This course is an introduction to the objectives and methods of modern linguistics. Students will learn the essential techniques for describing and analyzing language through working on real examples taken from a variety of languages in the world. We will consider how all these aspects of language vary from one dialect or language to another, and we will ask how and why they change through time. Students will be required to submit short problems from time to time, but grades will be based upon two hour exams and a final. There are no prerequisites.
Phonology studies the sound systems in the world's languages.
We will examine the fundamental elements of speech sounds, the relations among these elements, and higher levels of sound organization. As we examine phonological data from a wide range of languages, we will consider the diversity and commonality among human languages. We will also consider the relation between phonological description and explanation in contemporary phonological theory. Both theory and problem solving ability will be emphasized. Semantics and Pragmatics.