Chair: Lindsay J. Whaley
Professors H. S. Alverson (Anthropology), K. N. Dunbar (Education and Psychology), B. Duncan (German), L. H. Glinert (AMELL), L. A. Grenoble (Linguistics and Russian), H. C. Hughes (Psychology), L. A. Petitto (Education and Psychology), J. H. Moor (Philosophy), B. P. Scherr (Russian), W. P. Sinnott-Armstrong (Philosophy), R. A. Sorensen (Philosophy), P. W. Travis (English); Associate Professors I. Chitoran (Linguistics and French and Italian), H. Farid (Computer Science), D. A. Garretson (Russian), L. J. Whaley (Linguistics and Classics); Assistant Professors D. A. Peterson (Linguistics), P. U. Tse (Psychology); Senior Lecturer D. M. Runnels (Native American Studies, Spanish); Lecturer T. J. Pulju (Linguistics); Visiting Professor T. Ernst (Linguistics).
The 2006-07 Steering Committee is as follows: Chitoran, Grenoble, Moor, Peterson, Whaley (Chair).
Although the fields of linguistics and cognitive science are closely related, the course of study for each varies, and they comprise separate majors. Whether their interest is in linguistics or cognitive science, all students should consult with a member of the steering committee well in advance in order to plan a program that best suits their needs and interests.
LINGUISTICS
Individuals who pursue a major in linguistics should take ten courses beyond the prerequisites, which are Linguistics 1 and a solid competence in a foreign language (this latter requirement may be met by taking two courses in a language beyond the first-year level). Linguistics majors are also urged to study a second language not closely related to the first.
The ten courses for the major should include the following:
1. Linguistics 22
2. At least three additional courses in the 20's (Linguistics 21, 23, 24, 25, 26)
3. At least two more courses in Linguistics, including one that satisfies the requirement for a culminating activity, which may be met in one of three ways:
(a) completing a senior Honors thesis (Linguistics 87)
(b) taking an advanced seminar in linguistics (Linguistics 80)
(c) carrying out a one or two term independent study project (Linguistics 85)
4. Depending on the number of courses taken under (b) and (c), up to four other courses, either from the Linguistics offerings or selected from the list below, in consultation with an adviser. Note that some of these courses are more suitable to those with an interest in formal linguistics, and others for those with an interest in natural languages or language and culture. Certain courses not listed here, such as advanced seminars in various departments, may also be counted toward the major with permission of the Chair.
Anthropology 9; Cognitive Science 2; Computer Science 49, 68; French 35; Mathematics 39, 69; Philosophy 6, 26, 32, 33, 34, 35; Psychology 51 (if special topic is relevant to linguistics), 68; Russian 62; Spanish 40.
The modified major in linguistics combines linguistics with another discipline in a coherent program of study. It has as its prerequisites Linguistics 1 and a solid competence in a foreign language.
The six courses for the linguistics portion of the major should include the following:
1. At least three linguistics courses in the 20's (Linguistics 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
2. At least two other courses, chosen from the offerings in linguistics and/or the related courses approved for the regular major in linguistics
3. A course which satisfies the requirement for a culminating activity, which may be met as for the regular major in linguistics
Students who wish to modify another major with linguistics should take Linguistics 1 as a prerequisite. They should then take four other courses, distributed as follows: (a) two courses in the history or structure of natural languages (one of these will normally be Linguistics 15, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 or 26 and the other may be Linguistics 18, French 35, Russian 62, or Spanish 40); (b) one course in language and culture (Anthropology 9, Linguistics 17 or 40); and (c) one course in formal linguistics (Linguistics 21, 22, 23, 25 or 26, Cognitive Science 2, Philosophy 34, or Psychology 51 [when offered as Psycholinguistics]).
The minor in Linguistics has a prerequisite of Linguistics 1 and then five additional courses. Three or more of the five must be courses taught in the Linguistics Program, and at least two of these should be numbered in the 20s. The remaining courses are to be selected in conjunction with the student's adviser.
COGNITIVE SCIENCE
Cognitive Science is the study of cognition from the point of view of information processing. It combines the traditional fields of cognitive and physiological psychology, computer science, philosophy, and linguistics, among others. Topics of focus include perception, memory, reasoning and language.
