Program in Linguistics |
| Faculty |
Click here for the Linguistics Independent Study Form
Note: There may be courses in other departments (French, Spanish, German, Speech Communications, etc) which contain linguistic content but are not listed here. This list only contains courses in the linguistics program.
LING 001 (GS) THE STUDY OF LANGUAGE (3) A non-technical introduction to the study of human language, and its role in human interaction. Students who have successfully completed LING 100 may not enroll in LING 001.
Ling 001 is an objective look at one aspect of behavior that is unique to humans: language. A major realization you will come to in this course is that it is not only possible but also rewarding to study language as a scientific object. Because we, as children, learn our first language(s) instinctively, with relatively little exposure, and without specific training, we tend to think of language as something that just is, or to dismiss the usefulness of studying it on grounds that it is so much like thought that only a metaphysical explanation is possible. In doing so, we very much emulate the behavior of alchemists who invented a mythical substance named "phlogiston" to explain fire. Fire, they said, is due to the presence of phlogiston and phlogiston is what causes fire. Then came chemistry ... Language, it was thought, is a reflection of the soul and the soul is what allows humans to have language. Then came linguistics ...
Ling 001 is comprised of two parts. In the first one, you will discover some of the answers to the questions underlying the core theoretical areas of linguistics: syntax (Why can languages have different word orders?), semantics (How do we determine the meaning of words and sentences?), phonology (How do different languages organize sounds to encode meaning?), and morphology (How do we form new words?). In the second part of the course, you will use these answers to gain insight into the workings of language use (pragmatics), language variation (sociolinguistics), language change (historical linguistics), and first and second language acquisition (psycholinguistics).
THIS COURSE SATISFIES 3 CREDITS OF THE SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES (GS) COMPONENT OF GENERAL EDUCATION
LING 097 SPECIAL TOPICS (1 - 9)
LING 100 FOUNDATIONS OF LINGUISTICS (3) Systematic study of linguistic structures in a variety of the world's languages; an overview of language, and its organization. The objective of this course is to introduce the undergraduate student to the field of linguistics - the scientific study of language. Linguists seek to uncover the subconscious principles and parameters which govern our knowledge of language. These principles can be characterized according to four domains. Syntax is devoted to the study of grammatical categories and word order, semantics, to the study of word and sentence meaning, phonology, to the study of word and sentence pronunciation, and, finally, morphology, to the study of word formation. In this course, you will come to understand the core concepts and goals of these subfields based on data from English and other languages. We will also explore how the results of research in theoretical linguistics can be applied to other fields, such as language acquisition, speech pathology, and cultural studies.
LING 102 (GH) INTRODUCTION TO HISTORICAL LINGUISTICS (3) Language change and linguistic reconstruction; general procedures and techniques used in comparative linguistics; models of languages; linguistic borrowing and influence.
LING 197 SPECIAL TOPICS (1 - 9)
LING 199 (DF) FOREIGN STUDIES (1 -12)
LING 294 RESEARCH PROJECT (1 -12)
LING 297 SPECIAL TOPICS (1 - 9)
LING 299 (DF) FOREIGN STUDIES (1 -12)
LING 395 INTERNSHIP (1 -18) Supervised off-campus, nongroup instruction including field experiences, practica, or internships. Written and oral critique of activity required. Prerequisite: prior approval of proposed assignment by instructor
LING 397 SPECIAL TOPICS (1 - 9)
LING 399 (DF) FOREIGN STUDIES (1 -12)
LING 402 SYNTAX I (3)
LING 401 INTRODUCTION TO LINGUISTIC THEORY (3) A survey of modern linguistic theory.
LING 404 PHONOLOGY I (3) Consideration of techniques and problems involved in description of phonological components of transformational grammars. Emphasis on general principles. Prerequisite: LING 100 .
LING 446 FIRST LANGUAGE ACQUISITION (3) Psycholinguistic study of how children learn their first language.
LING 447 BILINGUALISM (3) Explores the sociolinguistic and psycholinguistic consequences of bilingualism; topics include languages in contact, interference, attrition, bilingual memory and bilingual grammars.
LING 448 SOCIOLINGUISTICS (3)
LING 449 SEMANTICS (3) Prerequisite: LING 402 .
LING 493 FIELD METHODS (3)
LING 494 RESEARCH PROJECT (1 -12)
LING 496 INDEPENDENT STUDIES (1 -18)
LING 497 SPECIAL TOPICS (1 - 9)
LING 499 (DF) FOREIGN STUDIES (1 -12)
LING 500 SYNTAX II (3) Prerequisite: LING .
LING 502 HISTORICAL LINGUISTICS (3) Prerequisite: LING .
LING 504 PHONOLOGY II (3) LING .
LING 545 MORPHOLOGY (3) Prerequisites: LING
LING 548 SOCIOLINGUISTICS (3)
LING 570 THE HISTORY OF MODERN LINGUISTICS (3)
LING 596 INDIVIDUAL STUDIES (1-9)
LING 597 SPECIAL TOPICS (1-9)
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Program in Linguistics | |
| 427 Burrowes Building | ||
| University Park, PA 16802 | ||
| linguistics@psu.edu | ||
| 814.865.1168 | ||
| Richard Page, Director | Please direct website comments to webmaster |
