Japanese Linguistics I: The Structure of Modern Japanese Language

Fall 2022

Course Instructor                  

Noriko Yabuki-Soh, PhD [nyabuki@yorku.ca]

Office Hours: M 16:00-16:30 (in-person; RS526) R 11:00-12:00 (Zoom; login via eClass)

Course Format and Meeting Times

Two in-person 1.5 hour seminars weekly, Monday and Wednesday 5:30-7:00 p.m.

Course Description

This course examines the linguistic structure of the modern standard Japanese language. Topics include phonetics (speech sounds), phonology (sound structure), morphology (word structure), syntax (sentence structure), and semantics (linguistic meaning) of Japanese. The goal of the course is to comprehensively introduce the basic concepts and tools that are used in the linguistic description and analysis of the Japanese language.

Prerequisites: AP/JP 1000 6.0 or AP/LING 1000 6.0. Course credit exclusions: None.

Course Online Access

The website will be updated weekly throughout the course. [http://eclass.yorku.ca]

Required Texts

· Tsujimura, N. An Introduction to Japanese Linguistics (3rd ed.). Wiley Blackwell Publishing. (a digital copy is available on VitalSource Canada: https://www.vitalsource.com/en-ca/products/an-introduction-to-japanese-linguistics-natsuko-tsujimura-v9781118584309?term=978-1-4443-3773-0)

· Supplemental readings will be provided on eClass.

Optional: If you are new to linguistics, the following books (any edition) will be helpful with the course content and related terminology (available in Scott Library).

· Fromkin, V., Rodman, R. & Hyams, N. An Introduction to Language

· O’Grady, W. & Archibald, J. Contemporary Linguistic Analysis: An Introduction

Course Requirements

Students are required to have completed the readings along with studying through the PowerPoint slides and prepare answers to the homework questions (both available on the course website) before each class. Each set of homework questions is intended for students to prepare for every class discussion, but the homework itself is not collected or graded. The class discussion will consist of the homework review, students’ questions, and any additional lecture or practice. Participation in class will be individually evaluated. There will be a weekly quiz, mostly on Monday, based on the homework and class discussion covered during that week. Two tests are scheduled in the middle and at the end of the course. There are also four assignments. Students are required to work on each assignment independently and submit it on or before its due date.   

Evaluation and Grading

Tests (2):                      40%

Quizzes (10):                30%    

Assignments (4):         20%

Participation:               10%

Evaluation is based on the set of Student Learning Outcomes (see below) for each class. Details of each test and assignment will be made available to students two weeks prior to its due date.

Grading scheme: https://calendars.students.yorku.ca/2022-2023/grades-and-grading-schemes

Attendance

Regular class attendance is expected of all students. If you must be absent from class for a legitimate reason (e.g., illness as supported by a medical certificate) on the day of a test or weekly quiz, or submitting an assignment, you must notify the instructor via email ahead of time of your anticipated absence or withing 24 hours after missing the due date. This notification will form the basis for a makeup test or quiz.

Student Learning Outcomes

At the end of each class, students will be able to:

· Day 1: (1) Briefly define the subfields of linguistics. (2) List up major characteristics of the Japanese language.

· Day 2: (1) List the areas of linguistic study. (2) Briefly explain main characteristics of the Japanese language. (3) Briefly define phonetics. (4) Use the IPA chart to find and write symbols for Japanese stops, fricatives, nasals, and vowels.

· Day 3: (1) Match descriptions of Japanese stops, fricatives, affricates, tap or flap, glides, nasals, and vowels with IPA symbols. (2) Write IPA symbols for selected consonants and vowels found in Japanese words.

· Day 4: (1) Briefly define phonology. (2) Briefly define and identify Japanese examples of phoneme, allophone, minimal pairs, and complementary distribution. (3) Do a phonemic analysis of high vowels (/i/ and /u/).

· Day 5: (1) Briefly define and identify Japanese examples of nasal assimilation and free variation. (2) Do a phonemic analysis of the consonants in「たちつてと」. (3) Do a distributional analysis of the consonant phonemes in「はひふへほ」.

· Day 6: (1) Briefly explain what sequential voicing refers to and give examples. (2) Account for two different conditions that trigger or prevent SV. (3) Briefly explain how English speakers and Japanese speakers tend to divide words into smaller unites.

· Day 7: (1) Give a brief definition of mora and syllable and divide Japanese words into morae/moras and syllables. (2) Assign pitch patterns to examples of made-up Japanese words

· Day 8: (1) Briefly define lexicon and part of speech category. (2) Identify/distinguish various types of Japanese nouns, verbs, adjectives, adjectival nouns, adverbs, case particles, and postpositions.

· Day 9: (1) Briefly define and identify Japanese examples (if any) of morphology, morpheme (bound and free), allomorph, root, base, derivational and inflectional morphemes, affix, and compound.

· Day 10: (1) Identify and explain Japanese examples of: affixation, compounding, reduplication, clipping, and borrowing.

