| Week |
Month |
Date |
Topic |
Content |
Videos |
Readings |
Assignments |
| 1 |
September |
25 |
What does Meaning mean? |
What is Meaning? Is language illogical?, Formal approaches to Meaning, Taxonomy of Meaning |
|
Textbook Ch.1 + 2.1 + 2.3 + 2.5 |
|
| 2 |
October |
30 |
Sentence Meaning |
Propositions, Syntax and Semantics of Propositional Logic, Truth, Entailment, Logical Connectives, sets, relations, functions |
|
Textbook Ch.3 |
Quiz 1 |
| 2 |
|
| 3 |
7 |
Sub-sentential Meaning |
Individuals, Predicates, Relations, First-order Quantification, Syntax and Semantics of Predicate Logic |
|
Textbook Ch.4 |
Quiz 2 |
| 9 |
|
| 4 |
14 |
The Semantic Lego |
Compositionality, Typed Lambda Calculus, Function Application |
|
Textbook Ch.5 + 6.1 + 6.2 |
Quiz 3 |
| 16 |
|
| 5 |
21 |
Adjectives and Quantifiers |
Types of adjectives, Generalized Quantifiers |
|
Textbook Ch.6.3 + 6.4 + 7 |
Quiz 4 + Argument Map 1 |
| 23 |
| 6 |
28 |
Presuppositions |
Common Ground, Semantic vs. Pragmatic Presuppositions, Entailment Canceling Environments |
|
Textbook Ch.8 |
Quiz 6 |
| November |
30 |
| 7 |
4 |
Distributional Semantics |
|
|
|
|
| 6 |
| 8 |
11 |
Static Word and Sentence Embeddings |
|
|
|
|
| 13 |
| 9 |
18 |
Dynamic Contextual Embeddings |
|
|
|
|
| 20 |
| 10 |
25 |
|
|
|
|
|
| 27 |
Thanksgiving |
|
|
|
|
| 11 |
December |
2 |
|
|
|
|
|
| 4 |
| Assessment |
| Analytic Skills |
50 Points |
Weekly Quizzes |
50 Points |
5 weekly online quizzes on Canvas, 10 points each. Questions come from the readings of the week and lecture materials. Each quiz has several question-types (covering a specific sub-topic of the week) and the exact questions in that question-type are randomly selected from a question bank. You have multiple attempts for each quiz and your highest grade will be recorded. There is no deadline for these quizzes. They must be submitted before the exam week. |
| Critical Thinking |
50 Points |
| Argument Map |
20 Points |
Two argument maps on the following two papers (each worth 10 points, availabe on Canvas Files):
1. Arnold & Zuberbühler (2006): Semantic Combinations in Primate Calls. Nature
2. Orvell, Kross, & Gelman (2017): How "you" makes meaning. Science
Take a look at this introduction to argument maps and how we use them in this class. Argument maps have strict deadlines on Canvas. |
| Small Model First Draft |
10 Points |
Create a small model of a real or imaginary scenario similar to what we did in class with the clip from the Simpsons. Include the link to the video of what you are modeling. Your model needs have a domain of individuals and an interpretation function that interprets your individual constants and your predicates. Further instructions on Canvas. Submit as early as you can to recieve feedback. |
| Small Model Final Draft |
20 Points |
Revise the first draft of your model to correct any mistakes. Then translate sentences of English into the logical langauge we created in class and interpret it according to the model you have built. You need to have one intransitive, one transitive, one ditransitive, one predicative adjectival, one modificational adjectival, one with a unary or binary connective, and two quantificational sentences (one universal and one existential). There is a strict deadline on Canvas. |
| Policies |
| Deadlines |
There are no deadlines for quizzes and discussion posts. They can be submitted at any point during the quarter before the the exam week. The argument maps and small model drafts have strict deadlines on Canvas. We deduct 1 points for each day these assignments are late. |
| Submission Format |
Quizzes can be found in the Quizzes section of Canvs. Argument Maps and small models can be uploaded and submitted in the Assignments section on Canvas. Do not include your name or any identifying information in the assignments. If an answer is handwritten and cannot be determined due to illegibility, no points are assigned to that answer. In order to avoid grading biases, all grading is done either automatically or anonymously. |
| Grading |
The points you earn during the course will turn into your letter grade according to the following scale:
A+ = 100-97 A = 97-93, A- = 93-90, B+ = 90-87, B = 87-83, B- = 83-80, C+ = 80-77, C = 77-73, C- = 73-70, D+ = 70-67, D = 67-63, D- = 63-60, F = 60-0. |
| Integrity |
We follow the UC Davis code of academic conduct. You are permitted to work together on the argument maps but you must write up and submit your own maps. You are expected to do the quizzes individually. |
| Accessibility
|
Students who may need an academic accommodation based on the impact of a disability must initiate the request with the UC Davis Student Disability Center. Professional staff will evaluate the request, recommend reasonable accommodations, and prepare a letter of accommodation for the faculty. Students should contact the SDC as soon as possible since timely notice is needed to coordinate accommodations.
|
| Addressing the Instructor
|
I prefer Masoud. No titles or last name needed.
|