Course descriptions
Introduction to Linguistics (LGCS 10) What exactly is language? What do you actually know when you know a language? These questions are at the heart of linguistics, the scientific study of language. Topics covered in this course include: how sounds are produced and how they combine; how words are constructed from their component parts; how sentences are formed and how their meanings are understood; how language is acquired; how language is processed in the mind; how languages form, and how societal factors can lead to language endangerment; and how language use shapes and reflects aspects of our identity.
Semantics and Pragmatics (LGCS 106) Language users manage to communicate complex thoughts and ideas within rapidly changing and evolving contexts, often with incredible ease. How are we able to locate linguistic meanings in such rich and elusive contexts? What is the relationship between the meaning of a word or expression and its linguistic form? What are the rules or processes that determine how more complex meanings are created within single sentences, in conversations, and in narratives? How do these processes relate to other cognitive or mental processes? This course introduces both theoretical and practical tools to build an abstract theory of linguistic meaning that addresses these questions, among others
Field Methods in Linguistics (LGCS 105) Where do we get the data on which linguistic theory is based? In this class, students learn hands-on how to systematically approach the study of an unfamiliar language through interviews with a native speaker of an understudied language. Students develop their writing skills (general and linguistics-specific) by producing regular reports documenting aspects of the language of interest. Languages vary from year to year; previous languages have included Luganda, Malayalam and Kipsigis.
Experimental Methods (LGCS 122) This course offers in-depth and practical experience with experimental research in language production, comprehension, and processing through original class and group projects. Methods discussed include questionnaire design, reaction-time studies, and eye-movement paradigms, among others, as well as the basic statistics needed to interpret and report results.