Course description
Specialization in TESL: 120 credits
* 57 credits in Phonology, Grammar, Language Acquisition, Computers in Language Learning, Internships and Methods
* 15 credits in Education
* 6 elective credits in English
* 9 elective credits in English Literature
* 6 elective credits in Modern Languages
* 27 elective credits chosen from a list approved by the Department
LING 200 Introduction to Linguistic Science (3 credits)
This course provides an introduction to the principles of general linguistics for beginners in the field. There is an emphasis on synchronic linguistic analysis, with a brief examination of historical and comparative linguistics.
LING 222 Language and Mind: The Chomskyan Program (3 credits)
This course uses language as a tool to examine the workings of the human mind. It approaches the study of language from the perspective of generative grammar as developed by Noam Chomsky and his collaborators. It deals with patterns of linguistic structure, rather than content or meaning. The goal of this course is to develop an understanding of the field of cognitive science (the study of knowledge and the mind/brain) and determine how linguistics fits in with disciplines like the study of vision, auditory perception and reasoning.
NOTE: Students who have received credit for LINZ 222 or for this topic under a LING 398 number may not take this course for credit.
LING 298 Selected Topics in Linguistics (3 credits)
Specific topics for this course, and prerequisites relevant in each case, will be stated in the Undergraduate Class Schedule.
LING 300 Sociolinguistics (3 credits)
A study of the beliefs, interrelationships, and values of societal groups as reflected in language.NOTE: Students who have received credit for LINZ 300 may not take this course for credit.
LING 315 Syntactic Theory (3 credits)
Prerequisite: LING 200. This course represents a survey of contemporary syntactic theory, with a focus on Government-Binding theory and its descendants. Phrase structure, movement, and the relevance of syntactic theory for theories of syntactic acquisition are considered.
NOTE: Students who have received credit for LING 400 may not take this course for credit.
LING 320 Semantics (3 credits)
This course introduces the basic notions required for formal analysis of meaning within a theory of language. The central objective is the development of a system for the representation of the logical structure of natural language. Contemporary works in linguistic semantics are critically examined.
LING 330 Sanskrit (3 credits)
Prerequisite: LING 200 previously or concurrently. This course provides an accelerated introduction to the fundamentals of Sanskrit grammar through the reading of texts, first in transliteration and later in devanāgarī. Particular attention is given to the language of the Rig-Veda, and its significance for the reconstruction of Proto-Indo-European.
LING 336 Comparative Indo-European Linguistics (3 credits)
Prerequisite: LING 200. Through a comparative study of the phonology of the various branches of the Indo-European language family (Indo-Iranian, Hellenic, Italic, Germanic, Slavic, Baltic, etc.), this course familiarizes the student with the techniques used in linguistic reconstruction. Emphasis is given to the development and differentiation of languages through time.
NOTE: Students who have received credit for LING 431 may not take this course for credit.
LING 341 Introduction to Romance Linguistics (3 credits)
A study of the modern Romance languages, especially French, Italian, and Spanish, and their development from Latin.
LING 353 Psycholinguistics (3 credits)
Prerequisite: LING 200 or PSYC 200 previously or concurrently. This course treats current issues in the experimental evaluation of linguistic theories, presenting both methodological concerns and empirical results. Topics covered include sentence processing, speech perception, lexical access and language development.
NOTE: Students who have received credit for this topic under a LING 398 number may not take this course for credit.
LING 372 Descriptive and Instrumental Phonetics (3 credits)
Description of speech sounds in articulatory terms. Identification and description of sounds that occur outside the Indo-European family of languages. Description of speech sounds as to their acoustic qualities: frequency, amplitude, pitch, stress. Interpretation of sound spectrograms.
LING 373 Phonological Analysis (3 credits)
Prerequisite: LING 200 and/or 372, or permission of the Department. The fundamentals of distinctive-feature analysis as developed by Jakobson, Chomsky, and Halle. Theoretical concepts and notational techniques are emphasized. Extensive training in data analysis and rule writing.
LING 380 Morphology (3 credits)
Prerequisite: LING 373. This course consists of a survey of linguistic morphology, the study of word structure, and the tools used to perform morphological analysis. The course also gives some consideration to the issues relating to a theory of morphology.
NOTE: Students who have received credit for this topic under a LING 398 number may not take this course for credit.
LING 398 Selected Topics in Linguistics (3 credits)
Specific topics for this course, and prerequisites relevant in each case, will be stated in the Undergraduate Class Schedule.
LING 415 Advanced Syntax (3 credits)
Prerequisite: LING 315. This course considers current developments in the field of syntactic theory and their application to phenomena such as control, movement out of islands and binding.
NOTE: Students may take this course twice for credit provided the subject matter is different.
LING 420 Language Change (3 credits)
Prerequisite: LING 200. This course concentrates on the nature of language change, with an investigation into the relationship between theories of linguistic structure and theories of change. The theoretical foundations of contemporary methods in the study of language change are the central focus.
NOTE: Students who have received credit for this topic under a LING 398 number may not take this course for credit.