· Day 11: (1) Compare and contrast two different paradigms of verbal inflection in Japanese. (2) Identify and discuss different types of compounding in Japanese

· Day 12: Complete Test 1 and know what knowledge you have acquired so far.

· Day 13: (1) Briefly define syntax. (2) Identify and explain Japanese examples of ungrammatical sentences, structural ambiguity, and constituency. (3) Identify main grammatical categories in Japanese sentences and draw phrase structure trees.

· Day 14: (1) Use an English example to show how surface structure is derived from deep structure. (2) Use appropriate notation to distinguish four basic types of Japanese verb subcategorization. (3) Draw some phrase structure trees using pro.

· Day 15: Give examples of and draw trees for Japanese sentence modification. (2) Give examples of and draw trees for Japanese scrambled sentences. 

· Day 16: (1) Give examples of Japanese direct passive and indirect passive. (2) Describe the changes that occur when a direct passive is derived from an active sentence. (3) Describe the characteristics of indirect passives that distinguish them from direct passives.

· Day 17: (1) Describe the allomorphy of the Japanese causative. (2) Explain the meaning difference between the o-causative and the ni-causative. (3) Describe the Double-o Constraint. (4) Explain adversative causatives.

· Day 18: (1) Identify the modifier and head noun of a Japanese relative clause. (2) Identify different types of Japanese noun modification and describe their basic characteristics.

· Day 19: (1) Briefly define semantics. (2) Distinguish between structural ambiguity and lexical ambiguity; distinguish between linguistic meaning and speaker’s meaning. (4) Give Japanese examples of homonyms, synonyms, antonyms, polysemy, entailment, and contradiction. (4) Recognize examples of the primary thematic roles.

· Day 20: (1) Identify examples of thematic roles in Japanese sentences by using the following terms: agent, theme, goal, location, source, instrument, and experiencer. (2) Give examples of Japanese metaphors and idioms. (3) Briefly explain the Japanese lexicalization of giving and receiving in terms of direction.

· Day 21: (1) Briefly define tense and aspect. (2) Briefly explain the use of –(r)u and –ta and give examples. (3) Briefly explain the correct use of –te iru and –te aru and give examples using different types of verbs.

· Day 22: (1) Briefly define pragmatics and the cooperative principle. (2) Briefly explain how pragmatic notions exhibit interactions with morphology and syntax, and give examples.

· Day 23: (1) Briefly define dialect and distinguish its different types. (2) Briefly discuss on primary issues on language variation and give examples in Japanese.

· Day 24: Complete Test 2 and know what knowledge you have acquired so far.

Notes on Academic Honesty and Other Information

Students are required to maintain the highest standards of academic conduct throughout the term. Refer to the following URL for detailed information on the York University Senate Policy on Academic Honesty:

http://secretariat-policies.info.yorku.ca/policies/academic-honesty-senate-policy-on/

Also, read Academic Integrity Information:

https://spark.library.yorku.ca/academic-integrity-what-is-academic-integrity/

Students are also expected to familiarize themselves with the following information, available under “Policies and Regulations” in the 2022-2023 Academic Calendar:

· Academic Accommodation for Students with Disabilities

· Religious Accommodation

Schedule (in progress)

Day	Date	Topics	Quiz; Assign. due	Tsujimura (page #s)
1	W Sep 07	Orientation & Overview		1-4
2	M Sep 12	The inventory of Japanese sounds	QUIZ 1	5-18, 22-26
3	W Sep 14	Transcribing Japanese sounds		5-18, 22-26
4	M Sep 19	Phonological rules I	QUIZ 2	39-44
5	W Sep 21	Phonological rules II		44-52
6	M Sep 26	Sequential voicing, Mora vs. Syllable I	QUIZ 3	56-60 & 65
7	W Sep 28	Mora vs. syllable II, Accent	ASSIGN 1	66-68, 27-33
8	M Oct 03	The inventory of Japanese words	QUIZ 4	126-142
9	W Oct 05	Morpheme types		142-150
		Fall Reading Week (No classes)
10	M Oct 17	Word formation I	QUIZ 5	150-156
11	W Oct 19	Word formation II / review for test 1		supplemental
12	M Oct 24	TEST 1 (Phonetics, Phonology & Morphology)		--
13	W Oct 26	Constituency and phrase structures	ASSIGN 2	229-234
14	M Oct 31	Phrase structure rules, Basic word order	QUIZ 6	234-241
15	W Nov 02	Word order and scrambling		241-250
16	M Nov 07	Passive constructions	QUIZ 7	265-272
17	W Nov 09	Causative constructions		272-76, 280-81
18	M Nov 14	Noun modification	QUIZ 8	supplemental
19	W Nov 16	Word and sentence meanings	ASSIGN 3	309-317
20	M Nov 21	Thematic roles, Metaphors and idioms, Deixis	QUIZ 9	176-77, 317-31
21	W Nov 23	Tense and aspect		335-351
22	M Nov 28	Speaker’s meaning and nature of information	QUIZ 10	375-387
23	W Nov 30	Language in society / review for test 2	ASSIGN 4	403-417
24	M Dec 05	TEST 2 (Syntax & Semantics)		--