SPA 322: Introducción a la lingüística hispánica – Invierno 2024

Martes 15:00-18:00
EM 108
Department of Spanish & Portuguese, University of Toronto
Instructor: Prof. María Cristina Cuervo
Office Hours: Tuesdays 14:00-15:00; Thurs. 15:00-16:00.
Office: Northrop Frye #319 Telephone: 416-813-4051
e-mail: mc.cuervo @utoronto.ca (for administrative purposes only)
Quercus Page: https://q.utoronto.ca; log in using your UTORid and password.
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This course is an introduction to the central concepts and analytic tools of formal
linguistics applied to the study of Spanish. The main focus will be on the Spanish
phonological, morphological and syntactic systems., and some of their historical and
dialectal variation. Through theoretical discussion, reflection and practical exercises,
students will develop necessary analytic techniques to tackle linguistic data from
natural speech, native speakers intuitions, language acquisition, and dialectal and
diachronic variation.
Prerequisites: SPA 220, SPA320 or SPA219.
Recommended: SPA321HI. All communication within the course is in Spanish.

Textbook: Introducción a la lingüística hispánica, second edition, by José I. Hualde, A.

Olarrea, A. M. Escobar & C. E. Travis. Cambridge University Press, 2009.

Other useful references

Bosque, Guillermo & Violeta Demonte. 1999. Gramática descriptiva de la lengua española,
Madrid: Espasa Calpe S.A. (a deep descriptive presentation of topics)
Bosque, Guillermo y Javier Gutiérrez-Rexach. 2009. Fundamentos de sintaxis formal. Ediciones
Akal.
Di Tullio, Ángela. 2005. Manual de gramática del español. Buenos Aires: La isla de la luna. (an
excellent introduction to Spanish within generative grammar)
Mackenzie, Ian. 2001. A Linguistic Introduction to Spanish. Muenchen: Lincom Europa.
Zagona, Karen. 2002. The Syntax of Spanish. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. (a textbook
that presents an overview of Spanish syntax, introducing necessary theoretical machinery)

Evaluation:
Online quizzes Weekly 10%
Term Test I Week 7 30%
Term Test II Week 12 25 %
Homework assignments See calendar 20%
Attendance & Tutorial participation Weekly 15%
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Details on the format and specific requirements of the various assessment activities will be
provided in class and/or via the course Quercus site.
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Guidelines and Rules

The following sets out my expectations of student conduct in this course. I will assume that you are
familiar with these expectations and will hold you accountable to them.
Student responsibilities. Attendance, preparedness and participation are expected, as stated in the
calendar. Students are expected to study assigned readings before the corresponding lecture, and to
do the online quizzes, and tutorial activities (tutorial activities will typically take place during the last
hour of class).
Quizzes. There will be weekly timed quizzes in Quercus, related to the topics and chapter of the
upcoming Tuesday class. Quizzes will typically consist of multiple choice, fill in the blanks and
true/false question. Quizzes will be available to students for a window of aprox. 24 hours, until 14:00
on Tuesdays. There will be no make-up for quizzes. The three lowest grades will be dropped (an
average of the best 7 quizzes will be considered for grading). It is the student’s responsibility to log
in to Quercus and do the quiz every week.
Submission of work. Homework must be neat and legible (any illegible parts will be considered
errors), if printed or handwritten, double-sided whenever possible. No late submission will be
accepted, except under extreme circumstances, appropriately communicated.
Assignments. Assignment questions and instructions will be posted on Quercus approximately one
week before they are due. Assignments must be submitted via Quercus before class; e-mail
submissions are not accepted. Homework must be typed; trees or other diagrams may be drawn by
hand provided they are legible. Some assignments may include producing a short video (1-2 minutes)
and uploading it to Quercus. Since we may not discuss all assignments in class, you are welcome to
see me in office hours to discuss them, before they are due and/or after they are handed back.
Re-evaluation of assignments. If you would like to request a reevaluation of an assignment, you
must do so within one week after the work has been returned to you or posted in Quercus. Along with
the original assignment, you must provide a written statement detailing the reasons you believe the
evaluation is incorrect.
Late and missing work. Assignments are to be submitted at the beginning of class on the day they
are due. I reserve the right not to accept late work. If you are unable to hand in an assignment on time,
and can appropriately document a valid reason for the delay, please let me know by e-mail at least
one day before the assignment is due. Tip: Organize your schedule to work on assignments well in
advance of the date they are due. For pair work, find your partner well in advance.
Documentation for late work or a missed test. If, for reasons of illness or injury, you are unable to
submit an assignment on time and wish to request an extension, you must notify me before the
deadline. You may also have to submit an official UofT medical certificate within one week of original
deadline or an absence declaration, as appropriate. Unless appropriate communication and/or
documentation is submitted within one week, you will be assigned a mark of zero for the assignment.
Note also that a medical certificate will not automatically result in an extension or make-up.
Participation component of your mark. Various factors are taken into account in determining your
participation mark. These include attendance, constructive contributions and willingness to
participate in class discussions by sharing views, questions, and data. Active participation in all areas
will not only enhance your participation mark, but will also enhance your learning and your global
performance in the course.
Use of electronic devices in/for class. In person: Please turn off and put away all cell phones and
electronic devices before coming to class, unless you will be taking notes. Other specifications and
requirements will be announced in class.