The cognitive science program is issue-oriented and relies on methods drawn from a number of disciplines. Students pursuing a major should become familiar with the basic approaches of psychology, philosophy, computer science and linguistics; while the electives allow students to gain specialized knowledge in a particular area of cognitive science. Thus, with guidance of an adviser in the program, the student designs a course of study concentrating on such a field as computer simulations of psychological processes, computational linguistics, or philosophy and psychology.
The prerequisites for the cognitive science major are: (a) Cognitive Science 2 and (b) Psychology 10 or Social Science 10 or equivalent
Core:
1. Linguistics 1
2. Computer Science 5
3. Philosophy 26 (Philosophy and Computers) or 35 (Philosophy of Mind)
4. Psychology 64 (Experimental Study of Human Perception and Cognition) or 68 (Human Perception and Cognition), or approved equivalent
5. One course that satisfies the requirement for a culminating activity, which may be met in one of three ways:
(a.) completing a senior Honors thesis (Cognitive Science 87)
(b.) taking an advanced seminar on perception and cognition (Cognitive
Science 81); or a relevant advanced seminar in Linguistics (Linguistics
80) or Philosophy (Philosophy 80)
(c.) carrying out a one or two term independent study project (Cognitive
Science 85).
Electives: Five additional courses selected from those listed below. At least two of the four areas must be represented:
1. Psychology 21, 25, 26, 51, 52, 64, 65, and relevant seminars in Psychology.
2. Philosophy 6, 26, 27, 30, 32, 33, 34, and relevant seminars in Philosophy.
3. Computer Science 18, 25, 44, 49, and 68.
4. Linguistics 10, 18, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26 and relevant seminars in Linguistics.
HONORS PROGRAM
The Honors Program in Linguistics and Cognitive Science offers qualified students the opportunity to undertake independent research under the direction of a faculty member. Students who plan to undertake such a project should have a 3.0 grade average in all courses taken at the College and an average of 3.3 for courses within the major. It is important to consult with a prospective adviser as early as possible, preferably during the junior year; applications to the Honors Program may be submitted to the Chair either during the spring of the junior year or the fall of the senior year. The project itself normally lasts two terms. Those concentrating in Cognitive Science will take Cognitive Science 86 the first term and Cognitive Science 87 the second; special majors in Linguistics take the corresponding linguistics courses. The completed thesis is to be submitted during the spring term, and then an oral presentation is given at a special seminar of students and faculty.
COURSES IN LINGUISTICS
1. Introductory Linguistics
06F, 07S, 07F, 08S: 12
An introduction to the description of human language and language use. The first part of the course will present methods used in characterizing the sound system of language (phonology) and the modification and arrangement of words in well-formed sentences (morphology and syntax). The second part will present approaches to semantics and pragmatics. Some important implications of linguistic inquiry for the study of human cognition and cultural behavior will be discussed. This course is prerequisite for all majors in linguistics.
Open to all classes. Dist: QDS. Pulju, Chitoran.
6. Languages of the Pacific
07W: D.F.S.P. (New Zealand)
An introduction to the linguistics of the Pacific Islands (Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia), Australia and New Guinea. The areas covered include: principles of historical change, the social use of language, oral literature and the organization of linguistic systems of sound, meaning and grammar. Pidgins and Creoles are explored, as is the interaction of language with cultural institutions and conceptual systems. WCult: NW.
7. First-Year Seminar in Linguistics
Consult special listings
8. The Structure of Maori
07W, 08W: D.F.S.P. (New Zealand)
This course is an introduction to the structure of the Maori language. Emphasis is given to the morphology and syntax of basic Maori clause structure. This course is taught by a member of the Department of Maori Studies at the University of Auckland.
9. Spoken Maori
07W: D.F.S.P. (New Zealand)
This course is an introduction to spoken Maori. Emphasis is given to the phonetic structure of Maori and the acquisition of oral and aural skills in the language. This course is taught by a member of the Department of Maori Studies at the University of Auckland.
