Introduction to Language Research

LIN490 – Tuesday/Thursday 12:30-1:45pm

Online via Zoom and Brightspace

Professor: Jeanne Heil Office:

Email: jeanne.heil@maine.edu Cell:

310 Science Center Wing A

Office Hours: By appointment

*If I don’t answer your email in 72 hours, contact Dana McDaniel (dana.mcdaniel@maine.edu)*

Syllabus Contents

➢ Course Description, Objectives, Required Materials, & Grade Breakdown pp. 1-2

➢ Course Schedule p. 2

➢ Details of Graded Components p. 3

➢ Full Reading List p. 4

➢ Policies and Campus Resources pp. 5-6

Course Description

An introduction to basic aspects of the experimental study of human linguistic abilities. This will

include discussion of research questions, research design (sampling, validity, reliability), task

choice, data handling, analysis/interpretation, and reporting conventions. Where relevant,

students will also be introduced to computer resources used in Linguistics. Offered spring. Cr 3.

Prerequisites

LIN 313 and two other LIN courses in the 310-317 range (one of which may be taken

concurrently) or instructor permission

MAT 120, PSY 201, or equivalent statistics course

Objectives

• Students will be knowledgeable about types of linguistic tasks, including making

informed decisions about using them.

• Students will display an emerging understanding of methodological issues in linguistic

research.

• Students will be able to do simple data analysis associated with a pre-existing dataset.

• Students will design a task as part of a replication/extension experiment, administer it to

one participant, and report on it.

Materials

• Required - Access to Microsoft Excel (https://usm.maine.edu/computer-sales-

service/microsoft-office-home-use)

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• Recommended - USED ONLY - Mackey & Gass (2005) Second Language Research:

Methodology & Design, 2nd Ed.1

Grade Breakdown

• Reading quizzes (13) 13%

• Labwork

o Preparatory Labs 1&2 4%

o Excel primer 3%

o Unit labs (5) 50%

o NHL Summary 2%

• Final replication report

o Turned-in data 3%

o Final materials 5%

o Report 20%

Course Schedule

At a Glance

Week Dates Main Topic Assessments

1 Jan 26-28 Introduction Prep 1

2 Feb 2-4 Participants, Groups, & Ethics Prep 2

3 Feb 9-11 Variables & Internal Validity Excel Primer

4 Feb 16-18 External Validity & Reliability Lab 1

5 Feb 23-25 Tasks Overview

6 Mar 2-4 Adult Judgments Lab 2

7 Mar 9-11 Child Judgments

8 Mar 16-18 TVJT Lab 3

9 Mar 23-25 Elicited Production

10 Mar 30-Apr 1 Qualitative Methods Lab 4

11 Apr 6-8 Self-paced methods

12 Apr 13-15 Eye-tracking Lab 5

13 Apr 20-22 ERPs Turn in materials for replication

14 Apr 27-29 Wrap-up NHL Summary, Turn in data

Exam Week Replication Report

THIS SYLLABUS IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AS NEEDED2

1 You will have access to some parts of this book electronically through our course; however, it is an excellent

resource, and you may desire your own copy if you find it cheap. 2 Students will be notified of any changes at least 3 weeks in advance. A revised course schedule will be available

on Blackboard, and students will have the option of receiving a paper copy from the instructor upon request.

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Details of Graded Components

Labwork - Preparatory Labs & Excel Primer

The prep homework is a necessary piece of the course. You cannot complete the unit labs with

successfully completing the prep labs, and anyone without experience in excel will struggle

without doing the excel primer.

Late policy for prep labs: Prep homework, including the excel primer, can be turned in up to a

week late with no penalty. Submissions received more than a week late are given feedback but

not graded for points.

Labwork - Labs

During the semester, students will complete 5 labs for homework. The labs have two

components, one that pertains to each of the projects:

• The Non-Human Language project (NHL)

• The Replication/Extension project (R/E) on a human language

Labs are due by 5pm on Friday on the weeks they are due. They should be submitted

electronically with all the required materials, which may include an excel file. Note that naming

conventions on the excel files are important for versioning purposes and are specified in the lab

instructions.

