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Linguistics Courses

Undergraduate

300-Level Courses in LING

LING 306: General Linguistics (3 Credits)

Overview of grammatical structure of English including world classes, phrases, and complex sentences. Analyzes English grammar using modern syntactic theory. Students engage in language description through problem solving. Limited to three attempts.
Mason Core: Social/Behavioral Sciences
Schedule Type: Lecture, Recitation

LING 307: English Grammar (3 Credits)

Overview of grammatical structure of English including word classes, phrases, and complex sentences. Analyzes English grammar using modern syntactic theory. Students engage in language description through problem solving. Equivalent to ENGH 307.
Schedule Type: Lecture, Recitation

400-Level Courses in LING

LING 450: Introduction to Sociolinguistics (3 Credits)

Overview of the study of language variation and change. Topics to be covered include the interaction between language and social factors (age, sex, social class), dialects of English, speech communities, language contact, and language and gender. Limited to three attempts.
Recommended Prerequisite: LING 306.
Schedule Type: Lecture
Grading:
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.

LING 480: First Language Acquisition (3 Credits)

Examines first language acquisition from a linguistic perspective. Covers the development of a first phonology, syntax, and semantics. Emphasizes research methods in the study of child language. Limited to three attempts.
Mason Core: Capstone
Specialized Designation: Research/Scholarship Intensive
Registration Restrictions:

Required Prerequisite: LING 306C.
C Requires minimum grade of C.

Schedule Type: Lecture
Grading:
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.

LING 485: Semantics and Pragmatics (3 Credits)

Developments in theoretical linguistics that explore how language form is related to meaning and context. Topics include reference, lexical semantics, logic, quantification, truth conditions and sentential meaning, presuppositions, and speech acts. Limited to three attempts.
Recommended Prerequisite: LING 306.
Schedule Type: Lecture

LING 486: Syntax I (3 Credits)

Nature and form of syntactic theory, and examination and analysis of the properties of several major natural language syntactic structures. Limited to three attempts.
Recommended Prerequisite: LING 306.
Schedule Type: Lecture

LING 490: Generative Phonology (3 Credits)

Sound systems of English and other languages from perspectives of phonological theory. Topics include articulatory phonetics, distinctive features, nature of phonological representations, rhythm and stress, and phonological universals and constraints. Limited to three attempts.
Recommended Prerequisite: LING 306.
Schedule Type: Lecture
Grading:
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.

LING 499: Independent Study (1-3 Credits)

Intensive study of particular theoretical problem in linguistics conducted by student in close consultation with instructor. Student produces substantial piece of written work on research findings. Notes: May be repeated with permission of instructor. May be repeated within the degree for a maximum 6 credits.
Recommended Prerequisite: LING 326 and 3 other LING credits and permission of instructor.
Schedule Type: Independent Study
Grading:
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.

Graduate

500-Level Courses in LING

LING 507: Field Work in Applied Linguistics (3 Credits)

Field work providing working experience in language-teaching program or educational research organization. Notes: Contact the department one semester prior to enrollment. May be repeated within the degree for a maximum 6 credits.
Recommended Prerequisite: LING 326, 520, 521, or 582.
Registration Restrictions:

Enrollment limited to students with a class of Advanced to Candidacy, Graduate, Non-Degree or Senior Plus.

Enrollment is limited to Graduate, Non-Degree or Undergraduate level students.

Students in a Non-Degree Undergraduate degree may not enroll.

Schedule Type: Lecture
Grading:
This course is graded on the Graduate Regular scale.

LING 520: Introduction to Linguistics (3 Credits)

Introduces terminology and methodology of modern linguistic science, and detailed structural analysis of English phonology, morphology, and syntax. May not be repeated for credit.
Registration Restrictions:

Enrollment limited to students with a class of Advanced to Candidacy, Graduate, Non-Degree or Senior Plus.

Enrollment is limited to Graduate, Non-Degree or Undergraduate level students.

Students in a Non-Degree Undergraduate degree may not enroll.

Schedule Type: Lecture

LING 521: Applied Linguistics: Teaching English as a Second Language (3 Credits)

Theories and basic principles of teaching a second language, especially as they relate to English language. Introduces students to methods of teaching English to speakers of other languages. May not be repeated for credit.
Recommended Prerequisite: LING 306, 520, 690, or 786.
Registration Restrictions:

Enrollment limited to students with a class of Advanced to Candidacy, Graduate, Non-Degree or Senior Plus.

Enrollment is limited to Graduate, Non-Degree or Undergraduate level students.

