Course descriptions→ Linguistics course schedules |
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Linguistic analysis of Japanese |
| Note! Effective Fall 2016, the numbers for many Linguistics (LX) courses are changing. | ||
| Linguistics Courses | |||
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Linguistic theory
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GRS LX 601 Offered: |
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Introduction to the nature and patterning of sounds in human language. Presents articulatory and acoustic phonetics, and basic phonological analysis, focusing on cross-language typology and comparison. Hands-on development of practical skills, including IPA transcription, field techniques, and digital speech analysis. Starting in Fall 2020, undergraduates enrolled in CAS LX 301 A1 will also need to register for one of the discussion sections, S1, S2, or S3. |
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GRS LX 611 Not in current schedule. |
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| Morphology, the study of the internal structure and the shapes of words across languages, straddles the boundary between syntax and phonology. This course covers the major empirical and theoretical issues in the study of morphology, emphasizing links to other components of grammar. | |||
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GRS LX 617 Not in current schedule. |
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| Languages differ startlingly in how they express the apparently basic concepts of “possession” and “essence”. Students explore this variety and its implications, addressing fundamental questions about linguistic relativism, language universals, and the relationship between structure and meaning. | |||
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GRS LX 621 Offered: |
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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. Starting in Fall 2020, undergraduates enrolled in CAS LX 321 A1 will also need to register for one of the discussion sections, S1, S2, or S3. |
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GRS LX 627 Not in current schedule. |
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| Exploration of focus in natural language, integrating syntax, phonology, semantics, morphology, and pragmatics in pursuit of a general understanding of both the phenomena and the ways in which different aspects of linguistic knowledge cooperate in its expression. | |||
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GRS LX 628 Not in current schedule. |
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| Exploration of question formation across languages, and from several theoretical perspectives, integrating syntax, phonology, semantics, morphology, pragmatics, and philosophy in pursuit of a general understanding of one of the central phenomena in theoretical linguistics. | |||
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GRS LX 631 Offered: |
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| 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. | |||
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GRS LX 645 Not in current schedule. |
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| Examines the mechanisms and outcomes of language contact by surveying cases around the globe from the past and present. Topics include lexical-borrowing, code-switching, pidgins and creoles, language death, and the emergence of entirely new linguistic systems. | |||
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GRS LX 660 Offered: |
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| Introduction to language change and the methodology of historical linguistic analysis, using data from a wide array of languages. Investigates genetic relatedness among languages, language comparison, historical reconstruction, and patterns and principles of change in phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics. | |||
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GRS LX 700 Not in current schedule. |
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| After a general introduction to the study of language acquisition within the principles and parameters framework of generative grammar, defining the central concepts and laying out some of the theoretical issues, a number of topics will be discussed, including: the status of functional categories, verb movement and finiteness, null subjects, binding theory, and wh-questions. The first part of the course will focus on first language acquisition; the latter part on second language acquisition. | |||
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GRS LX 703 Offered: |
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| 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. | |||
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GRS LX 705 Not in current schedule. |
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| Exploration of the melodic and rhythmic aspects of the languages of the world. Emphasis on theoretical and experimental approaches to cross-linguistic typology. Specific topics include: syllables and syllable-weight, rhythm and speech timing; stress and metrics; tone and intonation. | |||
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GRS LX 722 Offered: |
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| 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. | |||
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GRS LX 723 Offered: |
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| Exploration of advanced topics in syntax, chosen in part based on student interest, through reading and critical discussion of both foundational and recent literature. | |||
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GRS LX 732 Offered: |
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| Introduction to the semantics of natural language at an intermediate level. Topics include (but are not limited to) predication and quantification, scope and anaphora, problems of discourse analysis, various issues at the interface of semantics and pragmatics, and crosslinguistic semantics. | |||
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GRS LX 733 Offered: |
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| Hands-on seminar on pragmatics, the study of how meaning beyond the literal is communicated in context. Students will study research articles in pragmatics that use experimental methods, design their own original experiment, and run a student-designed experiment as a group. | |||
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GRS LX 738 Offered: |
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| Review of current research literature on discourse analysis; students practice and apply current methods and techniques of discourse analysis | |||
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GRS LX 795 Offered: |
