WHAT'S IN A WORD?

Catalog description

In this course, we will explore words from a variety of perspectives. We will focus on the basics of what words mean, what company they keep, how they are related to other words and how they change over time. We will describe how people learn words and how words are linked to memory and emotions. We will discuss how the words we use may reflect and shape our view of the world and our relations with others. We will compare how words are used in poetry, song lyrics, science, politics or advertising. Throughout the semester, we will practice learning new words and teaching them to each other, expanding our vocabularies in the process.