Summer and Fall 2024 Linguistics Courses

All classes are on online asynchronous courses. June 10 through August 2

LING 320 – Linguistics & Speech-Language Pathology
3 hours.
Meets 10-Jun-24 – 02-Aug-24.
Mark Temenak, M.S., CCC-SLP B/L
Speech Language Pathology is a rapidly expanding field that serves a wide range of individuals in terms of language, socio-economic status, and  overall culture. This course, focusing on the intersections between speech language pathology and linguistics, will allow students to learn more about how both areas of studies have intertwined throughout history in different parts of the world to the modern day where both are at the forefront of decisions in the areas of education, medicine, and technology.
Prerequisite: LING 220

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LING 150 – Introduction to the Study of Language
On Campus. 4 sections
• TR 9:30-10:45AM & 2-3:15PM [Sections restricted to Pre-Computer Science & Linguistics students]
• MW 9:30-10:45AM & 3-4:15PM [open to all students]
You use language all the time, but do you know about the structures that make up language? In this course, you will learn how we produce and organize sounds, build words, and understand the difference between “time flies like an arrow” and “fruit flies like a banana.” Here you’ll make sense of why people have accents, what teachers should know about language, and why good AI speech recognition is so darn hard to achieve.
Gen Ed credits in “Individual and Society”

LING 160 – Language and Society
On Campus. Two sections
• TR 9:30-10:45AM
• TR 11:00AM-12:15PM
How does language change over time? How do children’s animation films racialize language? What’s with all the pronouns? This course introduces students to language as it socially constructs place, status, gender, ethnicity, and other aspects of identity through intimate conversations all the way to national language policies. Bring your lived experiences and learn to process them through current sociolinguistic lenses.
Gen Ed Credits in “Individual and Society” & “US Society”

LING 170 – Languages of the World
Online Asynchronous.
Instructor: Dr. Jill Hallett
There are dozens of whistled languages that are endangered because of cell phones. The most common sentence structure places verbs at the ends of sentences. Almost half of the world’s languages have no written form. You might have to switch reading direction multiple times if you are given an Arabic text that includes numbers. West Africa is currently a creative incubator of writing systems.

The world’s over 7,000 languages all serve their speakers’ needs and yet function in a variety of different and interesting ways. In this course, students will be introduced to various ways in which languages behave and what we can learn from these patterns, like why translation apps sometimes fail so hard.
Gen Ed Credits in “Individual and Society” & “World Cultures”

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LING 210 – Introduction to Natural Language Syntax
On Campus. TR 12:30-1:45PM
Instructor: Dr. José Camacho
Syntactic analysis is crucial for linguistic data processing and  building linguistic data structure. This course gives you introduction to the hidden nature of even simple sentences using a scientific approach to data analysis. We will also make connections to other areas of linguistics and human cognition more generally, and we will touch on real world applications of syntactic analysis.
• Prerequisite(s): LING 150; or consent of the instructor.

LING 220 – Introduction to Phonetics and Phonology 
On Campus. TR 11:00-12:15PM
Instructor: Carrie Pichan
What sounds exist in the world’s languages? What are the mechanics behind speech production and perception? How can we analyze human speech and categorize sounds to understand underlying patterns? How do we acquire the sounds of our languages, whether as children or later in life? What do the sound systems of bilinguals look like, and why? In this course, we’ll explore these key questions about the sounds of human language and more.
• Prerequisite(s): LING 150; or consent of the instructor.

LING 230 – Semantics, Pragmatics, and Discourse
On Campus. TR 9:30-10:45AM
Instructor: Dr. Xuehua Xiang
What is meaning? How is meaning communicated? How does meaning change in context? How does meaning change according to genre, style and modes of communication? Does new technology create new meaning? How do chatbots understand human language? Should chatbots be made polite? This course will explore these questions and more. We will study a range of linguistic approaches to meaning and look at real world examples.
• Prerequisite(s): LING 150; or consent of the instructor.

(New) LING 300 – AI for Language Research*

On Campus. Wed. 3-5:30PM
Instructor: Dr. Gyu-Ho Shin

This course provides a comprehensive exploration of the intersection between AI and linguistic inquiry. Students will delve into advanced NLP techniques and methods, including machine learning algorithms, to analyze, model, and understand various aspects of human language. Through a combination of theoretical lectures, hands-on programming exercises, and real-world applications (in the form of student-led projects), students will gain proficiency in leveraging AI to address fundamental questions in (applied) linguistics. Furthermore, the course will address ethical considerations and societal implications associated with the use of AI in language research, fostering a holistic understanding of the field’s potential and limitations.

Prerequisite(s): LING 150; or consent of the instructor. Recommended background: Credit in at least one 200-level LING course.

* LING300 is a topics course – its general title is Seminar in Linguistic Analysis. Students can take LING 300 twice up to 6 credits when the topics are different.

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(New) LING 370 – Introduction to Computational Linguistics*.

On Campus. TR 2-3:15PM
Instructor: Dr. Gyu-Ho Shin

This course explores how computers process data for language research, specifically focusing on how to apply NLP techniques to language-data-related tasks using Python.

Prerequisite(s): LING 150; or consent of the instructor. Recommended background: Credit in at least one 200-level LING course.

LING370 is a new course initially offered in Spring 2024 By Dr. Shin under the special topics rubric LING 300. If you are taking LING 300 with Dr. Shin now in Spring 2024, you should not take LING 370 as it’s the same course. Your LING300 in Spring 2024 should bear the specific title, Introduction to Computational Linguistics in your degree audit/transcript.

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