Class Schedules

The aim of this course is to make you aware of the complex organization and systematic nature of language, the primary means of human communication. In a sense, you will be studying yourself, since you are a prime example of a language user. Most of your knowledge of language, however, is unconscious, and the part of language that you can describe is largely the result of your earlier education, which may have given you confused, confusing, or misleading notions about language. This course is intended to clarify your ideas about language and bring you to a better understanding of its nature. By the end of the course you should be familiar with some of the terminology and techniques of linguistic analysis and be able to apply this knowledge to the description of different languages. There are no prerequisites, but this course is the prerequisite for almost every higher level course within the linguistics major.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

In this course you will be trained to produce and recognize (almost) all the  speech sounds which human languages make use of, and to develop a systematic way of analyzing and recording them. Since sounds are perceived as well as produced, you will also be introduced to the acoustic analysis of speech, learning how acoustic signals of frequency, amplitude, and duration are translated into visible, quantifiable images. You will learn the art of decoding these spectrograms into sounds and words and sentences. The linguistics laboratory contains several different programs for practicing and listening to sounds from many of the world's languages. This course is recommended for students of foreign languages, drama, music and anyone who wants to become more aware of their (and other people's) pronunciation.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

Japanese is considered to be a gendered language in the sense that women and men speak differently from each other. Male characters in Japanese animation often use "boku" or "ore" to refer to themselves, while female characters often use "watashi" or "atashi." When translated into Japanese, Hermione Granger (a female character in the Harry Potter series) ends sentences with soft-sounding forms, while Harry Potter and his best friend Ron use more assertive forms. Do these fictional representations reflect reality? How are certain forms associated with femininity or masculinity? Do speakers of Japanese conform to the norm or rebel against it? These are some of the questions discussed in this course. Students will have opportunities to learn about the history of gendered language, discover different methodologies in data collections, and find out about current discourse on language and gender.

General Education Requirements:
Internationalism

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

Language and music are two uniquely human enterprises with a number of parallels: both rely on sound and/or signs, display hierarchical organization and culturally-specific practices, and can convey both communicative and social meaning. This course examines the intersection of language and music from a linguistic perspective. We will engage with questions such as: How can language change when it's sung instead of spoken? How do speakers of tone languages understand lyrics in sung melodies? Is hip hop different in different languages? How are signed languages used in music? Can music help people learn languages? How do drummed and whistled languages work? How can music contribute to language revitalization? Does the way we talk about music affect how we perform or listen to it? This class will be a mix of discussion, hands-on explorations, and in-class group activities. Students will also conduct real-world participant-observation research, and complete a final project in radio broadcast form. No musical experience is required.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WC

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

Phonology is the study of how sounds and/or signs pattern in language, i.e. how they are organized into perceptual categories.  In this class we will look at data from a wide variety of languages and analyze them using several formal theories to find patterns and generalizations about phonological contrasts and alternations.  In the process, students will evaluate the explanatory strengths of each theory.  The class will emphasize the analytical skills used in solving problem sets and on how to present and justify an analysis of the dataset. Prerequisite(s): LING 100 or LING 104.

General Education Requirements:
Quantitative Thinking Q1

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

Language loss is accelerating at alarming rates. In fact, Linguists predict that only five percent of the six thousand languages currently spoken in the world are expected to survive into the 22nd century. In this course, we will examine the historical, political, and socio-economic factors behind the endangerment and/or marginalization of languages in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and North and South America. We will also concentrate on the globalization of English (and other major languages), which plays a primary role in language endangerment and marginalization. Additional topics include: linguistic diversity, language policy, multilingualism (in both nations and individuals), global language conflict, and language revitalization. Students will have the opportunity to learn first-hand about these issues by interviewing speakers of an endangered and/or minority language.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WA
U.S. Identities and Differences

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

All languages have “bad” words and phrases—things people aren’t supposed to say (but sometimes say anyway). Some such language taboos express rage, while others provoke laughter. Some have changed little in a thousand years, while others first appeared on TikTok. Some are both labels of hate and forms of self-reference. They all invite fascinating questions: How do expressions become “bad” in the first place? Are they all bad in the same way? Why do people use taboo language, and what happens when they do? How do people avoid using it? In Language Taboos, we explore the nature of “bad” words from a linguistic perspective. We examine their histories, functions, and diversity across languages and cultures. We explore such topics as curses and swearing, innuendos, slurs, and culturally specific taboos, such as reference to dirty things, sacred concepts, revered people, and particular family members. Special emphasis is placed on understanding language taboos in national and global contexts, both historically and in the internet age.

