Linguistics

The course provides an introduction to Linguistics, the scientific study of language, with the objective to allow student to better understand the dynamics involved in verbal communication. In particular, students acquire basic knowledge about speech sounds and their mental representation, words' morphological structure, word-formation processes, semantic relations, and the composition of the lexicon, with examples relating primarily, but not exclusively, to English and Italian. In addition, students are given the tools needed to recognize and classify linguistic variation, and to identify the main factors involved in transmitting and decoding non-literal meanings. Finally, some essential linguistic profiles are drafted, and in doing so students learn to recognize salient linguistic features and learn methodologies useful to critically analyze texts. 

With the emergence of AI, there are endless translation tools that you can use online. Chat GPT, DeepL, Google Translate, Papago, are among many tools that are available to us today. We explore critical questions about why and how translation studies and practice can still benefit us, such as: Why study translation theory when these tools are readily available? How can we most effectively utilize these tools? What can literary scholars contribute to the development of translation tools? How can we apply our theoretical knowledge to enhance existing tools or develop new ones? We study translation theories from the 19th-21st century and practice various types of translation. 

Through this course, each student develops their own translation strategies while gaining a deeper understanding of diverse translation strategies and styles. We translate for different kinds of readership, learning to utilize methods accordingly. This course provides an overview of fundamental translation theories and methods, as well as hands-on experience in translating literary works.  

We read a wide variety of essays, statements, and criticisms on translation methods and philosophy, and apply these ideas to our own translations. Together, we examine translation’s role in world literature and how various translation modes affect readers’ understanding and experience of texts. Students develop both practical translation skills and the ability to appreciate translated literature from a reader’s perspective. Regular in-class workshops provide opportunities for students to produce and share their translations with fellow classmates. 

Note: Students should have proficiency in a source language other than English. 

This course covers the way in which phonological theories provide understanding of phonological alternations in human language. It introduces a variety of recent phonological theories, including but not limited to, constraint-based theory; agreement-by-correspondence theory, and theory of phonology-syntax interface. 

The course builds on foundational concepts in general linguistics to provide a comprehensive understanding of the linguistic system. It examines the structure and units of language—both in expression and content—through historical and theoretical perspectives. It explores the organization of language, phonetics and phonology, morphology, syntax, lexicology, and semantics. The course also introduces interdisciplinary branches of linguistics, including psycholinguistics, sociolinguistics, pragmatics, neurolinguistics, anthropological linguistics, and applied linguistics, preparing students for advanced study and research in language analysis.

The course focuses on the linguistic, pragmatic, and cultural contrasts between English and Spanish, providing the tools and methods needed to analyze differences across grammar, discourse, and usage. It also explores how language reflects and shapes cultural and social identities in the United Kingdom and the United States, with an emphasis on post-1945 developments. Topics include regional and social language variation, cultural norms, and key sociopolitical issues related to language use and diversity.

There are nearly 5000 languages used daily around the world. Geographical and political restructuring, migration, natural disassters are just a few of the factors which cause multilingualism in society.  The course addresses the key questions: What does it mean to be bilingual and how does a child or adult become bilingual? This course also surveys bilingualism and bidialectalism in Japan (e.g. Korean, Okinawan, Tagalog, English).

This course examines various approaches to the study of bilingualism and multilingualism (e.g., societal, cognitive, psychological, educational), covering a wide variety of crucial issues and controversies in the field.  

The course examines English slang and colloquial language from both historical and current perspectives. It focuses on how informal and marginal lexical forms shape linguistic variation, especially in youth and counter-cultural contexts. Topics include word formation, etymology, linguistic interdiction, and the representation of slang in literature and media.

This course analyzes the fundamental syntactic structures in Spanish, focusing on its main normative parameters. It examines the linguistic structure of Spanish which allows for comparison with other languages. 

This course offers advanced studies in the history of the English language. Utilizing knowledge in philology and modern linguistics, particularly in historical linguistics and sociolinguistics, it explores various topics and analyzes data that show major developments from Old English to Present-Day English.

This course introduces students to the study of the relationship between language and society. The course includes topics like language variation and change, language and gender, multilingualism and language contact, and language policy. Aspects like the distinction between language and dialect are covered next to how language attitudes shape our communicative behavior and the way we perceive speakers. The course has both theoretical and empirical content and includes many case studies and practical exercises from languages and regions around the world. This course is recommended for linguistics majors and is an important asset for anyone who seeks to understand how language affects how we relate to each other in society. Prerequisite: LING1000.