ENG302: Semantics and Pragmatics (Special Topics in Literature and Linguistics section 2, class number 83524, meeting time TTH 11:00-12:15, classroom K-G9)

Professor: EMAIL: Office:

Dr. Sharon Cote cotesa@jmu.edu Keezell 209, Ext. 82510

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.

Date	Topic	Text Readings
8/28	"Why would that carbonated falsehood have shnorked my translucent dog?" - An introduction to the course
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)
9/4	Does that mean what I think it means?	Murphy: Chapter 1(remainder) and Chapter 2
9/6	Properties of a Prototypical Pizza	Murphy: Chapter 3
9/11	Which came first, the lexical chicken or the conceptual egg?	Murphy: Chapter 4
9/13	The Many Identities of a Word Form	Murphy: Chapter 5 and a start on Chapter 6
9/18	The Family Life of Words	Murphy: Chapter 6
9/20	Test Review and a Start on General Generalities	Murphy: Chapter 7
9/25	TEST
9/27	One Noun, Two Nouns, Red Nouns, Blue Nouns	Murphy: continue Chapter 7, plus Chapter 8
10/2	"Verb"-al Use and Abuse	Murphy: Chapters 9 and 10
10/4	How slippery is your description?	Murphy: Chapter 11
10/9	Looking for Meaning Beyond the Word	Portner: Chapters 1 and 2
10/11	When is calculus not calculus? (or.. What was little Da before she became a full grown Sheep Da?	Portner: Chapter 3
10/16	Speakers, Hearers, and Contextual Glue: Pragmatics up close	Portner: Chapter 10
10/18	What's "Given"	TBA, on Blackboard
10/23	Speaker Intentions and Choices	Portner Chapter 11, and TBA
10/25	Catch up and Test Review, TAKE HOME EXAM HANDED OUT
10/30	Modifying What You Say	Portner: Chapter 4
11/1	More on Referring Expressions	Portner: Chapter 5
11/6	Much Ado about Extensions vs. Intensions	Portner: Chapters 6 and 7
11/8	In Time and Out of Time	Portner: Chapter 8
11/13	'Tudes	Portner: Chapter 9
11/15	Catch up or topics
11/20	THANKSGIVING BREAK -- CLASS NO, TURKEY YES
11/22	THANKSGIVING BREAK -- CLASS NO, TURKEY YES
11/27	Topic
11/29	TEST
12/4	Questions about Semantic Analyses
12/6	Perspectives
12/13 (THURSDAY- confirm on JMU exam schedule)	FINAL SEMANTIC ANALYSIS DUE AT MY OFFICE BY 3:00

"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)

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