Program in Linguistics
Director
Gideon A. Rosen
Executive Committee
Leonard H. Babby, Slavic Languages and Literatures
David M. Bellos, French and Italian, Comparative Literature
Michael G. Fara, Philosophy
Robert A. Freidin, Council of the Humanities
Adele E. Goldberg, Council of the Humanities
Delia Graff Fara, Philosophy
Gilbert H. Harman, Philosophy
Joshua T. Katz, Classics
Sarah-Jane Leslie, Philosophy
Daniel N. Osherson, Psychology
Gideon A. Rosen, Philosophy
Edwin S. Williams III, Council of the Humanities
Sits with Committee
Christiane Fellbaum, Computer Science
Linguistics is the study of the distinctive properties of human language and the cognitive capacities of language users, including the rules that govern the structure of particular languages and the universal principles governing all languages. The basic areas of study include phonology (the study of the sound patterns of language), morphology (the study of the structure and meaning of words), syntax (the study of the structure of sentences), and semantics (the study of linguistic meaning). An understanding of these basic properties of human language provides valuable analytical perspective to the work of students of language and literature, anthropology, computer science, philosophy, and psychology.
Students in the Program in Linguistics acquire the basic research tools for the formal study of language and language-related issues. Participants satisfy the requirements of their chosen departmental major and develop a complementary course of study in linguistics as outlined below. A student who fulfills the requirements of the program with satisfactory standing receives a certificate of proficiency in linguistics upon graduation.
Admission
The program is open to undergraduates majoring in any department. Students should meet with the program director, usually during the sophomore year, to apply to the program and plan a course of study. Applicants will be accepted on the basis of interest and a coherent academic plan.
Program of Study
The program of study will be approved by the program director. It will include completion of the following requirements:
1. Satisfactory completion of LIN 201 or an equivalent linguistics course by the end of fall term of the junior year.
2. Satisfactory completion of four additional courses from the list of linguistics courses and related courses below. These four courses must include at least two core courses. The core courses are LIN 302 Syntax, LIN 303 Linguistic Semantics, LIN 306 The Structure and Meaning of Words, and LIN 412 Advanced Syntax.
3. Completion of a senior thesis or comparable independent work in an area of the study of language. Some junior independent work in the study of language is strongly recommended.
Other Linguistics Courses
The following graduate courses are open to undergraduates:
518 Field Methods in Linguistics
522 Linguistics and Literary Theory
523 Comparative Linguistics of the Indo-European Languages
525, 526 Introduction to Sanskrit
531 Selected Problems in Linguistics
Related Courses
Depending upon individual student interests, any of the following courses may provide an appropriate supplement to the program’s core courses. For complete course descriptions, see the pertinent departmental entry. Other courses may be added to this list with the approval of the program director. One year of an “exotic” language (see director for approval) may substitute for one of these courses.
Classics
208 Origins and Nature of English Vocabulary
East Asian Studies
447 Introduction to Japanese Linguistics
Philosophy
317 Philosophy of Language
Psychology
309 Psychology of Language
Slavic Languages and Literatures
501, 502 The Structure of Contemporary Standard Russian I and II
503, 504 The History of the Russian Language I and II
Courses
LIN 201 Introduction to Language and Linguistics (also ENG 213) Fall, Spring EC
Introduction to the scientific study and analysis of human language. Investigation of the mental representation of human language based on a formal analysis of linguistic structure (form, sound, and meaning)—including historical and social variation and the related issues of the acquisition of language, and the relation between language and the brain. Two lectures, one preceptorial. A. Goldberg (fall); Staff (spring)
LIN 212 Human Language: A User’s Guide Fall EC
Where does language come from? How do we know that you can’t say it that way? And who has the authority to tell you? Why are some sentences better than others? Why do the same words differently organized have different effects? This course is about human language, its nature, use, users, and origin, based primarily on English. Major topics include the structure of sentences, paragraphs, words; language and thought; and the historical and biological origins of language. Two 90-minute classes. R. Freidin
LIN 214 Historical Linguistics (also ENG 214) Not offered this year LA
The history of the English language from its origins in Germanic dialects through Old, Middle, and Modern English with special attention to the development of sound changes, the rise of standard dialects, and the relationship of language and literary texts. Two lectures, one preceptorial. Staff
