Linguistics
(Interdepartmental Program)
Undergraduate Study
Linguistics is a cross-disciplinary program in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences designed to meet the needs of students interested in various aspects of language—its structure, history, varieties, meanings, and uses. The program includes courses in anthropology, English, computer science, psychology, and speech communication and world languages and cultures, thus providing a multi-disciplinary approach to the study of human language.
Courses in linguistics serve as background for students interested in any career that involves working with language, such as linguistic anthropology, computational linguistics, second language studies, teaching English both as a first and as a second language, psycholinguistics, cross-cultural communication, speech-language pathology and audiology.
In the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, courses in linguistics can be applied as electives or as part of the group requirements. They may also be used in a minor or in a major.
Majors in linguistics complete a minimum of 36 hours in linguistics with a grade of C or better in each linguistics course. Courses specifically required are:
| LING 119 | Introduction to World Languages | 3 |
| LING 120 | Computers and Language | 3 |
| LING 207 | Introduction to Symbolic Logic | 3 |
| LING 219 | Introduction to Linguistics | 3 |
| LING 220 | Descriptive English Grammar | 3 |
| LING 309 | Introduction to Culture and Language | 3 |
| LING 371 | Phonetics and Phonology | 3 |
| LING 413 | Psychology of Language | 3 |
| LING 420 | History of the English Language | 3 |
| LING 437 | Grammatical Analysis | 3 |
In addition, linguistics majors must choose 6 credits of courses from one or more of the following areas:
Communication Disorders
| LING 275 | Introduction to Communication Disorders | 3 |
| LING 286 | Basic Sign Language | 3 |
| LING 471 | Language Development | 3 |
Computational Linguistics
| LING 331 | Theory of Computing | 3 |
| LING 520 | Computational Analysis of English | 3 |
Second Language Studies
| LING 425 | Second Language Learning and Teaching | 3 |
| LING 486 | Methods in Elementary School World Language Instruction | 3 |
| LING 487 | Methods in Secondary School World Language Instruction | 3 |
| LING 519 | Second Language Assessment | 3 |
| LING 524 | Literacy: Issues and Methods for Nonnative Speakers of English | 3 |
| LING 525 | Methods in Teaching Listening and Speaking Skills to Nonnative Speakers of English | 3 |
| LING 526 | Computer-Assisted Language Learning | 3 |
Sociolinguistics and Language
| LING 305 | Language, Thought and Action | 3 |
| LING 422 | Women, Men, and the English Language | 3 |
| LING 514 | Sociolinguistics | 3 |
| LING 527 | Discourse Analysis | 3 |
World Language
| LING 352 | Introduction to Spanish Phonology | 3 |
| LING 462 | Contrastive Analysis of Spanish/English for Translators | 3 |
| LING 463 | Hispanic Dialectology | 3 |
Additional courses on world languages are available through study abroad. Majors in linguistics must show proficiency in a foreign language equivalent to that achieved after two years of university-level study.
Minor
Minors in linguistics are individually tailored to the interests of the student, who consults with the chair of the supervisory committee for linguistics. All minors must have a minimum of 15 credits in linguistics, of which 6 must be in courses numbered over 300. All programs must include LING 219 Introduction to Linguistics.
Communication Proficiency requirement: The linguistics program requires grades of C+ or better in each of the following:
| ENGL 150 | Critical Thinking and Communication | 3 |
| ENGL 250 | Written, Oral, Visual, and Electronic Composition | 3 |
| or ENGL 250H | Written, Oral, Visual, and Electronic Composition, Honors | |
| One of the following: | 3 | |
| Creative Writing--Nonfiction | ||
| Technical Communication | ||
| Greek and Roman Tragedy and Comedy | ||
| Heroes of Greece, Rome, and Today. | ||
| Women and Men in the Ancient Mediterranean World | ||
| Classical Archaeology | ||
For information about using linguistics courses in an interdisciplinary studies major, see Liberal Arts and Sciences, Cross-Disciplinary Studies.