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| 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. | |||
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GRS LX 865 Not in current schedule. |
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| An in-depth exploration of current issues in language acquisition in relation to recent developments in linguistic theory, making use of computer-based tools and techniques in hands-on lab work. The focus is on experimental methodology and statistics, analysis of transcripts to uncover generalizations and test theoretical predictions, and use of other psycholinguistic tools. Topics to be covered will be drawn, in part, from the recent programs of the annual Boston University Conference on Language Development. | |||
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Linguistic analysis of African languages
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GRS LX 668 Not in current schedule. |
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| African language structure and status from the perspectives of theoretical and comparative linguistics (within the generative grammar framework), typology, and sociolinguistics, with focus on South African Nguni languages, especially IsiXhosa, with comparisons to its sister languages in that language group. | |||
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Linguistic analysis of English
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GRS LX 664 Not in current schedule. |
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| Systematic introduction to the linguistic analysis of modern English (phonology, morphology, syntax) from the perspective of generative grammar. Other topics include: English and its West Germanic relatives, non-standard varieties and the development of standard English, varieties of World Englishes. [Note that this will count as a course in the linguistic analysis of a specific language for purposes of satisfying requirements for the Linguistics major.] Also offered as CAS EN 514. | |||
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GRS LX 665 Offered: |
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| This course explores how dialects of English differ from each other, focusing on grammatical variation in the US, with occasional forays into British dialects. The class will examine grammatical diversity on a number of levels (including accents, dialectal vocabulary, and social factors in language variation), but the main focus will be on studying and accounting for morphosyntactic differences amongst varieties. Students come to appreciate how linguists investigate grammatical diversity scientifically, revealing the complex structure of non-standard dialects. | |||
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Linguistic analysis of Romance languages
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GRS LX 670 Offered: |
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| This course covers sound and morphosyntactic change since Latin, plus various topics in the comparative grammar of modern Romance languages. In addition, there is a module introducing students to the grammatical systems of certain less-studied Romance languages. Students deepen their linguistic knowledge and analytic skills by applying what they have learned in other Linguistics courses to this language family, and learn how data from Romance languages have contributed to our understanding of how language works in general. | |||
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Linguistic analysis of French
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GRS LX 673 Not in current schedule. |
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(Conducted in French)
The sound system of standard French, with exploration of dialect variation in France, Canada, and other Francophone regions of the world. Questions about mental representation of linguistic information, processes of word formation, and language variation and change. Students discover linguistic regularities through frequent problem sets.
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GRS LX 674 Not in current schedule. |
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(Conducted in French) After an introduction to some of the main features of the sentence structure of French (with occasional excursions into Quebecois), attention will be focused on a number of specific topics in French syntax: e.g., the position of the finite and non-finite verb, formation of questions and relative clauses, different types of subject-verb inversion, quantifier floating and the position of subjects, negation, the behavior of clitic pronouns, imperative and causative constructions, right and left dislocation, as well as the relationship between specific syntactic constructions and intonation.
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GRS LX 676 Not in current schedule. |
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(Conducted in French) Topics vary by semester. Previous topic: Parlers français d'Amérique du Nord (French dialects of North America). Population history and demography. Dialectal divisions. Phonological, morphological, syntactic, and lexical features. French in Quebec, Acadia, NY/New England, Missouri, and Louisiana. Hypotheses on the genesis of certain dialects. Analysis of certain Creole features (Haitian, Louisiana, Lesser Antilles) from a comparative perspective. |
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CAS LF 504 Not in current schedule. |
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(Conducted in French) Prosodic, phonetic, and morphosyntactic changes from Classical Latin to Modern French, highlighting the common roots between French and other Romance languages. Lexical influences (Gaulish, Frankish, etc.). Comparative linguistic study of texts in Old or Middle French. Sociopolitical events in the history of the French language. Standardization, linguistic unification of France after the Revolution, and the worldwide spread of the language. Changements prosodiques, phonétiques, et morphosyntaxiques du latin classique au français moderne, mettant en relief les racines communes qui unissent le français aux autres langues romanes. Influences lexicales (gaulois, francique, etc.). Comparaison linguistique de textes en ancien ou moyen français. Evénements sociopolitiques dans l'histoire de la langue. Standardisation, unification linguistique de la France après la Révolution, et diffusion du français dans le monde. |
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Linguistic analysis of Spanish
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GRS LX 681 Not in current schedule. |
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| (Conducted in Spanish) An ethnographic survey and sociolinguistic analysis of the Spanish language as it is spoken in urban USA. The course will focus on issues of language and dialect contact, language change, the fraught notion of 'heritage' speakers, and also code-switching as a sociolinguistic phenomenon. | |||
