Daily syllabus

This syllabus is updated after each day's class.
Use it to keep track of what we've done and where we're going.
See also the schedule of topics for a general overview.

• Jump to the most recent date

[01] Tu Aug 22

• Covered today: Course information; introduction to Japanese and linguistics [outline]
  • Handout - Course information and policies
  • Handout - Basic background: Japanese and linguistics
  • Handout - Writing Japanese: Kanji, kana and transliteration
• To read for Th Aug 24: (see the Canvas Module called "Course Readings")
  • Optional background reading about Japan and Japanese:
    • Backhouse (1994), ch 1, "Language and setting"
  • Handout - Context: Phonetics and phonology
  • Tsujimura (2007), ch 2 "Phonetics"
    • This reading is somewhat technical if linguistics is new to you - try to read it, but we will go over the important terms and concepts in class on Th
    • Use the class discussion handouts (see below) as a reading guide: "Vowels of Japanese" / "Consonants of Japanese"
• Prepare for Th Aug 24:
  • Please complete the background questionnaire "Assignment" on Canvas if you haven't already
  • We will work with these handouts in class next time - I recommend you print and bring them
    • Handout - Phonetics: Vowels of Japanese
    • Handout - Phonetics: Consonants of Japanese
    • Optional:To hear examples of the sounds of Japanese, refer to this handout and the associated sound files:
      • Handout - Japanese consonants and vowels: Example words
      • Vowels - See the Canvas Module called "Phonetics - Example sound file for vowels" for illustrations of the vowel example words on this handout
      • Consonants - See the Canvas Module called "Phonetics - Example sound file for consonants" for illustrations of the consonant example words on the handout
    • Everyone: Try to define the terms on these handouts on the basis of the Tsujimura reading
    • People with linguistics background: Can you fill in the vowel and consonant charts?

[02] Th Aug 24

• Covered today: Phonetics of Japanese vowels and consonants [outline]
  • Handout - Context: Phonetics and phonology
  • Handout - Phonetics: Vowels of Japanese
  • Handout - Phonetics: Consonants of Japanese
  • Handout - Japanese consonants and vowels: Example words
  • Handout - Phonetics: Reference charts for Japanese consonants and vowels
  • Sound files illustrating the consonants and vowels of Japanese are available on the Canvas site in [Modules]
  • See also Online course materials > Phonetics
• Assignment: Homework assignment #1 (PDF), due Tu Aug 29 in class (see below for update)
  • Sound files needed for this assignment are available on the Canvas site in [Modules]
    • NOTE: Currently you may have to download these and open them in a media player. I am working to confirm that they will play directly in Canvas.
  • Use the online kana charts

Tu Aug 29

• Class cancelled today
• Assignment: Homework assignment #1 (PDF), now due Th Aug 31, 12:30pm in class or on Canvas in "Assignments"
  • Sound files needed for this assignment are available on the Canvas site in [Modules]
  • Use the online kana charts
• FYI: Class will be held on Th Aug 31; check Canvas "Announcements" for details

[03] Th Aug 31 | Zoom link: See this announcement on Canvas

• Covered today: Phonology; Japanese vs. English sound grammar [outline] [Zoom recording (on Canvas)]
  • SoJ Padlet board for anonymous questions or comments
  • Data set - Syllable-final nasals [sound files in Canvas "Modules"]
  • Data set - Voiceless vowels
  • Handout - Phonemes, allophones, and complementary distribution
• Prepare: Data sets (see specific instructions at end of today's outline)
  • Data set - Bilabial, palatal, and glottal fricatives | Part I only
  • Data set - Alveolar/alveo-palatal obstruents in Japanese, part (I) | Set (2) only
• FYI: Web site - Taking Care of Your Mental Health after Collective Trauma, from Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at UNC-CH
  • Additional mental health resources from the Heels Care Network

Tu Sept 5

• Well-being day — no class

[04] Th Sept 7

• Covered today: Segmental phonology: Rules and "exceptions" [outline] [Padlet board]
  • Data set - Bilabial, palatal, and glottal fricatives | Part I only
  • Data set - Alveolar/alveo-palatal obstruents in Japanese, part (I) | Set (2) only
  • Data set - Bilabial, palatal, and glottal fricatives | Part II this time
  • Data set - Alveolar/alveo-palatal obstruents in Japanese, part (II) | Sets (5b), (5c)
  • Summary of in-class analysis - available through Canvas
• Homework assignment: Homework assignment #2 (PDF), due Th Sept 14 at the beginning of class
  • Use the online kana chart
  • Use the data set on Alveolar/alveo-palatal obstruents in Japanese, part (I)
• Alternative assignment: For linguistics grad students, due Th Sept 14 at the beginning of class
  • Read Ito & Mester (1999) (available online)
  • Answer these discussion questions
  • This alternative assignment must be chosen by anyone who has completed LING 523
  • If you have completed LING 200 (or otherwise have knowledge of Optimality Theory), you may choose either option
• To read for Tu Sept 12: (see the Canvas Module called "Course Readings")
  • Backhouse (1994), Ch 2, excerpts on "Word accentuation" (pp 28-31) and "Connected speech" (pp 34-37)