Graduate Study
A graduate minor in linguistics is offered through a cooperative agreement with the departments and programs of Anthropology, Computer Science, English, Psychology, Speech Communication, and World Languages and Cultures. The minor permits students to investigate a variety of aspects of linguistics, emphasizing the ability to think about language in a systematic and disciplined way and to apply the methods of the field to research problems in their own disciplines.
For the master’s degree, a declared minor consists of 9 credits in linguistics including two foundation courses:
| LING 511 | Introduction to Linguistic Analysis | 3 |
| One of the following: | 3 | |
| Sociolinguistics | ||
| Discourse Analysis | ||
| Grammatical Analysis | ||
And one elective from the list of courses approved for graduate credit.
For the Ph.D. degree, the minor consists of 12 credits in linguistics including:
| LING 511 | Introduction to Linguistic Analysis | 3 |
| LING 527 | Discourse Analysis | 3 |
| LING 537 | Grammatical Analysis | 3 |
| And one elective | 3 | |
Additional courses beyond those listed below may be used as electives. The chair of the supervisory committee can provide information about these.
At least one member of the linguistics faculty will serve on a student’s program of study committee. A list of faculty members may be obtained from the Linguistics program website. Ph.D. candidates will write one section of the preliminary examination on an area of linguistics. All students in the minor are expected to attend linguistics lectures and colloquia. Students in Teaching English as a Second Language/Applied Linguistics are not eligible for a graduate minor in linguistics.
Courses primarily for undergraduate students
LING 101. Introduction to the Study of Linguistics.
(1-0) Cr. 1.
S.
Cross-disciplinary perspectives on the study of linguistics. Applications of linguistics to real world problems. Careers in linguistics.
LING 119. Introduction to World Languages.
(Cross-listed with WLC). (3-0) Cr. 3.
Study of language diversity and the personal, social and political effects of diversity. Language families, attitudes toward language and dialects, language and culture, multilingualism, foreign language learning, written codes, official languages, and language policy.
Meets International Perspectives Requirement.
LING 120. Computers and Language.
(Cross-listed with ENGL). (3-0) Cr. 3.
Introduction to the use of linguistic knowledge in computer applications today and the basic computational techniques used in such applications. The development of these techniques throughout the history of computational linguistics. How the study of language has contributed to the advancement of technology and how certain computational problems have influenced the way linguists study language.
LING 207. Introduction to Symbolic Logic.
(Cross-listed with PHIL). (3-0) Cr. 3.
S.
Introduction to fundamental logical concepts and logical symbolism. Development of natural deduction through first order predicate logic with identity. Applications to arguments in ordinary English and to philosophical issues. Majors should take PHIL 207 as early as possible.
LING 219. Introduction to Linguistics.
(Cross-listed with ENGL). (3-0) Cr. 3.
F.S.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
Introduction to linguistic concepts and principles of linguistic analysis with English as the primary source of data. Sound and writing systems, sentence structure, vocabulary, and meaning. Issues in the study of usage, regional and social dialects, language acquisition, and language change.
LING 220. Descriptive English Grammar.
(Cross-listed with ENGL). (3-0) Cr. 3.
F.S.
Prereq: ENGL 250
Overview of grammatical structures and functions. Parts of speech; phrase, clause, and sentence structure; sentence types and sentence analysis; rhetorical grammar and sentence style; terminology. Not a remedial, English composition, or ESL course.
LING 275. Introduction to Communication Disorders.
(Cross-listed with CMDIS). (3-0) Cr. 3.
Survey of nature, causes, and types of major communication disorders including phonological, adult and child language, voice, cleft palate, fluency, and hearing disorders.
LING 286. Basic Sign Language.
(Cross-listed with CMDIS). (3-0) Cr. 3.
Development of basic skills in the use and understanding of signed English, a modification of American Sign Language. Overview of the types, causes and consequences of hearing impairment, deaf culture and the education of hearing-impaired children.
