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Linguistics Courses

Linguistics: LIN

Lower-Division Courses

LIN 306. Introduction to the Study of Language.

Survey of major areas of linguistics: sound systems, grammatical structures, historical development of languages, language families and linguistic universals, dialect differences and their social significance. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.

LIN 312. Interdisciplinary Approaches to Language.

An interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary introduction to the manifold aspects of language. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.

LIN 312C. Culture and Communication.

Same as Anthropology 307. An introduction to the study of culture through communication and the theory of signs. Three lecture hours or two lecture hours and one discussion hour a week for one semester. Only one of the following may be counted: Anthropology 307, Linguistics 312 (Topic: Culture and Communication), 312C.

LIN 312D. Languages around the World.

Explores the language families of the world. Considers such questions as: what does it mean for languages to be related, and how do we know that they are related in the first place; why are there only a handful of language families in Europe and Africa while there are scores in South America and New Guinea; What can we say about where a language or language family may have originated; and how much living history is being lost as languages become endangered or extinct when people stop speaking them? Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Linguistics 312 (Topic: Languages Around the World) and 312D may not both be counted.

LIN 312E. Language of Sign and Gesture.

Explores how language, a faculty that arises in the brain, is expressed by the body, both for spoken languages (via the vocal tract) and for signed languages (via the hands and face). Also includes an examination of how language, a special cognitive faculty unique to humans, intersects and overlaps with other communication systems, with a focus on gesture, the nonlinguistic communicative systems used by humans and some nonhuman species. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Linguistics 312 (Topic: Language in the Body) and 312E may not both be counted.

LIN 312F. Bilingualism in the Americas.

Same as Mexican American Studies 309. Analyze the linguistic, cognitive, social, and cultural aspects of bilingualism in the Americas. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Only one of the following may be counted: Linguistics 312 (Topic: Bilingualism in the Americas), 312F, Mexican American Studies 309, 319 (Topic: Bilingualism in the Americas).

LIN 313. Language and Computers.

Natural language processing, including spam filtering, dialogue systems, spelling and grammar correction, forensic linguistics, cryptography, and machine translation. Studies how these systems function, the difficulties in implementing them, and implications of such technologies for society. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Linguistics 312 (Topic: Language and Computers) and 313 may not both be counted.

LIN 315. Speech Science.

Same as Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences 315S. Neurophysiological mechanisms underlying the encoding and decoding of speech. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Only one of the following may be counted: Communication Sciences and Disorders 315S, 358S, Linguistics 315, 358S, Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences 315S.

LIN 119S, 219S, 319S, 419S, 519S, 619S, 719S, 819S, 919S. Topics in Linguistics.

This course is used to record credit the student earns while enrolled at another institution in a program administered by the University's Study Abroad Office. Credit is recorded as assigned by the study abroad adviser in the Department of Linguistics. University credit is awarded for work in an exchange program; it may be counted as coursework taken in residence. Transfer credit is awarded for work in an affiliated studies program. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.

Upper-Division Courses

LIN 321L. American English.

Same as English 321L. An overview of the historical development of English in the Americas. Attention to regional, social, and ethnic differences, and their implications for public education. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Nine semester hours of coursework in English or rhetoric and writing.

LIN 323L. English as a World Language.

Same as English 323L. An account of the spread of English around the world; national, social, and regional varieties. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Nine semester hours of coursework in English or rhetoric and writing.

LIN 129S, 229S, 329S, 429S, 529S, 629S, 729S, 829S, 929S. Topics in Linguistics.

LIN 344K. Phonetics: The Production and Perception of Speech Sounds.

Articulation and transcription of speech sounds; distinctive feature systems; physiological and acoustical aspects of phonetics; common phonological processes. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.

LIN 345. Language Change and Language Variation.

Introduction to the study of how languages change and the principles developed by linguists to account for these changes. Investigation of the various domains in which change occurs, and the social and linguistic motivations for change. Examines the methods linguists use to determine the earlier profile of a language or its parent language, before identified changes occurred. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Linguistics 344K.

LIN 346. Exploring Accents.

Explores how different speakers of the same language differ in their pronunciation, according to regional and social groupings. Acoustic analysis of English speakers will provide the basis of an inquiry into how and why accents differ. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Linguistics 346 and 350 (Topic: Exploring Accents) may not both be counted. Prerequisite: Linguistics 344K.

LIN 350. Special Topics in the Study of Language.

Nontechnical examination of social, educational, and political problems to which current linguistic knowledge is relevant. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Varies with the topic.

