Courses:
UNDERGRADUATE COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
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LING-110 Lexicology: The Study of Words, 3 cr. Introduction to the study of words, with particular attention to English from an historical, structural, and sociolinguistic perspective.
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LING-120 Language and Human Behavior, 3 cr. Introduction to basic principles of psycholinguistics and sociolinguistics. Subjects covered may include dialect variation, language and the brain, child language acquisition, language and gender, conversational analysis, non-verbal behavioral, pidgins and creoles, and sign language. The course is designed for students having no background in linguistics.
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LING-201 Introduction to General Linguistics, 3 cr. Nature and structure of languages and American English in particular. An overview of the description of language systems in terms of phonology (sound systems), morphology (word formation), and syntax (sentence organization). May also include an introduction to the areas of semantics (word meaning), pragmatics (the rules of the use of language in social contexts and conversation), and dialectology (cultural and geographical varieties of language use), and a look at the history of English and its relationship to other languages.
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LING-301 History of the English Language, 3 cr. Historical descriptive linguistic survey of English from its origins to modern English. Prereq: LING-201.
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LING-303 Grammars of English, 3 cr. A descriptive and historical analysis of English grammar. Prereq: LING-201.
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LING-304 Introduction to Phonology, 3 cr. Introduction to theories of sound patterning in language. Includes articulatory phonetics, phonemics, morpheme structure, phonological feature systems, and topics from generative phonology. Prereq: LING-201.
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LING-320 Language and Culture: Varies, 3 cr. Anthropological, psychological and linguistic study of various aspects of the interconnections of language and culture. Topics may include Japan, Southeast Asia, Thailand, Maya, Latin America, Native American, Afro-American, the hearing impaired. Prereq: LING-201.
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LING-322 Introduction to Sociolinguistics, 3 cr. A look at language variation based on social contexts. Includes ethnic, regional and social dialects, language and gender, and pidgin and creole language systems.
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LING-345 Linguistics and
Reading, 3 cr. Relationship between language
structure and the reading process with emphasis on the practical
problems such as the variety of dialectally different
sound-symbol-correspondences in English, the perception of speech sounds, the
reader's interpretation of syntactic and
semantic structures, various alphabetic systems for teaching beginning reading
and an analysis of linguistics texts for teaching reading. Designed
to be useful to the in-service
classroom teacher as well as to
undergraduates. |
LING-360 Seminar in
Linguistics: Varies, 3 cr. Advanced study of selected
topics in theoretical linguistics. Each student will do a research
project and present the result of work done for evaluation. Topics may include
the Development of American English, Linguistics and Literature,
Semantic Analysis,
Advanced Psycholinguistics.
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LING-361 Introduction to World Englishes, 3 cr. Examination of issues involved in the development, spread, and maintenance of varieties of English throughout the world, now commonly referred to as World Englishes. This course emphasizes the historical, political, and ideological issues of globalization, nativization, post-colonialism, standardization, and pedagogy of native and non-native varieties of English. Prereq: LING-201. |
LING-401 Fundamentals of Modern Linguistics, 3 cr. Overview of language as a rule-governed system, with particular emphasis on the following subfields of linguistics: phonetics (the sounds of a language), phonology (the functioning and patterning of sounds), morphology (the analysis of word structure), syntax (the analysis of sentence structure), and semantics (the analysis of meaning). This course will also give an historical overview of the field of linguistics. Other topics that may be included in this overview include historical linguistics, language typology, pragmatics, sociolinguistics, the brain and language, and computational linguistics. Prereq: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
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LING-405 Typology, 3 cr. Typology in linguistics is the study of the similarities and differences in human languages. This course examines the major grammatical categories and constructions found in the world's languages. Using cross-linguistic comparison we seek to understand absolute linguistic universals (things all language share), universal tendencies (things that most languages share), and implicational universals (if a language has X, then it has Y). This type of study allows us to better understand the human mind and how it processes language, what is possible and impossible in human language, and how and if languages are genetically related.
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LING-409 Research Design, 3 cr. Research Design is a survey course that reviews some of the major trends and methodologies used in linguistics, language acquisition, and language teaching. It will provide an exploration of primarily quantitative approaches used in language-specific inquiry by examining a variety of studies from the literature, their questions, their underlying assumptions, and their design.
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LING-422 Phonology, 3
cr.
The course provides an overview of principles in phonology, using
current theories such as autosegmental theory, feature geometry, lexical
phonology and Optimality theory to account for cross-linguistic sound
pattern similarities as well as differences.
