
To reduce file size, listings for undergraduate and graduate courses may be viewed
separately. This document contains undergraduate courses only. Graduate
courses are in a separate document. Undergraduate lingustics courses
specifically geared toward non-majors are also listed in a separate document,
in addition to being listed below.
Click on the course name for the course description. Click on home icon
to see the
home page for that course, if there is one. For more information on these courses
(including instructor, course time and course location), see the current
Linguistics course schedule (undergrad).
| LIN306 | Introduction to the Study of Language (Hancock) | |
| LIN306 | Introduction to the Study of Language (TBA) | |
| LIN312 | Bilingualism | |
| LIN312 | Culture and Communication | |
| LIN312 | Language of Cartoons and Comics | |
| LIN312 | History of English Words | |
| LIN312 | Language and the Law | |
| LIN315 | Speech Science | |
| LIN321L | American English | |
| LIN323L | English as a World Language | |
| LIN344K | Phonetics | |
| LIN345 | Language Change and Language Variation | |
| LIN350 | Language and Gender | |
| LIN350 | Language and People | |
| LIN350.1 | Language and the Brain | |
| LIN360K | Introduction to English Grammar (Smith) | |
| LIN360K | Introduction to English Grammar (Underwood) | |
| LIN364M | History of the English Language (Blockley) | |
| LIN364M | History of the English Language (Cable) | |
| LIN372K | Sound Patterns: Sound to Word | |
| LIN373 | Language, Culture and Society in Latin America | |
| LIN373.6 | Structure of German Language | |
| LIN373.7 | Intro to Cognitive Science | |
| LIN379 | Conference Course in Linguistics | |
| LIN379H | Honor Tutorial Course |
This course is an introduction to the scientific study of language - the academic discipline known as linguistics. What does it mean to say that you "know" a language? How is language organized in the brain? What does it mean to a linguist to "analyze" a language? How do languages resemble each other, how are they different? Why and how do languages change? Do dolphins have language? Does language control our view of reality? What role does language play in society and in politics? What is the best way to learn a foreign language? What kind of language should be taught in schools? Is English the World Language? What are the different language families in the world?
In the first half of the course we survey formal linguistic theory: phonetics (speech sounds), phonology (sound patterns), morphology (word formation), syntax (sentence formation), and semantics (meaning). The rest of the course is given over to sociolinguistics (language in society) and historical linguistics (language change and language relationships).
None
There will be four exams given at equal intervals through the semester.
Course packet to be available from Speedway Copies in Dobie Mall.
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This course is an introduction to the scientific study of language - the academic discipline known as linguistics. What does it mean to say that you "know" a language? How is language organized in the brain? What does it mean to a linguist to "analyze" a language? How do languages resemble each other, how are they different? Why and how do languages change? Do dolphins have language? Does language control our view of reality? What role does language play in society and in politics? What is the best way to learn a foreign language? What kind of language should be taught in schools? Is English the World Language? What are the different language families in the world?
The course will deal with sociolinguistics (language in society), historical linguistics (language change and language relationships), and formal linguistics. Basic material covered under formal linguistics includes phonetics (the properties of speech sounds), phonology (the systematic sound patterns of language), morphology (the grammatical structure of words), syntax (the structure of sentences), and semantics/pragmatics (the meaning and use of words and sentences).
See306 Home Page for prerequisites, requirements, and texts.
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What do we know about life with two (or more) languages? Are the similarities across bilingual speech communities? How is language stored in the brains of bilinguals? Does growing up with two languages retard language acquisition, as many people believe? Does it help it along? Why do bilinguals often mix their languages when they speak? Is there any system to this switching, or is it random, as monolinguals often believe? What do we know about educating bilinguals and educating for bilingualism? How do various countries around the world deal with questions of educating bilinguals? What is life like for Deaf individuals who sign one language but write the language of the larger society in which they live? Why do some argue that the American tradition is really more a bilingual one than a monolingual one? In this class, weíll explore all these issues and many more.
None, except a willingness to be challenged about matters of language, language structure, and identity. Monolinguals, bilinguals, and multilinguals will all be welcomed!
Two tests, a final, occasional homework, and a project involving collecting information about bilinguals and bilingual behavior.
Romaine, Suzanne. Bilingualism, 2nd ed. and a packet of readings
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The goals of this course are to introduce students to the study of language use from a sociocultural perspective and to develop skills (through collecting language data) in analyzing the role that language plays in the construction of culture and in the interpretation of human interaction. Topics discussed in lectures and readings include ethnicity, identity, power, status, and gender as these ideas are constructed and negotiated through language.
