LING 270: Meaning - Syllabus, Spring 2016
Instructor: Alexis Wellwood, TA: Tommy Denby
Place
Time
Instructor
Swift 107
Tu, Th 12:30-1:50
Call me ‘Alexis’
[email protected]
2016 Sheridan Road, #303
Office hours
By appointment
Teaching Assistant Tommy Denby
[email protected]
Swift Hall 007
TA office hours
Mo 2-4
Website
faculty.wcas.northwestern.edu/wellwood/classes/ling270.html
Course description
The ability to use language to communicate meaning is one of the most fundamental aspects of being human.
But what is ‘meaning’ ? We approach this difficult question by investigating what speakers know about how
meaning is conveyed in language, including the distinction between what expressions literally mean, and the
different shades of meaning that expressions can take on in different contexts of use. In carrying out this study,
we plumb the linguist’s toolkit (which includes tools borrowed from mathematics, logic, language acquisition,
and cognitive neuroscience) to discover how linguistic scientists determine, in a rigorous way, what a given
word or sentence means, and whether that word or sentence means the same thing across occasions of use.
This inquiry will lead the student to an understanding of the scientific study of language, by examining how
it plays out in the domain of linguistic meaning. And by the end of the course, students will have gained a
deeper appreciation for one of the most important, yet still most elusive aspects of the human capacity for
language.
Intended learning outcomes
• an ability to identify and reason about several dimensions of meaning (including entailment, implicature,
and presupposition)
• a working knowledge of a variety of analytical tools used to investigate meaning
Communications and the course website
The course website is faculty.wcas.northwestern.edu/wellwood/classes/ling270.html. Between class
meetings, I will keep in touch through the course email list and the course website. Updates to the website
will be announced via email. Please make sure to check your email and the website regularly.
Accessible NU
Any student with a documented disability needing consideration is requested to speak directly to AccessibleNU
(847-467-5530) and to the instructor as early as possible within the quarter (preferably within the first two
weeks of class). All discussions will remain confidential. For more information, visit northwestern.edu/
accessiblenu/.
Academic integrity
As with all courses at Northwestern, registration in this course requires adherence to the University’s principles regarding academic integrity (northwestern.edu/provost/students/integrity/principles.html).
Suspected violations of academic integrity in this course will be referred to the WCAS Assistant Dean for
Advising and Academic Integrity.
Requirements
Readings: The textbook for this course is Meaning: A slim guide to semantics, by Paul Elbourne. This
book is slim (like its name suggests), beautiful, fun, and pretty cheap. Copies are available at the campus
book store. You are expected to be able to discuss the readings in class. I will also suggest supplementary
readings; you are strongly encouraged to read as many of these as possible. Copies of the supplementary
readings are linked from the course website—you will need the username and password that I give
you in class.
Attendance: This course will follow the University’s absence policy, which you can view at: weinberg.
northwestern.edu/handbook/policies-forms/missing-class.html. Accepted reasons for an absence are
a personal illness, death in the immediate family, and duties performed for the university. Reasons for
an absence must be verifiable. If you are too ill to attend class, you should call the Health Service for an
appointment at (847) 491-2204 or visit https://www-healthy.nuhs.northwestern.edu/login_directory.
aspx. The Health Service doesn’t write ‘excuse’ notes, but will verify that you have been seen for a medical
problem. Accepted reasons for absence do not include:
• job interviews
• medical/law/graduate school interviews
• family reunions, weddings, birthdays, etc.
Minute papers (20%): There will sometimes be a minute paper at the end of a class session, typically on
Thursdays. Usually, you will be asked to take a minute or two to answer questions like these:
1. What is the most significant thing you learned today?, and
2. What concept was the most difficult for you to understand?
These minute papers will (i) help me know if you are understanding me or not, (ii) help me know if you are
bored or confused, (iii) encourage you to participate actively during class sessions, and (iv) give you experience
writing short essay answers. You will not be able to make up any missed minute papers; they depend on
being present in class. No extra credit is available to compensate for missed minute papers.
