NPFL063 Introduction to Linguistics

2025 Winter

 

E-mail for homework, etc:	Jirka.LastName@gmail.com (replace LastName with my last name; start the email's subject with NPFL063)
Language:	English
Office hours:	By appointment (via Zoom)
Time	Wed 15:40
Place	S9

1  Description and objectives of the course

The course will help students familiarize themselves with the fundamental features of human language, its structure and development, its place in society, etc. It also introduces linguistics as a science, its history, and methodology, with a focus on structural linguistics.

2  Language

The course is taught in English. I will repeat in Czech anything that you don't understand. All course materials (slides, readings, web pages, etc.) are in English. Homework, the final exam, and the paper can be submitted in English, Czech, or Slovak.

3  Readings

Readings (when assigned) are to be read before class. Some of the readings will not be covered in class, but homework and exams will assume that you have read them all. 
In most cases, the assigned reading will be from the following (the Library has several copies of the books):

• Reader (under development; 2020-10-05)
• V. Fromkin, R. Rodman, N. Hyams: An Introduction to Language. 8th edition or later; preferably the International edition of 8th edition, Heinle, 2006.
• D. Crystal: The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language. Cambridge University Press; 1997

4  Assignments, Tests, and Grading

4.1  Homework

In some classes, homework will be assigned. Unless specified otherwise, assignments are due by midnight before the class. If it is reasonably easy to type it in a text processor, send it by e-mail as an attachment (use PDF, MS Word, Google Docs, or plain text). Otherwise, you can email a scan or bring it to class. Please write legibly.

When emailing, use the following subject: "NPFL063 HW #", e.g., "NPFL063 HW 1" for the first homework assignment.

You can use English or Czech/Slovak.

It is a good idea to work on homework in a group of two or three people (write who you worked with at the top of the page). However, you have to write it up individually, in your own words. Each homework assignment will be graded on a scale of 0-100%. Incorrect answers are better than no answers.

Homework assignment	Due
[HW 1 - phonology]	Oct 28
[HW 2 - Trees]	Dec 2
[HW 3 - Dependency trees]	Dec 9
[HW 4 - Imported NP clusters	Dec 16
[HW 5 - Implicature in Ads]	Before grade

4.2  Article

You will create a Wikipedia-like article on a selected linguistic topic. Consider writing about something that can be useful for your thesis. You can use English or Czech/Slovak. See this page for more details (you are required to follow the instructions, unless explicitly agreed otherwise).

Milestone	Points	Due	How
Your selected topic for approval	5	Oct 21	email + blank document for the future article (see detail page)
Half a page summary (can be bullets), 5+ commented, reliable sources	5	Nov 4	updated document + non-automatic email notification
Extended summary	5	Nov 25	updated document + non-automatic email notification
Draft version	10	Jan 6	updated document + non-automatic email notification
Final version	5	10 days before you want a grade	updated document + non-automatic email notification

4.3  Exam

There will be an in-class final exam. You can bring and use any notes or literature, but you have to work on your own.

You can use English or Czech/Slovak. Even mixing the languages is allowed (e.g., using English terminology in Czech sentences). 

4.4  Active class participation

"Active participation" refers to your comments and questions during class, your answers to my questions, etc. I do not keep track of whether your answers, etc. are correct, but simply whether or not you participate. 
If you miss a class, it is your responsibility to get reliable notes from a fellow student.

4.5  Grading

You need to submit all homework assignments, the article, and the final to get a zápočet (and a grade).

4.5  Late submissions

Late submissions are automatically penalized in the following way:

Homework	up to one week late	20%
	more than one week late	80%
Article	one week late	20%
	more than one week late	50%

However, if you see you cannot meet a deadline, talk to me about it before the deadline, and most likely, we can find a later deadline when you can submit without any penalty.

5  Schedule and Handouts

The schedule below is preliminary and may change. If I update a handout, I will add the update date in parentheses.

Date	Topic	Handout	Reading	Other
Oct 1	Introduction	[slides] [handout]
Oct 8	Animal Communication	[handout]
Oct 15	Phonetics	[handout]	Fromkin Ch 6
Oct 22	Phonology	[handout]	Fromkin Ch 7	Paper topic deadline (Oct 21)
Oct 29	?			HW 1 due (Oct 28)
Nov 5	Morphology	[handout] [slides]	Fromkin Ch 3	Paper summary deadline (Nov 4)
Nov 12	NO CLASS - Rector's day
Nov 17	?
Nov 26	Syntax	[handout] [slides]	Fromkin Ch 4	Paper extended summary deadline (Nov 25)
Dec 3	Syntax / Linguistic theories	[GB slides] [DG slides]		HW 2 due (Dec 2)
Dec 10	Semantics / Pragmatics	[handout]  [handout] [slides]		HW 3 due (Dec 9)
Dec 17	Historical Linguistics	[handout] [slides]	Fromkin Ch 12	HW 4 due (Dec 16)
Jan 7	Psycholinguistics	[slides]		paper draft deadline (Jan 6)