LING 421 Non-Indo-European Structures (3 credits)
Prerequisite: LING 200, 373. This course is intended to give the student an in-depth acquaintance with the structure of a language which differs markedly from that of familiar Indo-European languages. The course involves working with a native speaker and/or from textual material.
LING 425 Language Acquisition and Universal Grammar (3 credits)
Prerequisite: LING 373. This course presents a survey of theoretical and empirical issues in the study of first language (L1) acquisition by children. Particular attention is paid to the role of Universal Grammar and innateness in explaining L1 acquisition, as well as to the significance of fundamental theoretical notions such as the competence/performance distinction.
NOTE: Students who have received credit for this topic under a LING 498 number may not take this course for credit.
LING 429 Interfaces in Linguistic Theory (3 credits)
Prerequisite: LING 373. This course presents, in considerable depth, current research on the formal relationships which hold between the modules of grammar, e.g. phonology-syntax, or syntax-semantics. The general problem of interfaces, and their relationship to assumptions such as modularity, are discussed. The particular interface covered may vary from year to year.
NOTE: Students may take this course twice for credit provided the subject matter is different. Students who have received credit for a particular topic under a LING 498 number may not take this course for credit unless the subject matter is different.
LING 436 Advanced Indo-European Studies (3 credits)
Prerequisite: LING 336 previously or concurrently. Detailed study of the synchronic and diachronic grammars of one or more Indo-European dialects essential to the reconstruction of the proto-language. Extensive readings are undertaken in both original texts and in scholarly contributions to their elucidation. Emphasis is placed on current issues and research in the field.
LING 437 Problems in Indo-European Comparative Grammar (3 credits)
Prerequisite: LING 336 previously or concurrently. This course explores one or more areas of Indo-European comparative grammar of particular interest in current research. Extensive reading in the scholarly literature is undertaken with emphasis on the principles by which hypotheses in historical linguistics can be framed and the criteria for testing such hypotheses.
LING 446 Comparative Grammar of Greek and Latin (3 credits)
Prerequisite: LING 200 or CLAS 280 or 290. A study of the similarities and differences in the phonology and morphology of Ancient Greek and Latin. Some attention is also given to issues of syntax and the lexicon.
LING 447 Mycenaean Greek (3 credits)
Prerequisite: LING 200 or CLAS 280. Dating from the fourteenth to the twelfth century BCE, Mycenaean — the language of the Linear B tablets — is the earliest form of Greek attested. In this course, selected documents will be read, both in transliteration and in the Mycenaean syllabary, with attention both to linguistic and to cultural issues.
NOTE: Students who have received credit for this topic under a LING 498 number may not take this course for credit.
LING 456 Homeric Greek (3 credits)
Prerequisite: LING 200 or CLAS 280. An examination of the language of Homer, an artificial mixture of dialectal and diachronic variants, a Kunstsprache. Against the background of a study of the comparative and historical grammar of Greek and its development from Proto-Indo-European, the focus is on diachronic aspects of Homeric grammar and diction. Readings are principally from Books One and Three of the Iliad.
LING 457 Archaic Latin and the Italic Dialects (3 credits)
Prerequisite: LING 200 or CLAS 290. A study of inscriptions in archaic Latin and the ancient Italic dialects Oscan and Umbrian. Examination of the main features of phonology, morphology, syntax and the lexicon which distinguish Osco-Umbrian from Latin, with reference to their development from Proto-Indo-European.
LING 461 Hittite (3 credits)
Prerequisite: LING 330 or 336 previously or concurrently. The fundamentals of Hittite grammar are presented through the extensive reading of texts, both in transliteration and cuneiform. Considerable attention is given to problems of comparative grammar.
LING 473 Advanced Phonology (3 credits)
Prerequisite: LING 373. This course treats current issues in the theory of phonology, such as syllable structure, stress computation, vowel harmony and tonology. Critical readings from the current theoretical literature form the basis for discussion and study.
NOTE: Students who have received credit for this topic under a LING 498 number may not take this course for credit.
LING 475 History of Linguistics (3 credits)
Prerequisite: LING 373. This course examines the history of linguistics, with a particular focus on the structuralist predecessors of contemporary linguistic theorists. Both North American and European schools of thought are considered. Extensive reading of fundamental texts is required.
NOTE: Students who have received credit for this topic under a LING 498 number may not take this course for credit.
LING 490 Research Seminar in Linguistics (3 credits)
Prerequisite: Permission of the Department. This course provides students with the opportunity for advanced research in linguistics under the direct supervision of a faculty member. Participants will write a theoretical or experimental paper and present their findings for discussion with fellow students.
NOTE: Students may take this course only once for credit.
LING 495 Tutorial (3 credits)
Prerequisite: Permission of the Department. This course provides students with the opportunity to study a topic of individual interest under the guidance of a faculty member.
NOTE: Students may take this course twice for credit provided the subject matter is different.
LING 498 Advanced Topics in Linguistics (3 credits)
Specific topics for this course, and prerequisites relevant in each case, will be stated in the Undergraduate Class Schedule.
