Spring 2019

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Linguistics courses
Course number Course title Section Instructor Days Time Room

GRS LX 631

Semantics & Pragmatics: Introduction to Linguistic Meaning

web A1 Coppock TR 11-12:15 CAS 426
Systematic examination of how meaning is encoded in words and sentences, and how it can emerge from the complexity of the grammar. This course also touches on various aspects of pragmatics—the study of how meaning is shaped by context. [Prereq: CAS LX 250 Introduction to Linguistics or consent of instructor.
Please note that this course cannot be taken for credit towards the MA or PhD program in Linguistics.]
[Meets with CAS LX 331; Previously offered as CAS LX 502 "Semantics I"]
  • Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS.
  • This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas:
    • The Individual in Community
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
    • Critical Thinking

GRS LX 641

Sociolinguistics

 web A1 Ngom MWF 10:10-11 CAS 208
Sociolinguistics, broadly construed, is the investigation of relations between linguistic phenomena and human social life. This course covers several recent theoretical approaches to the study of language and society: variational sociolinguistics, ethnography of communication, and international sociolinguistics. Also covered are development of pidgins and creoles, multilingualism, language choice, and other aspects of language and culture. [Prereq: CAS LX 250 Introduction to Linguistics or AN 351 Language, Culture, and Society; or consent of instructor.]
[Meets with CAS LX 341; Also offered as CAS AN 521]

GRS LX 642

Language, Race, and Gender

 web A1 Erker TR 9:30-10:45 CAS 116
Do women talk differently from men? How do race and ethnicity relate to the way people use language? This course examines these inter-related questions from the perspective of modern sociolinguistic theory, analyzing a range of languages and communities throughout the world. [Prereq: CAS LX 250 Introduction to Linguistics or consent of instructor.]
[Meets with CAS LX 342; Previously offered as CAS LX 320 "Language, Race, and Gender"]
  • Satisfies course requirements for the minor in Women's, Gender, & Sexuality Studies.
  • Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS.
  • This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas:
    • Social Inquiry I
    • Teamwork/Collaboration

GRS LX 650

Crosslinguistic Approaches to Language Acquisition

 web A1 Hagstrom TR 3:30-4:45 CAS 312
Exploration, within the framework of generative grammar, of how similarities and differences in the acquisition patterns of syntax, semantics, and morphology across typologically diverse languages provide key evidence about the essential nature of first and second language acquisition. [Prereq: CAS LX 250 Introduction to Linguistics or consent of instructor]
[Meets with CAS LX 350]

GRS LX 691

Linguistic Field Methods

 A1 Barnes MWF 11:15-12:05 CAS 229
An in-depth investigation of the phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and lexicon of an African or other non-Indo-European language. Weekly sessions with language consultant. [Prereq: CAS LX 250 Introduction to Linguistics or consent of instructor.]
[Meets with CAS LX 391; Previously offered as CAS LX 501 "Linguistic Field Methods"]

GRS LX 694

Introduction to Programming for Computational Linguistics

 web A1 Hagstrom M 2:30-5:15 CAS 229
Introduction to computational techniques to explore linguistic models and test empirical claims. Serves as an introduction to programming, algorithms, and data structures, focused on modern applications to NLP. Topics include tagging and classification, parsing models, meaning representation, and information extraction.

Note: Intended for students with no background in computer programming. Cannot be taken concurrently with or after CAS CS 111. [Prereq: CAS LX 250 or consent of instructor]
[Meets with CAS LX 394]
  • Carries divisional credit for Math and Computer Science in CAS.
  • This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas:
    • Quantitative Reasoning II
    • Research & Information Literacy

GRS LX 703

Phonological Analysis

 A1 Barnes MWF 9:05-9:55 CAS B06B
Survey of phonological theory and analysis, with focus on crosslinguistic typology of phonological systems. Phonological reasoning and argumentation skills are developed. Empirical coverage includes contrast, distinctive features, rules and constraints, opacity, tone, syllabification, stress, and interactions with morphology and syntax. [Prereq: CAS LX 301/ GRS LX 601 (or CAS LX 510) or consent of instructor.]
[Meets with CAS LX 403; Previously offered as CAS LX 513 "Phonology"]

GRS LX 723

Advanced Syntax: Issues in Modern Syntactic Theory

 web A1 Iovtcheva TR 11-12:15 PSY B55
Exploration of advanced topics in syntax, chosen in part based on student interest, through reading and critical discussion of both foundational and recent literature. [Prereq: CAS LX 422 GRS LX 722 Intermediate Syntax (or CAS LX 522) or consent of instructor]
[Meets with CAS LX 423; Previously offered as CAS LX 523 "Syntax II"]

GRS LX 733

Intermediate Pragmatics: Meaning in Context

 web A1 Coppock TR 2-3:15 CAS 204B
An exploration of linguistic pragmatics, the study of language use and the relation between meaning and context. We will cover both classic texts and modern empirical studies on various sorts of context-sensitivity in language. [Prereq: CAS LX 331/ GRS LX 631 Semantics & Pragmatics: Introduction to Linguistic Meaning (or CAS LX 502) or consent of instructor.]
[Meets with CAS LX 433; Previously offered as CAS LX 504 "Topics in Pragmatics"]

GRS LX 795

Quantitative Methods in Linguistics

 web A1 Erker TR 12:30-1:45 CAS 208
Introduces students to quantitative approaches to linguistic data, including visualization, hypothesis testing, and data modeling. Students will gain proficiency in R, an open-source statistical environment, and learn the logic behind statistical techniques, as well as practical skills for using them. [Prereq: Graduate standing in the Linguistics program, or consent of instructor]
 
Related courses at BU
Course number Course title Section Instructor Days Time Room