Designed to familiarize students with some of the essential concepts of linguistic analysis. Suitable problem sets in English and in other languages will provide opportunities to study the basic systems of language organization-phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics. Additional topics include introductions to language organization in the brain, child language acquisition, language change, and language in society.

Units: 1

Max Enrollment: 25

Prerequisites: None

Instructor: S. Fisher, Y. Kim

Distribution Requirements: EC - Epistemology and Cognition

Typical Periods Offered: Spring; Fall

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Spring; Fall

Notes:

This seminar explores linguistic tapestry of East Asia, focusing on the distinct features, structures, and variations that characterize Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. Through lively discussions and hands-on projects, we will examine the unique linguistic and cultural heritages of these languages. From their intricate writing systems and complex grammar to the diverse range of sociolinguistic patterns and dialects, we will uncover the layers that make each language unique. Central to our exploration will be the role of Confucian ideology, the vibrant influence of pop culture, and the transformative impact of AI technology on communication. Through this exploration, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of how language profoundly influences and mirrors the rich diversity of life and thought in East Asia.

Units: 1

Max Enrollment: 15

Crosslisted Courses: LING 123Y

Prerequisites: None. Open to First-Years only.

Instructor: Sun-Hee Lee

Distribution Requirements: SBA - Social and Behavioral Analysis

Typical Periods Offered: Every other year

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Spring

Notes: Mandatory Credit/Non Credit

The application of linguistics to the analysis of sociocultural variation in language. We will examine the way information about age, gender, social class, region, and ethnicity is conveyed by variations in the structural and semantic organization of language. We will also examine language attitude and language planning in multilingual societies.

Units: 1

Max Enrollment: 18

Prerequisites: LING 114 or CLSC 216/PSYC 216, or permission of the instructor.

Instructor: S. Fisher

Distribution Requirements: SBA - Social and Behavioral Analysis

Typical Periods Offered: Fall

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Fall

Notes:

What are all the possible linguistically relevant sounds of the human vocal tract? How does each language organize a subset of those sounds into a coherent system? Examination of the sounds of language from the perspective of phonetics and of phonology. Each student will choose a foreign language for intensive study of its phonetic, phonologic, and prosodic characteristics. Includes extensive use of speech analysis and phonetics software.

Units: 1

Max Enrollment: 15

Prerequisites: LING 114 or CLSC 216/PSYC 216, or permission of the instructor.

Instructor: Carpenter

Distribution Requirements: EC - Epistemology and Cognition

Typical Periods Offered: Spring

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Spring

Notes:

This course will consider some basic questions about language: What do we actually know when we know a language? How is the structure of language best described? Are there properties which all languages share, and what do those properties tell us about language itself? We will look at specific problems in morphology, syntax, and semantics, and the strengths and weaknesses of different linguistic theories will be considered. While many of the problems considered in this class will involve English, we will also be looking at other languages, both European and non-European.

Units: 1

Max Enrollment: 25

Prerequisites: LING 114.

Instructor: S. Fisher

Distribution Requirements: EC - Epistemology and Cognition

Typical Periods Offered: Fall and Spring

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Spring

Notes:

Advances in computer technology have revolutionized the ways linguists can approach their data. By accessing large digital bodies of text (corpora) and searching for phenomena of interest, we can uncover complexities in naturally-occurring data and explore broader issues utilizing linguistic patterns and frequency information.  This course presents a practical introduction to corpus linguistics, an extremely versatile methodology of language analysis using computers.

Some of the fundamental questions to explore include; what is a corpus, and what corpora exist? How are corpora constructed and linguistic annotation added? What tools are available for search, annotation, and analysis?  Students will also learn how corpora are used in diverse areas such as sociolinguistics, discourse analysis, child language acquisition, and language change as well as language learning and teaching and develop their own research ideas. Students who register for KOR 246 will be expected to do their coursework using Korean language texts. 

Units: 1

Max Enrollment: 25

Crosslisted Courses: KOR 246

Prerequisites: LING 114 or permission of the instructor.

Instructor: Sun-Hee Lee

Distribution Requirements: SBA - Social and Behavioral Analysis

Typical Periods Offered: Every other year; Spring

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Not Offered

Notes:

An examination of all forms of language change, including sound change, analogical change, semantic and lexical change, and syntactic change. Students will learn and apply the techniques of the comparative method in order to reconstruct earlier stages of various languages and to understand how linguists determine the genetic relationships among languages. Several theories of linguistic change will be explored. Students will also be introduced to the history of the discipline of linguistics, which largely began with the development of the techniques for historical reconstruction.

Units: 1

Max Enrollment: 20

Prerequisites: LING 114 or permission of the instructor.