Meets U.S. Diversity Requirement
LING 305. Language, Thought and Action.
(Cross-listed with SP CM, COMST). (3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: ENGL 250
The study of symbolic processes and how meaning is conveyed in words, sentences, and utterances; discussion of modern theories of meaning; and an exploration of relationships among language, thought and action.
Nonmajor graduate credit.
LING 309. Introduction to Culture and Language.
(Cross-listed with ANTHR). (2-2) Cr. 3.
F.
Prereq: ANTHR 201
Language as a human attribute; language versus animal communication; human communication in cultural context; paralanguage, kinesics, proxemics, artifacts as communication; language and culture; cross-cultural sociolinguistics; ethnoscience; and language policies. Participatory lab: focus on analysis of a non-Western language and communication system.
Meets International Perspectives Requirement.
LING 331. Theory of Computing.
(Cross-listed with COM S). (3-1) Cr. 3.
F.S.
Prereq: C- or higher in 228, C- or higher in COM S 330 or CPR E 310, C- or higher in MATH 166, and ENGL 250.
Models of computation: finite state automata, pushdown automata and Turing machines. Study of grammars and their relation to automata. Limits of digital computation, unsolvability and Church-Turing thesis. Chomsky hierarchy and relations between classes of languages.
Nonmajor graduate credit.
LING 352. Introduction to Spanish Phonology.
(Cross-listed with SPAN). (3-0) Cr. 3.
F.S.
Prereq: Spanish 301, 303 or 304
An introductory study of the articulation, classification, distribution, and regional variations of the sounds of the Spanish language. Taught in Spanish.
Nonmajor graduate credit.
Meets International Perspectives Requirement.
LING 354. Introduction to Spanish-English Interpretation.
(Dual-listed with 554). (Cross-listed with SPAN). (3-0) Cr. 3.
F.S.
Prereq: SPAN 351
Introduction to the theory, methods, techniques, and problems of consecutive and simultaneous interpretation. Consideration of material from business, agriculture, law, design, medicine, literature, advertisement, and sports. Taught in Spanish.
Nonmajor graduate credit.
Meets International Perspectives Requirement.
LING 371. Phonetics and Phonology.
(Cross-listed with CMDIS). (3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: CMDIS 275 or ENGL 219
Analysis of speech through study of individual sounds, their variations, and relationships in context; English phonology; practice in auditory discrimination and transcription of sounds of American English; description of speech sounds in terms of their production, transmission, and perception.
LING 413. Psychology of Language.
(Cross-listed with PSYCH). (3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: PSYCH 101
Introduction to psycholinguistics. Topics may include origin of language, speech perception, language comprehension, reading, bilingualism, brain bases of language, and computational modeling of language processes.
Nonmajor graduate credit.
LING 420. History of the English Language.
(Cross-listed with ENGL). (3-0) Cr. 3.
F.S.
Prereq: ENGL 219, 220
Comparison of English to other languages by family background and by type. Analysis of representative Old, Middle, Early Modern and present-day English texts, including both literary works and non-literary documents.
Nonmajor graduate credit.
LING 422. Women, Men, and the English Language.
(Cross-listed with ENGL, W S). (3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: ENGL 219
The ways men and women differ in using language in varied settings and the ways in which language both creates and reflects gender divisions.
Nonmajor graduate credit.
Meets U.S. Diversity Requirement
LING 425. Second Language Learning and Teaching.
(Cross-listed with ENGL). (3-0) Cr. 3.
S.
Prereq: ENGL 219; junior classification
The process of second language learning and principles and techniques of teaching second languages. Learning and teaching in specific situations and for particular purposes. Current applications of technology in teaching and assessment.
Nonmajor graduate credit.
LING 437. Grammatical Analysis.
(Dual-listed with 537). (Cross-listed with ENGL). (3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: ENGL 220; junior classification
Theories and methods for analysis of English syntax with emphasis on recent syntactic theory.