[05] Tu Sept 12

• Covered today: Pitch accent [outline] [Padlet board]
  • Sound files - Canvas > Modules > Pitch accent - sound files
  • Handout - Pitch accent
  • Resource - OJAD (Online Japanese Accent Dictionary)
  • Resource - WWWJDIC (Japanese/English dictionary with various useful functions)
• Homework assignment: Homework assignment #2 (PDF), due Th Sept 14 at the beginning of class
  • Use the online kana chart
  • Use the data set on Alveolar/alveo-palatal obstruents in Japanese, part (I)
• Alternative assignment: For linguistics grad students, due Th Sept 14 at the beginning of class
  • Read Ito & Mester (1999) (available online)
  • Answer these discussion questions
  • This alternative assignment must be chosen by anyone who has completed LING 523
  • If you have completed LING 200 (or otherwise have knowledge of Optimality Theory), you may choose either option

[06] Th Sept 14

• Covered today: Prosodic structure [outline] [Padlet board]
  • Data set - Mora structure in Japanese
  • Data set - Characterizing a pitch-accent rule
  • Data set - More about mora structure
  • Handout - Prosodic structure in Japanese
• To read for Tu Sept 19: Irwin (2011), Ch 1, sec 1.2, "Vocabulary strata"
  • Available through Course Reserves on Canvas
  • This direct link may work, but go through Course Reserves (above) if not
  • Irwin's transliteration system is sort of like a phonetic symbol/romanization hybrid; for details, see his Fig 3.2 on p 73
• Preparation activity: 09.19 "Vocabulary strata", in Assignments on Canvas
  • Due Tu Sept 19 at 11am
  • See Course info and policies document for more on preparation questions

[07] Tu Sept 19

• Covered today: Learning Japanese onomatopoeia (mimetics) through manga
  • Guest lecture by Prof. Chui Yuen (Icy) Fung, Nagoya University
  • Featured web site: Japanese in Anime & Manga
• To prepare for Th Sept 21: Data set - Verb morphology (part 1)
  • Before class: Break each verb down into its meaningful parts (morphemes) and make a list of all the morphemes represented here
  • Try to give a gloss (translation/meaning) for each morpheme on your list
• Preparation activity: 09.21 "Verb morphology (part 1)", in Assignments on Canvas
  • Due Th Sept 21 at 11am

[08] Th Sept 21

• Covered today: [outline] [Padlet board]
  • Phonology: Wrap-up
    • Handout - Segmental phonology in Japanese: Summary (link through Canvas)
  • Morphology: Introduction, basic concepts
    • Data set - Adjective morphology (Group analysis) | Version with word-level glosses
    • Handout - Morphology: Introduction
• To prepare for Tu Sept 26: Data set - Verb morphology (part 2)
  • Before class: Divide each verb form into morphemes
  • Think about: How are these verbs different from those in part 1 (last time)?
• Preparation activity: 09.26 "Verb morphology (part 2)", in Assignments on Canvas
  • Due Tu Sept 26 at 11am

[09] Tu Sept 26

• Covered today: Verb and adjective morphology — Further issues and analysis [outline] [Padlet board]
  • Data set - Verb morphology (full version)
    • See also: Verb morphology (part 1) | (part 2)
  • Data set - Exploring verb and adjective morphology
  • Handout - Adjective and verb inflection: Summary
• To read for Th Sept 28: Handout - Word classes (syntactic categories) in Japanese
  • Goes with preparation activity (see below)
• Preparation activity: 09.28 "Word classes", in Assignments on Canvas
  • Due Th Sept 28 at 11am

[10] Th Sept 28

• Covered today: Word classes (syntactic categories) [outline] [Padlet board]
  • Handout - Word classes (syntactic categories) in Japanese
    Some corpus results bearing on the questions in the handout:
  • Data set - Distributional evidence for word class: Corpus data
  • Data set - Corpus data on N, AN
• To read for Tu Oct 3:
  • Handout - Guide to using the BCCWJ Syoonagon corpus
  • Optional, for more details
    • Try it out: The BCCWJ Syoonagon corpus
    • English-language overview of this and other NINJAL corpus resources
• Assignment: Homework assignment #3 (PDF), due Th Oct 5
  • This assignment is for everyone
  • Use the BCCWJ Syoonagon corpus and explanatory handout (links above)
  • There will be group work time in class on Th for this HW

