Linguistics: Introduction to Linguistics

Introduction to biological, cognitive, and cultural bases of human communication through language, and to modern linguistic theory. Assignments provide opportunities for critical thinking and writing.

Open to degree and PACE students

This course provides an introduction to the primary areas of linguistic study: phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics. We will also explore some of the more specialized areas of research within the field, including language variation, sociolinguistics, language and culture, language contact, and psycholinguistics.

With consistent, hard work in the course, you should be able to: -Recognize and challenge common myths about language -Understand the three primary types of linguistic signs and identify them by example -Explain key similarities and differences between (non-human) animal communication systems and human language -Identify the defining characteristics of human language -Distinguish between levels of language, including phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics -Determine which level of language is relevant to a particular linguistic example or dataset -Perform basic linguistic analyses both within and across levels of language -Apply a more specialized lens to the study of language, especially language variation, sociolinguistics, and psycholinguistics -Analyze examples of linguistic diversity both language-internally and cross-linguistically -Reflect on the relationship between language and identity, including your unique contribution to the linguistic diversity of our community

Your final grade in this class will be divided as follows: -Quizzes: 50% -Homework/Class activities: 30% -Linguistic Autobiography: 20% Quiz scores will be based on the number of points earned (correct answers) out of the total number of points possible. Homework or class activities will be graded by completeness only, a tally of the number of questions sufficiently attempted out of the total number of questions assigned. The Linguistic Autobiography will be scored holistically on the traditional scale of 100-0%, or A-F.