Linguistics at Carleton
Linguistics is the study of the human language faculty, surely the most central capacity of those which constitute human nature. The discipline is driven by two fundamental questions:
- First, what is it that people know that allows them to deftly use the stupendously complicated systems that underlie human languages?
- Second, how is this capacity acquired, both ontogenetically and phylogenetically?
To put this in a less technical way, we ask, what happens to individual humans, over the first few years of their lives, that allows them to gain complete mastery over systems of knowledge that are so complex that they continue to defy complete and accurate explicit description, and to do so at a time when other sorts of elaborate cognitive and social skills are quite out of reach? We also ask, what happened over the millions of years from the dawn of the primitive replicator to emergence of modern humans that makes our brains capable of a skill that, adaptive though it is, appears to elude all other species with whom we share the planet?
We’re extremely excited about the prospect of having a number of students doing advanced work in linguistics at Carleton. We’re eager to build an environment in which students and faculty can together learn amazing things about human language. If you would like to join us, or just have questions about what we do, please contact Professor Catherine Fortin.
Info For First-Year Students
Students considering majoring in linguistics, should review our procedures for the senior integrative exercise (“comps”). We think our comps procedure is challenging and (ultimately at least) intellectually satisfying and even fun (most of the time).
Can I major in Linguistics?
Topics explored
The nature of the systems of mental representation, how these representations arise, what they mean, how they are externalized in sound and gesture, and how languages are put to use in social and literary contexts.
How to get started
Good beginning courses include LING 100: The Noun, LING 110: Introduction to Linguistics, and LING 115: Introduction to the Theory of Syntax. Those who choose to pursue a degree in the liberal arts for linguistics at Carleton are encouraged to take LING 216: Generative Approaches to Syntax and LING 217: Phonetics & Phonology before the end of their sophomore year.
About Cognitive Science & Linguistics
Carleton’s Cognitive Science program and Linguistics department have merged to form a single department. The combined department shares a single chair and associate chair, but will continue to offer separate majors and minors.