Linguistics/Anthropology 200
Introduction to the Scientific Study of Language
Rice University
Spring 2025
Syllabus
Class Meetings: Tues./Thurs. 9:25-10:40am, Herring 100
Course Canvas Site: https://canvas.rice.edu/courses/73324
Instructor: Dr. Robert Englebretson (“Dr. E”) he/him/his
Office: Herring 206
Office Hours: Tues. 11:00am-1:00pm, Herring 206; & by appointment on Zoom
E-mail: reng@rice.edu (I answer emails within 24 hours, usually sooner.)
Office Phone: 713 348-4776 (Leave a voicemail and I will return your call ASAP.)
TA’S: Kaitlyn Keyes (she/her) Elise Stewart (they/she) Nadia Thieriot (she/they)
Mon. 4-5pm Weds. 2-3pm Thurs. 4-5pm
Will Rice Commons Herring 202 Herring 202
kmk9@rice.edu ecs12@rice.edu njt5@rice.edu
Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes
This foundation course serves as an introduction to language and linguistics. We will begin by
examining social interaction and the structure of conversation (Conversation Analysis); the principles
that account for how language works in actual use (pragmatics); how words are related to each other
and what word meaning reveals about the mind (lexical and cognitive semantics). . We will then move
on to an analysis of language form at all levels: the physiology of speech sounds and the vocal tract
(articulatory phonetics); how speech sounds are organized systematically (phonology); how words are
built up from smaller parts (morphology); and how words are arranged in sentences (syntax). Next we
will study language variation, the complex relationship between language and society, the principled
and systematic ways in which languages change over time, and how languages are acquired by children.
We will conclude the course with a discussion of endangered languages and fieldwork, followed by
brief sketches of specific languages, in order to demonstrate how the tools of linguistics are applied in
documenting and describing a field language.
After taking this class:
✓ You will have learned the basic concepts, vocabulary, and analytic techniques of linguistics.
✓ You will have gained experience with hands-on data analysis from a number of languages.
✓ You will have developed the ability to critically assess claims and popular misconceptions
about language, and to approach language issues from a systematic, empirical perspective.
✓ You will have a basic understanding of how linguistics is relevant to other disciplines and
careers.
Successful completion of this course will enable you to enroll in other linguistics courses if you
are interested in pursuing more in-depth study on any of the topics we cover this semester.
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Required Textbook
Genetti, Carol (ed). 2019. How Languages Work, 2nd ed. Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9781108454513 (Paper); 9781108553988 (Digital).
The textbook is available at the Rice Campus Bookstore or your favorite online seller. Since many of
the concepts in Linguistics 200 may be new to you, you will find that you will do your best in
this course if you do the reading at the beginning of the week in which it is assigned.
Grade Policies
❑ Successful completion of 11 Canvas Course Modules (2% each, Fridays 5pm) 22%
❑ Midterm Exam #1 (Feb. 4) 20%
❑ Midterm Exam #2 (Mar. 13) 25%
❑ Final Exam (during Registrar-scheduled date/time, TBA) 33%
TOTAL 100%
Course letter grades will be assigned as follows:
0-59.99% 60-69.99% 70-79.99% 80-89.99% 90-100%
F D C B A
Designations of plus and minus will be given to grades ranging within 1 percentage point of the cutoff.
For example: 99.0-100% is an A+, 90.0-90.99% is an A-, 89.0-89.99% is a B+, and so on. Students
who earn less-than 60% will fail the course.
Course Attendance Policy
Ling 200 is an in-person course, and you are expected to physically attend all class meetings in Herring
100 unless you are ill or away on a Rice-sponsored activity.
Canvas Course Modules (due Fridays by 5pm)
There are 11 course modules for this class, available on the Canvas course page. Each module consists
of a short supplementary reading, video, survey, and/or other material relevant to the current in-class
topic. Each module also contains a quiz, to allow you to assess your learning of the material from the
textbook and lectures. The quizzes are open-note, open-book, and you may discuss them with other
students. You will receive instant feedback on your answers, and you can take the quiz as many times
as you like before the due-date, in order to achieve a perfect score. To receive credit for completion
of a module, you must submit the quiz by 5pm on the Friday of the week in which the module is due.
Completion of each module counts as 2% of your total course grade. (Modules are ungraded; simply
completing the module gives you 2%, no matter what your actual quiz score is.) Please take these
seriously! Their purpose is to help you assess your mastery of the material for each unit, to give you
things to think about outside of class, and to help you prepare for exams.
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Midterm Exams
There are two midterm exams for this course. Both midterms will be administered online via Canvas
during regular class time (9:25-10:40am). Midterm #1 will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 4, is worth 20%
of your course grade, and covers all material up to that point (introduction, conversation, pragmatics,
and semantics). Midterm #2 will take place on Thursday, March 13, is worth 25% of your course
grade, and covers all material since the first midterm (phonetics, phonology, morphology, word-
classes, and syntax). Both midterms are closed-book, closed-note, and you are not allowed to work
together or to discuss the exam with anyone while you (or they) are taking it. Make-up exams will be
given only under extreme extenuating circumstances, and you must make arrangements with me
beforehand. If you miss a midterm and do not clear it with me ahead of time, you will receive a score
of 0 on it.
Final Exam
The final exam (worth 33% of your overall course grade) is cumulative and covers all course material
from the semester. It will be online on canvas, closed-book, closed-note, during the exam time
scheduled by the Registrar’s office for this course (TBA). You will have three hours to complete the
exam. Students who miss the final or fail to turn it in will receive a score of 0 on the exam. Students
are not permitted to work together or discuss the exam in any way until after it has been turned in.