LING 462. Contrastive Analysis of Spanish/English for Translators.
(Cross-listed with SPAN). (3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Spanish 351
Linguistic study of the major differences between the Spanish and English grammatical systems and their applications in the translation of Spanish to English. Taught in Spanish.
Nonmajor graduate credit.
LING 463. Hispanic Dialectology.
(Cross-listed with SPAN). (3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Spanish 352
Intensive study of the phonology, morphosyntax and lexicon of the Hispanic dialects of Spain and Latin America in their historical context. Taught in Spanish.
Nonmajor graduate credit.
Meets International Perspectives Requirement.
LING 471. Language Development.
(Cross-listed with CMDIS). (3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: CMDIS 275 or PSYCH 230 or ENGL 219
Definition of components of language. Overview of theories and developmental processes related to each component of linguistic skill (semantics, lexicon, syntax, morphology, phonology, pragmatics). Overview of normative information available for infants, children, adolescents, and adults. Attention to metalinguistic skills and the complementary nonlinguistic and paralinguistic skills.
Nonmajor graduate credit.
LING 486. Methods in Elementary School World Language Instruction.
(Cross-listed with C I, WLC). (3-0) Cr. 3.
F.
Prereq: 25 credits in a world language
Planning, implementation, and assessment of standards-based, student-centered, and thematic instruction in the elementary (K-8) classroom. Special emphasis on students' communicative skills, cultural knowledge, and content learning.
Nonmajor graduate credit.
LING 487. Methods in Secondary School World Language Instruction.
(Cross-listed with WLC, C I). (3-0) Cr. 3.
F.
Prereq: 25 credits in a world language, admission to teacher education program
Theories and principles of contemporary world language learning and teaching. Special emphasis on designing instruction and assessments for active learning.
LING 489. Undergraduate Seminar.
(Cross-listed with ENGL). (3-0) Cr. 3.
Repeatable. F.
Prereq: 9 credits in English beyond 250
Intensive study of a selected topic in literature, criticism, rhetoric, writing, or language. Cross-listing with linguistics acceptable only when offered as a course in linguistics.
Nonmajor graduate credit.
LING 490B. Independent Study.
(Cross-listed with ENGL). Cr. arr.
Repeatable, maximum of 9 credits. F.S.
Prereq: 9 credits in English beyond 250 appropriate to the section taken, junior classification, permission of Undergraduate Studies Committee
Designed to meet the needs of students who wish study in areas other than those in which courses are offered, or who desire to integrate a study of literature or language with special problems in major fields.
B. Linguistics, Semantics (Engl 490B)
LING 490D. Independent Study: Linguistic Anthropology.
(Cross-listed with ANTHR). Cr. 1-5.
Repeatable, maximum of 9 credits.
Prereq: 9 credits in anthropology
Courses primarily for graduate students, open to qualified undergraduate students
LING 500. Language and Culture.
(Cross-listed with ANTHR). (3-0) Cr. 3.
S.
Prereq: ANTHR 309 or 510
Approaches to the study of the relationship between language structure, world view, and cognition; social and structural linguistic variation; cross-cultural aspects of verbal and non-verbal communication; linguistic change; contemporary applications of linguistic anthropology.
LING 510. Introduction to Computers in Applied Linguistics.
(Cross-listed with ENGL). (3-0) Cr. 3.
F.
Prereq: Graduate classification
Use of applications software for language teaching, linguistic analysis, and statistical analysis. Issues and problems in applied linguistics related to computer methods.
LING 511. Introduction to Linguistic Analysis.
(Cross-listed with ENGL). (3-0) Cr. 3.
F.
Prereq: Graduate classification
Principles and methods of linguistic analysis with emphasis on phonology, morphology, and syntax. Description of linguistic variation and current theoretical approaches to linguistics.
LING 513. Language Assessment Practicum.
(Cross-listed with ENGL). (3-0) Cr. 3.
