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LinguisticsLinguistics Steering Committee: John Haiman (Chair; Linguistics), Joy Laine (Philosophy), Satoko Suzuki (Asian Languages and Cultures), Brooke Lea (Psychology), Adrienne Christiansen (Political Science), Susan Fox (Computer Science), Cynthia Kauffeld (Hispanic and Latin American Studies) The interdisciplinary major in linguistics focuses on the human capacity for language, and the way in which this capacity provides a window on the mind. Fundamental to this study are the acquisition and the structure of natural languages, as well as the increasingly complex and sophisticated artificial languages which have been constructed by researchers in logic and computer science. Accordingly, the major, while presupposing a framework of study which is language-centered, integrates this study with progress in related fields, among them psychology, computer science, and philosophy. As far as we know, language is unique to the human species. It is by far the most complex behavior of which human beings are capable. But at the same time, unlike the ability to play master chess or perform on the parallel bars, it is democratically distributed among all human beings. Both philosophical speculation on language (e.g. Plato’s Cratylus), and the scientific study of its form (e.g. Panini’s Astadhyayi) are very old. With fitful interruptions, the study of language has been pursued by philosophers and grammarians for well over two millennia. In the nineteenth century, linguistic science became the indispensable adjunct of prehistory and archaeology, while in the first part of the twentieth century, it became one of the branches of ethnography as well. Within the last half century, the formal study of language structure initiated by Noam Chomsky has made linguistics a central discipline, together with computer science and psychology, of cognitive science. The study of meaning, and its relationship to linguistic form, have made linguistics, together with rhetoric and literary theory, the major discipline in semiotics. Finally, the study of language in its social context, revolutionized by the work of William Labov, has made linguistics a branch of quantitative sociology as well. Linguistics therefore has a vital relation not only to all the humanities and social sciences, but also to branches of mathematical theory and evolutionary biology. It is the cross-roads discipline par excellence. The raw data of linguistics—spoken and written language—are all around us. Moreover, as native speakers of at least one language, all human beings are expert on language. Yet paradoxically, the interpretation and analysis of these data are still a matter of invigorating controversy. The last word has not been spoken on the issues raised in the Cratylus, and the ideal grammar of any language is no closer to our grasp than it was to Panini, whose Sanskrit grammar is still recognized as “one of the greatest monuments of the human intellect.” As language is the most democratically distributed human cognitive capacity, so linguistics is the most accessible of the sciences. In addition to its contribution to a humanistic and scientific education, the interdisciplinary nature of linguistics offers students a chance to see the ways in which modern sciences are informing the traditional concerns of philology. General Distribution Requirement All linguistics courses count toward the general distribution requirement in social science except for 309, 335, 364, 435, 436, 437, and 488, which count toward humanities. General Education Requirements Courses that meet the general education requirements in writing, quantitative thinking, internationalism and multiculturalism will be posted on the Registrar’s web page in advance of registration for each semester. Additional information regarding the general distribution requirement and the general education requirements can be found in the graduation requirements section of this catalog. Major Requirements 1. All students completing an interdisciplinary major in linguistics are required to take Linguistics 100, 104, 200, and 205. After this, they may follow either a cultural or a cognitive track. Major in linguistics with added emphasis in cultural and language studies. Students with a strong interest in languages and the humanities may wish to consider the cultural track. This includes: I. Language courses: three language courses beyond the college-wide four semester requirement II. Two more courses in one other discipline as it relates to language. Two courses in a sequence can be chosen from: Philosophy 231 (Modern Philosophy) and Philosophy 364/Linguistics 364 (Philosophy of Language); OR Japanese 235/Linguistics 235 (Communicative Strategies) and Japanese 335/Linguistics 335 (Analyzing the Japanese Language) or Japanese 488 (Translating Japanese: Theory and Practice); OR Hispanic Studies 432 (Hispanic Linguistics) and Hispanic Studies 433 (Theory and Practice of Translation) Or, an alternative pair approved by the department chair including courses such as: Political Science 170 (Theories of Rhetoric) Humanities and Media and Cultural Studies 110 (Texts and Power) Sociology 175/Linguistics 175 (Sociolinguistics) Humanities and Media and Cultural Studies 128 (Film Analysis) Humanities and Media and Cultural Studies 234 (Cultural Studies and the Media) Humanities and Media and Cultural Studies/International Studies 281 (Comparative Global News) Russian Studies/International Studies 265 (Translation as Cross-cultural Communication) III. Two more courses chosen from the following: Linguistics 103 (Advertising and Propaganda) Linguistics 201 (Historical Linguistics) Linguistics 202 (Origins and Evolution of Language) Linguistics 301/Sociology 301 (Language and Alienation) IV. The Capstone Sequence: Linguistics 300 (Linguistic Analysis) Linguistics 400 (Field Methods in Linguistics: Capstone course). Students in this track are required to complete six courses offered by departments other than linguistics, chosen in consultation with the department chair. Major in linguistics with added emphasis in cognitive studies. Students with a strong interest in cognitive science frequently approach linguistics from a background in mathematics, psychology, logic or computer science, rather than natural languages. Such students may wish to consider following the cognitive track. I. A sequence in psychology: Psychology 180/Cognitive and Neuroscience Studies 180 (Brain, Mind, and Behavior) Psychology 242 (Cognitive Psychology) Psychology 378/Linguistics 378 (Psychology of Language) II. A sequence in computer science: Computer Science 123 (Introduction to Computer Science) Computer Science/Cognitive and Neuroscience Studies 484 (Artificial Intelligence) III. Two more courses to be chosen from the following: Philosophy 120 (Introduction to Symbolic Logic) Philosophy 362 (Philosophy of Mind) Philosophy 364 (Philosophy of Language)
IV. The capstone sequence: Linguistics 204 (Experimental Linguistics) Linguistics 614 (Independent Project: Capstone) an independent experimental project conducted in the linguistics, psychology, or computer science laboratory facilities. Students in this track are required to complete six courses offered by departments other than linguistics, chosen in consultation with the department chair. Minor Requirements 1. Any six courses in linguistics. Honors Program The linguistics department participates in the honors program. Eligibility requirements, application procedures and specific project expectations for the linguistics department are available from either the department office or the Director of Academic Programs. Topics Courses 194, 294, 394, 494 Past offerings include: Spoken and Written Language; Metaphor; Freedom, Speech and Action, Languages and People of the Middle East; Languages of Native America; and Endangered Languages. To be announced at registration. (4 credits)
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