Linguistics Course Descriptions

This course examines language as a potential site of social statement and, sometimes, social conflict, particularly with respect to questions of “race” and ethnicity. We will explore language-based discrimination, beliefs about language and language variation, and ways language is used to construct and reflect social identities and social group boundaries.

Introduction to theory and methods of linguistics: universal properties of human language; phonetic, phonological, morphological, syntactic, and semantic structures and analysis; nature and form of grammar.

Formal study of the notions of validity, consistency, and equivalence in the languages of sentential logic and predicate logic, plus an introduction to semantics for these languages. PREREQUISITES: Recommended for freshmen and sophomores

Directed study follows a syllabus set primarily by the instructor to meet the needs or interests of an individual student or small group of students. The main goal of directed study is knowledge or skill acquisition, not research or creative work. PREREQUISITES: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.

An overview of techniques used to discover structural patterns and make predictions using complex datasets that are prevalent in today's world. The central machine learning tasks of classification, clustering, and regression will be explored, along with methods for training models and evaluating predictions. This course will be taught in a workshop format. Assignments will involve the use of statistical software. PREREQUISITES: CMSC 150, or CMSC 205, or CMSC 210, or consent of instructor

An introduction to the field of Forensic Linguistics, the application of linguistics to the language of the law. Topics will include the use of language by various participants in the legal process (judges, lawyers, police, witnesses), the plain-language movement, and the linguist as expert witness.

The exploration of how people embody and display their identities as they relate to musical genres. From Doc Martens to zoot suits, body mod to makeup, we will learn about the semiotics of musical genre affiliations, paying attention to how embodied expressions of affiliation intersect with different aspects of identities such as ethnicity, queerness, or race. Class includes discussions, projects, and speakers.

PREREQUISITES: Sophomore Standing

A survey of the Chinese language family, its linguistic structure, dialectal variations, writing system, speech registers, interaction with other languages and the internet world, and its role in reflecting cultural and societal aspects such as social class, familial hierarchy, age and gender, and Confucianism. Taught in English. PREREQUISITES: CHJA 101 or consent of instructor

A survey introducing major characteristics of Japanese language with reference to the structure of Japanese society. Topics include honorifics, use of pronouns, loan words, age and gender differences in the language. The course will also familiarize students with various aspects of traditional and contemporary Japanese culture. PREREQUISITES: Sophomore standing; CHJA 112 recommended

Survey of genetic, regional, and typological classification of East Asian languages; writing systems for Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Tibetan languages; descriptive and comparative analyses of phonological, morphological, and syntactic structures of East Asian languages. More than one language may be investigated in detail. PREREQUISITES: LING 150 and sophomore standing

An introduction to the principles and procedures of historical and comparative linguistics: sound change, genetic classification, reconstruction, language variation, and comparative philology. Emphasis on Indo-European, with particular attention to methodology and the historical development of the discipline itself. PREREQUISITES: LING 150 or consent of instructor

This course presents an introduction to sociolinguistics, a discipline within linguistics concerned with the systematic investigation of language in relation to the social world. Topics include language variation and change, social identity and language use, linguistic diversity, and language ideologies. We will also practice methods for collecting and analyzing sociolinguistic data. PREREQUISITES: LING 150 or ANTH 110

An introduction to the core concepts of linguistic anthropology, definitions of language, basic methods of linguistic anthropology (observation, transcription, analysis, ethnography), power and language, language discrimination, and language ideology theory. Lectures, discussions, and labs. PREREQUISITES: ANTH 110 or LING 150

This course introduces fundamental concepts and research issues in the linguistic study of word meaning. Topics include: representation of word meaning; relation between lexical, truth-conditional and context-dependent meanings; semantic relations; meaning variation; semantic properties of nouns and verbs (e.g. mass-count distinction, verb classes, aspect, semantic roles); interaction between content and function words. PREREQUISITES: LING 150

An introduction to descriptive analysis of morphological and syntactic structures in natural languages with an emphasis on gaining insight into the nature of such structures, rather than on linguistic formalization. Topics include levels of representation, X-bar theory, case theory, thematic roles, the lexicon, grammatical function-changing rules, and head-complement relations. PREREQUISITES: LING 150 or consent of instructor

An introduction to the formal study of phonetics, phonemics, and phonological analysis and theory. Topics include stress, syllable structure, tones, metrics, phonotactics, and links between phonology and morphology/syntax; exercises on familiar and unfamiliar languages. PREREQUISITES: LING 150 or consent of instructor

This course will introduce various issues in the study of second-language acquisition from different perspectives. Topics will include comparisons to first-language acquisition, factors related to second-language acquisition, and learner strategies. PREREQUISITES: LING 150 or consent of instructor

An introduction to the structures of both spoken and written English with an emphasis on analyzing and describing relationships between the form, meaning, and use of specific structures in English. We will compare how speakers and writers of a variety of Englishes, including academic English, construct meaning in context through the grammatical resources of English. PREREQUISITES: LING 150 or consent of instructor

This course explores the history of the Japanese language, including theories of its origin, the importation of the Chinese characters, Kanji, the invention of the Japanese syllabaries, Kana, the development of the writing system, lexical influence of loan words, and the evolution of both written and spoken forms in modern Japanese. The course also investigates two other lanuages in Japan, the Ainu and the Ryukyu languages. PREREQUISITES: Sophomore standing; one year of Japanese recommended

An introduction to the science of speech sounds, focusing on descriptive and experimental studies of articulation and speech acoustics. Laboratory demonstrations of speech production, acoustical analysis, and speech synthesis are combined with lecture/demonstrations to relate phonetics research to theories of phonology and language acquisition. PREREQUISITES: LING 150, PSYC 340, or consent of instructor