Students in a Non-Degree Undergraduate degree may not enroll.

Schedule Type: Lecture
Grading:
This course is graded on the Graduate Regular scale.

LING 522: Modern English Grammar (3 Credits)

Overview of structure of modern English beginning with word classes and ending with analyses of complex sentences. Most topics introduced as problems of language description; in solving them, principles of syntactic argumentation are demonstrated. Students learn to tap intuitions about English to analyze grammatical structure. May not be repeated for credit.
Recommended Prerequisite: One linguistics course or permission of instructor.
Registration Restrictions:

Enrollment limited to students with a class of Advanced to Candidacy, Graduate, Non-Degree or Senior Plus.

Enrollment is limited to Graduate, Non-Degree or Undergraduate level students.

Students in a Non-Degree Undergraduate degree may not enroll.

Schedule Type: Lecture

LING 523: English Phonetics (3 Credits)

In-depth description and analysis of sound system processes of modern English. Topics include segmental phonetics, syllable structure, connected speech, and prosodic phenomena. Also addresses implications for language instruction. May not be repeated for credit.
Registration Restrictions:

Enrollment limited to students with a class of Advanced to Candidacy, Graduate, Non-Degree or Senior Plus.

Enrollment is limited to Graduate, Non-Degree or Undergraduate level students.

Students in a Non-Degree Undergraduate degree may not enroll.

Schedule Type: Lecture

LING 525: Practicum in ESL (3 Credits)

Involves preparation and presentation of lessons to adult English as second language (ESL) learners under guidance of mentor teacher and practicum professor. Field experience consists of observation and teaching in assigned ESL classroom. May not be repeated for credit.
Recommended Prerequisite: LING 521.
Registration Restrictions:

Enrollment limited to students with a class of Advanced to Candidacy, Graduate, Non-Degree or Senior Plus.

Enrollment is limited to Graduate, Non-Degree or Undergraduate level students.

Students in a Non-Degree Undergraduate degree may not enroll.

Schedule Type: Internship
Grading:
This course is graded on the Satisfactory/No Credit scale.

LING 580: First Language Acquisition (3 Credits)

Examines first language acquisition from a linguistic perspective. Covers the development of a first phonology, syntax, and semantics. Methodology in studying child language is discussed. May not be repeated for credit.
Recommended Prerequisite: LING 520 or one of the following: LING 690, 786, 785 or permission of instructor.
Registration Restrictions:

Enrollment limited to students with a class of Advanced to Candidacy, Graduate, Non-Degree or Senior Plus.

Enrollment is limited to Graduate, Non-Degree or Undergraduate level students.

Students in a Non-Degree Undergraduate degree may not enroll.

Schedule Type: Lecture
Grading:
This course is graded on the Graduate Regular scale.

LING 581: Psycholinguistics (3 Credits)

Study of mental and psychological aspects of human language, including aphasia, association, autism, language acquisition, verbal concept formation, and perception. May not be repeated for credit.
Recommended Prerequisite: LING 520, 690, or 786; or permission of instructor.
Registration Restrictions:

Enrollment limited to students with a class of Advanced to Candidacy, Graduate, Non-Degree or Senior Plus.

Enrollment is limited to Graduate, Non-Degree or Undergraduate level students.

Students in a Non-Degree Undergraduate degree may not enroll.

Schedule Type: Lecture
Grading:
This course is graded on the Graduate Regular scale.

LING 582: Second Language Acquisition (3 Credits)

Examines second language (L2) acquisition from linguistic perspective. Compares first and second language acquisition. Explores factors contributing to L2 variation, including linguistic universals, transfer, age, input, and affective considerations. May not be repeated for credit.
Recommended Prerequisite: LING 306, 520, 690, or 786; or permission of instructor.
Registration Restrictions:

Enrollment limited to students with a class of Advanced to Candidacy, Graduate, Non-Degree or Senior Plus.

Enrollment is limited to Graduate, Non-Degree or Undergraduate level students.

Students in a Non-Degree Undergraduate degree may not enroll.

Schedule Type: Lecture

600-Level Courses in LING

LING 650: Introduction to Sociolinguistics (3 Credits)

An overview of the study of language variation and change. Topics to be covered include the interaction between language and social factors (age, sex, social class), dialects of English, speech communities, language contact, and language and gender. May not be repeated for credit.
Recommended Prerequisite: LING 520, 523, or 690.
Registration Restrictions:

Enrollment limited to students with a class of Advanced to Candidacy, Graduate, Non-Degree or Senior Plus.