Late policy for labs: Labs that are turned in within one week late will be deducted two points.

Submissions received more than a week late are given feedback but not graded for points.

Reading quizzes

Students will read for class and complete a quiz on Brightspace based on that reading.

Participation is assessed as 1 point per week based on preparedness, including showing that they

have read. There is no reading for Week 14.

Final Replication Report

Throughout the semester, students will be working on a replication/extension project (or other

approved project). The goal of this project is to:

1. Replicate a task from a study.

2. Design a second task for that study.

3. Test at least one person using the materials.

4. Report on the methods and results, including proposing statistical analysis.

See supporting documents on Brightspace for more information.

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Full Reading List

Erlam, R., & Akakura, M. (2016). New developments in the use of elicited imitation In Mackey,

A., & Marsden, E. (Eds.). Advancing methodology and practice: The IRIS repository of

instruments for research into second languages. Routledge.

Gordon (1998). The Truth-Value Judgment Task. In McDaniel, D., Cairns, H. S., & McKee, C.

(Eds.). Methods for assessing children's syntax. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press.

Huettig, F., & Altmann, G. T. (2005). Word meaning and the control of eye fixation: Semantic

competitor effects and the visual world paradigm. Cognition, 96(1), B23-B32.

Mackey, A., & Gass, S. M. (2005). Second language research: Methodology and design.

Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers.

McDaniel, D. & Cairns, H.S. (1998). Eliciting Judgments of Grammaticality and Reference. In

McDaniel, D., Cairns, H. S., & McKee, C. (Eds.). Methods for assessing children's syntax.

Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press.

Mueller, J. L. (2005). Electrophysiological correlates of second language processing. Second

Language Research, 21(2), 152-174.

Roberts, L. (2016). Self-paced reading and L2 grammatical processing. In Mackey, A., &

Marsden, E. (Eds.). Advancing methodology and practice: The IRIS repository of instruments for

research into second languages. Routledge.

Schütze, C. T., & Sprouse, J. (2014). Judgment data. In R.J. Podesva & D. Sharma (Eds.)

Research Methods in Linguistics. Cambridge University Press.

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Policies and Campus Resources

Academic Integrity/Plagiarism

Everyone associated with the University of Southern Maine is expected to adhere to the

principles of academic integrity central to the academic function of the University. Any breach

of academic integrity represents a serious offense. Each student has a responsibility to know the

standards of conduct and expectations of academic integrity that apply to academic tasks.

Violations of academic integrity include any actions that attempt to promote or enhance the

academic standing of any student by dishonest means. Cheating on an examination, stealing the

words or ideas of another (i.e., plagiarism), making statements known to be false or misleading,

falsifying the results of one's research, improperly using library materials or computer files, or

altering or forging academic records are examples of violations of this policy which are contrary

to the academic purposes for which the University exists. Acts that violate academic integrity

disrupt the educational process and are not acceptable.

Evidence of a violation of the academic integrity policy will normally result in disciplinary

action. A copy of the complete policy may be obtained from the office of Community Standards

and Mediation, online at usm.maine.edu/community-standards-mediation/academic-integrity or

by calling and requesting a copy at (207) 780-5242.

DISABILITY ACCOMMODATIONS

The university is committed to providing students with documented disabilities equal access to

all university programs and services. If you think you have a disability and would like to

requestaccommodations, you must register with the Disability Services Center. Timely

notification is essential. The Disability Services Center can be reached by calling 207-780-4706

or by email dscusm@maine.edu. If you have already received a faculty accommodation letter

from the Disability Services Center, please provide me with that information as soon as possible.

Please make a private appointment so that we can review your accommodations.