None
There will be two mid-term exams (no final), and several short written analytical exercises. Exams count 45% of the grade, and other assignments 45%. Class participation counts 10%.
TBA
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By means of examining the human voices of animated cartoons and the representations of speech and sounds in comic books, this course will introduce some of the basic concepts and tools of linguistics. In addition to English language materials, we will use cartoons and comics in several other languages. Among the questions to be explored will be: What is linguistics and how can we use it to learn about ourselves and the world? How is cartoon speech different from ordinary speech and why should it be so? Are there sounds that suggest meaning, like in the words splash or plop? Is onomatopoeia universal? What are some of the challenges of translating sound and speech to writing? How do different kinds of comics take that challenge?
Including: basic phonetics and phonology; speech features in the storytelling customs of selected other cultures; speech analysis of selected cartoon characters; regional/social dialects in cartoon speech; sound changes; language and gender; and sound symbolism (speech sounds that suggest meaning).
Including: survey of conventions for representing speech/dialogue in writing (punctuation etc.); cross-linguistic material (speech balloons in Maya glyphs, etc.); basic Conversation Analysis involving features such as affective characteristics represented in print (italics, UPPER CASE, etc.) and representation of discourse features (pauses, overlap, repair); visual organization of information; sound effects (BAM, PFFFFT, OOF!, etc.), all with particular emphasis on sound symbolism, onomatopoeia, and cross-linguistic data.
None
Course packet of readings and comic pages
Weekly homework, a few quizzes, 2 short tests (2 papers for the Substantial Writing Component section), 10-minute presentation, participation
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This course offers an introduction to the etymological study of the English language, tracing not only the historical emergence of English, but also the histories of other Germanic languages and other Indo-European languages (especially French, Latin, and Greek) back to their Proto Indo-European roots. In addition to language-internal developments, the cultural, economic, political and social contexts that have influenced the history of the English language will also be examined. Basic linguistic tools for analyzing English etymology will be introduced. Specifically, students will learn fundamental concepts of historical linguistics such as sound change and analogical change, internal reconstruction and the comparative method. Morphological, syntactic, and semantic changes will also be discussed.
No knowledge of specific languages other than English is required.
Topics we will consider include the following: Why does English have plurals like feet, children, brethren, foci, phenomena, and verbs like sing-sang-sung, keep-kept-kept? How can eat, tooth, edible, dentist be etymologically related? How about short, skirt, shirt? What are the origins of day-names and month-names like Wednesday and August? Celtic speakers inhabited Britain before English-speaking groups arrived: so why does English have so few Celtic words? Who were the Vikings? What does viking mean, and how did the Vikings' occupation of England influence English? Who were the Normans, and what linguistic impact did the Norman Conquest have on English? How did printing, the Renaissance, and the Reformation shape English? Why is English spelling so chaotic?
None
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Have you ever wondered why lawyers and judges talk the way they do? Now you can
learn what they're trying to say, what they're really saying, and how to use both
of these to your advantage.
This course looks at the role natural language plays in a variety of legal contexts.
We will start with the nature of legal language, or legalese, and its purposeful
exclusivity. Then, we will examine legalese using linguistic tools to see what it's
supposed to mean, what it does mean, how to interpret it, and what we can do about
it.
We will do this by looking at the syntax (sentence structure), semantics (word meaning),
and pragmatics (situational context) of both written language, such as contracts
and statutes, as well as the oral language of interrogation, direct- and cross- examination,
jury instruction, and judicial decisions. This will help you understand legalese,
and may also help you to communicate more clearly.
We will also consider the reciprocal effect that the law and socio-linguistics have
on each other. This includes how child language and minority- language are treated
in the judicial process, and the effect of legal language on how justice is implemented
for children and minorities, in both written and oral contexts.
Linguistics skills, along with some understanding of the theory behind how language
is structured, can better arm anyone who deals in communicating with people.
None
Readings, homeworks, short written papers (1-2 pp.), presentation, final paper, participation
Course packet
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Speech Science is the field of study exploring the neuromuscular, aerodynamic, and acoustic bases for speech production and speech perception. Topics discussed include: anatomy and physiology of speech production, acoustic characteristics of the speech signal, and perception of speech.
