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Linguistics

This is an archived copy of the 2018-2019 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.iastate.edu.

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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, communication disorders, computer science, English, 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 teaching English both as a first and as a second language, second language studies, psycholinguistics, cross-cultural communication, linguistic anthropology, computational linguistics, 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 119Introduction to World Languages3
LING 120Computers and Language3
LING 207Introduction to Symbolic Logic3
LING 219Introduction to Linguistics3
LING 220Descriptive English Grammar3
LING 371Phonetics and Phonology3
LING 413Psychology of Language3
LING 420History of the English Language3
LING 437Grammatical Analysis3

In addition, linguistics majors must choose 9 credits of elective courses. Discuss choices with the adviser. Suggested areas of further study are:

Communication Disorders

LING 275Introduction to Communication Disorders3
LING 286Communicating with the Deaf3
LING 471Language and Reading Development in Children3
CMDIS 480BTopics in Communication Disorders: Articulation and Phonological Disorders3

Computers and Linguistics

LING 331Theory of Computing3
LING 510Introduction to Computers in Applied Linguistics3
LING 526Computer-Assisted Language Learning3

Second Language Studies

ENGL 324XIntroduction to Teaching ESL Literacy
ENGL 325XTeaching Methods for ESL Learners: Oral Communication Skills
LING 425Second Language Learning and Teaching3
LING 518Teaching English as a Second Language Methods and Materials3
LING 524Literacy: Issues and Methods for Nonnative Speakers of English3
LING 525Research and Teaching of Second Language Pronunciation3

Sociolinguistics and Language

LING 305Language, Thought and Action3
ENGL 322XLanguage and Society3
LING 422Women, Men, and the English Language3
LING 514Sociolinguistics3
LING 527Discourse Analysis3

Spanish Linguistics

LING 351Introduction to Spanish-English Translation3
LING 352Introduction to Spanish Phonology3
LING 354Introduction to Spanish-English Interpretation3
LING 462Contrastive Analysis of Spanish/ English for Translators3
LING 46321st Century Spanish3

Additional courses in linguistics are available but not fully in the catalog yet. These include LING 319X, 320X, 322, 324, and 325. They also include courses for study abroad, especially LING 395X. Majors in linguistics must show proficiency in a foreign language equivalent to that achieved after two years of university-level study. Alternatively, majors in linguistics can demonstrate university-level study in two foreign languages of at least one year each. 

Minors in linguistics are individually tailored to the interests of the student, who consults with the linguistics adviser to develop the minor program of study. 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: According to the university-wide Communication Proficiency Grade Requirement, students must demonstrate their communication proficiency by earning a grade of C or better in ENGL 250.

ENGL 150Critical Thinking and Communication3
ENGL 250Written, Oral, Visual, and Electronic Composition3
or ENGL 250H Written, Oral, Visual, and Electronic Composition: Honors
LIB 160Information Literacy1
Continuing ENGL Proficiency is based on one course from ENGL 314, a WLC 370-379 course, or a CL ST 370-379 course.

For information about using linguistics courses in an interdisciplinary studies major, see Liberal Arts and Sciences, Cross-Disciplinary Studies.

Linguistics, B.A.

Freshman
FallCreditsSpringCredits
ENGL 1503LING 1011
LIB 1601Humanities Choice3
Foreign Language/Elective4Math Choice3
LING 1193PSYCH 1013
LING 1203Foreign Language/Elective4
Natural Science Choice3 
 17 14
Sophomore
FallCreditsSpringCredits
ENGL 2503LING 3713
LING 2193Foreign Language 2024
ANTHR 2013LING 2203
Humanities Choice3Humanities Choice3
Foreign Language 2014Social Science Choice3
 16 16
Junior
FallCreditsSpringCredits
LING 3093LING 2073
LING 4373LING 4133
ENGL 305, 314 or WLC 370-3783LING 4203
Natural Science Choice3Natural Science Choice3
Elective3Elective3
 15 15
Senior
FallCreditsSpringCredits
LING Area of Concentration3LING Area of Concentration3
U.S. Diversity3Electives10
Electives8 
 14 13

LAS majors require a minimum of 120 credits, including a minimum of 45 credits at the 300/400 level

Students in all ISU majors must complete a three-credit course in U.S. diversity and a three-credit course in international perspectives. Check (http://www.registrar.iastate.edu/courses/div-ip-guide.html) for a list of approved courses.

