Undergraduate Courses

The nature and composition of the English vocabulary, with particular attention to Greek and Latin elements, and its development among diverse cultures and societies; techniques of morphological analysis, allomorphy, derivational morphology, formal and semantic change, and Indo-European…

The scientific study of language, emphasizing such topics as the organization of grammar, language in space and time, and the relationship between the study of language and other disciplines.

The scientific study of language, emphasizing such topics as the organization of grammar, language in space and time, and the relationship between the study of language and other disciplines.

The scientific study of language, emphasizing such topics as the organization of grammar, language in space and time, and the relationship between the study of language and other disciplines.

An introduction to the syntax, operations, and data structures of the Python programming language. Students will write programs to structure, manipulate, and perform analyses with textual data.

An introduction to the study of language in its cultural and social dimensions, with an emphasis on language variation and use. Focuses on issues related to theory, methodology, and application relevant to the various subfields in sociolinguistics, dialectology, and related fields of linguistics…

Fundamentals of language in general and Spanish in particular. Linguistic knowledge, language variation, and language contact phenomena. Representative Spanish sound systems, syllabic structure, sentence patterns, and structure and meaning of words. Analysis of data from oral and written…

Fundamentals of language in general and Spanish in particular. Linguistic knowledge, language variation, and language contact phenomena. Representative Spanish sound systems, syllabic structure, sentence patterns, structure and meaning of words. Analysis of data from oral and written registers.…

Principles of speech articulation and acoustic features of vowels and consonants; transcription of speech using the International Phonetic Alphabet, focusing on English but including many other languages; and the study of patterns of sounds across languages to understand phonological theory: how…

An overview of the Slavic family of languages, aspects of their historical development, and characteristics of their modern linguistic systems. Selected topics in the phonology, morphology, syntax, and sociolinguistics of individual Slavic languages will be addressed. No prior knowledge of any…

Anthropological studies in language, including origins and evolution, prehistory, geographical distribution, typology and classification, language and speech communities. Relationships between language and culture, language and society, and language and environment will be emphasized.

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The field of French linguistics, emphasizing such topics as the internal and external history of French; the sounds, forms, and vocabulary of modern French; and the linguistic variation within France and the French-speaking world.

Normal development of children's reception, integration, and expression of linguistic information; cultural, gender, socioeconomic, cognitive, and prelinguistic influences on language development.

Note: The LING section of this course is offered only in Spring; CMSD 3120 in the Fall…

Techniques and formalisms for analyzing syntactic phenomena of human languages within the framework of generative grammar. Examples will be drawn from English and a wide variety of other languages. (Writing-intensive).

Techniques and formalisms for analyzing syntactic phenomena of human languages within the framework of generative grammar. Examples will be drawn primarily from English.

The investigation of English syntax and the development of a theory of generative transformational grammar begun in Generative Syntax. This course expands the range of constructions covered (now including Wh-questions and relative clauses) and focuses on a universal phrase structure system…

The investigation of English syntax and the development of a theory of generative transformational grammar begun in Generative Syntax. This course expands the range of constructions covered (now including Wh-questions and relative clauses) and focuses on a universal phrase structure system…

This course focuses on the typological differences between Modern German and Modern English, covering core aspects of syntax, morphology and phonology in a way that is relevant to linguists, language learners and future teachers alike. Drawing on both empirical studies as well as hands-on study…

Introduction to the field of neurolinguistics. Examining the neural basis of human language, the course relates data from techniques like neuroimaging and electrophysiology to computational models across multiple levels of analysis, including phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics.

Interdisciplinary study of mind and intelligent activity that forms cognitive sciences. Contributions of psychology, philosophy, linguistics, biology, anthropology, computer science, and education toward uncovering important aspects of the mind and intelligent activity are discussed.

Interdisciplinary study of mind and intelligent activity that forms cognitive sciences. Contributions of psychology, philosophy, linguistics, biology, anthropology, computer science, and education toward uncovering important aspects of the mind and intelligent activity are discussed.

