INTRODUCTION TO ROMANCE-BASED PIDGINS AND CREOLES

Spanish 487-Section 002 (Meets with: Romance Language 400) Fall 2005 Tuesday/Thursday 11:30-1:00 B137 MLB

This course will study pidgins (reduced vehicular languages) and creole languages (restructured native languages), principally derived from Portuguese and Spanish, and also from French. Most of the creole languages that will be investigated derive from the African diaspora, and the African linguistic and cultural component of these creoles will be prominently featured. Topics include theories of pidgin and creole formation, the role of language universals, decreolization and the impact on former colonial European languages. Languages to be studied include Papiamentu, Afro-Colombian Palenquero, Cape Verde Crioulo, Haitian and other French-derived creoles. During the term, each student will pick a creole language or group of creole languages derived from a single European language (e.g. Spanish-, Portuguese-, or French-derived) and with instructor supervision, will investigate a research topic relevant to that creole language or group of languages. Course taught in English.

INTRODUCCION A LA LINGÜISTICA HISPANA

SPANISH 330/ROMANCE LINGUISTICS 330 Fall 2005 Lecture: Tuesday/Thursday 2:30-4:00 269 Dennison + Discussion Sections

Linguistics is the study of human languages--what they are composed of and how they are used. This course provides an introduction to generative Spanish linguistics and establishes the basis for future application of linguistic principles. The course begins with an exploration of the sound system of Spanish and its theoretical representation. Building on this, the discussion continues with topics in Spanish morphology such as word formation and verbal inflection. This is followed by issues in syntax and semantics that are analyzed both in isolation and in terms of their relationship to each other. The goal of this course is to provide students with a level of knowledge that enables them to make connections between the structure of Spanish and relevant issues in contemporary Hispanic linguistics, such as language variation, bilingualism, and first/ second language acquisition. Students will solve problem sets related to linguistics, complete two exams, and prepare one critical summary on a linguistic journal article assigned by the professor. Since this is a 300-level course, it will be expected that you invest time in reading and preparing for class lectures. This may mean to some of you the continual use of a good bilingual dictionary. The concepts are somewhat technical and often abstract, but are presented in an introductory manner. Course taught in Spanish.