Graduate Study

A graduate minor in linguistics permits students to investigate various 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. Graduate courses for the minor may be cross-listed with courses in Anthropology, Communication Disorders, Computer Science, English, Psychology, and World Languages and Cultures.

For the master’s degree, a declared minor consists of 9 credits in linguistics including two foundation courses:

LING 511Introduction to Linguistic Analysis3
One of the following:3
Sociolinguistics
Discourse Analysis
Corpus Approaches to Grammatical Analysis
And one elective from the list of courses approved for graduate credit3
Total Credits9

For the Ph.D. degree, the minor consists of 12 credits in linguistics including:

LING 511Introduction to Linguistic Analysis3
LING 537Corpus Approaches to Grammatical Analysis3
And two electives from the list of courses approved for graduate credit6
Total Credits12

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. Students in Teaching English as a Second Language/Applied Linguistics are not eligible for a graduate minor in linguistics.

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Courses

Courses primarily for undergraduates:

(1-0) Cr. 1. S.


Cross-disciplinary perspectives on the study of linguistics. Applications of linguistics to real world problems. Careers in linguistics.

(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 language use, language and culture, multilingualism, foreign language learning, written codes, official languages, and language policy.
Meets International Perspectives Requirement.

(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.

(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. Linguistics majors should take LING/PHIL 207 as early as possible.

(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.

(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.

(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.

(Cross-listed with CMDIS). (3-0) Cr. 3.


Learn to communicate with the deaf using Signed English and Signed Pidgin English. Other topics covered include types, causes, and consequences of hearing loss, hearing technology (hearing aids, assistive listening devices, and cochlear implants), education of hearing-impaired children, Deaf culture, and the history of manual communication.
Meets U.S. Diversity Requirement

(Cross-listed with SP CM). (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.

(Cross-listed with ANTHR). (3-0) Cr. 3.

Prereq: ANTHR 201 recommended
Introduction to study of language, culture and society from an anthropological perspective. Focus on language and thought, ethnography of speaking, discourse and narrative, writing and literacy, and media communication. Discussion of key theories and methods of linguistic anthropology.
Meets International Perspectives Requirement.

(Cross-listed with ENGL). Cr. 3. S.

Prereq: ENGL/LING 219
Introduction to variation in language use in society. Survey of factors affecting language use, including background characteristics of language users, location, and purpose of interaction in addition to institutional, state, and national language policies.

(Cross-listed with ENGL). Cr. 3. F.

Prereq: ENGL/LING 219
Introduction to the issues and methods involved in teaching literacy skills to English as a second language (ESL) learners. The nature of literacy and materials and methods for developing ESL literacy at the middle school, high school, and adult ages across multiple levels of competency.

(Cross-listed with ENGL). Cr. 3. S.

Prereq: ENGL/LING 219
Issues and methods in teaching oral communication skills (listening, speaking, pronunciation) to English as a second language (ESL) learners. The nature of oral language ability. Materials and Methods for developing oral communication skills at middle school, high school, and adult contexts.

(Cross-listed with COM S). (3-1) Cr. 3.

Prereq: Minimum of C- in COM S 228, MATH 166, and in COM S 230 or CPR E 310; 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.

(Cross-listed with SPAN). (3-0) Cr. 3. F.S.

Prereq: SPAN 301, SPAN 303 or SPAN 304
Introduction to the theory, methods, techniques, and problems of translation. Consideration of material from business, literature, and the social sciences. Taught in Spanish.
Meets International Perspectives Requirement.

(Cross-listed with SPAN). (3-0) Cr. 3. F.S.

Prereq: SPAN 301, SPAN 303 or SPAN 304
An introductory study of the articulation, classification, distribution, and regional variations of the sounds of the Spanish language. Taught in Spanish.
Meets International Perspectives Requirement.

(Dual-listed with LING 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.
Meets International Perspectives Requirement.

(Cross-listed with CMDIS). (3-0) Cr. 3.

Prereq: ENGL 219
Terminology, theory, research, and applications of the science of the sounds of spoken language. Emphasis on American English and International Phonetic Alphabet.

Cr. 3-10. Repeatable, maximum of 2 times.


Instruction in issues of language policy, practice and learning. Observation and experience with language use outside of the United States.
Meets International Perspectives Requirement.

(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.

(Cross-listed with ENGL). (3-0) Cr. 3. F.S.

Prereq: ENGL 219 or LING 219, ENGL 220 or LING 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.

