Lecture (LEC)

• Above class open to graduates only
• Above class meets with SLAV-R 404

Ever wondered if there is a system behind prefixes in Russian verbs, or how to describe Russian palatalized sounds? Want to know more about linguistics? This course is an introduction to Russian morphology (the internal structure of words), phonology (how speech sounds combine, how they change and why), and phonetics (how speech sounds in Russian are articulated). The first objective in the course is to become familiar with the concepts and procedures for the linguistic description and analysis. The second objective is to use the lenses of the linguistic concepts to better understand what learners of Russian already 'intuitively' know having learned the language. We will work on the development of the analytical and descriptive skills through discussions and problem solving, and through individual and group projects. Learning outcomes At the end of the course students will be able to: 1. define and give examples of phonetic, phonological and morphological concepts and processes, 2. demonstrate the knowledge of basic theoretical concepts in phonology and morphology, 3. analyze data presented in class and extend the analysis to unfamiliar similar data, 4. evaluate pros and contras of different analyses, 5. plan an execute a small research project on Russian phonetics, phonology or morphology using the theoretical tools acquired in the class. Textbooks (can be purchased directly from Slavica Publishers in Bloomington): Hamilton, William S. Introduction to Russian Phonology and Word Structure. Townsend, Charles. Russian Word Formation.