[11] Tu Oct 3

• Covered today: Working with online tools for Japanese language data [outline] [Padlet board]
  • Glossing Japanese text
    • Class kana charts
    • The JDIC Text Glossing tool
    • Google Translate, Japanese -> English
  • The BCCWJ Syoonagon corpus
    • Handout - Guide to using the BCCWJ Syoonagon corpus
    • English-language overview
  • OJAD (Online Japanese Accent Dictionary)
    • Lecture outline from Tu Sept 12: OJAD activities in sec 5 (slide 25)
• Assignment: Homework assignment #3 (PDF), due Th Oct 5
  • This assignment is for everyone
  • Use the BCCWJ Syoonagon corpus and explanatory handout (links above)

[12] Th Oct 5

• Covered today: Compounds — rendaku and VN+suru [outline] [Padlet board]
  • Data set - Compounds and rendaku
  • Handout - Word classes (syntactic categories) in Japanese | see section 5 on VNs
  • Participation activity - Compounds: Rendaku and verbal nouns (JDIC/BCCWJ)
    • For Canvas version (absent students) - PDF version | Goes with 10.05 "Compounds", in Assignments on Canvas | Due F Oct 6 at 5pm
  • Dictionary and corpus resources
    • BCCWJ corpus (Syoonagon interface) | Guide to using BCCWJ
    • WWWJDIC (dictionary) | Kana charts
• Upcoming: Midterm exam on Th Oct 12
  • We will review for the exam on Tu Oct 10
  • Midterm information and review guide
    • Look this over before next class
    • Post questions or suggested review topics on the Padlet board
  • Advanced students will have an optional alternative take-home exam; details Tu

[13] Tu Oct 10

• Covered today: Midterm exam review [outline] [Padlet board]
  • Data set and handout links in outline; I'll add them here sometime later today
• Prepare: Midterm exam on Th Oct 12
  • Midterm information and review guide
  • Advanced students will have an optional alternative take-home exam due Tu Oct 17 at 12:30pm (on paper in class)
    • Discussion questions are here
    • Readings are linked from the above handout
    • LING grad students may choose either option
    • Undergrads with LING background beyond LING 101 who are interested, please check with me

[14] Th Oct 12

• Midterm exam

[15] Tu Oct 17

• Covered today: About the final project [outline] [Padlet board]
  • Final project information and resources web page
    • Final project (& article summary) information handout
    • Choosing a structure for your final project
• FYI: No preparation for next time — have a good Fall Break

Th Oct 19

• Fall Break — no class

[16] Tu Oct 24

• Covered today: Sociolinguistics — in-group/out-group, politeness dimensions, language and gender [outline] [Padlet board]
• To read for Th Oct 26:
  • Santorini & Kroch online texbook section on Thematic roles
    • Where they say "arguments of (Fregean) predicates" — for our purposes, think of this as meaning something like "the noun phrases and other non-verb elements in a sentence"
    • Watch for the italicized words in their examples; those are the key phrases illustrating the category under discussion
  • Goes with preparation activity (see below)
• Preparation activity: 10.26 "Thematic roles", in Assignments on Canvas
  • Due Th Oct 26 at 11am
• FYI: Grading criteria for article summary now available on project info page

[17] Th Oct 26

• Covered today: Thematic roles, case/structural positions, and give/receive verbs [outline (updated after class)] [Padlet board]
  • Data set - Giving and receiving
• To watch for Tu Oct 31: If you have never drawn a syntax tree, please watch:
  • Video: "What makes a basic sentence?" from The Ling Space | Watch up to 6:35 (stop when the discussion gets to French)
  • No preparation activity this time
• Upcoming: Article summary due Th Nov 2
  • Grading criteria for article summary
  • Project overview handout (see section about article summary)
  • Final project info page

[18] Tu Oct 31

• Covered today: Introduction to syntactic analysis and the X' model [outline] [Padlet board]
  • Handout - Syntax: Basics of X-bar (X') theory
• Optional reading: For more discussion and examples (English) of X'-model basics
  • O'Grady et al. (2010), Ch 5, "Syntax" (see the Canvas Module called "Course Readings") | or use 7th edition if you own CL
• Assignment: Article summary due Th Nov 2
  • Grading criteria for article summary
  • Project overview handout (see section about article summary)
  • Final project info page
  • Please note: I can't guarantee timely feedback on your article choice if you send me info later than W Nov 1 at 11:00am