Not…

Interdisciplinary study of mind and intelligent activity that forms cognitive sciences. Contributions of psychology, philosophy, linguistics, biology, anthropology, computer science, and education toward uncovering important aspects of the mind and intelligent activity are discussed. This course…

Provides a broad overview of the social and institutional factors that affect language use in German-speaking heritage communities in the United States. Emphasis is placed on quantifiable methods for correlating extra-linguistic factors with observable changes in language use over time.

A formal analysis of heritage languages (HLs). Spoken as a first language that differs from the language of the majority, HLs provide insight into language acquisition, use, and change in multi-lingual settings, which is not otherwise possible in the study of monolingual or L2 populations.

An overview of the extra-linguistic factors that either promote the maintenance of a minority/heritage language or affect the shift towards the majority or hegemonic regional or national variety. Specific emphasis is placed on the methods and data sources for conducting qualitative and…

The classification and distribution of languages of the world and a survey of linguistic structures as exemplified by selected languages.

An examination of the role of language in the construction of social identities, the formation of language ideologies, language management activities, and the politics of language from a sociolinguistic perspective.

Provides an understanding of the linguistic processes and cultural factors determining the evolution of German as a codified standard language from the Reformation to the present.

Independent study and research under the direction of individual faculty members.

This course will introduce students to some basic concepts of language study and to the history and present status of the English language. With plenty of ground to cover, it will be intensive. We will examine texts to illustrate changes. Sound recordings will be played in class to…

The history, present status, and future prospects of American English, including standards and internal variation.

Examination of the connection between language, race, and ethnicity in the United States. Study of the origins of current ethnolects in the United States, linguistic ideologies that shape attitudes towards them, and structural factors that affect their current patterns and possible future change…

Detailed study of specific phonological theories and the phonetics/phonology interface, building on knowledge acquired in the introductory phonetics and phonology course.

History and structure of the speech and language styles used in the African American community; examination of linguistic and cultural issues that confront the majority of African Americans; the role of the vernacular language of African Americans in society.

Discussion and analysis of the phonological, morphological, lexical, discourse, and syntactic structures of African American English and their interaction as the grammatical system of language use in the African American community.

This is a course in the Old English language; the goal is for students to learn how to pronounce, read, and translate Old English prose and, near the end of the semester, Old English poetry. In some respects, the course is similar to any a course in any modern foreign language, with vocabulary…

Study in Hebrew grammar with attention to its historical development and dialects and to its structural relations with other Semitic languages. Focuses may include comparison to Arabic, Aramaic, Phoenician and Punic, Ethiopic, and Akkadian. No prior knowledge assumed.

Principles and methods of dictionary making with emphasis on monolingual English and bilingual dictionaries. Topics may include typology of dictionaries and dictionary users, the history of lexicography, the collection and selection of headwords and examples; the definition style, pronunciation…

An introduction to psycholinguistic theory and methodology. Topics include phonological perception, lexical access, morphological processing, and syntactic and semantic comprehension. Special focus will be placed on relating these concepts to other domains in cognitive science, including…

The positions of Greek and Latin within the Indo-European language family with special attention to the phonological evolution of both Greek and Latin from Proto-Indo-European.

An introduction to the formal analysis of sentential meaning, from a linguist's perspective. After first isolating a truth-conditional notion of literal meaning, we will use techniques from logic to describe how the meanings of sentences are built from those of their parts.

Linguistic theories of second language (L2) acquisition, including the role of universal capacities in language acquisition and individual influences and sociocultural factors that affect the rate and ultimate success of L2 acquisition. Implications of theoretical models and research findings…

A special topic not otherwise offered in the English curriculum. Topics and instructors vary from semester to semester.

One of the Celtic languages (for example, Welsh, Irish Gaelic, Scottish Gaelic) in medieval or contemporary form. Languages and instructors may vary from semester to semester.