10. Language Acquisition (Identical to Education 58 and Psychology 52)
07W, 08W: 10A
Human language is one of the most spectacular of the brain's cognitive capacities, one of the most powerful instruments in the mind's tool kit for thought, and one of the most profound means we as a species use in social, emotional, and cultural communications. Yet the break-neck speed and seemingly "effortless" way that young children acquire language remain its most miraculous characteristic. We will discover the biological capacities and the important social, family, and educational factors that, taken together, make this feat possible and establish the basic facts of language acquisition, involving children's babbling, phonology, early vocabulary, morphology, syntax, semantics, and discourse knowledge, as well as their early gestural and pragmatic competence. Prevailing theoretical explanations and research methods will be explored. We will dispel myths of how bilingual children acquire two languages from birth. We will leave our hearing-speaking modality and explore the world of language acquisition in total silence-regarding the acquisition of natural signed languages-as innovative lens into the factors that are most key in acquiring all language. Critically, we will evaluate the efficacy of how language is presently taught to young children in schools in light of the facts of human language acquisition.
Open to all classes. Dist: SOC. Petitto.
15. Historical Linguistics
07W: 12
An introduction to historical linguistics and the comparative method. Linguistic change on all levels (phonetic/phonological, morphological, syntactic and semantic) will be studied, with special attention to the problems of historical reconstruction. The course will investigate families in general, with emphasis on the Indo-European languages.
Prerequisite: Linguistics 1 or Linguistics 18. Dist: QDS. Pulju.
17. Sociolinguistics
07W: 10A
The field of sociolinguistics deals with the ways in which language serves to define and maintain group identity and social relationships among speakers. In this course we will consider such topics as regional and social variation in language; the relationship of language and ethnicity, sex and gender; language and social context; pidgin and creole languages; language endangerment and the fate of minority languages in the US and other countries; language planning, multiculturalism and education.
Open to all classes. Dist: SOC. Class of 2008 and later: WCult: CI. Ernst.
18. History of the English Language (Identical to English 18)
06F, 08W: 10
The development of English as a spoken and written language as a member of the Indo-European language family, from Old English (Beowulf), Middle English (Chaucer), and Early Modern English (Shakespeare), to contemporary American English. Topics may include some or all of the following: the linguistic and cultural reasons for 'language change,' the literary possibilities of the language, and the political significance of class and race.
Open to all classes. Dist: SOC. Pulju.
21. Introduction to Phonology
07S, 08S: 10
Phonology is the study of the system underlying selection and use of sounds in languages of the world. The course will introduce students to investigation of these topics from the perspective of recent theories of phonology. Readings, class discussions, and homework problems will provide a basis for understanding the origin, role, and uses of sound systems in spoken languages.
Prerequisite: Linguistics 1. Dist: QDS. Chitoran.
22. Syntax
06F: 2
An introduction to the formal analysis of grammatical structure. The course aims to familiarize the student with Principles and Parameters Theory (PPT), the theoretical framework which currently dominates the field of syntax in North America. At the end of the class, we will review recent revisions to the theory, which is now referred to as the Minimalist Program.
Prerequisite: Linguistics 1. Dist: QDS. Ernst.
23. Semantics and Pragmatics
08S: 2
An investigation of 'meaning' in language: word meaning, sentence meaning and its relation to syntactic structure, and the role of both linguistic and extra-linguistic context.
Prerequisite: Linguistics 1. Dist: QDS. The staff.
24. Discourse Analysis
07S, 08W: 2
Discourse analysis examines linguistic structure that exist beyond the sentence level. In this course we will consider the structures of naturally occurring spontaneous speech (such as conversations, interviews, oral narratives) and those in written text. Special attention is given to the global priorities of connected speech and writing, including mechanisms of coherence and cohesion. Other topics include narrative structures, new and old information, topicalization, foregrounding and backgrounding, and the methods of conversational analysis and variation analysis.
Prerequisite: Linguistics 1. Dist: SOC. Pulju.
25. Typology
07F: 2
This course is an introduction to the field of language typology. We begin by exploring the core assumptions and methods of the discipline, and by reviewing typologies based on word order and morphology. Then, we examine a variety of grammatical categories and constructions including tense/aspect, case, relative, clauses, serial verbs, and switch-reference. Throughout the course we will also consider the sorts of explanations which have been put forth to account for typological patterns.
Prerequisite: Linguistics 1. Dist: SOC. The staff.
26. Morphology
08W: 2
Morphology is the study of word structure and word-formation processes, and how these interact with phonology, syntax, and the lexicon.
This course focuses on analyzing morphological phenomena in a wide range of typologically diverse languages. Topics to be addressed include the place of word formation in relation to phonological and syntactic phenomena, as well as the contribution of morphological analysis to our understanding of lexical processing. We will consider the history of morphological theory in generative grammar, with special attention to recent approaches, including Distributed Morphology.
