* Language-related courses marked with an asterisk do not apply towards a BA or MA in Linguistics.
Spring 2010
Ellen Contini-Morava
MW 2-2:50 plus discussion sections
A survey of topics having to do with the relationship between language, culture, and society. We will consider both how language is described and analyzed by linguists and how evidence from language can shed light on a variety of social, cultural, and cognitive phenomena. Topics include: nature of language, origins of language, how languages change, writing systems, use of linguistic evidence to make inferences about prehistory, the effects of linguistic categories on thought and behavior, regional and social variation in language, and cultural rules for communication. Satisfies the College Non-Western perspectives requirement.
Spring 2010
Lise Dobrin
TR 11-11:50 plus discussion sections
This course introduces students to the diversity of human language and the principles of linguistic classification. How many languages are spoken in the world, and how are they related? What features do all languages share, and in what ways may they differ? In surveying the world's languages, we will focus on the structure and social situation of a set of representative languages for each geographic region covered. We will also discuss the global trend of shift from the use of minority languages to large languages of wider communication, and what this means for the future of human diversity. Course work includes problem sets, essays, and a final paper on the linguistic features and social situation of a minor language. Prerequisites: one year of a foreign language or permission of instructor.
Spring 2010
Eve Danziger
MW 10-10:50 plus discussion sections
There is almost always more than one way to think about any problem. But could speaking a particular language make some strategies and solutions seem more natural than others to individuals? Can we learn about alternative ways of approaching the external world by studying other languages? The classic proposal of linguistic relativity as enunciated by Benjamin Lee Whorf is examined in the light of recent cross-cultural psycholinguistic research. This class fulfills the Linguistics requirement for Anthropology and for Cognitive Science majors. It fulfills the Theory requirement for Linguistics majors.
Spring 2010
Lise Dobrin
M 5-7:30
In this course we will work with a native speaker of an "exotic" language (i.e., a language that is not commonly taught in the U.S., hence likely not to be familiar to any of the students in the class). We try to figure out the phonological and grammatical structure of the language based on data collected from the native speaker consultant in class. Attendance is therefore mandatory. Assignments include papers on the phonology, morphology, and syntax of the language. The precise nature of the assignment will vary depending on the particular language being studied. The course fulfills the Structure of a Language requirement for linguistics majors and M.A. students.
Spring 2010
Ellen Contini-Morava
TR 2-3:15
An introduction to the linguistic diversity of the African continent, with a focus on sub-Saharan Africa. For about three-fourths of the course we will discuss linguistic structures (sound systems, word-formation, and syntax) among a wide variety of languages; the classification of African languages; and the use of linguistic data to reconstruct prehistory. For the last fourth of the course we will address a range of sociolinguistic topics, including language and social identity, social functions of language, verbal art, the politics of language planning, and the rise of ÒmixedÓ languages among urban youth. While lectures address general and comparative topics, each student will choose one language to focus on, using published materials available in the library. This language will be the basis for the major assignments. Some prior experience with linguistics is desirable (such as LNGS 3250/7010, ANTH 2400 or ANTH 7400), but the course will also be accessible to highly motivated students who have not taken a previous linguistics course. The course fulfills the Language Structure requirement for Linguistics majors and graduate students.
Spring 2010
Dan Lefkowitz
M 2-4:30
This seminar explores the relationship between language and identity. In anthropology, where identity has become a central concern, language is seen as an important site for the construction of, and negotiation over social identities. In linguistics, reference to categories of social identity helps to explain language structure and change. The course explores the overlap between these converging trends by focusing on the notion of discourse as a nexus of cultural and linguistic processes related to identity. Readings will juxtapose social theoretic with linguistic treatments of identity, toward identifying theoretical frameworks that generate promising means for investigating and describing the phenomenon of identity. Prerequisite: some coursework in both anthropology and linguistics, or permission of the instructor.
