Undergraduate Courses Schedule (Spring 2026)
[This course has recitations. Check SOLAR for recitation schedule.]
An introduction to the fundamental areas and concepts of modern linguistics. Sounds and their structure, word structure, and sentence structure are discussed. Other topics may include historical linguistics (how languages change over time), dialects, writing systems, language and the brain, and psycholinguistics (especially the question of how children acquire a language).
[This course has recitations. Check SOLAR for recitation schedule.]
Introduction to the sounds used in human language. Topics include articulatory phonetics, phonetic transcription, the sound structure of English, sounds and sound patterns in languages of the world, the acoustic properties of sounds, speech perception, and speech technology. Includes work in the phonetics laboratory on computer analysis of speech.
Prerequisite: C or better in LIN 101
Social media came into being along with the internet in the 1990s, and have rapidly become an ubiquitous form of communication and information. This course provides an exploration of how language is used in social media, and how language in social media can be analyzed. We start out by understanding how humans form social networks and what the properties of these networks are. We then compare how the emergence of social media has changed the manner in which we humans communicate, and investigate possible positive and negative effects of this change. One of the major effects is that many more people are ‘publishing’ today, and we will discover how this has affected public language use. We also discuss the technology behind social media, and learn about the dangers in social media. We also discuss the technologies used in social media, and learn about the potential and the dangers that lie in these technologies.
SBC: STAS
[This course has recitations. Check SOLAR for recitation schedule.]
An introduction to the sound systems of languages focusing on the mental representation of sound structure: how speakers use knowledge of their language to assign meaning to different combinations of sounds. We will examine data from a number of languages to explore the differences and similarities among the sound patterns of different languages, and will consider the question of whether there are universal preferences for specific types of sounds and sound sequences.
Prerequisite: C or better in LIN 201
[This course has recitations. Check SOLAR for recitation schedule.]
An introduction to generative grammar: the formal theory of sentence structure.
Prerequisite: C or better in LIN 101
An introduction to computational linguistics for students with previous programming experience. This course explores the models, algorithms, and techniques that dominate modern-day language technology, and it evaluates them from a linguistically informed perspective. Topics include corpus-based methods, finite-state approaches, machine learning, and model evaluation techniques. Great emphasis is put on discussing the limitations of existing techniques and how they might benefit from linguistic insights. Students will also hone their programming skills and develop familiarity with state-of-the-art software packages for computational linguistics. Formerly offered as LIN 220; not for credit in addition to LIN 220.
Prerequisite: C or better in LIN 120 or CSE 110 or CSE 114 or ISE 108 or MAT 331; or permission of instructor
An introduction to the theories of literacy and their application in education. Students acquire knowledge about the complex nature of academic literacy; how literacy skills can be taught and assessed across all disciplines, and how literacy and language skills develop among diverse learners, including students with special needs and English Language Learners. Attention is given to the integration of technology into the development of literacy skills. Not for major credit.
Prerequisite: Admission to a teacher education program
An exploration of semantics, the study of linguistic meaning. The course examines fundamental issues including the nature of meaning, its relation to word and sentence form (morphology and syntax), its relation to systems of mental representation (cognition), and the interaction between meaning and use (pragmatics). Recent research into the way that linguistic meaning is acquired and how it is deployed in speech and understanding is discussed.
Prerequisite: LIN 101
A study of those aspects of natural language meaning that arise from, or are dependent upon, use. Core topics include implicatures, presupposition, speech acts, deixis, their interaction with semantics and syntax, and their implications for certain discourse phenomena, including politeness, turn taking, and verbal abuse.
Prerequisite: LIN 101
Introduction to common experimental methods for studying the sounds used in human language. Topics include basic speech acoustics, acoustic analysis, oral and nasal airflow, static palatography, linguography and electroglottography, as well as design of perception experiments. Students will learn the physical processes affecting each experimental variable and common methods of analyzing each kind of data. Students will get hands-on experience with each analysis method and will use two or more types of data to explore a hypothesis about sound structure in English or some other language of interest. Students will learn how to use software for making measurements and analyzing data. Students will learn to assess the validity of claims about language based on their understanding of the scientific method as applied to speech. The course will give students a solid foundation for further courses in laboratory skills relevant to assessment of normal and disordered speech and for pursuing research, either as undergraduate researchers, or in the early stages of graduate work.
Study of the languages of a selected country or region outside of Europe in relation to its society, culture, history, and politics. Topics include language family, social varieties, status and attitudes, language policies, and cultural patterns reflected in language use.
Advisory Preq: LIN 101
DEC: J
SBC: DIV, GLO, SBS+
Repeatable:May be repeated as the topic changes. LIN 355 and/orLIN 356 may be taken a total of two times for the major.
Introduction to language and literacy development across disciplines and to assessment, cooperative learning, and reflective practices. Students will develop standard-based interdisciplinary thematic units, integrate technologies, and explore collaborative practices.
Prerequisite: LIN 375 and LIN 449
Corequisite: LIN 450
A study of the anatomy and physiology of the speech, swallowing, and hearing mechanisms,
including the phonatory, articulatory, respiratory, and resonatory subsystems and
the neural control.
Prerequisite(s): C or better in LIN 101
SBC: STEM+
Majors in linguistics refine their skills in writing for the discipline by critiquing successive revisions of previously written work. Formerly offered as LIN 300. Not for credit in addition to LIN 300.
Prerequisites: permission of department; major in linguistics; U3 or U4 standing
Study of the systematic errors made by foreign language learners and the potential of various linguistic theories to predict and account for these errors.
[This course has recitations. Check SOLAR for recitation schedule.]
An investigation of the phonology and syntax of either a language or a family of languages. May be repeated if a different language is covered.
Prerequisite: C or better in LIN 301 and LIN 311
Examination of effective practices, assessments, and technologies for developing language and literacy across content areas in multi-level classrooms. Collaboration with colleagues, parents, and communities is explored.
Prerequisite: C or higher in LIN 378; permission of department