Technology Policy
Since all exams and assignments in this course will be completed online, you will need regular access
to a reliable computer and stable internet connection.
The use of mobile devices and computers is permitted in the classroom for course-related purposes
only, such as taking notes and accessing materials on Canvas. All personal uses of technology (such as
texting, social media, shopping, watching videos, working on assignments for other classes, etc.) are
not permitted, as they are bothersome to those sitting around you. If another student is distracting or
disturbing you by inappropriate use of technology in the classroom, please politely ask them to stop,
or let me know and I will address the problem.
Rice Honor Code
In this course, all students will be held to the standards of the Rice Honor Code, a code that you
pledged to honor when you matriculated at this institution. If you are unfamiliar with the details of
this code and how it is administered, you should consult the Honor System Handbook at
http://honor.rice.edu/honor-system-handbook/. This handbook outlines the University's
expectations for the integrity of your academic work, the procedures for resolving alleged violations
of those expectations, and the rights and responsibilities of students and faculty members throughout
the process.
Appropriating someone else’s work and portraying it as your own is cheating. Obtaining answers to
homework assignments or exams from previous semesters is cheating. Falsifying data or experimental
results is cheating. (The foregoing is not intended to be a complete list.) If you are suspected of
cheating, you will be referred to the Honor Council. If you are unsure about whether a specific action
is cheating, please check with me first. Some general guidelines are:
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• Do not look at notes, assignments, or exams from previous semesters.
• Do not seek solutions to exams from outside sources, including books, the internet, or by any
use of AI.
• Do not copy other (current or former) students’ work.
• Once you have opened your midterms or final exam, do not discuss it with other students,
until after you (and they) have turned it in and the exam time has ended.
Students with Disabilities
If you have a documented disability or other condition that may affect academic performance you
should: 1) make sure this documentation is on file with Disability Support Services (Allen Center,
Room 111 / adarice@rice.edu / x5841) to determine the accommodations you need; and 2) talk with
me to discuss your accommodation needs.
Mental Health Statement
The wellbeing and mental health of students is important; if you are having trouble completing your
coursework, please reach out to the Wellbeing and Counseling Center.
Rice University provides cost-free mental health services through the Wellbeing and Counseling
Center to help you manage personal challenges that threaten your personal or academic well-being. If
you believe you are experiencing unusual amounts of stress, sadness, or anxiety, the Student Wellbeing
Office or the Rice Counseling Center may be able to assist you. The Wellbeing and Counseling Center
is located in the Gibbs Wellness Center and can be reached at 713-348-3311 (available 24/7).
Title IX Responsible Employee Notification
Rice encourages any student who has experienced an incident of harassment, pregnancy discrimination
or gender discrimination, or relationship, sexual, or other forms of interpersonal violence to seek
support from The SAFE Office.
At Rice University, unlawful discrimination in any form, including sexual misconduct, is prohibited
under Rice Policy on Harassment and Sexual Harassment (Policy 830) and the Student Code of
Conduct. As the instructor and a responsible employee, I am required by Title IX to disclose all
incidents of non-consensual interpersonal behaviors to the Title IX Coordinator on campus. Although
responsible employees are required to make this notification, it is the student's choice to pursue a
formal complaint. The goal is to make sure that students are aware of the range of options available
and have access to the resources when in need. For more information, please visit safe.rice.edu,
titleix.rice.edu, or email titleixsupport@rice.edu.
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Course Outline
* The following schedule may change slightly as the semester progresses. Any changes will be
communicated in class and published in the Announcements section on the course Canvas site.
DATE TOPIC READING ASSIGNMENT
WEEK 1 Introduction Module #1
1/14 Introduction Ch. 1
1/16 Conversation #1 None
WEEK 2 Interaction Module #2
1/21 Conversation/Pragmatics Ch. 8
1/23 Pragmatics #2 Ch. 8
WEEK 3 Meaning Module #3
1/28 Semantics #1 Ch. 7
1/30 Semantics #2 Ch. 7
WEEK 4 Speech Sounds Midterm #1
2/4 Midterm #1 None
2/6 Phonetics #1 Ch. 2
WEEK 5 Speech Sounds Module #4
2/11 Phonetics #2 Ch. 2
2/13 No Class (Spring Recess)
WEEK 6 Sound Patterns Module #5
2/18 Phonology #1 Ch. 3
2/20 Phonology #2 Ch. 3
WEEK 7 Word Structure Module #6
2/25 Morphology #1 Ch. 4
2/27 Morphology #2 Ch. 4
WEEK 8 Word Classes / Sentence Structure Module #7
3/4 Word Classes Ch. 5
3/6 Syntax #1 Ch. 6
WEEK 9 Sentence Structure Midterm #2
3/11 Syntax #2 Ch. 6
3/13 Midterm #2 None
WEEK 10 Spring Break!
3/18 No Class
3/20 No Class
WEEK 11 Language & Society None
3/25 Sociolinguistics #1 Ch. 11
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3/27 Sociolinguistics #2 Ch. 11
WEEK 12 Language & Society / Language Change Module #8
4/1 Sociolinguistics #3 Language Profile
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4/3 Historical Linguistics #1 Ch. 12
WEEK 13 Language Change Module #9
4/8 Historical Linguistics #2 Ch. 12
4/10 Language Contact Ch. 13
WEEK 14 Typology; Acquisition Module #10
4/15 Language Universals & Typology None
4/17 Child Language Acquisition Ch. 14
WEEK 15 Language Endangerment & Module #11
Revitalization
4/22 Endangered Languages TBA
4/24 Language Documentation & Description TBA
FINALS Final Exam
WEEK
Online final during Registrar-scheduled exam period – date/time TBA