F.S.SS.
Prereq: 519
Advanced practicum in language assessment.
LING 514. Sociolinguistics.
(Cross-listed with ENGL). (3-0) Cr. 3.
S.
Prereq: 511 or an introductory course in linguistics
Theories and methods of examining language in its social setting. Analysis of individual characteristics (e.g., age, gender, ethnicity, social class, region), interactional factors (e.g., situation, topic, purpose) and national policies affecting language use.
LING 515. Statistical Natural Language Processing.
(Cross-listed with ENGL, HCI). (3-0) Cr. 3.
F.
Prereq: STAT 330 or equivalent; recommended 219 or 511
Introduction to computational techniques involving human language and speech in applications such as information retrieval and extraction, automatic text categorization, word prediction, intelligent Web searching, spelling and grammar checking, speech recognition and synthesis, statistical machine translation, n-grams, POS-tagging, word-sense disambiguation, on-line lexicons and thesauri, markup languages, corpus analysis, and Python programming language.
LING 517. Second Language Acquisition.
(Cross-listed with ENGL). (3-0) Cr. 3.
F.
Prereq: 511 or an introductory course in linguistics
Theory, methods, and results of second language acquisition research with emphasis on approaches relevant to second language teaching.
LING 518. Teaching English as a Second Language Methods and Materials.
(Cross-listed with ENGL). (3-0) Cr. 3.
F.
Prereq: 511 or an introductory course in linguistics
Introduction to approaches, methods, techniques, materials, curricular design, and assessment for various levels of ESL instruction. Attention to issues related to the teaching of listening, speaking, reading, writing, vocabulary, pronunciation, and culture.
LING 519. Second Language Assessment.
(Cross-listed with ENGL). (3-0) Cr. 3.
S.
Prereq: 511
Principles of second language assessment including reliability, validity, authenticity and practicality. Constructing, scoring, interpreting, and evaluating second language tests for a variety of situations.
LING 520. Computational Analysis of English.
(Cross-listed with ENGL, HCI). (3-0) Cr. 3.
S.
Prereq: 510 and 511
Concepts and practices for analysis of English by computer with emphasis on the applications of computational analysis to problems in applied linguistics such as corpus analysis and recognition of learner language in computer-assisted learning and language assessment.
LING 524. Literacy: Issues and Methods for Nonnative Speakers of English.
(Cross-listed with ENGL). (3-0) Cr. 3.
Alt. S., offered 2012.
Prereq: 511 or an introductory course in linguistics
Theoretical and practical issues and techniques in the teaching of literacy in a variety of contexts, involving children and adults at basic skill levels and teens and adults in academic and vocational programs.
LING 525. Methods in Teaching Listening and Speaking Skills to Nonnative Speakers of English.
(Cross-listed with ENGL). (3-0) Cr. 3.
Alt. S., offered 2013.
Prereq: 511 or an introductory course in linguistics
Theoretical and practical issues and techniques in the teaching of second language pronunciation, listening, and speaking skills. Topics will be relevant to those intending to teach in various contexts involving both K-12 and adult learners.
LING 526. Computer-Assisted Language Learning.
(Cross-listed with ENGL). (3-0) Cr. 3.
S.
Prereq: 511 or equivalent
Theory, research, and practice in computer use for teaching non-native speakers of English. Methods for planning and evaluating computer-based learning activities.
LING 527. Discourse Analysis.
(Cross-listed with ENGL). (3-0) Cr. 3.
S.
Prereq: 511 or an introductory course in linguistics
Methods and theoretical foundations for linguistic approaches to discourse analysis. Applications of discourse analysis to the study of texts in a variety of settings, including academic and research contexts.
LING 528. English for Specific Purposes.
(Cross-listed with ENGL). (3-0) Cr. 3.
Alt. F., offered 2012.