Exams will be objective (Bring a #2 pencil). Optional review sessions will be held before each exam. No make-up exams will be given. Grades will be computed on the basis of the four exams and the lab participation grade. All University procedures for scholastic dishonesty will be enforced.
None
TBA
TBA
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In this class we will examine the development of American English from colonial times through the present. Topics we will cover include: the influence of Native American languages; American post-colonial nationalism and attitudes toward British English; the origins and diffusion of regional dialects; language use in Texas and the south as regional dialect areas. We will also look at modern and modern social and ethnic dialects, including African-American Vernacular English, and at the emergence of new varieties of American ways of speaking and writing in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries in the wake part of emerging computer technology and networked communication.
None
Three four-to-five page papers with required drafts (32% each). Conference on first paper (4%).
None. Readings packet: Available at Jenn's.
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This course begins with a general discussion of the nature and use of English; the origin and spread of language, and the development of modern linguistics. Discussion of English in terms of where it is now spoken, and by how many people, and how useful it has become. The spread of the Indo-European peoples is examined, and the westward migration of the Celts, Italic speakers and Germanic people, and the earliest Indo-European settlement of the British Isles. The history of later settlements is dealt with (Romans, Scandinavians, Normans) from a historical point of view, paying attention to the social situation, then the same time-period is covered again from the linguistic perspective. A brief sketch of the main lexical and grammatical characteristics of Old English is given, and the factors leading to the emergence of Middle and Early Modern English. The reason for the Renaissance, and its impact upon trade and exploration are discussed, and the social nature of the first contacts overseas. The social background of the first English speakers to carry the language out of American, South African, Australian and New Zealand English dialects are examined, newer hypothesis discussed, and the lexical, grammatical and phonological characteristics of each presented, together with many handouts and tape-recorded passages. Some time is given to the divergence from, and later convergence towards, a World Standard. Non-Native English (in India, Malaysia and Hong Kong) is also looked at briefly, and the modern descendants of the other stream of overseas English, viz., Afro-English, which has representatives in the Atlantic and Pacific areas.
Completion of at least 30 hours of coursework, including E 316K or the equivalent.
TBA
TBA
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This is an introduction to the study of speech sounds in human languages, including the following topics.
Students will explore their own speech, both through careful listening and through acoustic analysis by computer.
LIN 306 (or permission of the instructor)
TBA
Ladefoged, A Course in Phonetics (4th edition)
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An introduction to the phenomenon of language change, to the linguistic and social phenomena which influence it, and to the principles which linguists have developed to account for it. These principles have led to methods, to be examined in the second half of the class, for reconstructing the vocabularies and grammars of the prehistoric parent languages of languages which exist today, or which have been preserved in writing.
LIN 344K
Classes will be a mix of lectures, discussion, and problem solving using data from a wide range of languages. Grade is based on homework assignments (50%), two in-class examinations (40%), and class participation (10%).
Campbell, Lyle. Historical Linguistics - An Introduction
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The primary goal of this course is to engage students in a critical examination of the interaction between language and gender. It will introduce general theories and approaches to the study of language and gender. Students will be introduced to a broad range of interdisciplinary literature on language and gender, and language and sexuality. It will also provide students with opportunities to apply these theories in exploring linguistic data in the context of the United States or languages and communities of their interests.
LIN 306 (or permission of the instructor)
TBA
Coates, Jennifer (ed.). 1998. Language and gender: A reader. Oxford: Blackwell.
Hall, Kira, and Mary Bucholtz (eds.). 1995. Gender articulated: Language and the
socially constructed self. New York: Routledge.
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LIN 350 "Language and People" is a topics course on those aspects of sociolinguistics and historical linguistics which enjoy the greatest interest among students of language and linguistics. Some of the topics covered in Spring, 2002, will be: gender and language; the origins of language and writing systems; the origins of proper names; political conflicts in which language is a proximate cause (Quebec, Belgium, India, countries formerly part of the Soviet Empire); how languages differ from each other; the Nostratic Theory; accent and social stratification; animal communication; nonverbal communication; language in diaspora; language, ethnicity, and nationalism. Course content is adjusted according to the interests of the students. The course will consist of lectures and class discussions.
None
The grade in the course will be based on attendance, short tests, and a few short reports.
Course Supplement (Speedway Copying)
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This course is designed to provide up-to-date information and theory regarding language representation in the brain. No prior background is assumed as a complete grounding in human neuroanatomy and neurophysiology is provided. Topics to be discussed include: (1) localizationist vs. holistic arguments for language representation in the brain; (2) brain scanning (PET, FMRI) studies; (3) the neuropathology of speech-language disturbance following brain injury, i.e., aphasia, dysarthria; (4) left-right hemispheric specializations.
