Lecture 2

Syllabus

Introduction to Cognitive Linguistics

(2005 Teaching Excellence Program)

Graduate Institute of Linguistics, Fu Jen University

Instructor: Dr. Helena Gao & Dr. Yung-Yu Chen

Time & Duration: Sept. 21 – Dec. 23, 2005

Location: Room 506 LB

Teaching Assistant: Ms. Shu-ching Yang

Office Hours: 1:30 pm – 5:30 pm and by appointment

Tel: 2905-3039

E-mail: gao@psych.utoronto.ca

Course Website: http://www.ling.fju.edu.tw/cognitive_linguistics/index.html

Course Objective:

This course is an introductory course to cognitive linguistics. We will discuss main issues in cognitive linguistics and some of the many connections that exist between linguistics and human cognition. The goal of this course is to lead students to a cognitive approach to the study of language and to the exploration of the relationship between linguistic structure, thought and the nature of embodied human experience. The following are the topics to be discussed: Theoretical foundations and Early Research, Language, Mind and Thought, Language and the Brain, Cognitive Grammar, Word, Meaning and Concept, Semantics and Cognition, Metaphor and Metonymy, Language and Culture, The Physical Foundation of Language, and Language Acquisition, Language and the Brain, Culture as a Cognitive System, Language and Social Interaction, Language, Consciousness, and Embodiment.

Prerequisites: This course is open to all students in any field of study. Basic courses in linguistics will be helpful but not obligatory.

Readings:

Required readings will be prepared in a packet for purchase. Recommended readings will be available for short-term loan in the library of the institute.

Evaluation: Final Research Paper

You should select one of the topics we’ll cover in the course and write a 10-page paper about it. In your paper you should discuss in depth the nature of the problem, how it relates to language and/or mind/brain structure, how people have proposed to account for this issue or phenomenon, problems with these accounts, etc. You will need to research the primary literature on your topic and use resources beyond those required for the class discussions (but use the required readings as starting points). Some suggested readings are given below, but you are encouraged to search on your own.

Course Policy: Regarding course policies, please check the academic handbook for details.

Grading and Requirements

Students will be expected to:

v complete the readings and prepare for participation in classroom discussions

v conduct a research project, present the data and analysis orally, and write a paper of 10 double-spaced pages. The deadline for the paper outline, bibliography, and some data sample is November 14. The grading scheme is as follows:

Class attendance/participation 10%

Proposed paper topic with one paragraph 5%

Outline, bibliography, & a representative sample of data 5%

Written version of paper (due the last class) 40%

Oral presentation of paper (=final exam) 40%

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Total 100%

There will be no tests or exams. The oral presentation of the paper project will be in lieu of a final exam.

The final paper will be graded on a 5-point scale, with roughly the following system:

5. outstanding: exceptionally clear and well thought out, organized, thorough, etc.

4. good but not outstanding; something may be missing, or just not clearly stated

3. something is missing, incorrect, incomplete

2. deficient, many errors or inconsistencies

1. very poor

0. not turned in/late without excuse

Research Paper

You are free to select any topic discussed that interests you. The requirement is that you study some aspect of language and that you incorporate relevant ideas, theories, and methodologies discussed in the course. You paper should be original research based on language data or an extended essay in response to issues raised in the readings. Possible topics will be discussed early in the quarter and you are encouraged to consult with me about your projects and chosen topics. You can either have an appointment with me or come during my office hours.

Your paper should be 9-10 pages long. A page will consist of 12pt type, double-spaced, with 1-inch margins top and bottom and 1-inch to 1.25 inch left and right margins, roughly yielding 300 words/page.

The research project will be conducted during the course of the quarter, with three deadlines to be observed. At the end of 4th Week, your proposed paper topic will be due. This should be a short paragraph describing the problem you are investigating, languages to be studied, and type and source of data to be collected. At the end of 10th Week (Wednesday, 30 Nov.), your outline, bibliography, and a representative sample of data will be due. Your paper will be due no later than the last day of the lecture (Wednesday, 14 Dec.).

As a final exam, a (low-stress) mini-conference is scheduled to mark the end of the course. It is on 21 December, 2005, Wednesday, from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. Students will be given 15 minutes each. A timetable with presentation topics will be posted one week before the event.

Course Outline and Lecture Schedule

Lecture 1 (Week 1): Overview of the course; Theoretical foundations and early research: The importance of theory, history, and research methods

Required readings:

de Saussure, F. (1972). Linguistic value. In C. Bally & A. Sechehaye (eds.), Course in general linguistics. Open Court La Salle, Illinois. pp. 111-120

Wang, W. S-Y. (1978). The Three Scales of Diachrony. In B. B. Kachru (ed.). Linguistics in the Seventies: Directions and Prospects. Department of Linguistics, University of Illinois. pp. 63-76.

