Spring 2009

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Linguistics courses
Course number Course title Section Instructor Days Time Room

CAS LX 500

Topics in Linguistics: Questions

 web B1 Hagstrom TR 12:30-2 KCB 201
Exploration of a central issue in theoretical linguistics, the typology of question formation across languages, from several perspectives. Syntactic universals and variation, semantic interpretation and discourse effects, and intonational effects will be brought to bear in developing a theoretical understanding.

CAS LX 500

Topics in Linguistics: Acquisition of Semantics and Pragmatics

 A1 Zabbal MWF 2-3 KCB 104
How does a child acquire an adult grammar, and the ability to interpret words and complex phrases? This course examines the acquisition of meaning, both the literal meaning of words and phrases and their implied meaning in conversation. [Prereq: CAS LX 250 or equivalent]

CAS LX 501

Linguistic Field Methods

 web A1 M. Catherine O'Connor TR 9:30-11 KCB 201
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.]

CAS LX 523

Syntax II x

 A1 Hagstrom T 4-7 PSY B49
Study of recent developments in syntactic theory, including the principles and parameters framework of generative grammar (the Minimalist Program, Antisymmetry) and certain other generative approaches (including Optimality Theory). This course builds on the background from established in LX 522 and provides an introduction to current issues in the field and proposals from the current theoretical linguistics literature. [Prereq: CAS LX 522 or equivalent]

GRS LX 641

Sociolinguistics

 A1 M. Catherine O'Connor M 4-7 CAS 325
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]
 
Related courses at BU
Course number Course title Section Instructor Days Time Room

CAS LS 504

History of the Spanish Language

 A1 Zaderenko MWF 10-11 CAS 218
(Conducted in Spanish) Study of the structure of sounds, general concepts of language change, and specific phonological, morphological and syntactic changes in the history of Spanish. Begins with the modern language and proceeds to successively earlier stages; includes reading of representative medieval and dialectal texts. [Prereq: CAS LS 350 plus two CAS LS 400-level literature courses]
  • This course can satisfy requirements for both the Spanish and the Spanish & Linguistics majors; it can also satisfy the Linguistics major requirement for a course in the linguistic analysis of a specific language, as well as counting toward both the Spanish and Linguistics minors. See http://www.bu.edu/linguistics/UG/spanling.html for further details.