Prerequisite: Linguistics 1. Dist: QDS. The staff.
35. Field Methods
06F, 07F: 10A
This course provides an overview of issues that arise in collecting language data in the field. We will examine techniques used in the gathering and analysis of data and practical problems that confront the fieldworker.
Prerequisites: Linguistics 21 and one other course in the 20's. Dist: QDS. Peterson.
50. Special Topics in Linguistics
06F: 10A 07W: 2 07F: 10A 08W: 2A
In 06F and 07F, Discourse, Culture and Identity in Asia and the Middle East (Identical to Asian and Middle East Languages and Literatures 17). This course introduces theories of discourse, communication and sociolinguistics and illustrates how Asian and Middle Eastern cultures employ language to construct and reflect values, identities and institutions, to negotiate relationships, and to perform actions (such as ending a phone call, apologizing, worshipping and writing a scientific paper). Particular attention will be paid to uses of orality and literacy, to gender and ethnicity, and to the social and material contexts in which language and literature operate.
Open to all classes. Dist: SOC or INT; WCult: NW. Glinert.
In 07W, History of Linguistics. This course covers the history of linguistics from ancient times up until the present, concentrating on the 20th century. Major themes include: the controversy over the status of linguistics as a science; the recurrent conflict between theoretical and applied linguistics; the relation of trends in linguistics to general contemporaneous intellectual trends; and the relative importance of social factors in determining the acceptance of particular linguists' ideas. Specific theoretical issues will also be considered, such as: the nature and significance of the phoneme; the degree to which syntax is independent of semantics and pragmatics; realist vs. nominalist views of linguistic description; and formalist vs. functionalist disagreements over the autonomy of language.
Prerequisites: Linguistics 1. Dist: SOC. Pulju.
In 07S, Words. This course explores all aspects of this most familiar unit of language. Among the questions we will address are: How exactly can we-or dictionary-makers-describe the precise meaning of a word? Is this even possible? How can two politicians honestly differ about the meaning of the word "lie"? How can a word's meaning change over time? How and why are words borrowed from one language into another? How do our brains think of the words we want so fast? Why do we sometimes mishear song lyrics? What makes a word part of slang or a specialized vocabulary? How do children learn their first words-and how do they learn tens of new words a day at their peak of vocabulary acquisition around age 2?
Open to all classes. Ernst.
80. Seminar in Linguistics
07S: 12 08S: 10A
In 07S, Indo-European Linguistics. In this course, we will use the methods of comparative and historical linguistics to reconstruct the phonology, grammar, and lexicon of Proto-Indo-European, and to determine the changes that have taken place between the proto-language and its attested descendants.
Prerequisites: Linguistics 15 and knowledge of at least one highly inflected Indo-European language (such as Latin, Greek, or Old English). Class of 2008 and later: WCult: W. Pulju.
85. Independent Study and Research
All terms: Arrange
This course offers qualified students of linguistics the opportunity to pursue work on a topic of special interest through an individually designed program.
Requires permission of the instructor and the Chair.
86. Honors Research.
All terms: Arrange
87. Honors Thesis.
All terms: Arrange
Linguistics 86 and 87 consist of independent research and writing on a selected topic under the supervision of a Program member who acts as advisor. Open to honors majors in Linguistics. Permission of the thesis advisor and the Chair required.
COURSES IN COGNITIVE SCIENCE
2. Cognition (Identical to, and described under, Psychology 28)
07S, 08S: 2
Prerequisite: Psychology 1 or Computer Science 5. Dist: SOC. Kelley.
44. Artificial Intelligence (Identical to, and described under, Computer Science 44)
07W: 10 08W: Arrange
Prerequisite: Computer Science 23 and 25. Dist: TAS. The staff.
85. Independent Study and Research
All terms: Arrange
This course offers qualified students of cognitive science the opportunity to pursue work on a topic of special interest through an individually designed program.
Requires permission of the instructor and the Chair.
86. Honors Research
All terms: Arrange
87. Honors Thesis
All terms: Arrange
Cognitive Science 86 and 87 consist of independent research and writing on a selected topic under the supervision of a Program member who acts as advisor. Open to honors majors in Cognitive Science. Permission of the thesis advisor and the Chair required.