The format is informal lecture-style with class participation encouraged. Note packet available and essential.
None
Grading is based on four exams. No term paper.
None
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Supervised research experience. Offered on pass/fail basis only, may be repeated for credit. Consent of instructor must be obtained.
LIN 306 with grade of at least C
TBA
TBA
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Have you ever wondered how your language works? Whether there's any logic to the way words are put together into sentences? How and why people speak differently? This course will introduce you to the some of the mysteries of English, especially syntax and morphology. Morphology is the study of word formation; syntax deals with how words group together to form phrases and sentences. We will use the general framework of generative grammar developed by Noam Chomsky.
We will learn the basic principles of structure and techniques of syntactic analysis as well as the facts. We will also discuss the differences between dialects of English: what makes a dialect different, whether some dialects are better than others, what people think they should say and what they actually do say.
None
Homework assignments, class participation; midterm and final examinations.
Morenberg, Max. Doing Grammar, Oxford University Press.
Berk, Lynn. English Syntax, Oxford University Press.
Handbook about word structure.
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The title of this course can create confusion since grammar has at least six commonly-understood meanings in contemporary American English. This section of E/LIN 360K assumes that grammar means the characteristic system of inflections and syntax of the language as dictated by a system of constitutive rules. Constitutive rules are radically different from regulative rules. Constitutive rules of grammar define the inherent nature of the language; regulative rules, on the other hand, are imposed upon the language to dictate what is to be preferred and avoided in the manipulation of that language. This orientation of this section of 360K is descriptive, not prescriptive. The purpose of this section of 360K is to teach students to analyze the structure of sentences and to become more sophisticated in their understanding of language variation. It does not presume to teach them skills in the use of English. This section also assumes a fundamental distinction between the grammar of English and the mechanics of the writing system of English. The course does not include any attention to mechanics (spelling, punctuation, and capitalization). If one assumes that E/LIN 360K is a "refresher" course in the kind of grammar typically taught in American primary and secondary schools, then one egregiously misunderstands the nature and function of this class.
The course begins with a brief, but critical, review of the traditional, Latinate description of English grammar to establish its numerous inadequacies. The course progresses with the development of a phrase structure analysis of English syntax. Students learn tests for constituents and for relationships between constituents that are objectively verifiable, and they learn principles of categorization for lexical and phrasal constituents. They use these tests and principles to analyze sentences and justify their analyses.
The course assumes a familiarity with traditional, Latinate grammar of English, which is commonly taught in primary and secondary schools in this country. Students who have forgotten what they were taught about grammar may want to review on their own. Those students who claim that they were never taught grammar or those who insist that they do not remember any grammar that they were taught will not be disadvantaged. However, they may not appreciate the significance of the approach of this course as much as those who were taught ìtraditional grammarî bad remember the experience.
TBA
20%: Approximately twelve syntax exercises
25%: A syntax analysis project
50%: Three syntax tests
05%: Class performance
One course packet available from Speedway Printing in Dobie Mall
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This course aims to present the historical development of English by striking a balance between the internal history - sounds, inflections, syntax , and lexicon - and the external history - the graphic forms and the social forces that have characterized the course of that development at different periods. The main topics include an elementary survey of English phonetics and the Indo-European language families, followed by several weeks each surveying Old English (500-1100), Middle English (1100-1500), Early Modern English (1500-1800), and Present -Day English in America and throughout the world.
TBA
There will be regular homework exercises from the workbook and from handouts on vocabulary, phonological change, etc., due at the beginning of the class period.
C. M. Millward, A Biography of the English Language (Harcourt,
2nd ed.)
C. M. Millward, Workbook to accompany Biography of the English Language, 2nd ed.
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This course aims to present the historical development of English by striking a balance between the internal historyósounds, inflections, vocabularyóand the external historyóthe political, social, and intellectual forces that have determined the course of that development at different periods. The main topics (which will be covered fully in class lecture-discussion) include the Indo-European Family of Languages, Old English, The Norman Conquest and the Subjection of English (1066-1200), The Re-establishment of English (1200-1500), The Renaissance (1500-1650), The Appeal to Authority (1650-1800), The Nineteenth Century and after, and the English Language in America.
