Linguistics (LIN)

This course delves into issues in language and culture from a linguistic perspective. It explores the complex intersections of language, culture, race, ethnicity, and gender through social interactions and their dynamics. Students learn about and discuss the tools and techniques that inform inquiry in these frameworks in order to better understand issues of language and inequality, language and power, language ideology, and the construction of social relationships. Students also consider language change, including language shift, pidgins, creoles, and language endangerment. Conducted in English.

Introduces the study of language and its subcomponents: syntax, semantics, morphology, phonetics, and phonology. Focuses on how these components of language work and interact to inform linguistic systems from various world languages. Applies this knowledge to the study of language use in social contexts and human interaction, writing systems, language change, and language acquisition. Conducted in English.

Explores theories of second language acquisition and presents language teaching methodologies and their applications with regard to the concepts of proficiency and the communicative language classroom. Concepts will be applied through crafting, sharing and discussing individual classroom activities, assessments, lesson and unit plans. Teaching demonstrations by students provide practical experience in the classroom setting for future language teachers. Conducted in English. French and/or Spanish major or minor is required.

Introduces major issues related to intercultural communication in order to develop skills to build and maintain positive communication and relationships across cultures. Students will explore the definition, nature, and manifestation of culture while examining their own values, traditions and beliefs. Students will develop skills necessary to analyze episodes of intercultural interaction, and to reflect on their own communication behavior in intercultural settings, exploring similarities and differences in language usage, nonverbal style, and pragmatic issues such as politeness in order to see how these influence face-to-face communication between individuals of different cultural backgrounds. Conducted in English.

This course introduces theories and research associated with second language acquisition (SLA). It presents the major research issues, both theoretical and empirical, of the field, and identifies the principles and processes that govern second language learning and use. Important factors in SLA are discussed with attention to understanding their impact on language learning. Topics include but are not limited to second-language development, variability in learner language, input/output, social, cognitive, and affective factors influencing acquisition, naturalistic vs. tutored SLA, and language pedagogy. Conducted in English.

These courses offer the opportunity for in-depth study of additional areas of linguistics, including but not limited to subfields of linguistics, such as phonetics/phonology, syntax, morphology, historical linguistics, or applied fields such as psycholinguistics, language acquisition, or forensic linguistics.