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GRS LX 683 Not in current schedule. |
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| (Conducted in Spanish) The goal of this course is to introduce students to the linguistic analysis of speech, with a focus on the Spanish language. We examine the vowels and consonants of Spanish from the perspective of articulatory and acoustic phonetics. In addition, the course introduces core concepts in phonological analysis, surveying the phonemic inventory and phonological organization of Spanish. We also investigate a range of regional variation demonstrated by so-called ‘dialects’ of Spanish, with an emphasis on the historical and social significance of such variation in Spain, Latin America, and the United States. In summary, this course aims to examine the sounds of Spanish as physical, mental, and social phenomena. | |||
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GRS LX 684 Not in current schedule. |
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| (Conducted in Spanish) The goal of this course is to introduce students to the structure of the Spanish language, with a focus on its morphology and syntax. We examine the internal structure of words and the inflectional and derivational processes that constrain them. In addition, the course introduces key concepts such as morpheme, affix, grammatical class, linguistic gender, nominalization, and verbalization. We also investigate fundamental principles of syntactic theory and analysis, with an emphasis on the hierarchical relationships among words at the phrasal level. We use naturalistic speech data, collected from around the Spanish-speaking world, to critically examine key assumptions and tools of contemporary syntactic theory, including X-bar theory, binary branching, thematic role assignment, and the concept of the sentence. We give special attention the notion of ungrammaticality as it relates to syntactic and morphological variation and change. | |||
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CAS LS 504 Not in current schedule. |
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| (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. | |||
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Linguistic analysis of other languages
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GRS LX 669 Not in current schedule. |
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| Overview of pidginization and creolization. Evolution, typology, and area characteristics of creole languages. Role of contact languages and other substrata. Field and classroom research with creole language speakers. | |||
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GRS LX 691 Offered: |
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| 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. | |||
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Also relating to linguistic analysis of other languages: |
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Language, culture, and society
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GRS LX 641 Offered: |
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| 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. | |||
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GRS LX 642 Not in current schedule. |
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| 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. | |||
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Also relating to language, culture, and society: |
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Language acquisition
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GRS LX 649 Not in current schedule. |
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| The psycholinguistics and sociolinguistics of life with two languages. Topics include bilingual language use, processing, acquisition, organization; effects of bilingualism on cognition and development; the bilingual brain; the bilingual speech community; bilingual education; bilingualism in the media and public eye. | |||
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GRS LX 650 Not in current schedule. |
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| 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. | |||
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GRS LX 655 Offered: |
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| The goal of this course is to provide an overview of findings from the interdisciplinary field of second language acquisition (SLA), especially as they relate to differences between adult and child learners and individual variation among adult learners. The course examines data from many different language pairs, diverse theoretical perspectives on second-language attainment, and a wide range of factors influencing acquisition: language-universal, demographic, experiential, cognitive, social/affective, and environmental. The course also considers the case of third language acquisition as well as pedagogical implications. | |||
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GRS LX 659 Offered: |
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| Examines native language knowledge and change in speakers who have become dominant in another language. Topics include differences among heritage speakers, international adoptees, and adult second language learners; language change in expatriates; and environmental and affective factors conditioning language loss. | |||
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GRS LX 753 Not in current schedule. |
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| The goal of this course is to examine the resources, mechanisms, and limitations underlying children's acquisition of phonology during the first years of life. Specific topics include the biological foundations of phonological acquisition; the developmental arcs of both speech perception and production; the relationship between phonological development and word learning; phonological universals as they apply to acquisition; and implicit and explicit learning mechanisms. The course considers different theoretical models of phonological development, as well as the range of variation observed among typically developing children. | |||
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GRS LX 754 Not in current schedule. |
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| 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. | |||
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Also relating to language acquisition: |
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| Linguistics Courses: Topics Courses | |||
| Topics vary by semester, and may be taken more than once with different topics. Current and recent offerings are listed below. | |||
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CAS LX 500 Not in current schedule. |
