The Primer

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║   Course:      Distant Linguistics 101
║   Code:        DISLIN101
║   Credits:     2
║   Enrollment:  Limited to 18 students
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║   Instructor:  Visiting Scholar Oliver Shade
║   Office:      The Quiet Room, Third Door Past the Fountain
║   Hours:       By appointment (leave a note under a stone)
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║   COURSE DESCRIPTION                                                         ║
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An introduction to the fundamental principles of distant linguistics.

This introductory course provides students with foundational knowledge in the theory and practice of distant linguistics. Through a combination of readings, discussions, field observations, and hands-on exercises, students will develop both technical competence and the contemplative awareness essential to this discipline.

No prior experience required, though a natural inclination toward wonder is helpful. This course is suitable for absolute beginners as well as those seeking to formalize intuitive knowledge.

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║   PREREQUISITES                                                              ║
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Beginning Attentiveness (or equivalent life experience)
The ability to sit quietly for extended periods
A notebook and writing implement of your choice

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║   COURSE SCHEDULE                                                            ║
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Week	Topic
1	Introduction: Why distant linguistics matters
2	Historical foundations and key figures
3	Tools: The distant practitioner's kit
4	Future directions and ongoing research
5	Basic techniques and practices
6	Field work: Finding distant phenomena in the wild
7	Final project: your first contribution
8	Future directions and ongoing research
9	Field work and practical application
10	Common pitfalls and how to avoid them
11	Final project: Your first distant study

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║   REQUIRED TEXTS                                                             ║
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The Beginner's Handbook to Distant Linguistics - Henry Mist (1892)
The Beginner's Handbook to Distant Linguistics - Marion Bell (1922)
Contemporary Approaches to Distant Linguistics - Philip Root (2021)

Additional readings will be distributed as handwritten notes left in places you're likely to find them.

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║   GRADING                                                                    ║
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Attendance & Participation	20%
Field Journal	25%
Midterm Observation Report	20%
Final Project	30%
Acts of Unexpected Noticing	5%

Note: Grades are awarded in traditional letter format, though we prefer to think of them as "directions for continued growth."

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║   COURSE POLICIES                                                            ║
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Lateness: Acceptable if caused by stopping to observe something relevant to the course material.
Absences: Please notify the instructor by leaving a small sketch of a cloud in their mailbox.
Technology: Devices are permitted but please silence any notifications that might startle the phenomena we study.
Questions: Encouraged. The asking is often more valuable than the answering.

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║   A NOTE FROM THE INSTRUCTOR                                                 ║
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"Welcome to Distant Linguistics 101. You have already taken the first step simply by arriving here. What we will study cannot be rushed; it reveals itself in its own time to those who wait patiently and look carefully. I look forward to learning alongside you."
— Visiting Scholar Oliver Shade

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║   ❧                                                                          ║
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"I am still learning. - Michelangelo, aged 87"

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