Courses

We've all been taught that nouns are people, places, and things. Yet, these seemingly simple linguistic objects are surprisingly complex. For instance, languages vary in what information (e.g., case, gender, person, number) nouns display. Even within a single language, the form of a noun may change depending on its function within a sentence or its function within a conversation. This course uses contemporary linguistic theories to account for the many varied forms of nouns throughout the world's languages. No familiarity with languages other than English is required.

This course introduces participants to sociophonetics, a field of study that weds theories of phonetics (the study of the science of speech) to the methodological approaches of sociolinguistics, and which examines the relationships between linguistic variation and speaker identity. Participants consider the acoustic characteristics of vowels, consonants, and prosody; the variation that occurs across these; and how this variation impacts the production and perception of speech. Working with natural speech data, participants learn to use Praat to assess articulatory variation, and contextualize their findings against the backdrop of previous sociophonetic literature.

Semantics is the study of how speakers interpret what words and constructions mean in a language. Pragmatics is the study of how factors related to context affect interpretations. Topics include lexical semantics, the computation of meaning over syntactic structures, the various interpretations of ambiguous constructions, and the computation of contextually supplied information. Offered at both the 200 and 300 level, coursework will be adjusted accordingly. Register for LING 340 if you have taken LING 216; register for 240 if you have taken a 100-level linguistics course and have not taken LING 216.

Heritage speakers are individuals raised in homes where a language other than the dominant community language is spoken. They are bilinguals of the heritage language, to which a cultural connection persists, and the dominant societal language. We explore the complexities of such an ‘imbalanced’ bilingualism, including the cultural, familial and personal relationship to the heritage language; psycholinguistic implications of a multilingual mental lexicon; unique ways heritage speakers/learners are equipped with differential, but far from trivial, language ability. We draw on primary resources, empirical studies, and seminal scholarship to understand, challenge and improve present models of heritage language grammar.

Students work on a research project related to a faculty member's research interests, and directed by that faculty member. Student activities vary according to the field and stage of the project. The long-run goal of these projects normally includes dissemination to a scholarly community beyond Carleton. The faculty member will meet regularly with the student and actively direct the work of the student, who will submit an end-of-term product, typically a paper or presentation.

Spoken language is an innate human capability but written language is a cultural innovation and reading a learned skill. Learning to read depends on language abilities, but rarely have we considered how the acquisition of literacy reshapes our language ability and general cognition. How has the advent of writing affected us, as individuals and members of cultural groups? We explore its cognitive, linguistic, and cultural implications. We examine theories of the origin of language and the history and the cognitive implications of the development of writing; students will also have the opportunity to design their own writing systems.

What moves where, how, and for what purpose? In this course, participants explore accounts of various types of syntactic movement within the Minimalist Program. After an introduction to Minimalism, we read, discuss, and evaluate primary literature. This course offers an overview of the progression of generative syntactic theory from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s, with a focus on objectively comparing competing analyses. By the end of the course, participants will have familiarity with scholarly literature on theoretical syntax; with evaluating and critiquing existing theoretical analyses; and with proposing and defending a novel analysis.

Semantics is the study of how speakers interpret what words and constructions mean in a language. Pragmatics is the study of how factors related to context affect interpretations. Topics include lexical semantics, the computation of meaning over syntactic structures, the various interpretations of ambiguous constructions, and the computation of contextually supplied information. Offered at both the 200 and 300 level, coursework will be adjusted accordingly. Register for LING 340 if you have taken LING 216; register for 240 if you have taken a 100-level linguistics course and have not taken LING 216.

Invented, or artificial, languages have come to be for many reasons, whether a desire to improve existing languages, an effort to unite the world, or a need to explore how languages are learned. But, the majority have failed. Why? What can we learn about natural language from invented languages? This class investigates the numerous underpinnings of various invented languages, from 17th century Real Character, to Toki Pona, to Solresol, to more recent creations like Na’vi. We also examine the successful ‘reinvention’ of Modern Hebrew. Students will invent their own language and formally present weekly aspects of their developing grammar.

Students work on a research project related to a faculty member's research interests, and directed by that faculty member. Student activities vary according to the field and stage of the project. The long-run goal of these projects normally includes dissemination to a scholarly community beyond Carleton. The faculty member will meet regularly with the student and actively direct the work of the student, who will submit an end-of-term product, typically a paper or presentation.

This course prepares students to engage in the research needed for their comps projects. Students will identify a research topic, begin engaging with the relevant literature, and deliver presentations throughout the term. By the end of fall term, students will have a portion of their comps drafted in preparation for the independent research and writing component during winter term.

Students continue, and complete, their comps research, building upon the foundation built in LING 399. In close consultation with their primary adviser, students set and meet weekly goals for collecting and analyzing data, writing, and revising. By the end of winter term, students must receive approval from their primary and secondary advisers on the final iteration of their 30-40 page paper.