Curriculum
Courses
Faculty

• LING-L 501 Introduction to Research Methods (2 cr.)This course provides an overview of skills and techniques for conducting research in Linguistics. Topics that will be covered include developing a research question, selecting appropriate methodologies and analyses, best practices in data management, responsible conduct of research, and discipline-specific writing conventions. Requirements for the course will include observation of faculty research presentations, the preparation of a research proposal, and attendance at four colloquium talks. A background in introductory Linguistics will be assumed.
• LING-L 503 Introduction to Linguistics for Graduate students (3 cr.) Introduction to the basic tools of grammatical analysis (of sounds, words, sentences, and meanings) for graduate students having little background in formal linguistics. Suitable for students interested in linguistics, computer science/informatics, foreign languages, speech and hearing sciences, second language studies, elementary or secondary English education, psychology, or cognitive science.
• LING-L 515 The Computer and Natural Language (3 cr.) Present-day computer systems work with human language in many differ­ent forms, whether as stored data in the form of text, typed queries to a database or search engine, or speech commands in a voice-driven computer system. We also increasingly expect computers to produce human language, such as user-friendly error messages and synthesized speech. This course surveys a range of linguistics issues and problems in computational linguistics.
• LING-L 520 Sociolinguistics (3 cr.) Examination of theoretical perspec­tives on language as a social phenomenon. Questions of linguis­tic variation, including social and contextual factors contribut­ing to variation.
• LING-L 530 Introduction to Historical Linguistics (3 cr.) P: L542 or equivalent. Principles of language classification and subclas­sification. Processes of diachronic change. Methods of linguistic reconstruction, especially the comparative method and internal reconstruction.
• LING-L 541 Introductory Phonetics (3 cr.) Survey of speech sound types in languages of the world with practice in discrimination, transcription, and production. Introduction to acoustic phonet­ics, physiology of speech production, and speech perception; with concurrent laboratory section.
• LING-L 542 Phonological Analysis (3 cr.) An introduction to the principles of contemporary phonological theory and tools of phonological analysis and description. The format of the course is oriented toward data-based problems from a wide variety of languages.
• LING-L 543 Syntactic Analysis (3 cr.) An examination of the methods and argumentation used in syntactic analysis conducted within the framework of generative grammar. Emphasis on construct­ing and evaluating grammatical analyses and promoting critical understanding of the generative framework.
• LING-L 544 Morphological Analysis (3 cr.) Introduction to the basic concepts and approaches to morphological analysis and description, to different theories of word structure, and to is­sues in the relation between morphology and phonology and between morphology and syntax. Data-based problem solving from a wide variety of languages.
• LING-L 545 Computation & Linguistic Analysis (3 cr.) P: L555 (or equivalent, approved by course instructor) This course explores how linguistic analysis can be stated as computer programs, emphasizing the design of data structures used in linguistic analysis, the computational issues underlying them, and their use in natural processing.
• LING-L 546 Semantics (3 cr.) P: L543 or equivalent. Introduction to current semantic theory, its tools, concepts, and principles. Em­phasis on constructing detailed fragments of natural language with syntactic and semantic components.
• LING-L 555 Programming for Computational Linguistics (3 cr.) Introduction to the fundamentals of programming and computer science, aiming at attaining practical skills for text processing. Through lectures, lab sessions, and weekly or bi-weekly assignments, students will learn the essentials of a given programming language (e.g., Perl) and how to apply these skills to natural language data.
• LING-L 585 Graduate Topics in Linguistics (3 cr.)This course leads students into the systematic investigation of variable topics in linguistics at a graduate level.
• LING-L 590 Linguistic Structure (3 cr.) Analysis of particular aspects of the structure of a language or of a group of closely related languages. Methods used may include text analysis, informant work, study of secondary sources, lectures, and reports.
• LING-L 611 Models of Linguistic Structure (3 cr.) Formulations of linguistic structures—finite-set, phrase-structure, transforma­tional dependency, predictive—with emphasis on their math­ematical properties. Mathematical concepts underlying these formulations, such as sets, relations, Markov processes, and automata.