(Cross-listed with ENGL, WGS). (3-0) Cr. 3. S.

Prereq: ENGL 219 or LING 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.
Meets U.S. Diversity Requirement

(Cross-listed with ENGL). (3-0) Cr. 3. S.

Prereq: ENGL 219 or LING 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.

(Cross-listed with ENGL). (3-0) Cr. 3. F.

Prereq: ENGL 220 or LING 220; ENGL 219 or LING 219 or introductory course in linguistics; junior classification
Theories and methods for analysis of syntax and morphology.

(Cross-listed with SPAN). (3-0) Cr. 3.

Prereq: SPAN 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.

(Cross-listed with SPAN). (3-0) Cr. 3.

Prereq: SPAN 352
Examination of the evolution of the Spanish language and linguistic variation across the Spanish-speaking world, including the dialects of Spain and Latin America and Spanish in contact with other languages. Taught in Spanish.
Meets International Perspectives Requirement.

(Cross-listed with CMDIS). (3-0) Cr. 3.

Prereq: CMDIS 275 or PSYCH 230 or ENGL 219 or LING 219
Development of spoken language, reading and writing covering semantics, syntax, morphology, phonology, and pragmatics.

(Cross-listed with CMDIS). (3-0) Cr. 3. F.S.

Prereq: CMDIS/LING 275, CMDIS/LING 371, and BIOL 255; permission of instructor.
Guided examination of topics in preparation for graduate work in Speech-Language Pathology or Audiology. Primary course delivery by WWW.

(Cross-listed with CMDIS). (3-0) Cr. 3. F.S.

Prereq: CMDIS/LING 275, CMDIS/LING 371, and BIOL 255; permission of instructor.
Structures and functions of respiratory, phonatory, articulatory, auditory, and nervous systems as they relate to speaking and listening.

(Cross-listed with CMDIS). (3-0) Cr. 3. F.S.

Prereq: CMDIS/LING 275, CMDIS/LING 371, and BIOL 255; permission of instructor.
Children’s acquisition of English speech sounds. Assessment and management of speech sound disorders in children and adults.

(Cross-listed with CMDIS). (3-0) Cr. 3. F.S.

Prereq: CMDIS/LING 275, CMDIS/LING 371, and BIOL 255; permission of instructor.
Assessment and diagnosis of speech, language, and swallowing disorders. Preparation of clinical reports based on assessment data.

(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 K-8 students' communicative skills, cultural knowledge, and content learning.

(Cross-listed with C I, WLC). (3-0) Cr. 3. F.

Prereq: 25 credits in a world language, admission to the teacher education program, OPI
Theories and principles of contemporary world language learning and teaching. Special emphasis on designing instruction and assessments for active learning.

(Cross-listed with ENGL). Cr. arr. Repeatable, maximum of 9 credits. F.S.

Prereq: 9 credits in English beyond ENGL 250 appropriate to the section taken, junior classification, permission of Undergraduate Studies Committee or Linguistics Adviser
Designed to meet the needs of students who wish to study in areas other than those in which courses are offered. No more than 9 credits of ENGL 490 may be used toward graduation.

(Cross-listed with ANTHR). Cr. 1-5. Repeatable, maximum of 9 credits.

Prereq: 9 credits in anthropology.
No more than 9 credits of Anthr 490 may be counted toward graduation.

(Cross-listed with CMDIS). Cr. 1-2. Repeatable, maximum of 6 credits. F.S.SS.

Prereq: CMDIS/LING 371;471; completion or concurrent enrollment in CMDIS/LING 480A or 480B or 480C
Guided observation of clinical evaluation and treatment in Communication Disorders on campus and in the community. Assessed service learning component.

Courses primarily for graduate students, open to qualified undergraduates:

(Cross-listed with ENGL). (3-0) Cr. 3. F.

Prereq: Graduate classification
Use of software and web applications for language teaching, linguistic analysis, and statistical analysis. Issues and problems in applied linguistics related to computer methods.

(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.

(Cross-listed with ENGL). (3-0) Cr. 3.

Prereq: ENGL 511 or LING 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.

(Cross-listed with ENGL). (3-0) Cr. 3. F.S.SS.

Prereq: ENGL 519 or LING 519
Advanced practicum in language assessment.

(Cross-listed with ENGL). (3-0) Cr. 3. S.

Prereq: ENGL 511 or LING 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.

(Cross-listed with ENGL, HCI). (3-0) Cr. 3.