The Indo-European language family: the various early Indo-European dialects, their grammatical structures, and the evolution of those structures from the proto-language.

Topics such as formal and ordinary languages, meaning, reference, truth, definition, analyticity, ambiguity, metaphor, symbolism, and the uses of language.

Identification and examination of the salient structural similarities and differences between German and English.

An introduction to quantitative and statistical approaches for analyzing human language. Topics include fundamentals of quantitative and empirical research; descriptive and analytical statistics; hypothesis testing; data modeling and visualization. Data are drawn from a wide range of linguistic…

Introduction to experimental methods in linguistics, including experimental design and stimulus creation. Methods include informal vs. formal acceptability judgments, psycholinguistic methods, and neurolinguistic techniques. Students will develop and run in-class behavioral experiments in small…

Symbolic-mathematical logic, examining the propositional and predicate calculi, with emphasis on problems in translation and formalization and topics in the philosophy of logic and mathematics.

Formal semantics for sentential and first-order predicate logic, including both soundness and completeness results for first-order logic. Additional topics may include Goedel's incompleteness results, the Skolem-Lowenheim theorem, or possible world semantics for modal logics.

Introduces finite-state automata as both a theoretical framework as well as a practical tool for phonetics, (morpho)phonology, and (certain aspects of) syntax. Students will learn to use software toolkits for linguistic analysis and how to work with natural-language corpora.

Introduction to grammar formalisms as applied in computational linguistics. This course is open to graduate students with no prior background in linguistics.

An introduction to the historical events that shaped the development of Spanish from Latin and the resulting linguistic evolution, including phonological, morphological, syntactic, lexical, and semantic changes. Given in Spanish.

Computer techniques for processing human languages (e.g., English, Spanish, German), covering applied topics such as text normalization and named entity recognition, as well as theoretical matters, such as the implementation of syntactic and semantic theories.

The phonology, morphology, and syntax of the classical Sanskrit language, emphasizing the position of Sanskrit within the Indo-European language family and its importance for Indo-European linguistics.

Continued studies in both the synchronic and diachronic grammar of classical Sanskrit.

The French sound system in theory and practice. How French sounds are formed and how they reflect social class and geographical origin. Work on pronunciation in class and the language laboratory. Given in French.

Theoretical and applied German phonology and word structure. Taught in English.

Speech organs and systematic description of Spanish sounds. Comparison of English and Spanish patterns of stress, pronunciation, and intonation. Examination of recurrent pronunciation errors. Description of major geographical and social dialects. Practice in pronunciation and transcription of…

Description and linguistic analysis of major syntactic structures, including morphological patterns of lexical creation and renovation.

Introduces students to the study of linguistic variation in Spanish. Among the topics to be covered are geographic, social, and linguistic factors in language variation and dialectology. Students will analyze specific cases of variation in present-day Spanish dialects in Latin America, Spain,…

Traditional methods of historical linguistics are reviewed, with examples from several different language families. Various kinds of possible phonological and syntactic changes are investigated in relation to modern linguistic theory.

The influence of languages on other languages spoken in the same or neighboring areas, including pidgins and creoles, with consideration of relationships in phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and vocabulary.

Introduction to language typology, which categorizes language according to distinct structural features. Methods for compiling unbiased samples and defining comparable categories across languages as the foundation for identifying typological universals (correlations and limitations on the co-…

An interdisciplinary study of language use, text analysis, and evaluation. The course will provide students with the ability to investigate and evaluate structural features of language and to identify the strategies used by different writers based on style and cultural backgrounds.

A description and formal linguistic analysis of the major syntactic structures in Spanish, including, but not limited to, the interfaces with morphology and semantics. Taught in Spanish.