Homeworks (6 × 10%, lowest grade dropped = 50%): There will be six graded homeworks, distributed
on Tuesdays and due at the beginning of class the following Tuesday. You are strongly encouraged to discuss
the weekly homeworks (and anything else related to the course) with each other, though you must write
up your homeworks individually. You must also indicate whether and with whom you collaborated. Your
work must be stapled and typed or neatly written. Email submissions will not be accepted. Late
homeworks will not be accepted.
Exam (30%): There will be a final take home exam. You must not collaborate with anyone on
the exam. Work which copies or paraphrases another student’s work will be a treated as a violation
of academic integrity, won’t count toward fulfillment of the course requirement, and may call for further
sanctions, including failure from the course. I plan to distribute the exam on Thursday May 19th, and it
will be due by 5pm on Monday June 6th. Your work must be stapled and typed or neatly written. Email
submissions will not be accepted. Late exams will not be accepted.
Experimental requirement: This class has an experimental requirement. The experimental requirement
for this course may be fulfilled in one of the following ways: (i) by participating in two 1-hour experiments,
(ii) by attending two 1-hour video viewings, or (iii) by participating in one experiment and one video viewing.
The experiments and videos are part of ongoing research in the linguistics department and illustrate features
of language structure and use that are relevant to topics covered in the core linguistics curriculum. Failure
to fulfill this requirement will result in a lowered final grade. Please see the link to SONA (https:
//northwestern-linguistics.sona-systems.com) on the course website. For more information, please see
the accompanying information sheet.
Basis for assessment
Assessment type
Minute papers
Homeworks
Exam
% of final grade
20
50
30
Research opportunities
Students interested in linguistics are encouraged to participate in departmental research projects either
through paid research positions or by registering for an Independent Study (LING 399) with individual
faculty members. By giving students the opportunity to work closely with faculty and graduate students,
research experiences enable students to see how knowledge is generated in the scientific community. Research
experiences also enhance students’ analytical skills and help students develop the technical skills required
to become independent contributors to the academic community. It is envisioned that research experiences
will give students a sense of the excitement of discovery and an appreciation for the creativity associated
with scientific inquiry. Guidelines for independent study projects are given at weinberg.northwestern.
edu/handbook/research-internships-abroad/student-research/independent-study.html#here. For
information on current research opportunities in linguistics, we recommend that you contact either the faculty
in your area of interest or submit an inquiry online via the link at http://www.linguistics.northwestern.
edu/undergraduate/inquiry/index.html (NetID required). For more research opportunities and current
news on undergraduate research at Northwestern University:
undergradresearch.northwestern.edu/
weinberg.northwestern.edu/advising/research/index.html
weinberg.northwestern.edu/advising/research/research/
Schedule
Note: This schedule is likely to change, but not without notice. Any changes will be announced in class and
by email, and the schedule on the website will be updated accordingly.
Below, E refers to Elbourne’s book, Meaning. THE refers to the take-home exam. A ‘*’ in the Read column
indicates supplementary readings for that day are posted on the course website.
When
1.1 3/31
2.1 4/5
2.2 4/7
3.1 4/12
3.2 4/14
4.1 4/19
4.2 4/21
5.1 4/26
5.2 4/28
6.1 5/3
6.2 5/5
7.1
7.2
8.1
8.2
9.1
9.2
5/10
5/12
5/17
5/19
5/24
5/26
6/6
Topic
Read
Assigned
The meaning of ‘meaning’
Meanings 6= definitions
E1,E2[14-15]
HW1
Two theories
E2[15-32]*
Aspects of word meaning
E3
HW2
Meaning & truth
E4[43-55]*
Negative polarity items
E4[55-64]
HW3
Aspects of inferential meaning E5[65-72]*
Structural ambiguity
E5[72-98]
HW4
Composition with λs I
E6*
Composition with λs II
HW5
Variables
E7[111-121]
5/6: Drop deadline
Implicit content
E7[121-131]
HW6
Implicature I
E7[131-139]*
Implicature II
*
Putting it all together
THE
TBA (Tommy)
Review & wrap-up
E8*
5/30 - 6/3 Reading week: no class
THE due by Monday at 5pm.
Due
HW1
HW2
HW3
HW4
HW5
HW6