Enrollment is limited to Graduate, Non-Degree or Undergraduate level students.

Students in a Non-Degree Undergraduate degree may not enroll.

Schedule Type: Lecture
Grading:
This course is graded on the Graduate Regular scale.

LING 686: Special Topics in Linguistics (3 Credits)

Detailed advanced study of selected area of linguistics. Notes: Content varies. May be repeated for credit with permission of department. May not be repeated for credit.
Specialized Designation: Topic Varies
Registration Restrictions:

Enrollment limited to students with a class of Advanced to Candidacy, Graduate, Non-Degree or Senior Plus.

Enrollment is limited to Graduate, Non-Degree or Undergraduate level students.

Students in a Non-Degree Undergraduate degree may not enroll.

Schedule Type: Lecture

LING 690: Generative Phonology (3 Credits)

Sound systems of English and other languages from the perspective of phonological theory. Topics include articulatory phonetics, distinctive features, nature of phonological representations and processes, rule ordering, abstractness, role of external evidence, and nonlinear phonology. May not be repeated for credit.
Registration Restrictions:

Enrollment limited to students with a class of Advanced to Candidacy, Graduate, Non-Degree or Senior Plus.

Enrollment is limited to Graduate, Non-Degree or Undergraduate level students.

Students in a Non-Degree Undergraduate degree may not enroll.

Schedule Type: Lecture
Grading:
This course is graded on the Graduate Regular scale.

LING 691: Theories of Language (3 Credits)

Seminar in linguistic metatheory. Examines wide range of theories about language and linguistic theory, including those of Saussure, Bloomfield, Chomsky, and others. Readings from original sources. May not be repeated for credit.
Recommended Prerequisite: LING 520, 690, or 786; or permission of instructor.
Registration Restrictions:

Enrollment limited to students with a class of Advanced to Candidacy, Graduate, Non-Degree or Senior Plus.

Enrollment is limited to Graduate, Non-Degree or Undergraduate level students.

Students in a Non-Degree Undergraduate degree may not enroll.

Schedule Type: Lecture
Grading:
This course is graded on the Graduate Regular scale.

LING 692: Phonology II (3 Credits)

Recent trends in phonological theory. Topics include stress assignment, tone spreading, and vowel harmony, from within nonlinear framework. Discusses segmental structure and underspecification. May not be repeated for credit.
Recommended Prerequisite: LING 690.
Registration Restrictions:

Enrollment limited to students with a class of Advanced to Candidacy, Graduate, Non-Degree or Senior Plus.

Enrollment is limited to Graduate, Non-Degree or Undergraduate level students.

Students in a Non-Degree Undergraduate degree may not enroll.

Schedule Type: Lecture

700-Level Courses in LING

LING 770: Research Methods (3 Credits)

Conceptualizing and conducting second language research, including process of developing research questions, gathering data, obtaining permission from institutional review board, choosing data collection measures, and coding linguistic and nonlinguistic data. May not be repeated for credit.
Recommended Prerequisite: LING 690 or LING 785 or LING 786, and LING 582, or permission of the instructor.
Registration Restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Graduate or Non-Degree level students.

Students in a Non-Degree Undergraduate degree may not enroll.

Schedule Type: Lecture
Grading:
This course is graded on the Graduate Regular scale.

LING 782: Second Language Acquisition II (3 Credits)

Advanced course in second-language acquisition theory. Detailed analysis of internal and external constraints. Variation addressed from linguistic, psychological, and environmental perspectives. May not be repeated for credit.
Recommended Prerequisite: LING 582 or permission of instructor.
Registration Restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Graduate or Non-Degree level students.

Students in a Non-Degree Undergraduate degree may not enroll.

Schedule Type: Lecture
Grading:
This course is graded on the Graduate Regular scale.

LING 785: Semantics and Pragmatics (3 Credits)

Developments in theoretical linguistics that explore how language form relates to meaning and context. Topics include reference, lexical semantics, logic, quantification, truth conditions and sentential meaning, presuppositions, and speech acts. May not be repeated for credit.
Recommended Prerequisite: LING 520, 690, or 786; or permission of instructor.
Registration Restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Graduate or Non-Degree level students.

Students in a Non-Degree Undergraduate degree may not enroll.

Schedule Type: Lecture

LING 786: Syntax I (3 Credits)

Nature and form of syntactic theory. Examines and analyzes properties of several major natural language syntactic structures. May not be repeated for credit.
Registration Restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Graduate or Non-Degree level students.

Students in a Non-Degree Undergraduate degree may not enroll.