Spring 2010
Eve Danziger
W 2-4:30
This is an advanced introduction to the study of language from an anthropological point of view. No prior coursework in linguistics is expected, but the course is aimed at graduate students who will use what they learn in their own anthropologically oriented research. Topics include an introduction to such basic concepts in linguistic anthropology as language in perception and world-view, the nature of symbolic meaning, universals and particulars in language, language in history and prehistory, the ethnography of speaking, the nature of everyday conversation, and the study of poetic language. Through readings and discussion, the implications of each of these topics for the general conduct of anthropology will be addressed. Evaluation is based on take-home essays and problem-sets which are assigned throughout the semester. The course is required for Anthropology graduate students. It fulfills the Theory requirement for graduate students in Linguistics.
Spring 2010
Coulter George
MWF 12-1
Languages as superficially different as English, Greek, Latin, and Sanskrit in fact all developed from a single "proto-language," called Proto-Indo-European. This course will explore the following questions: What was this proto-language like? How do we know what it was like? By what processes did it develop into the various daughter languages? How can we trace words as diverse as wit, idea, video, and Veda back to a common source? Familiarity with Greek or Latin is recommended but not required. Course fulfills the historical requirement for Linguistics.
Spring 2010
Peter Baker
MWF 11-11:50
This course will introduce you to the history of the English language from several perspectives: we will be concerned with the language's "internal history" (what actually happened to its sounds, grammar and vocabulary). But we will also study how and why languages change and, more specifically, the "external history" of English (the cultural and historical contexts that have produced change). The course begins with the Indo-European and Germanic background of English, and we will spend some time with the language as it developed in the British Isles. In the second half of the term we will study the development of American English: its divergence from British English, the development of regional, racial and ethnic varieties, and the emergence in the twentieth century of a national "standard." At all times we will bear in mind that language is an aspect of social interaction, and when we study language change we are also studying social change.
Spring 2010
David Golumbia
MW 5-6:15
This class explores the role of so-called nonstandard or vernacular languages in contemporary worldwide texts and media. Vernaculars include languages and "dialects" that are widespread in culture but usually not taught in schools. Examples of vernaculars that we will touch on include African-American English, Appalachian English, Hawaiian "Creole" English, Haitian Creole, Taglish, and others. In many cases, these practices, while full and complete languages in every diagnostic and linguistic sense, remain the target of intense cultural prejudice. We will explore commonalities and differences in the presentation of these linguistic practices across several genres and places, using the fault lines between languages as a way to see in to the stakes of other cultural and political divisions. Short theoretical readings by Bakhtin, Labov, Ngugi, Lott and others; novels by Lois-Ann Yamanaka, R. Zamora Linmark, Alan Warner, Irvine Welsh, Patricia Powell, and Ken Saro-wiwa; This class is conducted primarily through vigorous student discussion that reflects thorough preparation before class sessions. Two short response/review papers and a final research paper. Intended for advanced English, Media Studies, or Linguistics majors, though others with appropriate background will be admitted.
Spring 2010
Gladys Saunders
TR 11-12:15
This course, conducted in French, is designed to introduce basic concepts in phonetic theory and to teach students techniques for improving their own pronunciation. We shall examine the physical characteristics of individual sounds, the relationship between sounds and their written representations, the rules governing the pronunciation of "standard French", and the most salient phonological features of selected regional varieties (e.g. le francais meridional). Working independently and regularly with audiotapes in the language laboratory, and as a group with the instructor in the classroom, students will have opportunities for oral practice in the production of French sounds (in isolation, in syllabic combinations, in rhythmic groups and in phrases). Requires much memorization.
Spring 2010
Robb McCollum
TR 12:30-1:45 plus discussion sections
Studies the theory, problems, and methods in teaching English as a second language, with attention to relevant areas of general linguistics and the structure of English. Prerequisite: LNGS 325 and instructor permission.
