Note: I stopped updating this in Week 2. Please consult the Readings and Handouts page for the actual course of events.
Week 1 (Sept. 4-6)
Introduction to generative phonology, OT, and stress: analysis and typology of single stress languages
Week 2 (Sept. 11 – 18)
Parameters and constraints in the analysis of alternating stress
Ranking arguments and learning in OT, comparison with parametric theory
Note: No class September 20th
Week 4 (Sept. 26-28)
Contrast and predictability in stress and basic syllable structure typology: markedness and faithfulness
Week 5, 6 (Oct. 2-11)
Scales, weighted constraints, gradual learning, hidden structure learning, learning and variation
Term paper assignment discussed in class Oct. 4
Note: No class Tuesday Oct. 9
Week 7 (Oct. 16-18)
Alternations: allomorphy and URs
Week 8 (Oct. 23-25)
Opacity and cyclicity
Week 9 (Oct. 30-Nov.1)
Prosodic morphology, correspondence theory
Week 10 (Nov. 6-8)
Phonetic naturalness, features and correspondence theory, “NC effects”
Term paper prospectus due November 6
Week 11 (Nov. 13-15)
Analyses of final devoicing, more phonetic naturalness, positional faithfulness and markedness
Week 12, 13 (Nov. 20-29)
Inductive bias, experimentation and modeling
Note: No class Thursday Nov. 22nd
Week 14 (Dec. 4-6)
Student presentations of paper research
Term papers due December 15