/College of Arts and Sciences
Department of Linguistics

Undergraduate Courses Schedule (Fall 2024)

[This course has recitations. Check SOLAR for recitation schedule.]

An introduction to the fundamental areas and concepts of modern linguistics. Sounds and their structure, word structure, and sentence structure are discussed. Other topics may include historical linguistics (how languages change over time), dialects, writing systems, language and the brain, and psycholinguistics (especially the question of how children acquire a language).

An introduction to the analysis of complex words in English, especially those based on Latin and Greek models that comprise the majority of the vocabulary in the written language. Students will be introduced to Latin and Greek roots and the processes by which complex words are built by affixing material to these roots and modifying their structure. Students will acquire general analytical tools that will allow them to understand complex words that they may not have previously encountered. The course will introduce students to principles of linguistic morphology that extend beyond English to all human languages.

[This course has recitations. Check SOLAR for recitation schedule.]

An introduction to how computers process language and solve language-related tasks. This course discusses the language technologies of our daily life --- spam filtering, machine translation, and many more --- and shows how they work under the hood. The course explores a variety of issues: Why do computers do well in some areas (spell checking) yet fail miserably in others (essay grading)? Will we ever have perfectly fluent AIs as depicted in science fiction? And how will these technological advances impact the role of language in our society? Students will also acquire basic programming skills and write scripts for simple language tasks. No previous training in mathematics or computer science required.

Survey of the languages and language-related issues in the United States. Topics include Native American languages; immigrant languages; dialectal variations (e.g., Black English); the domains in which these languages were and are used; maintenance and loss of minority languages; language contact and its effects; the use of Spanish; language attitudes and politics is including bilingual education; and official language movements. Particular attention is paid to the evolution of American English from colonial times to its present world-wide status; the use and impact of Spanish; language attitudes and politics including bilingual education; and official language movements.

[This course has recitations. Check SOLAR for recitation schedule.]

Introduction to the sounds used in human language. Topics include articulatory phonetics, phonetic transcription, the sound structure of English, sounds and sound patterns in languages of the world, the acoustic properties of sounds, speech perception, and speech technology. Includes work in the phonetics laboratory on computer analysis of speech.

Prerequisite: C or better in LIN 101

An introduction to the study of the human mind, starting with modern scientific investigations of language, and then its relationship with other systems such as music perception, visual narrative, numerical cognition as well as comparison to animal cognition. What is innate and what does "innateness" mean? Do the brain mechanisms subserving language also support musical and numerical cognition? How is language related to thought and to action? Students will be exposed to research across several disciplines (linguistics, psychology, and cognitive neuroscience) and will acquire a basic understanding of modern experimental tools for investigating the human mind.

[This course has recitations. Check SOLAR for recitation schedule.]

An introduction to the sound systems of languages focusing on the mental representation of sound structure: how speakers use knowledge of their language to assign meaning to different combinations of sounds. We will examine data from a number of languages to explore the differences and similarities among the sound patterns of different languages, and will consider the question of whether there are universal preferences for specific types of sounds and sound sequences.

Prerequisite: C or better in LIN 201

An examination of the interaction between language and society, focusing on diversity in American English as it relates to differences in gender, geography, social class, ethnicity, and national origin. Study of the development of dialects including African-American Vernacular English, and pidgins and creoles such as Hawiian Pidgin English and Chinook Trade Jargon, within the context of historical developments in the U.S. from colonial times to the present.

[This course has recitations. Check SOLAR for recitation schedule.]

An introduction to generative grammar: the formal theory of sentence structure.

Prerequisite: C or better in LIN 101

This course is a systematic survey of English grammar: its major structures, their interaction, and their use. It will also briefly examine some related areas connected to writing like punctuation and spelling.

Prerequisite: C or better in LIN 101

The application of linguistic theory to the ways in which sound systems, word structure, and sentence structure change. Students learn how linguists establish that certain languages are related, and how they reconstruct prehistoric parent languages.

An introduction to the theories of literacy and their application in education. Students acquire knowledge about the complex nature of academic literacy; how literacy skills can be taught and assessed across all disciplines, and how literacy and language skills develop among diverse learners, including students with special needs and English Language Learners. Attention is given to the integration of technology into the development of literacy skills. Not for major credit.

Prerequisite: Admission to a teacher education program

[This course has recitations. Check SOLAR for recitation schedule.]

An exploration of semantics, the study of linguistic meaning. The course examines fundamental issues including the nature of meaning, its relation to word and sentence form (morphology and syntax), its relation to systems of mental representation (cognition), and the interaction between meaning and use (pragmatics). Recent research into the way that linguistic meaning is acquired and how it is deployed in speech and understanding is discussed.

Study of the languages of a selected country or region outside of Europe in relation to its society, culture, history, and politics. Topics include language family, social varieties, status and attitudes, language policies, and cultural patterns reflected in language use. May be repeated as the topic changes. LIN 355 and/or LIN 356 may be taken a total of two times for the major.

Advisory Prerequisite: LIN 101

An overview of the mathematical foundations of theoretical and computational linguistics. Topics covered include set theory, morphisms, logic and model theory, algebra, lattices, lambda calculus, probability theory, information theory, and basics of formal language theory. A strong emphasis is put on the linguistic application of the mathematical concepts in the study and analysis of natural language data.

Prerequisite: C or better in LIN 101, or LIN 335 (formerly LIN 220), or MAT 200, or MAT 250; or permission of instructor

Introduction to language and literacy instruction, instructional approaches, and assessment models for the teaching of speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Students design standard-based lessons and evaluate resources and technologies.

Prerequisite: Declared major in Linguistics; C or higher in LIN 101; C or higher in LIN 201; C or higher in LIN 311; G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher; for non-native speakers of English, a TOEFL-iBT Speaking Component score of 28

Corequisite: LIN 449

Overview of developmental and acquired communication disorders across the lifespan, including language delay, developmental apraxia of speech, phonological disorders, stuttering, acquired aphasia, craniofacial anomalies, and voice disorders.

Prerequisite: C or better in LIN 101 and LIN 201

Majors in linguistics refine their skills in writing for the discipline by critiquing successive revisions of previously written work. Formerly offered as LIN 300. Not for credit in addition to LIN 300.

Prerequisites: permission of department; major in linguistics; U3 or U4 standing

Coming soon...

[This course has recitations. Check SOLAR for recitation schedule.]

An investigation of the phonology and syntax of either a language or a family of languages. May be repeated if a different language is covered.

Prerequisite: C or better in LIN 301 and LIN 311

Examination of effective practices, assessments, and technologies for developing language and literacy across content areas in multi-level classrooms. Collaboration with colleagues, parents, and communities is explored.

Prerequisite: C or higher in LIN 378; permission of department