Linguistics and Cognitive Science
COURSES IN LINGUISTICS
1. Introductory Linguistics
09F, 10S, 10F, 11S: 12
An introduction to the scientific description of human language. The course teaches methods of analyzing languages’ sound systems (phonology), word structure (morphology), sentence patterns (syntax), and systems of meaning (semantics and pragmatics). Some important implications of linguistics for the study of human cognition and cultural behavior will be discussed. This course is a prerequisite for all majors in linguistics.
Open to all classes. Dist: QDS. The staff.
7. First-Year Seminar in Linguistics
Consult special listings
8. The Structure of Maori
10W, 11W: 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.
10. Language Acquisition (Identical to Education 58 and Psychology 52)
10W, 11W: 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. Kay.
11. Topics in Linguistics
10S: 10A
In 10S, Survival of the Fittest in the South Caucasus: Language and Politics (Identical to, and described under, College Course 9: also Government 40 and Russian 39). Dist: SOC; WCult: CI. Chitoran, Yalowitz.
17. Sociolinguistics
10S, 11W: 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; WCult: CI. Stanford.
18. History of the English Language (Identical to English 18)
10W: 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.
20. Experimental Phonetics
10S: 2
This course is an introduction to speech physiology, articulation, and the acoustic analysis of speech. Students will acquire knowledge of the experimental and computational techniques that are relevant for investigating the production of speech. This includes equipment functioning, data collection and recording techniques, techniques for analyzing speech acoustics, and analysis of data from a variety of languages.
Prerequisite: Linguistics 1. Dist: TAS. Chitoran.
21. Introduction to Phonology
11S: 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
09F, 10F: 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. The course also provides an introduction to using data to support one syntactic analysis over another, and an overview of some of the major syntactic phenomena in the world’s languages.
Prerequisite: Linguistics 1. Dist: QDS. Stanford.
23. Semantics and Pragmatics
11S: 11
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
10S: 10
Discourse analysis examines linguistic structure that exists 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. Peterson.
25. Typology
10W: 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. Peterson.
26. Morphology
11W: 10
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. Pulju.
27. Historical Linguistics
11W: 12
This course serves as 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.
35. Field Methods
09F, 10F: 2A
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. Stanford.
50. Special Topics in Linguistics
09F: 10A 10W: 12 10F: 10A 11W: 11
In 09F and 10F at 10A, 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 10W at 12, Pidgins and Creoles. Peterson.
In 11W at 11, The Brazilian Amazon and Multilinguals (Identical to Latin American, Latino, and Caribbean Studies 51, and identical to, and described under, Anthropology 50.3). Dist: SOC; WCult: NW. Ball.
80. Seminar in Linguistics
10S, 11S: 2A
In 10S, Dialectology. Stanford.
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)
10S, 11S: 2
Prerequisite: Psychology 1 or 6 or Computer Science 5. Dist: SOC. Kelly.
26. Philosophy and Computers (Identical to, and described under, Philosophy 26)
10S: 11
Dist: TAS. Moor.
44. Artificial Intelligence (Identical to, and described under, Computer Science 44)
10W, 11W: 2
Prerequisite: Computer Science 23 and 25. Dist: TAS. Balkom (10W), the staff (11W).
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.