Linguistics Minor

Curriculum

The curriculum reflects the debt of linguistics to the field known historically as philology, the investigation of older languages as recorded in texts, as well as the impact of post-Generative linguistic theory. As a result, the minor allows students to self-select concentrations. Students may choose to pursue electives that enrich their understanding of historical linguistics or that expand their understanding of language acquisition and psycholinguistics. Irrespective of their own concentration on a particular sub-discipline, all students will gain a grounding in contemporary linguistic theory that has direct applications in the fields of education, literature, computer science, and psychology.

Courses in Linguistic Theory will provide a foundation whereby students will understand the structure of human languages, focusing on developing tools for the description and application of phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. They will become proficient in the IPA. They will be introduced to the physical apparatus required for language production (the vocal tract, the auditory and visual systems). Students will be exposed to dialectal variation, learning to respect and understand diversity in language use, patterns, and dialects across cultures, ethnic groups, geographic regions, and social roles. Students will become familiar with the purviews of first and second language acquisition.

Courses in the Linguistic History category provide an opportunity for students to apply their theoretical knowledge (especially in the fields of phonology, morphology, syntax, and lexis) to diachronic linguistics. Students will become familiar with the impact of cultural, economic, political, and social environments on language and begin to read, analyze, and report on linguistics scholarship.

Courses in the Options category will provide a further opportunity for students to practice skills developed in the other two groups. Students will also use a number of different modes of inquiry, including, but not limited to, informant interviews and linguistic corpora analysis. Students will also learn how to engage non-native speakers (or speakers of non-standard varieties) in productive dialogue World Languages and Cultures-13 Undergraduate Bulletin 2023-2024 about their language use. Independent study courses on appropriate linguistic topics may be counted toward elective credit in the Linguistics minor. Students interested in a minor in Linguistics should consult with one of the program’s coordinators as early as possible to plan their program of study. No more than one course taken toward the student’s major may be counted in the Linguistics Minor. Students must meet or exceed the foreign language requirement for College Core.

Requirements