Dirven, R. & Verspoor, M. (1998). Cognitive Exploration of Language and Linguistics. Amsterdam: Benjamins. Chapter 1: The cognitive basis of language: language and thought. pp. 1-24

Recommended readings:

Evans, V., & Green, M. (2005). Introduction to Cognitive Linguistics. Chapter 1. pp. 1-33.

Janda, L. (2000). Cognitive Linguistics. SLING2K Position Paper

Lecture 2 (Week 2): Language, Mind and Thought

Required readings:

Whorf, B. L. (1956) Language, mind, and reality. In: J.B. Carroll (ed.), Language, thought and reality. selected writings of Benjamin Lee Whorf. Cambridge, Massachusetts: the MIT Press. pp. 246-270.

Fodor, J. (1990). Defending the “language of thought”. In W. G. Lycan (ed.), Mind and congnition. A reader. Basil Blackwell. pp. 282-310

Jackendoff, R. (2002). Foundations of Language: Brain, Meaning, Grammar, Evolution. Oxford University Press. Chapter 2: Language as a Mental Phenomenon. pp. 19-37

Recommended readings:

Whorf, B. L. (1956) The Relation of Habitual Thought and Behavior to Language. In: J.B. Carroll (ed.), Language, thought and reality. selected writings of Benjamin Lee Whorf. Cambridge, Massachusetts: the MIT Press. pp. 134-159.

Shapiro, K., & Caramazza, A. (2003). The representation of grammatical categories in the brain. Trends in Cognitive Science, 7(5), 201-206.

Lecture 3 (Week 3): Language and the Brain

Required readings:

Gazzaniga, M., Ivry, R., & Mangun, G. (2001). Cognitive Neuroscience: The Biology of the Mind. New York: W.W. Norton and Co. Chapter 9: Language and the brain, pp. 351-399.

Vygotsky, L. (1996). Thought and Language. Newly revised and edited by Alex Kozulin. The MIT Press. Chapter 4: The Genetic Roots of Thought and Speech. pp. 68-95.

Recommended readings:

Shapiro, K., & Caramazza, A. (2003). The representation of grammatical categories in the brain. Trends in Cognitive Science, 7(5), 201-206.

Lecture 4 (Week 4): Cognitive Grammar

Required readings:

Langacker, R. (l998). Conceptualization, symbolization and grammar. In M.Tomasello(ed.) The New Psychology of Language. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishes. pp. 1-39

Hsieh, Hsin-I. (2005 to appear). Toward a Global Grammar of Chinese, Language And Linguistics Monograph Series Number W-3, 1-17. Papers In Honor Of Professor William S-Y. Wang On His Seventieth Birthday.

Recommended readings:

Pinker, S. (1994). The Language Instinct. New York: Morrow. Chapter 4: How language works. pp. 83-125; Chapter 10: Language organs and grammar genes. pp. 297-331

Goldberg, A. E. (2004). But do we need Universal Grammar? Comment on Lidz et al. (2003) Cognition 94. 77-84

Fillmore, C., Kay, P., & O’Connor, M. C. (2003). Regularity and Idiomaticity in Grammatical Constructions: The Case of Let Alone. In M. Tomasello (ed.), The new psychology of language: Cognitive and functional approaches to language structure, Vol. 2. NJ, US: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers. pp. 243-270

Lecture 5 (Week 5): Word, Meaning, and Concept

Required readings:

O’ Grady, W. (1987). Semantics: the study of meaning. In W. O’Grady & M. Dobrovolsky (eds.), Contemporary Linguistic analysis. Copp Clark Pitman Ltd. pp. 171-188

Vygotsky, L. (1996). Thought and Language. Newly revised and edited by Alex Kozulin. The MIT Press. Chapter 7: Thought and Word. pp. 210-276.

Recommended readings:

Jackendoff, R. (1992). Language of the mind. Essays on mental representation. Chapter 3: Word meanings and what it takes to learn them: reflections on the Piaget-Chomsky. The MIT Press. pp. 53-67

Gao, H. (2001). The physical foundation of the patterning of physical action verbs. Lund University Press. Chapter 2: Lexicalization patterns from contact to motion and motion to contact. pp. 41-60

Lecture 6 (Week 6): Semantics and Cognition

Required readings:

Jackendoff, R. (2002). Foundations of Language: Brain, Meaning, Grammar, Evolution. Oxford University Press.Chapter 10: Reference and Truth. pp. 53-67; Chapter 11: Lexical Semantics. pp. 333-377

Wierzbicka, A. (1984). Apples are not a ‘kind of fruit’: the semantics of human categorization. American Ethnologist , Vol. 11, No. 2, 313-328.

