Linguistics

This introductory overview of linguistics provides a solid foundation in the object, methods, and goals of the science of spoken language -- the prime tool of human communication. Through a principled analysis of patterns of sound, form, and meaning at the levels of word, sentence, and text, the course provides insight into what it means to say that language is a rule-governed system and an organic whole. The course examines and explores the relationship between language and mind, society and culture. 

The course introduces the fundamental principles of English phonetics and phonology, focusing on the production, classification, and analysis of speech sounds. Students study the physiological mechanisms of speech production and the articulatory and acoustic properties of English vowels and consonants. The relationship between phonetic realization and phonological structure is examined, including phonemes, allophones, and key phonological processes such as assimilation and contextual variation.

The course also addresses the differences between English and other languages (particularly Catalan and Spanish), with attention to common pronunciation difficulties arising from learners’ linguistic backgrounds. Students develop skills in phonetic transcription using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), improve their perceptual and productive pronunciation abilities, and learn to interpret and produce phonological representations of spoken and written English.The course is divided into the following teaching blocks: introduction to phonetics and phonology; physiology of speech production; classification of speech sounds, articulation and acoustic properties; the English phonological system; phonetic transcription; sounds in the speech chain, assimilation and weak form.

This course studies English morphology, focusing on basic concepts, internal structure of English words, and the nature of word-formation processes. It also examines strategies for and issues surrounding teaching vocabulary. Topics include vocabulary and speaking, vocabulary frequency and size, incidental vocabulary learning, and various learner strategies. The course also helps students develop some creative ideas on how to teach vocabulary based on cooperative learning-based teaching methods. 

This course is concerned primarily with the question of meaning: what is it for words or sentences to have meaning? In this course, students look at some of the most important theories offered by 20th-century philosophers in response to this question – theories that to this day continue to be hugely influential in linguistics and related fields. With each session focusing on the ideas of an individual thinker, students explore some of the most radical and provocative questions about language.