Foundations of Linguistics

Catalog description

The course consists of a general survey of language and linguistics. A number of topics relating to human knowledge and use of language are systematically and scientifically investigated. The focus of the course is not on any specific language or languages; rather, it is on properties common to all languages and on ways in which languages may differ. The focus is on examination of speakers' knowledge of language and the idea of language as a system of human communication; the course provides students with the tools needed for the recording, investigation, and close analysis of language. Areas of study include phonetics and phonology (the details of sound analysis), morphology (word structure), syntax (sentence structure), and semantics and pragmatics (the deep investigation of meaning). Another part of the course teaches the students about aspects of language in society through topics such as sociolinguistics and/or historical linguistics. This aspect of the course is crucial to students' understanding of how language and culture reflect and affect each other. The course uses examples from English and from non-English languages and cultures in order to investigate these topics, though no previous knowledge of any language other than English is presumed. A knowledge of basic linguistics is, however, generally very helpful in the learning of foreign languages.