Recommended readings:

Talmy, L. (2000). Toward a Cognitive Semantics. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press. Vol. 1. Chapter 7: Force dynamics in language and cognition. pp. 409-47

Lecture 7 (Week 7): Metaphor & Metonymy

Required readings:

Yu, N. (2003). Chinese metaphors of thinking. Cognitive Linguistics, 14(2/3), 141–165

Huang, S. F. (1994). Chinese as a Metonymic Language. In Mathew Y. Chen and Ovid J.-L.. Tzeng. (eds.), In Honor of William S-Y. Wang. Interdisciplinary Studies on Language and Language Change. 223-252. Taipei: Pyramid.

Recommended readings:

Lakoff, G., & Johnson, M. (1980). Metaphors we live by. Chapter 1: Concepts we live by. pp. 3-6; chapter 8: Metonymy. pp. 35-40; chapter 12: How is our conceptual system grounded? pp. 56-60

Grady, J. E., Oakley, T., & Coulson, S. (1999). Blending and Metaphor. In G. Steen & R. Gibbs (eds.), Metaphor in cognitive linguistics, pp.101–124. Philadelphia: John Benjamins.

Lecture 8 (Week 8): Language and Culture

Required readings:

Wang, W. S-Y. (1989). Language Prefabs and Habitual Thought. Forum Lectures, TESOL Summer Institute, San Francisco State University.

Wierzbicka, A. (1997). Understanding cultures through their key words. Oxford University Press. Introduction. pp. 1-17.

Recommended readings:

D'Andrade, R. (1985). Character terms and cultural models. In Janet W. D Dougherty (ed.), Directions in cognitive anthropology, pp. 321-343. University of Illinois Press.

Talmy, L. (2000). Toward a Cognitive Semantics. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press. Vol. 2. Chapter 7: The Cognitive Culture System. pp. 373-415

Lecture 9 (Week 9): The Physical Foundation of Language

Required readings:

Birdwhistell, R. L. (1975). Background considerations to the study of the body as medium of expression. In J. Benthall (ed.), The Body as a medium of expression. Allen Lane. Pengiun Books Ltd. pp. 36-58

Gao, H. (2001). The physical foundation of the patterning of physical action verbs. Lund University Press. Chapter 5: Combinability of Physical Action VV Compounds. pp. 111-126

Recommended readings:

Birdwhistell, R. L. (1970). Kinesics and Context. Essays on body motion communication. University of Pennsylvania Press. Part V. 26: Body Motion. pp. 173-227

Yu, N. (2002). Body and emotion: Body parts in Chinese expression of emotion. In Nick Enfield and Anna Wierzbicka (eds.), special issue “The Body in Description of Emotion: Cross-Linguistic Studies,” Pragmatics and Cognition 10(1/2), 341–367.

Lecture 10 (Week 10): Language Acquisition

Required readings:

Tomasello, M. (2003). Constructing A Language. A Uage-Based Thoery of Language Acquisition. Harvard University Press. Chapter two: Origins of Language. pp. 8-42

Lee, T. H. (2002). Two types of logical structure in child language. Journal of Cognitive Science 3: 155-182.

Pinker, S. (1994). The Language Instinct. New York: Morrow. Chapter 1: An instinct to acquire an art. pp. 15-24.

Recommended readings:

Pinker, S. (1995). Language acquisition. In L. R. Gleitman, M. Liberman, and D. N. Osherson (eds.), An invitation to cognitive science. 2nd Ed. Volume 1: Language. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. Chapter 5: Why the child holded the baby rabbits: A case study in language acquisition. pp. 107-133.

Gould, J. L., & Marler, P. (1987). Learning by Instinct. Reprinted as Chapter 7 in Wang, W. S.-Y. (ed.), (1991), The Emergence of Language: Development and Evolution; Readings from Scientific American Magazine, pp. 88-103. New York, NY: W.H. Freeman.

Moskowitz, B. A. (1978). The Acquisition of Language. Reprinted as Chapter 10 in Wang, W. S.-Y. (ed.), (1991), The Emergence of Language: Development and Evolution; Readings from Scientific American Magazine, pp. 131-149. New York, NY: W.H. Freeman.

