As the conduit for most communicative and expressive needs as well as other tasks, it pervades virtually every aspect of human existence. Appreciating and being able to explain the range of variety of spoken and written language among various peoples of the world is an essential key to understanding human culture and diversity. This course systematically addresses many of the questions which most fascinate us about language, thus widening our intercultural horizons and enhancing our sophistication about our own language and culture. It therefore serves those who wish to learn about both our own and other societies, particular languages or regions of the world, and the nature of the human mind. Introduction to Linguistics.
Nothing is more distinctly human than our ability to use language.
Introduction to Language. From time immemorial human beings have been curious about language - about its structure, its diversity, its use, and its effects on others. In this course, we will explore the human capacity for language, beginning with the ways language differs from animal communication and with how children acquire language. After a brief investigation of the relationship between language and thought, we will consider social attitudes toward language. The course concludes with an examination of American Sign Language and its role in Deaf culture.