[19] Th Nov 2

• Covered today: Applications of syntactic analysis: "Implied" subjects and objects, double -ga sentences, honorific constructions [outline] [Padlet board]
  • Example tree for an embedded sentence
  • Data set - Honorifics and syntactic structure
• Optional reading: For more about "double -ga sentences", see Koizumi (2008), "Nominative object" [link via UNC Libraries]
  • This is a chapter in Miyagawa & Saito (2008) (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Japanese Linguistics, available in Course Reserves on Canvas
• Homework assignment: Homework assignment #4 (PDF), due Tu Nov 7 at the beginning of class

[20] Tu Nov 7

• Covered today:   [outline] [Padlet board]
  • Word order, "scrambling," and configurationality
    • Data set - Word-order variation
    • Handout - Word order: Configurationality and "scrambling"
  • Other topics in Japanese syntax (time permitting): AP syntax, numeral quantifiers, "particles" vs. case suffixes
    • Handout - Syntax: Basics of X-bar (X') theory (see re: modifiers in point (7))
    • Handout - Numeral quantifiers and syntactic structure (on numbers, and the syntax of "particles")
• Upcoming: Project topic proposals due M Nov 13
  • Review the project-related feedback on your article summary (on Canvas)
  • Be thinking about how you will find data and what you will do to analyze it
  • Thursday's class: Discussion about project planning and workshop time

[21] Th Nov 9

• Covered today: Project planning — examples, strategies, and workshop time [Padlet board]
  • Final project info page (recently updated)
  • Examples of research projects (on Canvas, in "Pages")
  • Potential resources for data collection (on Canvas, in "Pages")
• Assignment: Project topic proposals due M Nov 13
  • Review the project-related feedback on your article summary (on Canvas)
  • Be thinking about how you will find data and what you will do to analyze it
  • Thursday's class: Discussion about project planning and workshop time
  • Detailed info for topic proposal: see project info handout and proposal grading criteria
  • FYI: Methodology plan info now available

[22] Tu Nov 14

• Covered today: Tense and aspect [outline] [Padlet board]
  • Data set - Tense and aspect in Japanese versus English
  • Handout - Tense, aspect, and verb classes
  • WALS maps: Languages with affixes for [past tense] | [future tense]
  • WALS maps: Languages with affixes for [perfective/imperfective aspect]
  • Grammar Atlas of Japanese Dialects maps: [progressive] | [resultative]
• To read for Th Nov 16:
  • Sections 1 and 2 ONLY of Heycock (2008)
• Assignment: Homework assignment #5, due Th Nov 16 (12:30pm) on Canvas in Assignments

[23] Th Nov 16

• Covered today: Methodology plan - Workshop time
  • Review the feedback on your project proposal (on Canvas)
  • See methodology plan info & criteria (links below)
• To read for Tu Nov 21:
  • Sections 1 and 2 ONLY of Heycock (2008)
• Assignment: Methodology plan due Tu Nov 21 (11:59pm) on Canvas in Assignments
  • Earlier submission encouraged — feedback in 1 business day
  • Information and resources:
    • Methodology plan info
    • Methodology plan grading criteria
    • Project information and resources

[24] Tu Nov 21

• Covered today: The "topic" marker wa [outline] [Padlet board]
  • Handout - About the "particle" wa
• Optional readings: For more background and discussion of wa and ga (see the Canvas Module called "Course Readings")
  • Kuno (1973), Ch 2-4 on wa and ga
  • Masuoka (1993), Ch 12, 主題 [syudai 'topic'] (in Japanese)
• FYI: Info and grading criteria for project presentation, etc., now linked from final-project info page

Th Nov 23

• Thanksgiving — no class

[25] Tu Nov 28

• Covered today: Historical phonology of Japanese [outline] [Padlet board]
  • Data set - Portuguese missionary materials: ESOPO NO FABVLAS
    • Version with discussion patterns highlighted | Online source (complete manuscript)
  • Additional (bonus) handouts for more about Japanese historical linguistics
    • Handout - Language relationships and comparative reconstruction
    • Handout - Historical linguistics: Phonology (part 2)
    • Handout - Classical Japanese morphology and syntax
• FYI: Info and grading criteria for project presentation, etc., now linked from final-project info page

[26] Th Nov 30

• Covered today: Regional varieties (dialects) of Japanese [outline] [Padlet board]
  • Handout - Dialects of modern Japanese
  • Data set - Examples of dialect differences
  • Media resources for regional Japanese dialects
• Bonus: Video clip from a Fukuoka variety TV show (mid-1990s)
  • Link to the video clip, via Canvas/Panopto (available later?)
  • Transcript of the video clip
    • Look for examples of the structures described in the box at the top
• Upcoming: LING grad project presentations on Tu Dec 5
  • Presentation groups: LA-PB-SH | EC | JC-AH-IN-RS
  • Remember to submit slides and Appendix document on Canvas by 1 hour before class
  • Participation point to be awarded for attendance

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