Language and Culture

Catalog description

Biologist Lewis Thomas, in his book Lives of a Cell, states that “the gift of language is the single human trait that marks us all genetically.” In this course, we will examine what language is, how its various systems, such as grammar and phonetics, work together to enable us to communicate, and why language and culture are so mutually dependent on each other. Students will also be introduced to basic theories of linguistics, language acquisition, and grammar.