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UNIVERSITY POLICIES AND SERVICES

Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is essential to the pursuit of learning and scholarship in a university, and to
ensuring that a degree from the University of Toronto is a strong signal of each student’s individual
academic achievement. As a result, the University treats cases of cheating and plagiarism very
seriously. The University of Toronto’s Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters
(www.governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/policies/behaveac.htm) outlines the behaviours that constitute
academic dishonesty and the processes for addressing academic offences. Potential offences include,
but are not limited to:
In papers and assignments:
• Using someone else’s ideas or words without appropriate acknowledgement.
• Submitting your own work in more than one course without the permission of the instructor.
• Making up sources or facts.
• Obtaining or providing unauthorized assistance on any assignment.
On tests and exams:
• Using or possessing unauthorized aids.
• Looking at someone else’s answers during an exam or test.
• Misrepresenting your identity.
In academic work:
• Falsifying institutional documents or grades.
• Falsifying or altering any documentation required by the University, including (but not limited
to) doctor’s notes.
All suspected cases of academic dishonesty will be investigated following procedures outlined in the
Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters. If you have questions or concerns about what constitutes
appropriate academic behaviour or appropriate research and citation methods, you are expected to
seek out additional information on academic integrity from your instructor or from other institutional
resources.
https://www.academicintegrity.utoronto.ca/
https://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/current/academic-advising-and-support/student-academic-integrity

Accessibility
The University provides academic accommodations for students with disabilities in accordance with
the terms of the Ontario Human Rights Code. This occurs through a collaborative process that
acknowledges a collective obligation to develop an accessible learning environment that both meets
the needs of students and preserves the essential academic requirements of the University's courses
and programs. For more information on available services and resources, please visit Accessibility U
of T. If you require accommodation for a disability, please register with accessibility services as soon
as possible so that we can assist you in reaching your academic goals in this course.

Academic support services

Libraries: http:// library.utoronto.ca/
Arts & Science Writing Centres: http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/writing-centres/arts-and-science/
Academic Success Centre: http://www.asc.utoronto.ca/
Counselling and Psychological Services: http://www.caps.utoronto.ca/

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Videos and Recording of lectures

Students may not create audio or video recordings of classes. Students creating unauthorized audio or
video recording of lectures violate an instructor’s intellectual property rights and the Canadian
Copyright Act. Students violating this agreement will be subject to disciplinary actions under the Code
of Student Conduct.
Course videos and materials belong to your instructor, and are protected by copyright. Course videos
may not be reproduced or posted or shared anywhere other than the official course Quercus site and
should only be used by students currently registered in the course. Do not download, copy, or share
any course or student materials or videos without the explicit permission of the instructor. Special
permissions for students with documented accommodation needs can be requested explicitly from
the instructor prior to such use.

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Calendario tentativo
Week Fecha Contenido de la clase Lecturas Tareas
Introducción Cap. 1
1 Jan. 9
Ejercitación Quiz #1
Fonética y fonología I Cap 2: §1-5 Quiz #2
2 Jan. 16
Ejercitación
Fonética y fonología II Cap 2: §6-9 Quiz #3
3 Jan. 23
Ejercitación
Morfología I Cap 3: §1-2 Quiz #4
4 Jan. 30
Ejercitación TP#1 due 1Feb
Cap 3: §3-6 Quiz #5
Morfología II
5 Feb. 6
Ejercitación
Repaso (1 hora)
6 Feb. 13
Parcial I

Feb. 20 Reading week – No classes

Syntax I Cap 4: §1-2 Quiz #6

7 Feb. 27
Ejercitación
Syntax II Cap 4: §3 Quiz #7
8 Mar. 5
Ejercitación
Syntaxis III Notas de clase Quiz #8
9 Mar. 12
Ejercitación
Variación histórica Caps. 5 (§TBA) Quiz #9
10 Mar. 19 TP#2 due
Ejercitación
21Mar
Variación dialectal Caps. 7 (§TBA)
11 Mar. 26
Ejercitación Quiz de práctica

Apr. 2
12 Parcial II
March 11: Last day to drop course without academic penalty.