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College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Linguistics Program

Fall 2024 linguistics courses

The following linguistics courses will be offered during the fall 2024 semester. All courses are traditional (in-person) unless otherwise noted.

1000 level

LIN 1850: Introductory Symbolic Logic

The logic of propositions; the general logic of predicates and relations.

  • Offered: Mondays, Wednesdays, 4:00- 5:15 p.m.
  • Instructor: Susan Vineberg

LIN 1860: Honors Introductory Symbolic Logic

The logic of propositions; the general logic of predicates and relations.

  • Offered: Mondays, Wednesdays, 4:00- 5:15 p.m.
  • Instructor: Susan Vineberg

2000 level

LIN 2000: Chinese Phonetics

  • Offered: Tuesdays, 12:30-1:20 p.m.
  • Instructor: Haiyong Liu

Students will have the hands-on experience of learning Chinese sounds and tones with the intensive instruction and correction of the instructor. After studying the articulatory mechanisms for the Chinese phonetic inventory and system in theory, students will practice them in different combinations and contexts with that native accuracy as the target.

LIN 2720: Basic Concepts in Linguistics (CI)

  • Offered: Mondays, Wednesdays, 2:30-3:45 p.m.
  • Instructor: Irina Monich

Analysis of the structure and use of language, focusing on English, from the standpoint of current linguistic practice. Topics include phonetics and sound structure, word structure, syntax, semantics, language origin and history, dialects, language learning, animal communication, and language in social interaction.

3000 level

LIN 3080: Cognitive Psychology:  Fundamental Processes

Fundamental theories, concepts, and empirical findings in the study of human cognition. Topics include: thinking, problem-solving, language comprehension and production, memory and attention.

  • Offered: Mondays, Wednesdays, 11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m.
  • Instructor: Jason Roberson

LIN 3310: Language and Culture

An introduction to linguistic anthropology. Using comparative approaches to language and culture across time and space, explore variation and change, cognitive dimensions of language, language evolution, linguistic myths, and the use of language in social practice.

  • Offered: Tuesdays, Thursdays, 11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m.
  • Instructor: Stephen Chrisomalis

5000 level

LIN 5050: Advanced Symbolic Logic

Formal, extensive treatment of first-order predicate logic with emphasis on the notions of a formal logical language and truth in a model; the logic of identity; definite descriptions; brief introductions to set theory and the metatheory of propositional and first-order logic; some additional advanced topics to be selected by the instructor.

  • Offered: Mondays, Wednesdays, 12:30-2:10 p.m.
  • Instructor: Susan Vineberg

LIN 5080: Phonetics

Multisensory study of sounds in the English language, emphasizing acoustic, physiologic and kinesiologic approaches.

  • Offered: Tuesdays, 5:30-8 p.m.
  • Instructor: Salva Colomba

LIN 5210: Arabic Sociolinguistics

Arabic dialectology; Arabic as a minority language in contact. Theories and techniques developed outside Arabic, and their applicability to Arabic situations. 

  • Offered: Thursdays, 5:30-8 p.m.
  • Type: Synchronous
  • Instructor: Fatima Aidibi

LIN 5300: Syntax

The theory of grammatical systems examined through analysis of sentence formation in a variety of human languages, diversity and universals in grammar, and theories of syntax.

  • Offered: Thursdays, 5:30-8 p.m.
  • Instructor: Ljiljana Progovac

LIN 5360: Child Language Acquisition

  • Offered: Mondays, Wednesdays, 2:30-3:45 p.m.
  • Instructor: Natalia Rakhlin

Despite its complexity and abstractness, young children acquire language without conscious effort or explicit instruction in a span of just a few years. This feat is unique to humans and is unmatched by any other species or even the most sophisticated computers. The course will present a comprehensive introduction to the study of child language acquisition. We will use a cross-linguistic approach to discuss some of the most important issues in language acquisition. We will not only talk about what children accomplish linguistically at various ages, but also discuss various theoretical approaches to explaining how children acquire linguistic knowledge in different domains, focusing on acquiring the sound inventory, words and sentence structure. We will look at some of the methods that have been employed to collect and analyze child language data.

LIN 5700: Introduction to Linguistic Theory

Introduction to the scientific study of language and methodologies of linguistic analysis: phonetics and phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics. 

  • Offered: Wednesdays, 5:00-7:30 p.m.
  • Instructor: Edwards Walter

LIN 5715: Morphology

  • Offered: Wednesdays, 5:30-8 p.m.
  • Instructor: Irina Monich

Morphology is a core area of Linguistics. The course will introduce the basic issues in the study of the internal structure of words, as well as the analytical techniques applied to morphological analysis. Students will learn how to analyze words of various (Indo-European and non-Indo-European) languages into morphemes, as well as to recognize morphological patterns and to utilize theoretical concepts in order to describe and analyze such patterns. In particular, the course will develop a theory of morphology in generative grammar, paying special attention to the question of whether particular morphological phenomena are primarily syntactic or primarily phonological in nature.

LIN 5720: Linguistics and Education

Introduction to linguistics with emphasis on applications to education.

  • Offered: Tuesdays, 5:30-8 p.m.
  • Instructor: Stephen Pobutsky

LIN 5730: English Grammar

Comprehensive analysis of English sentence structure and parts of speech using the terminology and descriptive approach of traditional grammar.

  • Offered: Thursdays, 5:30-8 p.m.
  • Instructor: Stephen Pobutsky

LIN 5900: Culture, Language and Cognition

Systematic investigation of the relationships among, language, cognition and culture, including issues relating to human universals, cross-cultural concept formation, metaphor, classification and the evolution of cognition and language.

  • Offered: Tuesdays, Thursdays, 2:30-3:45 p.m.
  • Instructor: Stephen Chrisomalis

LIN 5993: (WI) Writing Intensive Course in Linguistics

Disciplinary writing assignments under the direction of a faculty member. Must be selected in conjunction with a corequisite course; see section listing in Schedule of Classes for corequisites available each term. Satisfies the university general education writing intensive course in the major requirement. Intensive training in literature search, linguistic analysis, and the preparation of scholarly written work. Required for all majors.

  • Instructor: Ljiljana Progovac

LIN 5993: Honors Writing Intensive Course in Linguistics (WI)

Disciplinary writing assignments under the direction of a faculty member. Must be selected in conjunction with a corequisite course; see section listing in Schedule of Classes for corequisites available each term. Satisfies the university general education writing intensive course in the major requirement. Intensive training in literature search, linguistic analysis, and the preparation of scholarly written work. Required for all majors. Honors credit.

  • Instructor: Ljiljana Progovac

6000 level

LIN 6720: Topics in Language: Pidgins and Creoles

  • Offered: Mondays, 5:00-7:30 p.m.
  • Instructor: Edwards Walter

LIN 6720: Topics in Language: Language and Thought

  • Offered: Mondays, Wednesdays, 11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m.
  • Instructor: Natalia Rakhlin

7000 level

LIN 7710: Topics in Syntax: Semantics Interface

  • Offered: Tuesdays, 5:30-8 p.m.
  • Instructor: Ljiljana Progovac

LIN 7991: Directed Study in Linguistics

A research problem that requires field work or intensive and systematic reading of original technical literature.

  • Instructor: Ljiljana Progovac

LIN 7999: Masters Essay Direction

  • Instructor: Ljiljana Progovac

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