TENTATIVE schedule of topics
Week 1: January 28
Why study African Languages
Understand the significance African languages have in terms of linguistics, begin to develop an understanding of Linguistic Human Rights and the role language plays in politics and identity
HOMEWORK:
Pick a country by the end of class
Pick a language – DUE FEB 4th
Week 2: February 4
WordPress & Classification
Introduction to WordPress
Begin to understand how African Languages are classified and use ethnologue to find information about languages.
READING
Childs pg 1-37
http://www.linguistics.ucla.edu/people/schuh/Lx110/Discussion/01_mass_movie.html
Week 3: February 11
Classification & Introduction to WordPress
Continue classification – understand the subtle difference between megalocomparison and mass comparison.
Look at ethnologue & all it can do
READING
Childs pg 37-55
HOMEWORK
Webpage assignment (Assignment 0) DUE Feb 10, 11:59pm
Week 4: February 18
Week 5: Feb 25
Phonetics and Phonology / Clicks & Hlonipha
Learn about sound systems and why African languages are unique in their phonetic inventories and why this is relevant to study of African languages today. Explain the relationship between language change, migration, social structures, traditions, and sound systems
READING
Childs 55-96
http://archive.phonetics.ucla.edu/
HOMEWORK
Assignment 1 DUE Assignment 1 Classification
Week 6: March 4
Semantics & Ideophones
What is an ideophone and how is it different from expressions such as “ouch”, etc. Noun class markers, negation, multiple tenses
READING
Childs 117-136
Week 7: March 11
Syntax: agglutinating & isolating languages, WordPress
Serial verb constructions, theories on isolating vs. agglutinating languages
READING
Childs
136-152
HOMEWORK
Assignment – Phonology phono HW african langs
Week 8: March 18
Historical
Diachronic typology, how African languages have helped fill in the gaps of archeological records.
READING
Childs 153-174
Week 9: March 25
Migration & Fragmentation
Identify the Fragmentation belt and explain how it had such an impact on languages and how we can see it today.
READING
Assignment Historical Assignment – Historical Issues
Week 10: April 1
Creoles & Pidgins
What’s a pidgin, what’s a creole, what’s a dialect and why are they significant for African languages?
READING
Childs 203-216
Week 11: April 8
Social Effects of Language Contact via Colonialization
What effects of colonization do we see today? Why colonization had different linguistics effects from other types of contact.
HOMEWORK
Assignment Typological Assignment Typological
READING
Childs 188-202
April 14-22:
APRIL 14: Political/Educational HW DUE!! Assignment Political
SPRING BREAK
Week 12: April 29
Language in the schools & government: major movements
Understand what is required for a language to be able to be taught in a school and why native language education is so crucial to understanding
READING
Watch: Dr Blade Nzimande: The role of African Languages in a 21st century education
HOMEWORK
Assignment – Sociology social HW african langs
Week 13: May 6
Technology and African languages: documentation and connection
Become familiar with some of the technologies and advances made to document and preserve African languages. Develop an understanding of the power of English and other European languages as many African languages are never used to deliver content information.
Week 14: May 13
Presentations