Lecture 11 (Week 11): Language, Consciousness, and Embodiment

Required readings:

Gao, H. H. & Zelazo, P. D. (to appear 2005). Language, Consciousness, and Embodiment. In W. F. Overton and U. Mueller (eds.), Body in mind, mind in body: Developmental perspectives on embodiment and consciousness. Lawrence Erilbaum Associates, INC., Publishers.

Seitz, Jay A. (2000). The bodily basis of thought. New Ideas in Psychology. Vol 18(1). pp. 23-40

Recommended readings:

Zlatev, Jordan. (2004). Embodiment, Language and Mimesis. In T. Ziemke, J. Zlatev and R. Frank, Body, Language and Mind: Vol 1: Embodiment. Berlin.

Johnson, Mark. (1987). The Body in the Mind: The Bodily Basis of Meaning. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Lecture 12 (Week 12): Language and Social Interaction

Required readings:

Tomasello, M.. (2003). The Key is Social Cognition. In Gentner & Goldin-Meadow (eds.) Language in Mind. MIT Press. pp. 47-57

Recommended readings:

Ford, C. E., Fox, B. A., & Thompson, S. A, (2003). Social interaction and grammar. In Tomasello, M. (ed), The new psychology of language: Cognitive and functional approaches to language structure, Vol. 2 (pp. 119-143). Mahwah, NJ, US: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers.

Gao, H. (2001). The physical foundation of the patterning of physical action verbs. Lund University Press. Chapter 6: Physical Contact and Social Interaction. pp. 127-156

(The topics below are tentative)

Lecture 13 (Week 13): Culture as a Cognitive System: Findings in Neurolinguistic Research

Required readings:

Tan, L. H., Spinks, J. A., Eden, G., Perfetti, C. A., & Siok, W. T. (2005). Reading depends on writing, in Chinese. PNAS, 102, 8781-8785.

Recommended readings:

Siok, W. T., Perfetti, C. A., Jin, Z., & Tan, L. H. (2004). Biological abnormality of impaired reading is constrained by culture. Nature, 431: 71-76.

Tomasello, M., Carpenter, M., Call, J., Behne, T., & Moll, H. (in press). Understanding and sharing intentions: The origins of cultural cognition. Behavioral and Brain Sciences. Cambridge University Press.

Lecture 14(Week 14): Language and the Brain: Findings in Neurolinguistic Research

Required readings:

Tsai, J.-L., Lee, C.-Y., Tzeng, O. J.-L., Hung, D. L., & Yen, N.-S. (2004). Use of phonological codes for Chinese characters: Evidence from processing of parafoveal preview when reading sentences. Brain and Language, 91(2), 235-244. (SCI)

Lee, C.-L., Hung, D. L., Tsed, J. K.-P., Lee, C.-Y., Tsai, J.-L., & Tzeng, O. J.-L. (2005). Processing of disyllabic compound words in Chinese aphasia: Evidence for processing limitation hypothesis. Brain and Language, 92(2), 168-184. (SCI)

Pilgrima, L. K., Mossb, H. E., & Tylerb, L.K. (2005). Semantic processing of living and nonliving concepts across the cerebral hemispheres. Brain and Language, 94(1), 86–93

Wei, Longxing (2002). The bilingual mental lexicon and speech production process. Brain & Language. Special Mental lexicon II. Vol 81(1-3). pp. 691-707
　

Recommended readings:

Ruz , Marıa. Madrid, Eduardo., Lupianez, Juan., & Tudela, Pıo. (2003). High density ERP indices of conscious and unconscious semantic priming. Cognitive Brain Research, 17, 719–731

Dien, Joseph., Frishkoff, Gwen A., Cerbone, Arleen., & Tucker, Don M. (2003). Parametric analysis of event-related potentials in semantic comprehension: evidence for parallel brain mechanisms. Cognitive Brain Research 15, 137–153

Rapp, Brenda; Caramazza, Alfonso. (2002). Selective difficulties with spoken nouns and written verbs: A single case study. Journal of Neurolinguistics. Special The role and nerual representation of grammatical class. Vol 15(3-5). pp. 373-402

REFERENCES

Required readings

Required readings:

de Saussure, F. (1972). Linguistic value. In C. Bally & A. Sechehaye (eds.), Course in general linguistics. Open Court La Salle, Illinois. pp. 111-120

Dirven, R., & Verspoor, M. (1998). Cognitive Exploration of Language and Linguistics. Amsterdam: Benjamins. Chapter 1: The cognitive basis of language: language and thought. pp. 1-24