General Education Requirements:
Internationalism

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

This course aims to investigate the complex relationship between language and identity. Language plays a significant role in conveying one’s identity, as do other semiotic means such as clothing. By exploring scholarship that considers language as it relates to identity, students will discover how speakers/writers use their agency in expressing their identity and how identity emerges as a social and cultural phenomenon. They will learn about multiple interrelated factors that affect how speakers/writers view and use language such as race, ethnicity, nationality, and multilingualism in Japanese, Asian American, and other communities, and conduct research using authentic linguistic data. No knowledge of Japanese is required..

General Education Requirements:
Internationalism

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

The first prerequisite to understanding a linguistic message is the ability to decipher its code. This course is training in the decoding of grammar. Through practice in problem-solving, you will develop expertise in the grammatical systems of a wide sample of the world's language types. Prerequisite(s): LING 100 - Introduction to Linguistics, plus one of LING 200 - Syntax or LING 205 - Phonology.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

A linguistic survey of the Spanish language aimed at improving pronunciation and increasing comprehension of the structure of the language, deepening students' understanding of the sound system, word formation, grammar and meaning. Study will emphasize phonetics and provide an introduction to transcription, phonology, morphology and syntax, as well as provide an overview of linguistic change and geographic variation. This course satisfies the Area 3 requirement for the Hispanic and Latin American Studies major. Prerequisite(s): SPAN 305 or SPAN 306 or consent of instructor.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Humanities

Course Materials

Language is magic: we can make noises at each other or make marks on a page and others can “see” what’s inside our minds! Language is even more magical when we consider its ability to do things: it can change people’s status (e.g. declaring someone a knight or husband/wife), harm others (e.g. using slurs), and turn literal falsehood into truths (e.g. metaphors or fiction) among others. In this class, you’ll be introduced to classic and contemporary topics surrounding language: how it is that words refer to objects, how context shapes meaning, how language and reality/thought are connected, and whether emoji and music are languages.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Humanities

Course Materials

An overview of Modern Spanish as it has developed over time. Course will trace the historical evolution of the most salient phonological, morpho-syntactic and lexical traits of Modern Spanish and will include study of the origins of American Spanish. Students will also be introduced to some of the principal theories of language change. This course satisfies the Area 3 requirement for the Spanish major. Prerequisite(s): SPAN 309 or consent of the instructor.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Humanities

Course Materials

In this course you will be trained to produce and recognize (almost) all the  speech sounds which human languages make use of, and to develop a systematic way of analyzing and recording them. Since sounds are perceived as well as produced, you will also be introduced to the acoustic analysis of speech, learning how acoustic signals of frequency, amplitude, and duration are translated into visible, quantifiable images. You will learn the art of decoding these spectrograms into sounds and words and sentences. The linguistics laboratory contains several different programs for practicing and listening to sounds from many of the world's languages. This course is recommended for students of foreign languages, drama, music and anyone who wants to become more aware of their (and other people's) pronunciation.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

Sociolinguistics is the study of the social language variation inevitable in all societies, be they closed and uniform or diverse and multicultural. Language and culture are so closely tied that it is nearly impossible to discuss language variation without also understanding its relation to culture. As humans, we judge each other constantly on the basis of the way we use language, we make sweeping generalizations about people's values and moral worth solely on the basis of the language they use.  Diversity in language often stands as a symbol of ethnic and social diversity. If someone criticizes our language we feel they are criticizing our inmost self. This course introduces students to the overwhelming amount of linguistic diversity in the United States and elsewhere, while at the same time making them aware of the cultural prejudices inherent in our attitude towards people who communicate differently from us. The class involves analysis and discussion of the readings, setting the stage for exploration assignments, allowing students to do their own research on linguistic diversity.

General Education Requirements:
U.S. Identities and Differences

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

All languages have structure, and syntax is the study of how language users combine words into meaningful phrases, sentences, and conversations. The world's languages vary enormously in how they express events and describe situations, and in this class, you will learn about the many different ways in which syntax makes this communication possible. We will explore this syntactic diversity by going hands-on with real data from a variety of languages - including specific languages of your choice.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

Language and music are two uniquely human enterprises with a number of parallels: both rely on sound and/or signs, display hierarchical organization and culturally-specific practices, and can convey both communicative and social meaning. This course examines the intersection of language and music from a linguistic perspective. We will engage with questions such as: How can syntax, phonology, and morphology change when language is sung instead of signed or spoken?  How do speakers of tone languages understand lyrics in sung melodies? Is hip hop different in different languages? What does it mean to study melody and rhythm in language? Can music help people learn languages? How do drum- and whistle-languages work? How does music contribute to language revitalization? No musical ability is required.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WC