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LING-427 Morphology, 3 cr. Morphology is the study of word formation. This course examines a wide range of data from a variety of languages in order to determine how words are composed. It focuses primarily on derivational morphology (how words are composed in the lexicon) and inflectional morphology (how variation in word forms shows grammatical functions in the syntax of the language). The interaction between morphology and phonology and morphology and syntax are examined. Prereqs: graduate standing and LING-401.
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LING-430 Structure of
Language, 3 cr.
Phonological and grammatical structure of a selected language and its
genetic relations to others of its family.
Topics may include Arabic, Farsi, Hidatsa. Consult
the Schedule of Classes for specific languages.
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LING-433 Lexicography, 3 cr.
Review of the problems and trends of word study in the past, especially the notions surrounding the concepts
of authority and usage of language; scrutiny of the various types and sources of English vocabulary;
recent linguistic insights considered in the light of
their value for various kinds of handbooks.
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LING-435 Semantics, 3 cr. What is meaning? How does word meaning contribute to sentence meaning? This course explores these two fundamental questions beginning with basic assumptions about semantic compositionality and how it corresponds to syntax. The course introduces the fundamentals of logic as they apply to semantics and investigates the meanings of nouns, adjectives, and especially verbs through lexical semantics. Prereqs: graduate standing, LING-401 and LING-437.
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Linguistics-437 Introduction to Generative Grammar, 3 cr. In taking a scientific approach to the study of language, this course investigates the linguistic process of constructing formal grammars that reflect native speaker knowledge and, therefore, works towards arriving at a Universal Grammar. Comparing data from a variety of languages, we look for generalizations and tendencies across languages that not only account for what speakers know but also account for how children learn language. We examine topics that are core to generative assumptions about language and language study, formalizing predictions about the structure of language. Analytical skills developed in this course can then be extended to further work on syntax or adapted to pedagogical applications. Prereq: graduate standing and LING-401.
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LING-438 Syntax, 3 cr. Following the ground work established in LING 437, this course will introduce students to modern syntactic theory as practiced within the Principles and Parameters approach. An emphasis will be placed on the methodological and theoretical achievements of the Minimalist Program as developed in the past decade. Students will further examine the notions of functional and lexical projections, empty categories, feature checking operations, various kinds of movement and merge operations, and locality constraints. Prereqs: graduate standing, LING-401 and LING-437.
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LING-446 Sociolinguistics, 3 cr. Sociolinguistics studies the relationship between language and culture. The language practices of individuals and communities vary in correlation with social, cultural, and individual factors. This course examines this variation in analyses of topics like social and regional dialectology, interactional discourse, ethnography of communication, and language and gender. Prereq: graduate standing.
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Linguistics 448 Discourse Analysis, 3 cr. Discourse analysis examines the structuring and use of language to promote social action i.e. language produced in recognition of and response to its role in society and effects on others. Theory and research focus on gathering and analyzing naturally-occurring texts to gain understanding of the patterns of social action they respond to and initiate. Research explores spoken, written, and visual texts and sociolinguistic aspects of the relationship between languages, cultures, and individuals. Students will come to understand that identity personal, social, national as well as ideology are constructed by and, in turn, serve to construct interactional discourse. Prereq: graduate standing, LING 401, LING 437, and LING 446.
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Linguistics 449 Anthropological Linguistics, 3 cr. Combining the theory and methodology of the ethnographic analysis of culture with the theory and methodology of the sociolinguistic analysis of contextualized talk and text, this course examines the social practice of language in use within and across cultures. Through collection and analysis of naturally-occurring culturally-grounded data, students will identify and come to appreciate how language structures and reveals the systems that both influence and expose cultural knowledge. Students can apply their awareness to culturally-bounded events in settings such as education, corporations, families, and the world at large. Prereqs: graduate standing, LING 401, LING 437, and LING 446.
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LING-450 First Language Acquisition, 3 cr.
In this course we
examine the stages through which a child passes towards native language
mastery of the phonological, morphological, syntactic, and semantic
systems. Various theories which attempt to account for the child's
ability to acquire language will be considered in light the context of
monolingual and bilingual language acquisition.
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LING-452 Psycholinguistics, 3 cr. This course looks at the interface between linguistics and the brain as it pertains to the mapping, storage and access of language. We examine current psycholinguistic models of language organization and access from its smallest increment (sound) to the discourse level and discus the implication of thee models vis-ΰ-vis various linguistic models and theories of language. Prereqs: graduate standing and LING-401.
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Linguistics-453 Language Contact, 3 cr. This course examines language contact and bilingualism as a sociolinguistic phenomenon and articulates its impact on individuals and society. It focuses on issues such as language choice, language maintenance and language death in multilingual communities, national and individual identity, the structure, function and impact of codeswitching, and controversial issues such as bilingual language acquisition and the relationship between bilingualism and cognitive, linguistic and social development. Prereq: graduate standing, Ling 401, 437, 446.
