Introduction to Japanese Linguistics I-E2
| Numbering Code | U-LAS02 10019 LE37 | Year/Term | 2022 ・ Second semester | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Credits | 2 | Course Type | Lecture | |
| Target Year | All students | Target Student | For liberal arts students | |
| Language | English | Day/Period | Wed.1 | |
| Instructor name | CATT, Adam Alvah (Graduate School of Letters Associate Professor) | |||
| Outline and Purpose of the Course | If you are interested in linguistics and how linguists think about the Japanese language, then this is the course for you. This course is an introduction to scientific methods of understanding and analyzing the Japanese language using the tools of linguistics. We will focus on the areas of phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and language change. | |||
| Course Goals | By the end of this course, you will have gained a good understanding of the basic areas of study in linguistics--phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and language change--and how to use these tools to understand and analyze the Japanese language. | |||
| Schedule and Contents |
The course schedule is divided into the following seven sections, each with a different theme. Exercises will be regularly assigned to help you explore various descriptive and theoretical issues. 1. Introduction (about 2 weeks) What is linguistics?; introduction to the Japanese language--its features, history, and genetic affiliation 2. Phonetics (about 2 weeks) Describing consonants, vowels, accent 3. Phonology (about 3 weeks) Phonemes, allophones, analyzing data sets, sequential voicing (rendaku), moras and syllables, describing accent 4. Morphology (about 2 weeks) Parts of speech categories, the morpheme and morpheme types, types of word formation, transitive and intransitive verb pairs, nominalization 5. Syntax (about 3 weeks) Constituency, word order, dislocation, scrambling, ellipsis, reflexive pronouns, passives 6. Semantics (about 1 week) Tense and aspect, information structure 7. Language Change (about 2 weeks) How the Japanese language has changed over time Feedback (1 week) |
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| Evaluation Methods and Policy | Grades are based on attendance/class participation (30%), and assignments/exams (70%). Important: If you miss four or more classes, you will not be given credit for the course. | |||
| Course Requirements | This course does not require any prerequisite knowledge, although a basic familiarity with Japanese is preferable. | |||
| Study outside of Class (preparation and review) | Exercises will be assigned on a weekly basis, and you will be expected to prepare sufficiently for each class. | |||
| Textbooks | Textbooks/References | Relevant materials will be provided in class. | ||
| References, etc. |
An Introduction to Japanese Linguistics, third edition, Tsujimura, Natsuko, (Wiley Blackwell, 2014), ISBN:978-1-4443-3773-0 The Languages of Japan, Shibatani, Masayoshi, (Cambridge University Press, 1990), ISBN:978-0-521-36918-3 |
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