Introduction to Spanish Linguistics

Catalog description

This course is an introduction to the scientific study of language, with a focus on Spanish. It particularly aims at both the descriptive and applied levels. At the descriptive level, it will focus on the understanding of the mechanisms of the language in various areas: how sounds are articulated and work within a system (phonetics and phonology); how small units with meaning are combined to form words (morphology); how words are combined to form sentences (syntax); how meaning is attached to the different units, and how meaning operates at different levels (semantics). At the applied level, it will also explore topics such as linguistic variation, second language acquisition, bilingualism, and the situation of Spanish in the United States. Taught in Spanish.