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LING-471 World Englishes, 3 cr. Examination of issues involved in the development and maintenance of varieties of English throughout the world, now commonly referred to as World Englishes. Specifically, this course emphasizes the historical, political, and ideological issues of post-colonialism, globalization, nativization, standardization, hegemony, canon, and pedagogy of native and non-native varieties of English. Prereqs: graduate standing, LING-401 and LING-446.
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LING-472 American
English--History and Growth, 3 cr.
Phonology, morphology, syntax, lexicon of English in the
United States as well
as its
cultural
history with reference to the mother country and the New
World, both in colonial and post-revolutionary times.
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LING-473 The English
Language--History and Development, 3 cr.
Survey of English phonology, morphology, syntax, lexicon
and cultural
history through Old English,
Middle English, early Modern English and recent Modern English, using literary documents for the
older periods,
and literary as
well as spoken records for the most recent times.
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LING-475 Historical and
Comparative Linguistics, 3 cr.
This course examines some of the issues
involved in language variation and change. Using the comparative method and data
from a wide variety of languages and language families, students will learn how
to classify languages, how to establish genetic relationships between languages,
and how to reconstruct proto-languages. In addition, students will learn how the
reconstruction of proto-languages complements the work currently being done in
other fields such as population genetics, archaeology, and ancient history.
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Linguistics 481 Language and Tourism, 3 cr. Advanced work and individual projects in language and tourism, a growing area of applied linguistics. Topics will include the sociolinguistics of tourism, social/identity construction of not only tourists but also of touristic locations, language use in tourism, discursive, visual semiotic, and ethnomethodological analyses of tourism materials. Prereqs: graduate standing, LING 401 and LING 446.
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LING-491 Seminar in Applied Linguistics, 3 cr. Advanced work and individual projects in a selected area of applied linguistics. Topics may include language policy and language planning, linguistic analysis and language learning, linguistics and writing, reading, research design, translation, cross-cultural communication, and discourse analysis. Consult the Schedule of Classes for specific topics. Prereqs: graduate standing, LING-401 or TESL-402, LING-422 or LING-427 or LING-435, LING-437, LING-446, and a B average.
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LING-492 Seminar in Linguistics and Related Fields, 3 cr. Advanced work and individual projects in a selected area of linguistic specialization, such as psycholinguistics, sociolinguistics, bilingualism and creole languages. Consult the Schedule of Classes for specific topics. Prereqs: graduate standing, LING-401 or TESL-402, LING-422 or LING-427 or LING-435, LING-437, LING-446, and a B average.
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LING-493 Seminar in Linguistic Theory, 3 cr. Advanced work and individual projects in a selected area of linguistic theory. Topics may include Readings in Linguistics, Semantics and Syntax. Consult the Schedule of Classes for specific topics. Prereqs: graduate standing, LING-401 or TESL-402, LING-422 or LING-427 or LING-435, LING-437, LING-446, and a B average.
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LING-494 Seminar in Historical Linguistics, 3 cr. Advanced work and individual projects in a selected area of historical linguistics. Topics may include etymology and cultural contexts. Consult the Schedule of Classes for specific topics. Prereqs: graduate standing, LING-401 or TESL-402, LING-422 or LING-427 or LING-435, LING-437, LING-446, and a B average.
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LING-499 Thesis Seminar: Linguistics, 6 cr. Guidance of students conducting research and writing a thesis to fulfill the requirements for the Master of Arts degree in Linguistics. Prereqs: Candidacy for the MA in Linguistics, completion of seven required courses with a B average, consent of advisor.
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The Capstone Course The Capstone Experience engages MA Linguistics students in an assessment component that authentically addresses and evaluates their knowledge and skills in linguistics and applied linguistics. All Linguistics MA students will be required to complete with a grade of 'B' or better one 400-level linguistics course identified as a Capstone Course or the Linguistics 499 Thesis Seminar. The Linguistics MA capstone courses require students to demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of and skills in linguistics as well as informed reflective self-evaluation of this and all other course work as well as their overall experience in the MA Linguistics program. The Capstone Experience, consisting of completion of course work specific to a given topic selected by a student, offers students a unique opportunity to integrate their MA linguistics education. Rather than complete the MA with assorted collections of knowledge and skills, students complete their capstone research by demonstrating their understanding of how these collections fit together to form a comprehensive and cohesive display of language form and function. The product of this capstone experience will be a research paper that is appropriate for conference presentation and/or publication.
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