Instructor: Carpenter

Distribution Requirements: EC - Epistemology and Cognition

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Not Offered

Notes:

This course provides a sociolinguistic overview of Spanish in the US by examining concepts such as language ideologies, language identity, language attitudes, language maintenance and shift, the politics of language, language contact, bilingualism, the relationship of language to Latinx identities, and how language ideologies and policies reflect and shape societal views of Spanish and its speakers, race, identity, and education. This course will provide a descriptive, historical and linguistic overview of the different Spanish-English bilingual communities in the US. For instance, we will examine the use and representation of Spanish and misconceptions about Spanish varieties and Latinx communities in a wide array of contexts, including everyday speech, contemporary culture, media and the portrayal in the media, education, and policy. Reading selections will be in Spanish (for the most part) and English. Homework, projects, exams and class discussions will be strictly in Spanish.

Units: 1

Max Enrollment: 14

Crosslisted Courses: LING 270

Prerequisites: Open to students who have completed SPAN 241 or SPAN 242 or equivalent (AP 5) or by permission of the instructor.

Instructor: Bassa Vanrell

Distribution Requirements: LL - Language and Literature; SBA - Social and Behavioral Analysis

Typical Periods Offered: Every other year

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Spring

Notes:

Exploration of the relationship of language to mind and culture through the study of bilingualism. The bilingual individual will be the focus for questions concerning language and mind: The detection of "foreign" accent, the relationship of words to concepts, the organization of the mental lexicon, language specialization of the brain, and the effects of early bilingualism on cognitive functioning. The bilingual nation will be the focus for questions dealing with language and culture: societal conventions governing use of one language over another, effects of extended bilingualism on language development and change, and political and educational impact of a government's establishing official bilingualism.

Units: 1

Max Enrollment: 15

Prerequisites: Open to juniors and seniors who have taken a related 200-level course in linguistics, psychology, anthropology, philosophy, or permission of the instructor.

Instructor: A. Carpenter

Distribution Requirements: EC - Epistemology and Cognition; SBA - Social and Behavioral Analysis

Typical Periods Offered: Spring

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Spring

Notes:

Over the centuries, invented, or artificial, languages have been devised for many reasons, including a desire to improve existing languages, an effort to unite the world, or a need to explore how languages are learned. The vast majority have failed, but why? Is there a place for invented language? What do invented languages teach us about natural language? We will look at invented languages from a variety of points of view: linguistic, historical, philosophical, psychological, and sociological. We will explore the linguistic underpinnings of various languages, from seventeenth century Real Character to Na'vi, with a look at a successful "reinvented" language, Modern Hebrew. Students will design their own miniature artificial language.

Units: 1

Max Enrollment: 15

Prerequisites: Open to juniors and seniors who have taken LING 114 or CLSC/PSYC 216 and a related 200-level course in linguistics, psychology, anthropology, or philosophy, or permission of the instructor.

Instructor: Y. Kim

Distribution Requirements: SBA - Social and Behavioral Analysis; EC - Epistemology and Cognition

Typical Periods Offered: Fall

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Fall

Notes: Ann E. Maurer '51 Speaking Intensive Course.

For thousands of years, humans communicated via the ephemeral spoken word, and then writing was invented. How has the advent of writing affected us, both as individuals and members of cultural groups? To answer this question, we will explore the cognitive, linguistic, and cultural implications of spoken and written forms of communication. We start with an overview of the field of orality and literacy studies, followed by an examination of theories of the origin of human language and the history of the development of writing. We then move to an analysis of how the brain processes the spoken and written word and how these modes of communication affect memory and reasoning. From a cultural perspective, we examine the ways in which certain ancient and current societies differ as a function of their use of oral versus written forms of communication.

Units: 1

Max Enrollment: 20

Prerequisites:

Instructor:

Distribution Requirements: EC - Epistemology and Cognition; SBA - Social and Behavioral Analysis

Notes:

This course will examine the history, linguistic structure, and sociocultural patterns of use of English as spoken by African Americans in the United States. We will focus on the phonology and morphosyntax that is considered unique to AAE, and discuss lexical and discursive features as well. We will cover the major debates that continue to rage within AAE scholarship, including the debates surrounding its origins and its use in education. Additional topics include AAE and hip hop, appropriation, and crossing.

Units: 1

Max Enrollment: 15

Crosslisted Courses: AFR 338

Prerequisites: Either LING 114 or CLSC 216/PSYC 216 and related coursework at the 200 level or permission of the instructor.

Instructor: S. Fisher

Distribution Requirements: EC - Epistemology and Cognition; SBA - Social and Behavioral Analysis

Typical Periods Offered: Spring

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Spring

Notes:

Units: 1

Max Enrollment: 25

Prerequisites: Permission of the instructor. Open to juniors and seniors.

Typical Periods Offered: Spring; Fall

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Spring; Fall