Linguistics

This course examines core methodologies and techniques in computational linguistics in order to develop the ability to conduct computational-oriented linguistic analysis. Each class is divided into two sessions: lecture and discussion, and in-class Lab session. Lab session give participants hands-on experience in performing computational linguistic tasks with Python programs. Assessment: participation and exercises (60%), term project (40%).

This course examines the theory and practice of phonology. It covers concerns of phonology; phonetic and phonological representations; phonemic analysis; phonological processes; underlying representations; feature theory; morphophonemics; interacting phonological rules; the syllable; and stress, tone and intonation.

This course provides an introduction to the very complex phenomenon of first and second language acquisition. It explores the fundamental properties of language acquisition and discusses, compares, and evaluates significant theories of language acquisition and empirical findings. The course covers the linguistic nature of second language learner's inter-language systems and underlying cognitive mechanisms posited to explain them, as well as the various social and effective factors that affect the ultimate success of the learner. 

This course introduces students to descriptive English grammar and to central themes relating to sound patterns and pronunciation in English. The first part of the module, which focuses on grammar, provides you with an understanding of the way in which phrases and sentences are constructed and equips students with the skills to break sentences down into their constituent parts, to describe the category and grammatical function of those parts, to distinguish clause types, to distinguish the parts of the English verb group, to construct and test hypotheses and to represent sentence structure by means of tree diagrams. The second part of the course focuses on phonetics and phonology. Students acquire knowledge and understanding of the production of sounds and the skills necessary to describe, define, and transcribe consonants and vowels using the International Phonetic Alphabet. Students are also introduced to fundamental concepts related to contrast and meaning in sound structures and to fundamental concepts in phonology that go beyond the description of individual sounds, such as syllable structure, stress, and phonological processes and the relationship between pronunciation and spelling.

This course examines forensic linguistics. It covers legal language, forced confessions, investigative interviewing, authorship analysis, copyright infringement, earwitness testimony, linguistic disadvantage and the impact of power in real case outcomes.