TBA
TBA
TBA
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This course is an undergraduate level introduction to phonological patterns found in the world's languages. Phonology is the study of how sounds behave (inventories of sounds, how they are distributed, and how they influence one another) in spoken human languages. Emphasis will be placed on problem solving. Students will learn how to identify phonological patterns in data, to describe these patterns in theory-neutral terms, and how to analyze them. Other important skills to be developed are fundamental to the construction of solid arguments: learning to identify proper evidence for a particular analysis, constructing an argument for a particular analysis (point of view) based on the evidence, identifying advantages and disadvantages of an analysis, and comparing a proposed analysis with potential alternatives. This class is a core program requirement for linguistics majors and is therefore quite specialized. However, the pattern-identification and argument building skills we focus on are broadly general and valuable beyond their specialized application in linguistic studies.
LIN 344K
No text; there will be a reading packet and texts put on reserve.
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This course provides a sociolinguistic and linguistic anthropological introduction to Latin America. Geographically, the range will be from Tierra del Fuego to Chicago, thus seeing Latin America as ranging, sociolinguistically at least, from North to South America. Attention will be paid to indigenous languages and cultures as well as Spanish, Portuguese, and other immigrant languages in Latin America. Topics to be studied include language histories and classifications, languages in contact (bilingualism, code switching, etc.), linguistic variation of various kinds, language in relation to identity, class, ethnicity, and gender, forms of discourse, language and music, language and education, and speech play and verbal art.
In addition to class lectures and discussion, audio and video tape materials will be used.
None
2 mid term exams: 45%
2 short projects/papers: 45%
class participation: 10%
There is no textbook for the class. There will be a course packet.
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This course will provide upper-division students possessing a basic knowledge of and interest in German with a thorough overview of the structure of the language from a theoretical linguistic point of view. The focus will not be limited to the standard language, but will include data from non-standard varieties as well. The implicit approach will be contrastive, viewing the German data against the background of English. Previous coursework in linguistics is helpful, but not required. The course will be taught in English and is divided into the following general parts:
Course goals: By the end of this course, you should be able to do the following:
You must have completed fourth semester German (310, 312L) or have gotten credit for fourth semester German through placement exams or transfer credit.
TBA
Johnson, Sally (1998): Exploring the German Language. New York: Arnold.
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Each of us is equipped with a three-pound information-processing machine between our ears that is allows us to interact with our current environment, remember past events and speculate and plan for future events. This piece of machinery, called the brain, is capable of accomplishing a plethora of computations from visually recognizing friends and family to developing complex mathematical theorems. But how does the mind/brain do this? The field of cognitive science is deeply interested in this issue from both a mechanical (neural) and processing (computational) perspective.
This course will introduce students to some of the latest theories and research in the area of cognitive science. Topics in the course range from "Form perception and object recognition" to "Reasoning and decision making.
Psychology 301 with a grade of C or better, Psychology 418 or an equivalent statistics course with a grade of C or better, and upper division standing.
Exams: Exams will consist of essay, short-answer and multiple-choice questions.
Mid-Term Exam: 25%
Final: 25%
Total: 50%
Papers: There will be two substantial papers written for the course (7-9 pages each). Students will be able to choose the paper topic from a list of suggested topics or develop their own topic. A proposal for each paper is required. The proposal will provide the basic premise of the paper along with a selection of references that might be used in the final version of the paper. Papers will be graded on the clarity (grammar and writing skills) and content.
Proposal Midterm Paper (2 pages): 5%
Midterm Paper (7-9 pages):15%
Proposal Final Paper (2 pages): 5%
Final Paper (7-9 pages): 25%
Total: 50%
An Invitation to Cognitive Science - 2nd Edition: Vol.
1 Lila R. Gleitman and Mark Liberman (Eds.)
An Invitation to Cognitive Science - 2nd Edition: Vol. 2 Stephen M. Kosslyn
and Daniel N. Osherson (Eds.)
An Invitation to Cognitive Science - 2nd Edition - Vol. 3 Edward E. Smith
and Daniel N. Osherson
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Individual instruction. Prerequisites: Six hours of upper-division Linguistics. Consent of instructor must be obtained. Requirements: You must have the prior written consent of the instructor before you register for or add this course. Undergraduate conference course agreement forms are available in Calhoun 503.
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Individual instruction. Prerequisites: Admission to the Linguistics Honors Program. Consent of instructor must be obtained. Requirements: You must have the prior written consent of the instructor before you register for or add this course. Undergraduate conference course agreement forms are available in Calhoun 503.
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