This course has students focus on five topics of language study: First, students study the formal aspects of linguistics-- phonetics, phonology, morphology, and syntax. Second, they study the varieties, histories, and elements of the English language to understand the place on English in the contemporary world. Third, they examine the social and political implications of language policy and teaching in our own country as well as language issues abroad. Fourth, students examine semantics and the meaning of meaning. And, last, they compare the structures of other languages, both living and dead, to see what we can learn from their idiosyncratic solutions to universal language problems and to learn about the place of English in the world of commerce and media. Student also will examine the disciplinary nature of linguistics, consider the critical issues of the field, and consider the pedagogical applications of linguistics.

Prerequisite: Graduate status, or permission of department head