Introduction to Linguistic Anthropology

Catalog description

This course is an introduction to linguistic anthropology. Language is central to enculturation, whether it comes in the form of speech, writing, gesture, or style. We will start with a four-field perspective, examining the origins of human communication, early writing systems, cultural differences in language socialization, and how people use language now. From there, we will focus on the role language plays in people's social lives. Topics include gesture, literacy and global media, linguistic variation, language and identity, multilingualism, and language change and loss. Offered Annually.