In-depth study of grammar, syntax, and composition that builds on concepts learned in the intermediate courses. Problem areas, particularly at the advanced level of the language, are studied systematically. PREREQUISITES: SPAN 202, its equivalent, or consent of the instructor

This course offers an introduction to linguistics based on data from Spanish. We study the sound system of Spanish, the structure of its words, and how its sentences are formed and interpreted. We also consider how Spanish has changed over time and how it differs depending on where it is spoken. Written assignments and exams. PREREQUISITES: SPAN 202, its equivalent, or consent of the instructor

An introduction to morphology, the study of the internal structure of words. Topics include the concept of the morpheme, the structure of words and processes of word formation, inflection versus derivation, and issues in morphological theory. The assignments involve in-depth analyses of data from various languages. PREREQUISITES: LING 150

Available to advanced students of linguistics. PREREQUISITES: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.

Directed study follows a syllabus set primarily by the instructor to meet the needs or interests of an individual student or small group of students. The main goal of directed study is knowledge or skill acquisition, not research or creative work. PREREQUISITES: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.

Available to advanced students of linguistics. PREREQUISITES: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.

An examination of major theories of meaning, reference, and cognitive content and an attempt to understand how language functions to relate “internal” psychological states to things in the “external” world. Contemporary philosophers are emphasized. PREREQUISITES: One course in philosophy, junior standing, or consent of instructor; PHIL 150 recommended

An examination of major and cutting edge topics in the philosophy of language and linguistics. Where do word meanings come from? How can one word mean different things in different contexts? How do we promise or make commitments? Why do slurs hurt and jokes amuse? What is the nature of metaphor? Where does the border between what words mean and what speakers mean with words lie? These and other questions will be considered. Appropriate for students with an interest in philosophy, linguistics, or cognitive science. PREREQUISITES: One course in philosophy, junior standing, or consent of the instructor

A first approach to the study of Spanish in the United States through different lenses, including (but not limited to) the history of Spanish and its speakers in the U.S., a demographic overview of its varieties, sociopolitical factors surrounding its use, linguistic phenomena resulting from contact with English, and educational approaches to learning Spanish as a heritage language. Written assignments and exams. PREREQUISITES: 300-level course in Spanish or consent of instructor

A hands-on introduction to advanced linguistic anthropology and sociolinguistics methods and relevant theories. Will cover transcription, discourse analysis, conversation analysis, and narrative analysis. Classes will be a combination of labs, workshops, and seminars. Prerequisites are non-negotiable. PREREQUISITES: Junior standing, and ANTH 210 or ANTH 330

An examination of the nature and structure of language, integrating knowledge from linguistics, psychology, neurophysiology, and sociology. Focus on the psychological theories and experimental evidence about language production and perception.

Cognitive linguistics is a subfield of linguistics and cognitive science that studies conceptual structure, language, and meaning in relation to general cognitive mechanisms. Topics include cognitive and construction grammars, categorization, construal, image schemas, mental spaces, conceptual metaphors, and conceptual blending. PREREQUISITES: LING 150 or consent of instructor

Semiotics is the study of signs, symbols, and signification in social life. This course will cover semiotic theory, including theorists such as Saussure, Peirce, Jakobson, Lévi-Strauss, Barthes, and Bakhtin, and the application of semiotics to the study of language and social life, conducted through lectures and seminar-style discussions. PREREQUISITES: ANTH 330/LING 330

An examination of a particular topic in linguistic anthropology. The specific topic being investigated will change from year to year. Students are expected to do advance reading and independent research. Course may be repeated when topic is different.

Topics for special study in Hispanic Linguistics. Topics in this series vary from year to year, according to students' and instructor's needs and interests. The course may be repeated with consent of the instructor, if the topic has changed. Readings in English and Spanish, assignments in Spanish/English.

This course serves as an overview of bilingualism and the acquisition of Spanish in contact with other languages. It covers early and late acquisition of bilingual speech, Spanish in contact with other languages, and the sociopolitical dynamics of diglossia across the Spanish-speaking world. The course combines lectures with critical readings of empirical articles, research projects, and class discussions. Readings in English, assignments in Spanish/English. PREREQUISITES: One 300- or 400-level Spanish class, or LING 150 and advanced Spanish ability.

Gesture studies is an interdisciplinary field that examines the use of the hands and other parts of the body in communication and cognition. In this seminar we discuss studies of gesture types, universals, and variations; gesture development; gesture production and perception; relations of gesture to thought and language (spoken and signed); and functions of gesture in human interaction, problem-solving, and learning. PREREQUISITES: One 200-level course in linguistics or psychology, or consent of the instructor

Available to advanced students of linguistics. PREREQUISITES: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.

Directed study follows a syllabus set primarily by the instructor to meet the needs or interests of an individual student or small group of students. The main goal of directed study is knowledge or skill acquisition, not research or creative work. PREREQUISITES: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.

Available to advanced students of linguistics. PREREQUISITES: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.

In this course students gain hands-on experience in conducting and presenting their research in linguistics. Students identify a research question on a topic of interest, critically review relevant literature, engage with linguistic data, and develop a well-conceived research proposal. A focus of the course is classroom discussion of the work in progress (peer-to-peer learning) and student presentations of their projects. PREREQUISITES: Senior standing or consent of the instructor

Available to advanced students of linguistics. PREREQUISITES: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.

Directed study follows a syllabus set primarily by the instructor to meet the needs or interests of an individual student or small group of students. The main goal of directed study is knowledge or skill acquisition, not research or creative work. PREREQUISITES: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.

Available to advanced students of linguistics. PREREQUISITES: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.