Undergraduate Courses

Introduces students to human language, the fundamental role it plays in human communities and interactions, and its complex, systematic inner workings. Dispels common myths about language and ask questions such as: How do babies learn language? Do animals have language? Can humans invent languages? What is a dialect? How do languages differ and change? Limited to three attempts.

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.

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.

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.

Introduces some of the central questions and techniques in Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Computational Linguistics (CL). Provides foundations for developing further interest in linguistics by using contemporary quantitative and computational techniques to investigate the statistical nature of linguistic patterns and human communication. Of interest to students considering employment in the expanding area of technology and language. Limited to three attempts.

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.

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.

Nature and form of syntactic theory, and examination and analysis of the properties of several major natural language syntactic structures. Limited to three attempts.

Explores word-level patterns of variation in language. Provides an overview of current approaches to morphology, morphological variation in world languages, and the dominant descriptive and theoretical models of this variation. Discusses connections to typology, psycholinguistics, and computational approaches. Limited to three attempts.

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.

Study of select topics in linguistics. May be repeated when topic is different. May be repeated within the term for a maximum 6 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.