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

Human beings have an unprecedented ability to shape the environment around them, yet the environment powerfully shapes both individuals and species. Two main questions run throughout this course: 1. How does language influence the way we think about and perceive nature, which in turn influences the way we interact with and shape nature? 2. How has our environment shaped the Language faculty and individual languages? To answer these questions, we'll start by asking, what is language and what is nature? Then we'll turn to the way that our environment has impacted the evolution of Language. Next we'll look at indigenous knowledge as it is encoded by language and the Linguistic Relativity Hypothesis, which says that language influences the way we perceive the world. With this as background, we'll look at the language of environmental discourse. Next, using the metaphor of ecology, we'll examine languages as if they were organisms and analyze the ecosystems that sustain them. Knowing what makes a healthy language, we'll look at endangered languages and the connections between linguistic diversity and biodiversity.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WA

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

When communication takes place across language barriers, it raises fundamental questions about meaning, style, power relationships, and traditions. This course treats literary translation as a particularly complex form of cross-cultural interaction. Students will work on their own translations of prose or poetry while considering broader questions of translation, through critiques of existing translations, close comparisons of variant translations, and readings on cultural and theoretical aspects of literary translation. Prerequisite(s): Advanced proficiency in a second language required.

General Education Requirements:
Internationalism

Distribution Requirements:
Humanities

Course Materials

A linguistic survey of the Spanish language aimed at improving pronunciation and increasing comprehension of the structure of the language, deepening students' understanding of the sound system, word formation, grammar and meaning. Study will emphasize phonetics and provide an introduction to transcription, phonology, morphology and syntax, as well as provide an overview of linguistic change and geographic variation. This course satisfies the Area 3 requirement for the Hispanic and Latin American Studies major. Prerequisite(s): SPAN 305 or SPAN 306 or consent of instructor.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Humanities

Course Materials

In this course, students will examine the different varieties of Spanish in the US and the effects of the linguistic contact between Spanish and English. Sociolinguistic aspects relevant to language contact will be addressed, as will related issues such as immigration patterns, bilingualism, Spanglish, and bilingual education. This course satisfies the Area 3 requirement for the Spanish major. Prerequisite(s): SPAN 305 and another 300-level Spanish course or consent of the instructor. SPAN 309 recommended.

General Education Requirements:
U.S. Identities and Differences

Distribution Requirements:
Humanities

Course Materials

In this course, which is required for all linguistics majors, students meet with one or more bilingual speakers of a language unknown to them, and attempt by means of elicitation and analysis of texts to understand its structure.  This course is part two of the linguistics capstone. Prerequisite(s): LING 300.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

An overview of research projects on the acquisition of Spanish as a second language. Students will learn about the theoretical approaches used in these studies as well as the effects of various pedagogical approaches on the development of Spanish interlanguage systems. While the focus of the course is on the acquisition of Spanish as a second language, students will gain a broad and useful understanding of different pedagogical issues directly related to the acquisition/learning process(es) of other second languages. This course satisfies the Area 3 requirement for the Spanish major. Prerequisite(s): SPAN 309 or consent of the instructor.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Humanities

Course Materials

This workshop for advanced students of Japanese explores the craft and cultural implications of Japanese-to-English literary translation. It aims to give students not only a facility and sophistication in translating Japanese, but also a closer familiarity with the Japanese language itself. Through weekly translation assignments, we will examine the expressive qualities of the Japanese language, tracing major developments of prose style in the modern period and studying the socio-historical context manifested in those linguistic innovations. Our work will be informed and enhanced by engagements with theories of translation as well as essays on Japanese-to-English translation specifically. We will cover a broad range of genres, including essays, poetry, manga, and film (subtitles). The course will culminate in an original project translating a Japanese work of one's choice. Prerequisite(s): JAPA 305 - Third Year Japanese I or higher.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Humanities

Course Materials

In this course, we will learn advanced research methods in linguistics, and embark on the publication process together. Students will work collaboratively on two research projects- one regarding sexual orientation, and the other, gender identity. Tasks include: recruiting participants, data collection, analysis, measuring, summarizing previous research, and writing up results. Our long-term goals are to publish in a professional journal and/or present at a national conference presentation(s). Students must know the IPA, knowledge of acoustics is a plus. Prerequisites: LING 104 and 304, or permission of instructor.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials