, Chapter 10 |
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10/16 |
Speakers, Hearers, and Contextual Glue: Pragmatics up close |
more on Portner: Chapter 10, plus additional reading? |
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10/18 |
NO CLASS (Adopted Word Analyses due at my office) |
start reading for 10/23 |
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10/23 |
Speaker Intentions and Choices |
Portner Chapter 11 |
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10/25 |
Catch up and Test Review, TAKE HOME EXAM HANDED OUT |
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10/30 |
Test Due -- Class cancelled |
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11/1 |
More on Givenness and Inferences |
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11/6 |
Sentential semantics basics and connections to lexical semantics |
Portner Chapter 1 |
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11/8 |
More Background on the semantics of sentences |
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11/13 |
Discourse/Pragmatic Functions of Syntactic Forms |
"Information Structure" through the section on "preposing" -- available on Blackboard |
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11/15 |
More on Information Structure -Practice with noncanonical sentence structures |
Remainder of "Information Structure" |
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11/20 |
THANKSGIVING BREAK -- CLASS NO, TURKEY YES |
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11/22 |
THANKSGIVING BREAK -- CLASS NO, TURKEY YES |
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11/27 |
Coherence and Cohesiveness |
"Coherence and Structure in Discourse" |
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11/29 |
More Practice with Discourse and TAKE-HOME TEST |
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12/4 |
Pragmatics of Disagreeing |
"Rejection by Implicature" |
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12/6 |
Perspectives and PIZZA (optional test 3 due) |
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12/13 (THURSDAY) |
FINAL SEMANTIC ANALYSIS DUE AT MY OFFICE BY 3:30 |
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12/13 (THURSDAY) |
OPTIONAL BONUS ASSIGNMENT ON REJECTION DUE AT MY OFFICE BY 3:30 |
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"Do you wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on?" -- J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit
Look here for assignments:
- Due 8/30/12 (ungraded)
- Due 9/4/12 (ungraded)
- Due 9/11/12 (ungraded)
- Due 9/13/12 (ungraded)
- Due 9/20/12 (ungraded)
- Due 10/9/12 (ungraded)
- Due 10/16/12 (ungraded)
- Due 10/23/12 (ungraded)
- Due 11/6/12 (ungraded)
- Due 11/8/12 (ungraded)
- Due 11/13/12 (ungraded)
- FIND INFO ON OPTIONAL BONUS ASSIGNMENT ON REJECTION HERE
- ***Corrected guidelines for your adopted paragraph analysis are available.***
ENG302, FALL 2012, © JMU