Prereq: STAT 330 or equivalent, recommended ENGL 219 or LING 219, or ENGL 511 or LING 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.

(Cross-listed with ENGL). (3-0) Cr. 3. F.

Prereq: ENGL 511 or LING 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.

(Cross-listed with ENGL). (3-0) Cr. 3. S.

Prereq: ENGL 511 or LING 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.

(Cross-listed with ENGL, HCI). (3-0) Cr. 3. Alt. F., offered odd-numbered years.

Prereq: ENGL 510 or LING 510, and ENGL 511 or LING 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.

(Cross-listed with ENGL). (3-0) Cr. 3. Alt. F., offered odd-numbered years.

Prereq: ENGL 511 or LING 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.

(Cross-listed with ENGL). (3-0) Cr. 3. Alt. F., offered odd-numbered years.

Prereq: ENGL 511 or LING 511 or an introductory course in linguistics
Theoretical and practical issues and techniques in the teaching of second language pronunciation as it relates to other areas of language, especially listening and speaking skills. Topics will include segmental and suprasegmental features; intelligibility; pronunciation in language assessment; classroom, technology and individual instruction; and research issues. Topics will be relevant to those intending to teach or research in various contexts.

(Cross-listed with ENGL). (3-0) Cr. 3. Alt. S., offered even-numbered years.

Prereq: ENGL 511 or LING 511 or equivalent
Theory, research, and practice in computer use for teaching nonnative speakers of English. Methods for planning and evaluating computer-based learning activities.

(Cross-listed with ENGL). (3-0) Cr. 3. S.

Prereq: ENGL 511 or LING 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.

(Cross-listed with ENGL). (3-0) Cr. 3.

Prereq: ENGL 511 or LING 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 corpus-informed syllabus and materials development for teaching and assessment.

(Cross-listed with ENGL). Cr. 3. F.

Prereq: ENGL 219 or ENGL 511 or equivalent.
Structure and description of oral language and discourse. How spoken language is linguistically described, analyzed, and taught for research and for education. Using technology to record, transcribe, and analyze spoken language at all levels of linguistic structure.

(Cross-listed with ENGL). (3-0) Cr. 3.

Prereq: ENGL 220 or LING 220; ENGL 219, LING 219, ENGL 511, LING 511, or introductory course in linguistics; graduate classification
Corpus-informed analysis of syntax in authentic writing and speech, with emphasis on approaches used in applied linguistics.

(Dual-listed with LING 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.
Meets International Perspectives Requirement.

(Cross-listed with ENGL). (1-5) Cr. 3. F.S.SS.

Prereq: 9 credits toward the TESL/TEFL Certificate, 15 credits toward the TESL/AL master's degree, or 18 credits completed toward the ESL Endorsement option.
Intensive observation of ESL instruction and supervised practice in teaching learners of English in a context appropriate to the student teacher's goals. ENGL 588 cannot be used for teacher licensure and cannot be taken during student teaching.

(Cross-listed with ENGL). Cr. arr. Repeatable.

Prereq: Permission of the Director of Graduate Education according to guidelines available online

(Cross-listed with ENGL). Cr. arr. Repeatable.

Prereq: Permission of the Director of Graduate Education according to guidelines available online

(Cross-listed with ENGL). Cr. arr. Repeatable.

Prereq: Permission of the Director of Graduate Education according to guidelines available online

(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.

(Cross-listed with ENGL). Cr. arr. Repeatable.


Courses for graduate students:

(Cross-listed with ENGL). (3-0) Cr. 3. Alt. F., offered odd-numbered years.

Prereq: ENGL 511 or LING 511, ENGL 517 or LING 517, ENGL 519 or LING 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.

(Cross-listed with ENGL). (3-0) Cr. 3. Alt. S., offered even-numbered years.

Prereq: ENGL 510 or LING 510, ENGL 511 or LING 511, ENGL 519 or LING 519
Principles and practice for the use and study of computers and the Internet in second language assessment.

(Cross-listed with ENGL). (3-0) Cr. 3. Repeatable.

Prereq: ENGL 510 or LING 510, ENGL 511 or LING 511
Topic changes each semester. Topics include advanced methods in natural language processing, technology and literacy in a global context, feedback in CALL programs, technology and pronunciation, and advances in language assessment.

(Cross-listed with ENGL). (1-5) Cr. 3. F.S.SS.

Prereq: ENGL 510 or LING 510, ENGL 626 or LING 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.