Prereq: 511 or an introductory course in linguistics
Issues and techniques in analyzing, teaching, and assessing English for specific purposes. Topics include theories of specific purpose language use, analysis of learner needs in target language contexts, and syllabus and materials development for teaching and assessment.
LING 537. Grammatical Analysis.
(Dual-listed with 437). (Cross-listed with ENGL). (3-0) Cr. 3.
F.
Prereq: 220; 219 or 511 or an introductory course in linguistics; junior classification
Theories and methods for analysis of English syntax with emphasis on recent syntactic theory.
LING 554. Introduction to Spanish-English Interpretation.
(Dual-listed with 354). (Cross-listed with SPAN). (3-0) Cr. 3.
F.S.
Prereq: SPAN 351
Introduction to the theory, methods, techniques, and problems of consecutive and simultaneous interpretation. Consideration of material from business, agriculture, law, design, medicine, literature, advertisement, and sports. Taught in Spanish.
Nonmajor graduate credit.
Meets International Perspectives Requirement.
LING 588. Supervised Practicum in Teaching English as a Second Language.
(Cross-listed with ENGL). (1-5) Cr. 3.
F.S.SS.
Prereq: 9 credits toward the TESL Certificate, 15 credits toward the TESL/AL master's degree, or completion of all other requirements for K- 12 ESL teacher endorsement
Intensive observation of ESL instruction and supervised practice in teaching learners of English in a context appropriate to the practicum student's goals. Seminar discussion of observed practices in relation to language teaching theories and methods.
LING 590. Special Topics: Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL)/Applied Linguistics.
(Cross-listed with ENGL). Cr. arr.
Repeatable.
Prereq: Permission of the English Department Graduate Studies Committee according to guidelines available in the department office
B. Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL)/Applied Linguistics. (Cross-listed with Engl 590B)
LING 591. Studies in Applied Linguistics.
(Cross-listed with ENGL). (3-0) Cr. 3.
Repeatable, maximum of 6 credits.
Prereq: 6 credits in TESL/Applied Linguistics
Intensive study of applied linguistic theory as it relates to specific issues in language acquisition, teaching, or use.
Courses for graduate students
LING 623. Research Methods in Applied Linguistics.
(Cross-listed with ENGL). (3-0) Cr. 3.
F.
Prereq: 511, 517, 519
Survey of research traditions in applied linguistics. Focus on theoretical and practical aspects of quantitative and qualitative approaches to applied linguistic study, including experimental and quasiexperimental methods, classroom observation and research, introspective methods, elicitation techniques, case studies, interactional analysis, ethnography, and program evaluation. Computational tools and resources for linguistic research will be highlighted.
LING 626. Computer-Assisted Language Testing.
(Cross-listed with ENGL). (3-0) Cr. 3.
F.
Prereq: 510, 511, 519
Principles and practice for the use and study of computers and the Internet in second language assessment.
LING 630. Seminar in Technology and Applied Linguistics.
(Cross-listed with ENGL). (3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: 510, 511
Topic changes each semester. Topics include advanced methods in natural language processing, technology and literacy in a global context, feed back in CALL programs, and advances in language assessment.
LING 671. Discourse in Classrooms.
(Cross-listed with C I). (3-0) Cr. 3.
Alt. F., offered 2012.
Prereq: graduate classification
Explores both foundational and current literature on discourse in K-12 classrooms; focuses on both discourse as a classroom phenomenon and discourse as an analytic tool for doing research in classrooms; and provides a close look at enacted and hidden curricula through an examination of interactions and communication patterns.
LING 688. Practicum in Technology and Applied Linguistics.
(Cross-listed with ENGL). (1-5) Cr. 3.
F.S.SS.
Prereq: 510, 626, or equivalent; at least 2nd year PhD student in Applied Linguistics and Technology
Focus on integrating theoretical knowledge with practical expertise. Assess client needs; develop, integrate, and evaluate solutions. Practical understanding of computer applications used in multimedia development. Create web-based or CD-ROM-based multimedia materials. Work with advanced authoring applications.