Provides an overview of the extra-linguistic factors that affect language use in historical languages; provides an introduction to conducting sociolinguistic inquiry on linguistic varieties for which direct linguistic evidence is limited. Emphasis is placed on quantifiable methods for…

The syntax of modern French through readings in descriptive analysis and examples of literary texts to see how word order contributes to meaning. Particular emphasis on levels of style and reflections of social class. Frequent compositions required. Given in French.

Study of the patterns of literary style, including language and literary stylistics, genre, and cognition and perception.

The study of language as a cultural and social phenomenon. Topics include language and meaning, language and world view, language and social behavior, and language and social issues.

The role of language and culture in the formation of philosophical assumptions about gender differentiation in society.

Introduction to linguistic fieldwork and language documentation through work with a speaker of an unknown language. Methods of eliciting, transcribing, organizing, and storing data; data analysis, formulating and testing hypotheses; and ethical issues involved in linguistic fieldwork.

This course will survey the field of digital humanities, including its history and principles. Applications in digital humanities will be featured, so that students will be able to imagine and create a project themselves. Literary and linguistic topics will be covered including text analysis and…

A “corpus” (plural: corpora) is a computerized collection of text or speech. This course introduces the use of corpora to study language. These studies span academic disciplines from formal linguistics to literature. This course introduces tools for working with texts and quantitatively…

Explores the language of digital communication, ranging from the innovation of new words and expressions in social media to the construction of identities in cyberspace. Students will use modern tools in the analysis of language data to understand the mechanisms that shape language usage in the…

The synchronic and diachronic grammar of an older Indo-European language. Possible offerings include Avestan, Hittite, Lithuanian, or topics such as Indo-European phonology, morphology, or syntax.

An introduction to the grammar and literature of Old Icelandic, the old Nordic language with the greatest body of literature. Additionally, some historical explanations will be introduced to aid in the recognition of patterns obscured by various internal developments of the Icelandic language.…

An introduction to the grammar and literature of Classical Armenian. The presentation will employ a pedagogical textbook of the language and cover the most important points of its grammar as well as the prehistory of the language.

An introduction to Old Church Slavic, the earliest written Slavic language. Covers the grammar of Old Church Slavic, reading and translation of texts, and the prehistory of the Slavic language family.

Study of the phonology, morphology, syntax, and culture of a less-taught language. Possible offerings include Finnish, Hungarian, and other non-Indo-European languages.

Two sections of Less-Taught Languages will be offered during the spring 2025 semester focusing on two different…

Study of the phonology, morphology, syntax, and culture of a less-taught language. Possible offerings include Finnish, Hungarian, and other non-Indo-European languages.

Forensic Linguistics

This course will be offered during the Summer 2024 semester.

This course will only be offered at the Undergraduate level.

Forensic linguistics is fundamentally how the science of language interfaces with the law. The term forensic linguistics has meant…

Internship in teaching linguistics at the college level under the direction of a faculty member. Internship work may include assisting with learning activities in the classroom, developing course materials and assignments, teaching a portion of one or more class meetings under faculty…

Research internship on a faculty-directed project. Work may include collection, transcription, management, and analysis of data; development of scripts, software, or other research tools; assistance in the dissemination of research results; or other duties as appropriate.

Faculty-supervised independent or collaborative inquiry into fundamental and applied problems within a discipline that requires students to gather, analyze, and synthesize and interpret data and to present results in writing and other relevant communication formats.

Faculty-supervised independent or collaborative inquiry into fundamental and applied problems within a discipline that requires students to gather, analyze, and synthesize and interpret data and to present results in writing and other relevant communication formats.

Faculty-supervised independent or collaborative inquiry into fundamental and applied problems within a discipline that requires students to gather, analyze, and synthesize and interpret data and to present results in writing and other relevant communication formats.

Faculty-supervised independent or collaborative inquiry into fundamental and applied problems within a discipline that requires students to gather, analyze, and synthesize and interpret data. Students will write or produce a thesis or other professional capstone product, such as a report or…