LIN 215 Linguistics and Language Acquisition (also PSY 215) Not offered this year EC
What does it mean to know a language? Is it something we learn or something the brain “grows’’? What aspects of language are innate? Is parents’ speech important in language learning? An examination of the properties of child language through the lens of current linguistic theory. Two 90-minute classes. Staff
LIN 216 Language, Mind, and Brain (also PSY 216) Not offered this year EC
This course examines the complex mental and neurological processes that underlie linguistic knowledge and behavior. It will be concerned with the precise description and measurement of language activity, with its governing principles, and with available indices for the associated neural computations and their location in the brain. Seminar. Staff
LIN 270 African American English and Syntactic Variation (also AAS 230) Fall EC
This introductory course considers empirical data from African American English (AAE) in addressing ways that formal approaches in linguistics can account for inter- and intra-speaker variation in the dialect. This course will be in three parts: (1) a general overview of linguistic variation and a review of traditional approaches to the study of variation in AAE; (2) an exploration of the ways variation in AAE and other English dialects can be analyzed using methods in syntax; and (3) an examination of the ways in which AAE-speaking children learn the linguistic variations in their speech communities. Two 90-minute classes. L. Green
LIN 301 Phonetics and Phonology Not offered this year EC
The analysis of sound patterns of human languages. Examination of articulatory phonetics as incorporated into a system of phonological rules accounting for these patterns. Survey of basic concepts and relations including levels of representation (phonetic versus phonemic), types and ordering of rules, and phonological change. Three classes. Prerequisite: 201 or instructor’s permission. Staff
LIN 302 Syntax Fall EC
Methods of syntactic analysis of natural language (primarily English, with brief consideration of other languages). Foundations of a theory of generative grammar, covering phrase structure, transformations, and conditions on rules and representations. The general principles of syntactic structure that determine the form and interpretation of sentences are a major focus. Two 90-minute classes. Prerequisite: 201 or instructor’s permission. E. Williams
LIN 303 Linguistic Semantics Spring EC
The central issues and leading theories of linguistic semantics for natural languages. Analyses of specific linguistic phenomena will be used to illustrate the interaction of syntax and semantics, the relation between language and the world, and the role of linguistic meaning in communication and understanding. Prerequisite: 201 or instructor’s permission. Staff
LIN 306 The Structure and Meaning of Words Spring EC
The structure of words and the overall lexicon for human languages. Topics include word formation rules; the relation between syntax and the lexicon; the psychology of the lexicon, especially word storage and access; the semantics of complex words; the phonology of word formation; lexical redundancy and the learning of the lexicon. Two 90-minute classes. Prerequisite: 201 or instructor’s permission. E. Williams
LIN 308 Bilingualism (also TRA 303) Fall EC
The linguistic, psycholinguistic, neurolinguistic, and sociolinguistic aspects of bilingualism. The course examines language acquisition in monolingual and bilingual children, the notion of “critical age” for language acquisition, definitions and measurements of bilingualism, and the verbal behavior of bilinguals such as code-switching. It considers the effects of bilingualism on other cognitive domains, including memory, and examine neurolinguistic evidence comparing the brains of monolinguals and bilinguals. Societal and governmental attitudes toward bilingualism in countries like India and the U.S. are contrasted. Two 90-minute classes. C. Fellbaum
LIN 309 Psychology of Language (see PSY 309)
LIN 360 Linguistic Universals and Language Diversity Fall EC
Linguistic theory accounts for what the grammars of all human languages share in common (linguistic universals) and the ways they differ (language diversity). The universality and diversity of syntactic subject, topic, voice, case, word order, and of constructions involving causatives, nonfinite verbal categories, relative clauses, and impersonal sentences. Two 90-minute classes. L. Babby
LIN 412 Advanced Syntax Fall EC
Development of a modular theory of grammar involving subtheories of case, government, predicate/argument structure, and binding. Investigation of parametric variation across languages for principles of grammar. Two 90-minute classes. R. Freidin
LIN 435 Advanced Semantics (also PHI 435) Fall EC
Advanced issues in linguistic semantics. Topics will include quantification, vagueness, presupposition, implicature, genericity, information structure, and event structure. E. Williams, G. Harman