• LING-L 614 Alternative Syntactic Theories (3 cr.) P: L543 or equivalent. An examination of a current syntactic framework other than the standard framework in terms of specific issues of syntactic analysis and general claims about the nature and organization of the syntax of natural languages. Emphasis on developing analyses within that framework. May be repeated for credit when topic varies.
• LING-L 615 Corpus Linguistics (3 cr.) P: L543. Advances in computer technology have revolutionized the ways linguists can approach their data. By using computers, we can access large bodies of text (corpora) and search for phenomena. The course will give an introduction to the methodology and applications in the field.
• LING-L 620 Advanced Sociolinguistics (3 cr.) Sociolinguistic methodol­ogy and data analysis, language ideology, and language in social institutions. Course topics include quantitative and qualitative methods (variationist, ethnographic, and discourse analytic methods); Anglo-American, Continental pragmatics; language and sociocultural identity (culture, politeness, power, solidarity, and gender); and institutional discourse (juridical, therapeutic, political, religious, etc.).
• LING-L 625 Bilingualism and Language Contact (3 cr.) Problems of multilingualism, including diglossia. Examination of selected cases illustrating the relationship between language contact and linguistic change.
• LING-L 630 Lexicology (3 cr.) Analysis of the lexical structure of lan­guages. The word and its morphological and semantic proper­ties. Application of lexicology to practical problems in diction­ary making (lexicography).
• LING-L 636 Pidgins and Creoles (3 cr.) Survey of the field of pidgin and creole linguistics: presentation of the structure of selected prototypical pidgins and creoles; review of the theories for the genesis of creoles and their relationship to current issues in language acquisition and historical linguistics; discussion of language planning issues specific to pidgins and creoles; as well as discussion of current issues.
• LING-L 641 Advanced Phonetics (3 cr.) P: L541 or equivalent. Experi­mental analysis of the speech signal; speech articulation and the structure of phonetic space. A survey of current theories of speech production and perception with experience design­ing and conducting experiments, and some consideration of phonetic factors that determine the choice of particular sound contrasts in languages.
• LING-L 642 Advanced Phonological Description (3 cr.) P: L542 or equivalent. Problems of phonological description and their theoretical implications. Practice in formulating and evaluating explanatory statements about various phonetic, phonotactic, and morphophonemic properties of languages.
• LING-L 643 Advanced Syntax (3 cr.) P: L543 or equivalent. Syntactic analysis, and recent developments of principles and param­eters/minimalist theory. Taking up from L543, reviews core modules of grammar from L543 and examines topics such as logical form, empty categories, barriers, functional categories, and relativized minimality. Introduces concepts of minimalist theory. Training in abstract and squib writing, and paper presenta­tion.
• LING-L 645 Adv Natural Language Processing (3 cr.) P: L555 (or equivalent) and L545. An introduction to statistical models and machine learning paradigms in NLP. Covers basic notions in probability and information theory, focusing on the concepts needed for NLP, including Markov Models. Additional topics may include word sense disambiguation, text categorization, and statistical alignment methods and their use in machine translation.
• LING-L 646 Advanced Semantics (3 cr.) This course is a direct continuation of L546, designed to help prepare students to understand, evaluate, and produce original research in formal semantics. The course will primarily be organized around two broad topics that have been central to the development of formal semantics as currently practiced, but that were treated only very briefly in L546: intensional semantics, and the semantics of definite and indefinite noun phrases. Students will also develop their own research project in formal semantics, and present that research in oral form (twice) and in written form (twice).
• LING-L 653 Field Methods in Linguistics I (3 cr.) Techniques of data collection and analysis based on work with a native speaker of a language unknown to the students.
• LING-L 654 Field Methods in Linguistics II (3 cr.) Techniques of data collection and analysis based on work with a native speaker of a language unknown to the students.