TUTORING AND WRITING ASSISTANCE

Tutoring at USM is for all students, not just those who are struggling. Tutoring provides active

feedback and practice, and is available for writing, math, and many more subjects. Walk-in

tutoring is available at the Glickman Library in Portland, the Gorham Library, and the LAC

Writing Center. For best service, we recommend making an appointment

at https://usm.maine.edu/learningcommons/schedule-tutoring-appointment. Questions about

tutoring should be directed to Naamah Jarnot at 207-780-4554. Interested in becoming a more

effective, efficient learner? Check out https://usm.maine.edu/agile!

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COUNSELING

Counseling is available at USM. The best way to schedule an appointment is by phone at 780-

5411. More information is available at https://usm.maine.edu/uhcs.

RECOVERY ORIENTED CAMPUS CENTER (ROCC)

A peer support community for students in recovery from substance abuse and other mental health

conditions is available at USM. More information may be found online at

https://usm.maine.edu/recovery or by containing ROCC at 207-228-8141.

NONDISCRIMINATION POLICY AND BIAS REPORING

The University of Southern Maine is an EEO/AA employer, and does not discriminate on the

grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, transgender status, gender expression,

national origin, citizenship status, age, disability, genetic information or veteran’s status in

employment, education, and all other programs and activities. The following person has been

designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Amie Parker, Interim

Director of Equal Opportunity, The Farmhouse, University of Maine Augusta, Augusta,

ME 04333, 207.581.1226, TTY 711 (Maine Relay System). Incidents of discrimination or bias

at USM should be reported to Associate Vice President for Student Affairs David Roussel at

207-780-5242.

STATEMENT ON RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCE FOR USM STUDENTS

Absence for Religious Holy Days: The University of Southern Maine respects the religious

beliefs of all members of the community, affirms their rights to observe significant religious holy

days, and will make reasonable accommodations, upon request, for such observances. If a

student’s religious observance is in conflict with the academic experience, they should inform

their instructor(s) of the class or other school functions that will be affected. It is the student’s

responsibility to make the necessary arrangements mutually agreed upon with the instructor(s).

TITLE IX STATEMENT

The University of Southern Maine is committed to making our campuses safer places for

students. Because of this commitment, and our federal obligations, faculty and other employees

are considered mandated reporters when it comes to experiences of interpersonal violence

(sexual assault, sexual harassment, dating or domestic violence, and stalking). Disclosures of

interpersonal violence must be passed along to the University’s Deputy Title IX Coordinator

who can help provide support and academic remedies for students who have been impacted.

More information can be found online at http://usm.maine.edu/campus-safety-project or by

contacting Sarah E. Holmes at sarah.e.holmes1@maine.edu or 207-780-5767.

If students want to speak with someone confidentially, the following resources are available on

and off campus: University Counseling Services (207-780-4050); 24 Hour Sexual Assault

Hotline (1-800-871-7741); 24 Hour Domestic Violence Hotline (1-866-834-4357).

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POLICY ON ACCEPTABLE CONDUCT IN CLASS SETTINGS

If a student substantially disrupts a class, the professor may ask the student to align with this

policy on conduct in a class setting. If the student refuses, the professor may, at their discretion,

ask the student to leave. If the professor takes this step, they must attempt to communicate with

the student and provide informal counsel and advice. The professor may elect to notify their dean

of the situation as well. If the student disrupts the class again, the professor may, at their

discretion, provide a written notification to the student, describe the offending behavior, and

refer the student’s case to the appropriate academic dean and notify the dean of students that an

official student conduct code violation has occurred [https://usm.maine.edu/community-

standards-mediation/conduct-process].

COVID FACE COVERING REQUIREMENT

Per USM and the University of Maine System, all students, faculty, and staff members are

required to wear a face covering, including during all face-to-face classes. Resident students are

exempted from this requirement when in their own room in the residence hall. Students seeking

additional exceptions from this requirement should refer to the DISABILITY

ACCOMMODATIONS section of this syllabus. https://www.maine.edu/together/community-

guidance/everyone/

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