LING499C: Seminar on islands

Fall 2009

Logistics

Time: Tuesday-Thursday 11:00-12:15

Place: MMH 3418

Instructor: Johannes Jurka

Office: 1407D Marie Mount Hall

Office Hours: Tuesday, Thursday after class or by appointment

E-mail: jjurka -AT- umd -DOT- edu *email is the best way to get in touch*

Phone: (301) 405-54192

Course Overview:

Long-distance dependency (e.g., wh-movement like ”Whoi did John say Mary kissed ti ?”) is one of the hallmarks of human language. Some long-distance dependencies, however, appear to be illicit (e.g. ”?*Whoi did John believe the rumor that Mary kissed ti ?”). Ross (1967) dubs such anomalies ’Islands’, refering metaphorically to a specific configuration which you can't get out of. You are stranded on an island, as it were. In this class we will review some of the key work on islands in theoretical and experimental linguistics. The class also requires students to actively engage in a small research project with the instructor’s guidance, and thus helps students to learn to design, conduct, and analyze data from an experimental study.

This is a small seminar, and we aim to take full advantage of this. There will be ample opportunity for discussion, and we will be reading some challenging cutting-edge science

For further information, inluding grading information, please refer to the course syllabus: DOWNLOAD HERE

Downloads

Presentation Guildelines

Readings and Class Outline

NOTE: Readings and dates may be subject to change; please check back often for updates!

Readings listed on the class schedule below may be obtained through the course site on Blackboard (let me know if you have any problems with access)