Spring 2021

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Linguistics courses
Course number Course title Section Instructor Days Time Room

GRS LX 631

Semantics & Pragmatics: Introduction to Linguistic Meaning

A1 Coppock TR 2-3:15 CAS 316
LX332A1 Coppock M 11:15-12:05 NIP (remote)
LX332A2 Coppock M 2:20-3:20 NIP (remote)
LX332A3 Coppock M 3:35-4:25 NIP (remote)
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; Also offered as MET LX 531; Previously offered as CAS LX 502 "Semantics I"]
  • Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS.
  • Students registering for LX331 are required also to register for a section of LX332.
  • 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

 A1 Ngom MWF 1:25-2:15 CAS 218
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 655

Second Language Acquisition

 A1 Chang MWF 10:10-11 STO B50
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. [Prereq: CAS LX 250 Introduction to Linguistics or consent of instructor.]
[Meets with CAS LX 355; Previously offered as CAS LX 542 "Second Language Acquisition"]

GRS LX 659

Interrupted Acquisition and Language Attrition

 A1 Chang MWF 1:25-2:15 SAR 101
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. [Prereq: CAS LX 250 Introduction to Linguistics or consent of instructor.]
[Meets with CAS LX 359; Previously offered as CAS LX 546 "Incomplete Acquisition and Language Attrition"]

GRS LX 665

Variation in Dialects of English

 A1 Myler TR 11-12:15 OSW 922
LX666A1 Myler F 2:30-3:20 NIP (remote)
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. [Prereq: CAS LX 250 Introduction to Linguistics or consent of instructor.]
[Meets with CAS LX 365; Also offered as CAS EN 313 and MET LX 565; Previously offered as CAS LX 530 "Variation in Dialects of English"]
  • Graduate students registering for LX665 are required also to register for the discussion section LX666.

GRS LX 691

Linguistic Field Methods

 A1 Lindsey MWF 9:05-9:55 CAS 228
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; Also offered as MET LX 591; Previously offered as CAS LX 501 "Linguistic Field Methods"]
  • Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS.
  • Starting in Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas:
    • Ethical Reasoning
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
    • Teamwork & Collaboration

GRS LX 694

Introduction to Programming for Computational Linguistics

 web A1 Hagstrom TR 12:30-1:45 NIP (remote)
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; Also offered as MET LX 594]
  • 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 TR 8:00-9:15 CAS 211
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 722

Intermediate Syntax: Modeling Syntactic Knowledge

 web A1 Hagstrom TR 3:30-4:45 NIP (remote)
LX724A1 Hagstrom M 2:30-3:20 NIP (remote)
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]
  • Graduate students registering for LX722 are required also to register for the discussion section LX724.

GRS LX 733

Experimental Pragmatics

 A1 Coppock TR 9:30-10:45 CAS 313
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. [Prereq: CAS LX 331/ GRS LX 631 Semantics & Pragmatics: Introduction to Linguistic Meaning (or CAS LX 502) and previous college experience with basic statistics, or consent of instructor.]
[Meets with CAS LX 433; Previously offered as CAS LX 504 "Topics in Pragmatics"]
[This is a revised title and course description; previously offered as "Intermediate Pragmatics: Meaning in Context".]
  • Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS.
  • This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas:
    • Quantitative Reasoning II
    • Digital/Multimedia Expressio
    • Creativity/Innovation

GRS LX 802

Seminar in Linguistic Research

 A1 Chang W 2:30-4:15 TBA
Advanced graduate students working on their qualifying research papers or thesis present and discuss work in progress. The course is organized thematically based on students' research areas. Readings each week are determined on the basis of the research discussed. 2 cr. per semester.
 
Related courses at BU
Course number Course title Section Instructor Days Time Room