Paul Hagstrom

Associate Professor of Linguistics
Director of Undergraduate Studies
 Paul Hagstrom
Email: hagstrom@bu.edu
Web: http://ling.bu.edu/people/hagstrom
Web: http://www.bu.edu/linguistics/UG/hagstrom/
Office phone: 617-353-6220
Fax: 617-358-4641
Office number: Linguistics 105
Office address: Linguistics Department, 621 Commonwealth Ave.
Boston, MA 02215
Office hours: Spring 2019: M 1-2; TR 2-3; or by appointment

BA, Physics and Mathematics, Carleton College
PhD, Linguistics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Professor Hagstrom's research interests are in syntax, semantics, and language acquisition.

Courses

Spring 2019
Course number Course title Section Instructor Days Time Room

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 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

Fall 2019 (tentative)
Course number Course title Section Instructor Days Time Room

GRS LX 621

Syntax: Introduction to Sentential Structure

 A1 Hagstrom TR 11-12:15 SCI 117
Introduction to syntax as an object of inquiry. Students build an increasingly sophisticated model of syntactic knowledge to account for data from English and other languages, constructing and evaluating alternative hypotheses about how sentence structure works. [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 321; Previously offered as CAS LX 522 "Syntax I"]
  • Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS.

GRS LX 754

Acquisition of Syntax

 A1 Hagstrom TR 2-3:15 CAS B06A
Exploration of the character and course of acquisition of syntactic knowledge in both first and second language contexts. Covers methodological principles for conducting studies and analyzing data, and topics such as development of verb movement, binding theory, and tense. [Prereq: CAS LX 321/ GRS LX 621 Syntax: Introduction to Sentential Structure (or CAS LX 522) or consent of instructor]
[Meets with CAS LX 454; Previously offered as CAS LX 540 "Acquisition of Syntax"]

Spring 2020 (tentative)
Course number Course title Section Instructor Days Time Room

GRS LX 722

Intermediate Syntax: Modeling Syntactic Knowledge

 A1 Hagstrom TR 2-3:15 TBA
Using linguistic data drawn from a wide variety of languages, students develop a precise model of syntactic knowledge through evaluation of hypotheses and arguments. Exploration of major discoveries and phenomena from the linguistic literature. [Prereq: CAS LX 321 / GRS LX 621 Syntax: Introduction to Sentential Structure (or CAS LX 522) or consent of instructor.]
[Meets with CAS LX 422]

GRS LX 796

Computational Linguistics

 A1 Hagstrom T 3:30-6:15 TBA
Introduction to computational techniques to explore linguistic models and test empirical claims. Serves as an introduction to concepts, algorithms, data structures, and tool libraries. Topics include tagging and classification, parsing models, meaning representation, corpus creation, information extraction. [Prereq: Prereq: CAS LX 250 and CAS CS 112, or consent of instructor]
[Meets with CAS LX 496]
Students who have already taken CAS LX 394/GRS LX 694 are not eligible to take this course.
  • Carries divisional credit for Math and Computer Science in CAS. Note, however, that courses taken toward a major or minor in Linguistics (Humanities) cannot be used for credit toward the Divisional Studies Requirement in a different division.
  • This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas:
    • Quantitative Reasoning II
    • Research & Information Literacy