• LING-L 665 Applying Machine Learning Techniques in Computational Linguistics (3 cr.) P: L545 or equivalent. Introduction to major algorithms in Machine Learning (ML) as well as applications of these techniques to a wide range of CL topics. Course includes an introduction to CL and to W focused on supervised algorithms: decision trees and rule learning. Also considered are applications of ML algorithms to CL problems.
• LING-L 670 Language Typology (3 cr.) Introduction to linguistic typol­ogy, the study of how languages differ and how they are alike in terms of formal features. Focuses on a variety of syntactic and morphological features of languages including lexical classes, word order, case and agreement systems, animacy, definite­ness, and gender; valence-changing devices; verbal categories; and subordination.
• LING-L 685 Linguistics Teaching Practicum (1-3 cr.) P: Completion of 24 hours of graduate coursework, plus 600-level coursework in the area of the practicum. Under faculty supervision, students provide instruction in an undergraduate course in their area of specialization, for example, phonetics, phonology, syntax, sociolinguistics. This practicum also provides experience in developing course materials (e.g., problem sets, homework exercises, reading selections), and testing.
• LING-L 690 Advanced Readings in Linguistics (1-4 cr.) S/F grading.
• LING-L 695 M.A. Thesis Research (1-4 cr.) This course is eligible for a deferred grade.
• LING-L 700 Seminar on Current Issues (1-4 cr.) This seminar will deal with major books and articles that have defined important areas of debate in the current development of linguistic theory. The specific title will be announced well in advance of each semester. Course may be retaken for up to 12 credit hours.
• LING-L 710 Seminar in Phonetics (3 cr.) Selected problems in the acoustic, motor, and auditory structure of the sounds of human language. May be repeated for credit when topic changes.
• LING-L 712 Seminar in Phonology (3 cr.) Research and reports on selected problems of generative phonology. May be repeated for credit when topic changes.
• LING-L 714 Seminar in Syntax (3 cr.) Advanced treatment of a topic, construction, or theoretical concept in syntax using a current theoretical model. May be repeated for credit when topic changes.
• LING-L 715 Seminar in Computational Linguistics (3 cr.) The seminar will introduce students to current research in the field of Com­putational Linguistics. May be repeated for up to 15 credits.
• LING-L 720 Seminar in Sociolinguistics (3 cr.) Selected problems con­cerning the relationship between language and society. May be repeated for credit when topic changes.
• LING-L 760 Seminar in Historical Linguistics (3 cr.) Selected problems concerning linguistic reconstruction, processes of diachronic change, and language classification. May be repeated for credit when topic changes.
• LING-L 780 Seminar in Semantics (3 cr.) Selected problems in the area of meaning and the relationship between language and semantic interpretation. May be repeated for credit when topic changes.
• LING-L 800 Research (arr. cr.) This course is eligible for a deferred grade.

African Linguistics

• LING-A 501 Introduction to African Linguistics (3 cr.) Introduction to African Linguistics (3 cr.) Introduction to the linguistic study of African languages; questions of language distribution, typological and genetic classification, comparative reconstruction, and structural aspects of individual languages.
• LING-A 502 Language in Africa (3 cr.) Language in the lives and behavior of African people.  Dynamics of language spread and multilingualism.  Literacy, language, and education.  Linguistic ritual: greetings, condolences, apologies, leave-taking.  Joking and insulting relationships.  Stories and storytellers.  Proverbs and their use.  Power of language in society.
• LING-A 503 Bantu Linguistics (3 cr.) Structural comparisons of Bantu languages at levels of phonology, morphology, and syntax, noting differences and similarities of various East African languages.
• LING-A 504 Chadic Linguistics (3 cr.) P: Reading knowledge of French or German. An introduction to the Chadic language family.  The relationship of Chadic to Afro-Asiatic and the membership and internal classification of the Chadic family.  Common structural features of present-day Chadic languages and the reconstruction of Proto-Chadic.
• LING-A 747 Seminar in African Linguistics (4 cr.) Research on specific problems of African linguistics. Course may be repeated for credit.