Spring 2010
Mark Elson
MW 11-11:50 plus discussion sections
This course is an introduction to the English spoken in the southeastern part of the United States. We begin with a unit covering basic linguistic concepts, following which we spend several weeks discussing those aspects of sound structure, grammar, and lexicon which characterize southern English and distinguish it from the English of other areas in the United States. We conclude with a unit discussing the sociolinguistics of southern English (e.g., the attitude of southerners towards their own speech) and theories of its origin including its relationship to Black English. Interested graduate students should speak to the instructor.
Spring 2010
Filip Loncke
W 9-11:30
This course focuses on the psychological processes that underlie the acquisition and the use of language. There is an emphasis on the interaction between linguistic skills and other cognitive skills. The course also looks at flexibility of language and language use, and the influence of psycholinguistic processes on reading and writing, the social use of language, and language in other modalities.
Spring 2010
Beverly Adams
TR 9:30-10:45
People do not think much about the reading process. If you ask the typical person about how reading works, a typical response is that it just does. You just look at words on a page and then the sounds come out of your mouth. Under certain circumstances, however, a deeper level of evaluation is forthcoming and people report that it is a very complicated process. I don't know how I do it, but for as long as I can remember I could do it. When we listen to someone who has some type of reading impairment, when we observe young children as they are learning to read, when we are unsure about the meaning of a passage (Did the main character insult a minor character or was it the other way around?), when we debate the pronunciation of a word (greasy, Roanoke, Staunton, theater, insurance) or when we read a passage in a second language, we are making evaluations/decisions during the reading process. For the most part, we feel that we just "read." The focus of this class, Psychology of Reading, is the study of the reading process; what happens when we process the squiggles on the page to create meaningful information that we can use. This includes word processing, sentence processing, speed-reading, text comprehension, etc. All of this is related to how we think. We will read basic/historical information from texts, review recent psychological experiments that address reading data from bottom-up processing models, top-down processing models, and interactive models, and consider some hands-on experiences related to the reading process. The psychology of reading is an interesting mix of experimental & cognitive psychology and structural linguistics. But it is also related to neurology, phonetics, anthropology, sociology, education, and so on. Prerequisites: PSYC 305 or permission of instructor. Enrollment is restricted to Psychology, Cognitive Science, and Linguistics majors or 4th year minors.
Spring 2010
Sandra Wood
MW 2-3:315
We will examine the emergence of language in humans from linguistic and cognitive perspectives by studying and discussing selected research literature on gestures, homesigned systems, primates, and nonprimates.
Spring 2010
Joel Rini
MW 11-11:50
This course offers a detailed analysis of the sound system of Spanish, including its Peninsular and Latin American varieties. Topics include: articulatory phonetics, phonology and basic dialectal differences in the Spanish-speaking world. A considerable amount of time in class and in class is dedicated to pronunciation practice. Taught in Spanish.
Spring 2010
Fernando Tejedo-Herrero
MWF 12-12:50
This course offers an introduction to the formal study of the Spanish language. Topics include: articulatory phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics. Taught in Spanish. Prerequisite: SPAN 3020.
Spring 2010
Joel Rini
MWF 12-12:50
Seminar in Spanish linguistics. Taught in Spanish. Class fulfills Structure requirement for Linguistics. Students interested in taking the course for graduate credit should contact the instructor.
Spring 2010
Fernando Tejedo-Herrero
MWF 2-2:50
This seminar focuses on the main varieties of Spanish spoken in the United States. We will review the history of the Spanish language in what is now the United States. We will study the linguistic characteristics of the main varieties (vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar), and look at some sociolinguistic topics related to English-Spanish contact situations: language policy issues, linguistic borrowing, or code-switching. We will also explore aspects related to Spanish-Spanish contact situations (i.e. how does intensive contact among varieties of Spanish affect each other?). Throughout the course, students will prepare short written and oral summaries of assigned readings, and a longer research paper. Taught in Spanish. Pre-requisites: (1) SPAN 3020, and (2) SPAN 3200, SPAN 3010, or any linguistics course.
View course listings from previous semesters in the course listing archive.