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| 0627-3144-01 | Segmental Optimality Theory | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| FACULTY OF HUMANITIES | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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University credit hours: 4.0
Course description
Segmental Optimality Theory
0627.3144
Evan Cohen
Course website: http://moodle.tau.ac.il
e-mail: evan@post.tau.ac.il
Lessons: Mon. 12:00-14:00, @@@
Wed. 12:00-14:00, @@@ Office hours: Mon. 14:00-15:00, @@@
Course Description:
The seminar is a continuation of Advanced Phonology. We discuss the treatment of various phonological phenomena within Optimality Theory (OT) frameworks. We start with a discussion of features (post-SPE, pre-OT, OT – Part I). We then present other approaches to features (cue constraints – Part II), continuing with a discussion of vowel harmony (Part III), tone (Part IV), culminating with a discussion of additional theoretical aspects of OT (variation, lexicon stratification, stochastic OT, cue weighting, lexical exceptions – Part V).
Course Requirements:
• Advanced phonology
• Attendance (bring handouts and papers to class). Students failing to attend 80% of the classes cannot complete the course.
• Reading assigned material (the syllabus is in chronological order – start now)
• Keeping up-to-date with assignments and information on the course website
• Two class presentations (one, if you're taking this as a regular course)
• Final paper
Grade:
• Class presentations – 20%
• Final paper: 80%
• Note: Any assignment/paper submitted after the due date (regardless of the reason) will have 10% deducted.
Class presentation:
Seminar students are required to give two class presentations during the semester, while course students are required to give one class presentation. It is recommended that the first presentation be part of your ongoing study, though the presentations can be either of the following:
• Your take on a paper of your choice which is relevant to your study (not a paper on the course syllabus)
• Any aspect of your current study (data, preliminary analysis, etc.)
Final Paper:
You are required to select a topic for your final paper on your own, though you should consult with me beforehand. All papers have to incorporate an OT analysis of certain phenomena.
It is advisable to work on a language you are familiar with from previous studies. You may not recycle your Advanced Phonology paper, though you may continue working with the language you analysed for Advanced Phonology.
Very important: data. Your paper cannot be written on the basis of a handful of lexical items, so make sure your corpus is rich in data. There is no such thing as "sufficient data". The more, the merrier. Make sure your data are presented in an organised and systematic manner. Of course, it goes without saying that you have some theoretical statement to make about the data (it needn't be completely original). You're not just organising a corpus and presenting it:
• Draft: Includes whatever you've done to date. Must include language background and data regarding phenomenon. May optionally include some analysis, or a discussion of possible directions in analysis.
• Final paper: You are restricted to a maximum of 15 A4 pages with 1.5 or double spacing. Your analysis should be original, comprehensive and coherent. This isn't an MA thesis or doctoral dissertation (though it may serve as the basis for one…).
The requirements for a course paper (as opposed to a seminar paper) are reduced, and papers may consist of comparative studies without original research.
Timetable (subject to change):
1. First lecture: 29.2.2016
2. Draft: 5.5.2016 (PDF or DOC, via email, by 23:59)
3. Last lecture: 8.6.2016
4. Final paper (course): 7.7.2016 (PDF or DOC, via email, by 23:59)
5. Final paper (seminar): 18.9.2016 (PDF or DOC, via email, by 23:59)
Students taking seminar as regular course must notify me of this at the beginning of the semester.
0627.3144
Evan Cohen
Course website: http://moodle.tau.ac.il
e-mail: evan@post.tau.ac.il
Lessons: Mon. 12:00-14:00, @@@
Wed. 12:00-14:00, @@@ Office hours: Mon. 14:00-15:00, @@@
Course Description:
The seminar is a continuation of Advanced Phonology. We discuss the treatment of various phonological phenomena within Optimality Theory (OT) frameworks. We start with a discussion of features (post-SPE, pre-OT, OT – Part I). We then present other approaches to features (cue constraints – Part II), continuing with a discussion of vowel harmony (Part III), tone (Part IV), culminating with a discussion of additional theoretical aspects of OT (variation, lexicon stratification, stochastic OT, cue weighting, lexical exceptions – Part V).
Course Requirements:
• Advanced phonology
• Attendance (bring handouts and papers to class). Students failing to attend 80% of the classes cannot complete the course.
• Reading assigned material (the syllabus is in chronological order – start now)
• Keeping up-to-date with assignments and information on the course website
• Two class presentations (one, if you're taking this as a regular course)
• Final paper
Grade:
• Class presentations – 20%
• Final paper: 80%
• Note: Any assignment/paper submitted after the due date (regardless of the reason) will have 10% deducted.
Class presentation:
Seminar students are required to give two class presentations during the semester, while course students are required to give one class presentation. It is recommended that the first presentation be part of your ongoing study, though the presentations can be either of the following:
• Your take on a paper of your choice which is relevant to your study (not a paper on the course syllabus)
• Any aspect of your current study (data, preliminary analysis, etc.)
Final Paper:
You are required to select a topic for your final paper on your own, though you should consult with me beforehand. All papers have to incorporate an OT analysis of certain phenomena.
It is advisable to work on a language you are familiar with from previous studies. You may not recycle your Advanced Phonology paper, though you may continue working with the language you analysed for Advanced Phonology.
Very important: data. Your paper cannot be written on the basis of a handful of lexical items, so make sure your corpus is rich in data. There is no such thing as "sufficient data". The more, the merrier. Make sure your data are presented in an organised and systematic manner. Of course, it goes without saying that you have some theoretical statement to make about the data (it needn't be completely original). You're not just organising a corpus and presenting it:
• Draft: Includes whatever you've done to date. Must include language background and data regarding phenomenon. May optionally include some analysis, or a discussion of possible directions in analysis.
• Final paper: You are restricted to a maximum of 15 A4 pages with 1.5 or double spacing. Your analysis should be original, comprehensive and coherent. This isn't an MA thesis or doctoral dissertation (though it may serve as the basis for one…).
The requirements for a course paper (as opposed to a seminar paper) are reduced, and papers may consist of comparative studies without original research.
Timetable (subject to change):
1. First lecture: 29.2.2016
2. Draft: 5.5.2016 (PDF or DOC, via email, by 23:59)
3. Last lecture: 8.6.2016
4. Final paper (course): 7.7.2016 (PDF or DOC, via email, by 23:59)
5. Final paper (seminar): 18.9.2016 (PDF or DOC, via email, by 23:59)
Students taking seminar as regular course must notify me of this at the beginning of the semester.