LING — Linguistics: Catalog Entries

6 catalog course(s) on file. Undergraduate courses are numbered 100–499; graduate courses 500–699. See the department page for faculty and program information.

LING 101 — Introduction to Linguistics(3 cr.)

Survey of the core subfields of linguistics, including phonetics, morphology, syntax, and semantics. Students examine how languages are structured and analyzed using data from a range of world languages. No prior knowledge of linguistics is assumed.

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LING 210 — Phonetics and Phonology(3 cr.)

Study of speech sounds and the systems that organize them into meaningful patterns. Students transcribe spoken language using the International Phonetic Alphabet and analyze phonological rules across languages. Laboratory exercises reinforce production and perception skills.

Prerequisite(s): LING 101

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LING 220 — Syntax(3 cr.)

Analysis of sentence structure using formal syntactic theory. Topics include phrase structure, movement, and cross-linguistic variation in word order. Students construct and test syntactic trees for a variety of constructions.

Prerequisite(s): LING 101

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LING 310 — Sociolinguistics(3 cr.)

Examination of the relationship between language and social identity, including dialect variation, code-switching, and language attitudes. Case studies draw on urban, regional, and multilingual speech communities. Emphasis is placed on fieldwork methods for collecting linguistic data.

Prerequisite(s): LING 101

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LING 340 — Language Acquisition(3 cr.)

Study of how children and adults acquire first and second languages. Topics include critical period effects, bilingualism, and theories of language development. Readings draw on both classic and current research literature.

Prerequisite(s): LING 101

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LING 490 — Special Topics in Linguistics(3 cr.)

In-depth investigation of a selected topic in linguistics, such as computational linguistics or endangered languages, chosen by the instructor. Students complete a substantial research project and present findings to the seminar. Topics vary by semester.

Prerequisite(s): Junior standing

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