The Modular Architecture of Grammar by Jerrold M. Sadock

Let me use this post to announce Professor Jerrold M. Sadock's new book The Modular Architecture of Grammar (Cambridge Studies in Linguistics No.132). It is the latest version of Automodular Grammar (aka Autolexical Syntax), which he has been developing since early 1980s. To place an order, click here (Cambridge University Press) and/or here (Amazon.com).

What follows is just a digression. At the University of Chicago, I was privileged to work closely with Professor Sadock and became a linguist under his tutelage. In retrospect, it was a truly wonderful experience to be able to see him trying to lead a conflict of ideas to creativity. I am confident that by reading this work, everyone can achieve deep insights into the design of natural language even if s/he has differences in his/her theoretical persuasion. If you are a student of linguistics, I would particularly like you to learn how a first-ranked linguist thinks things in comparison with other grammatical frameworks.

"In this original and creative work, Sadock addresses one of the most fundamental issues in theoretical linguistics, the relationship among the different modules of grammar. He challenges established generative theory by introducing an elegant and well motivated non-derivational model of linguistic organization."
     Jan Terje Faarlund, University of Oslo

"Simply and clearly, Jerrold Sadock presents a new formulation of his idea that grammar is specified by a handful of completely autonomous, parallel modules, demonstrating it with stimulating accounts of major features of English."

     Anthony C. Woodbury, University of Texas at Austin

Lives in Linguistics

I did not know until a few days ago that video-tapled conversations in "Lives in Linguistics" (an interview series by Professors John R. "Haj" Ross and John A. Goldsmith) were downloadable through iTunes U. The first speaker (interviewee) is Professor Lila Gleitman with University of Pennsylvania (a Past President of LSA). What she says there (e.g., how she got involved in linguistics, her first linguistics teacher Zellig Harris, the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis) is so interesting that approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes will pass in a moment. I especially enjoyed this video, for I played a tour guide when she visited Tokyo in 1999 and knew her in person.

To launch iTunes U, please click here. (An audio file is also available)

P.S. (as of December in 2011) Thanks to Haj and John, interviews with the following linguists are viewable also:

[1. Lila Gleitman] 2. Catherine V. Chvany, 3. Jerry Sadock, 4. John Goldsmith, Haj Ross, & Francois Dell, 5. Theo Vennemann.

James D. McCawley talks about the Hangul writing system (thanks to Professors Mark Turner & Haj Ross)