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| 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. | |||
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CAS LX 500 Not in current schedule. |
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CAS LX 500 Not in current schedule. |
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| An examination of the diverse strategies for expressing negation in natural languages (cf. not, no one, un- in English). Topics include: negation and scope, polarity items/concord, antynomy and reversal, and morphosyntactic variety in the expression of negation. | |||
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CAS LX 500 Not in current schedule. |
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| Number is sometimes defined as the category marking the opposition between singular and plural. This greatly underestimates its role in the grammar. This course examines number systems in a variety of languages from morphological, syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic perspectives. | |||
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CAS LX 500 Not in current schedule. |
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| A general introduction to the study of first and second language acquisition within the framework of generative grammar, focused on the development of syntax. Topics include: the status and development of functional categories, verb-movement, finiteness, null subjects, binding, and questions. | |||
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CAS LX 500 Not in current schedule. |
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| Exploration of how dialects of English differ from each other, focusing on grammatical variation in the US, with occasional forays into British dialects. Students come to appreciate how linguists investigate grammatical diversity scientifically, revealing the complex structure of non-standard dialects. | |||
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CAS LX 500 Not in current schedule. |
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| Modality expresses the possibility or necessity of a situation: 'John may/must be at home.' This course investigates types of modality and ways in which modality is encoded in the grammar in mood and modal systems across languages. | |||
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CAS LX 500 Not in current schedule. |
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| 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. | |||
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CAS LX 500 Not in current schedule. |
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| A general introduction to theoretical study of first and second language acquisition, focusing mainly on the development of syntax. Topics will include tense and agreement, word order, and constraints on pronoun use, as well as lexical semantics and discourse constraints. | |||
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CAS LX 500 Not in current schedule. |
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| Exploration of linguistic focus from several perspectives. Developing a theoretical understanding of how languages signal focus through syntax and intonation, and how focus interacts with semantics and pragmatics, we examine how diverse aspects of language knowledge interact as a system. | |||
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CAS LX 500 Not in current schedule. |
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| Exploration and analysis of English melodic patterns. Students transcribe and even gather prosodic data (intonation, grouping, and prominence), using computer software and the ToBI framework. Comparisons of the English intonational system to systems of other languages of the world. | |||
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CAS LX 500 Not in current schedule. |
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| Examines the evolution of the language faculty in the human species. Compares and contrasts language with other forms of animal communication. Explores and evaluates findings and claims from paleontology, biology, archaeology, anthropology, linguistics, and cognitive science. | |||
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CAS LX 500 Not in current schedule. |
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| Survey of a range of characteristics that differentiate possible from impossible human languages, which inform modern understanding of the human language capacity. Discussion will center on readings presenting different perspectives on issues of typology, modalities, acquisition, variation, change, and creolization. | |||
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CAS LX 500 Not in current schedule. |
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| A general introduction to the study of first and second language acquisition within the framework of generative grammar. The course will cover theoretical approaches to syntactic, semantic, and phonological development, reviewing studies and methodologies both classic and current. | |||
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CAS LX 500 Not in current schedule. |
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| 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. | |||
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GRS LX 706 Not in current schedule. |
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| Distinctive feature theory from Structuralism to the present. Issues include the putative universality of distinctive features, their phonetic underpinnings, tension among the various roles features play in the grammar, and applicability of features to phonology beyond consonants and vowels. | |||
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GRS LX 736 Offered: |
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| The semantics of expressions of degree, including vague, gradable expressions like “tall", positive and comparative forms (“taller”, “tallest”), and degree-denoting expressions like “six feet”. Examination of multiple theoretical perspectives, and investigation of crosslinguistic variation through literature and new data collection. | |||
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CAS LS 505 Not in current schedule. |
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| (Conducted in Spanish) Introduction to Spanish phonetics and phonology. Covers articulatory, acoustic, and auditory phonetics, focusing on techniques for visualizing speech sounds. Examines the phonemic inventory and phonological organization of Spanish from several perspectives, including generative and articulatory phonology as well as sociolinguistics. | |||
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GRS LX 686 Not in current schedule. |
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