Schedule Type: Lecture

LING 787: Syntax II (3 Credits)

Theoretical treatment of syntactic phenomena that have emerged as standard problems for syntactic analysis. Problems include binding, extraction, and quantification. Extensive reading in primary theoretical literature. May not be repeated for credit.
Recommended Prerequisite: LING 786.
Registration Restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Graduate or Non-Degree level students.

Students in a Non-Degree Undergraduate degree may not enroll.

Schedule Type: Lecture
Grading:
This course is graded on the Graduate Regular scale.

LING 788: Semantics and Pragmatics II (3 Credits)

Advanced course in semantic and pragmatic theory. Study of meaning under truth-conditional, model-theoretic framework explored and related to syntax and pragmatics. May not be repeated for credit.
Recommended Prerequisite: LING 785 or permission of instructor.
Registration Restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Graduate or Non-Degree level students.

Students in a Non-Degree Undergraduate degree may not enroll.

Schedule Type: Lecture
Grading:
This course is graded on the Graduate Regular scale.

LING 798: Directed Reading and Research (1-3 Credits)

Reading, research, and writing on specific project under direction of departmental member. Notes: Open only to students who have completed at least 18 credits of LING courses. Prior approval by faculty member required. Written report required. May be repeated with permission of director. May be repeated within the degree for a maximum 6 credits.
Recommended Prerequisite: 18 credits of linguistics courses.
Registration Restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Graduate or Non-Degree level students.

Students in a Non-Degree Undergraduate degree may not enroll.

Schedule Type: Thesis
Grading:
This course is graded on the Graduate Special scale.

LING 799: Thesis (1-6 Credits)

Students who take LING 798 to develop thesis topic and then elect thesis option receive 3 credits after completing thesis. Students who do not take LING 798, or who take it to work on project unrelated to thesis, receive up to 6 credits after completing thesis. May be repeated within the degree.
Recommended Prerequisite: Open only to students who have completed at least 18 credits of LING courses.
Registration Restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Graduate or Non-Degree level students.

Students in a Non-Degree Undergraduate degree may not enroll.

Schedule Type: Thesis
Grading:
This course is graded on the Satisfactory/No Credit scale.

800-Level Courses in LING

LING 882: Seminar in Language Acquisition (3 Credits)

Advanced topics seminar in current language acquisition theory. Notes: Topics vary. May be repeated within the term for a maximum 9 credits.
Recommended Prerequisite: LING 782 or permission of the instructor.
Registration Restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Schedule Type: Seminar

LING 886: Advanced Syntax Seminar (3 Credits)

Advanced course in current syntactic theory. Notes: Topics vary. May be repeated within the term for a maximum 9 credits.
Recommended Prerequisite: LING 786, LING 787, or permission of instructor.
Registration Restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Schedule Type: Seminar

LING 890: Advanced Phonology Seminar (3 Credits)

Advanced topics seminar in current phonological theory. Notes: Topics vary. May be repeated within the term for a maximum 9 credits.
Recommended Prerequisite: LING 692 or permission of instructor.
Registration Restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Schedule Type: Seminar
Grading:
This course is graded on the Graduate Regular scale.

LING 897: Independent study (3 Credits)

Independent reading on a topic agreed on by student and faculty member. May be repeated within the degree for a maximum 12 credits.
Recommended Prerequisite: PhD rank or permission of instructor.
Registration Restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Schedule Type: Independent Study
Grading:
This course is graded on the Graduate Regular scale.

LING 898: Advanced Qualifying Seminar (3 Credits)

Work on PhD qualifying paper. May be repeated within the term for a maximum 6 credits.
Recommended Prerequisite: Completion of 33 credits of core courses in linguistics.
Registration Restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Schedule Type: Seminar

900-Level Courses in LING

LING 998: Doctoral Dissertation Proposal (1-6 Credits)

Work on research proposal that forms basis for the doctoral dissertation. May be repeated within the degree.
Recommended Prerequisite: Advancement to candidacy.
Registration Restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Schedule Type: Dissertation
Grading:
This course is graded on the Satisfactory/No Credit scale.

LING 999: Doctoral Dissertation (1-12 Credits)

Doctoral dissertation research and writing under direction of student's dissertation committee. May be repeated within the degree.
Recommended Prerequisite: LING 998.
Registration Restrictions:

Enrollment limited to students with a class of Advanced to Candidacy.

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Schedule Type: Dissertation
Grading:
This course is graded on the Satisfactory/No Credit scale.