Topic 3: Sign Languages and Signing Communities. Same as American Sign Language 326. Examines the grammar of signed languages, their use in signing communities, and the acquisition of signed languages as first languages. No knowledge of American Sign Language is required. May not be counted toward fulfillment of the foreign language requirement for any bachelor's degree. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
Topic 4: Language and People. Areas in language and linguistics that most directly impact people, such as language and ethnicity, language and nation-building, and language politics. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
Topic 5: Bilingual Language Acquisition. Examines various aspects of bilingual first language acquisition including phonology, morphology, and syntax, as well as the child's use of his/her languages. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
Topic 6: Indigenous Languages of the Americas. Same as Latin American Studies 322 (Topic 15: Indigenous Languages of the Americas). Examines various aspects of languages in the Americas, including their linguistic structures, the cultural domains in which they exist, and their histories of language contact and change. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
Topic 7: Language, Cognition and Rhythm. Explores connections between language and various musical forms, and what the psychological basis for these connections might be. Reading materials are drawn primarily from the published literature in psychology, linguistics, and music perception. Linguistics 350 (Topic: Language, Cognition, & Rhythm) and 350 (Topic 7) may not both be counted. Additional prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
Topic 10: How to Describe a Language. Practical introduction to language documentation and preservation. Subjects include language diversity and practical methods for describing, documenting, and preserving languages, with an emphasis on the phonological and morphological analysis of restricted data sets, as well as the role of linguists in conjunction with communities of speakers who wish to document or revitalize their languages. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Linguistics 350 (Topic: How to Describe a Language) and 350 (Topic 10) may not both be counted. Additional prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
Topic 11: Speech Intelligibility. An overview of the main empirical findings on talker-, listener-, and signal-related factors that shape speech intelligibility, the degree to which spoken language can be comprehended. Explores how signal-related (physical), peripheral (auditory-perceptual), and system-related (mental) factors condition variation in both the production and perception of intelligible speech. Also examines how variation in intelligibility conditions different levels of spoken language processing and different tasks that the listener is performing during spoken language comprehension. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Linguistics 350 (Topic: Speech Intelligibility) and 350 (Topic 11) may not both be counted. Additional prerequisite: Linguistics 344K, 358S, or consent of instructor.
Topic 12: Analyzing Text Data: A Statistics Toolkit for Linguists. Introduction to statistical concepts and analyses via language problems and linguistic data sets. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Linguistics 350 (Topic: Words in a Haystack) and 350 (Topic 12) may not both be counted. Additional prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
Topic 14: Linguistics of Writing. How language relates to the written word and how linguistic analysis is intertwined with writing. Subjects include the typology and evolution of writing systems, the psycholinguistics of reading and writing, and the role of writing in contemporary language politics. Linguistics 350 (Topic: Linguistics of Writing Systems) and 350 (Topic 14) may not both be counted. Additional prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
Topic 15: Computational Semantics. Studies methods for automatically learning and analyzing word meanings and sentence meanings. Encompasses vector space models as well as logic-based semantics. Linguistics 350 (Topic: Computational Semantics) and 350 (Topic 15) may not both be counted. Additional prerequisite: Upper-division standing.

LIN 350C. Language and the Brain.

Same as Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences 350. Explore the neuroanatomical and functional operations of the major brain structures that underlie speech/language. Examine hemispheric dominance for language, neurological and language breakdowns in aphasia, and brain imaging methods and studies of language representation. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Only one of the following may be counted: Communication Sciences and Disorders 350; Linguistics 350 (Topic 1); Linguistics 350C; Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences 350. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.

LIN 350E. Why Chinese Has No Alphabet.

Same as Asian Studies 361 (Topic 30). Introduction to the history and evolution of the Chinese writing system and language. No background in Chinese language, culture, or linguistics is required. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Only one of the following may be counted: Asian Studies 361 (Topic 30), Linguistics 350 (Topic: Why Chinese Has No Alphabet), 350E. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.

LIN 350J. Latinas, Latinos and Language.

Same as Mexican American Studies 357L. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Only one of the following may be counted: Linguistics 350 (Topic: Latina/os and Language), 350J, Mexican American Studies 357L, 374 (Topic Latina/os and Language). Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.

LIN 353C. Introduction to Computational Linguistics.

Introduction to key representations and algorithms used in computational linguistics and the main natural language processing applications. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Linguistics 350 (Topic: Introduction to Computational Linguistics) and 353C may not both be counted.

LIN 353N. Natural Language Processing.

Introduces theoretical and applied topics relating to natural language processing, including machine translation, search, automatic summarization, and dialog systems. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Only one of the following may be counted: Computer Science 378 (Topic: Natural Language Processing), Linguistics 350 (Topic: Natural Language Processing), 353N.

LIN 357. Undergraduate Research.

Supervised research experience. Individual instruction. May be repeated for credit. Offered on the pass/fail basis only. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing and Linguistics 306 with a grade of at least C-.

LIN 358Q. Supervised Research.

Supervised student-initiated research. Individual instruction. May be repeated for credit. Offered on the pass/fail basis only. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing and Linguistics 306 with a grade of at least C-.

LIN 360K. Introduction to English Grammar.

Introduction to the study of the syntactic structure of modern English from the viewpoint of generative grammar. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. English 360K and Linguistics 360K may not both be counted. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.

LIN 364M. History of the English Language.

Same as English 364M. Development of sounds, forms, and vocabulary of the English language from its origins to the present. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Nine semester hours of coursework in English or rhetoric and writing.

LIN 365. Bias.

Same as Cognitive Science 365 and Human Dimensions of Organizations 365. An interdisciplinary introduction to bias from the perspectives of psychology, political science, business, philosophy, and linguistics. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Only one of the following may be counted: Cognitive Science 365, 360 (Topic: Bias), Linguistics 365, 350 (Topic: Bias), Human Dimensions of Organizations 330 (Topic: Bias), 365. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.

LIN 371. Machine Learning for Text Analysis.

An overview of basic machine learning methods, with an emphasis on applications that automatically and intelligently analyze text. Program using Python. Programming experience is not required. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Linguistics 371 and 373 (Topic: Machine Learning Text Analysis) may not both be counted. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.

LIN 372K. Sound Patterns: From Sound to Word.

Methods and principles of analyzing the sound systems of languages. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Linguistics 344K.

LIN 372L. Syntax and Semantics: The Structure and Meaning of Utterances.

Methods and principles of describing the syntactic systems of languages. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing and Linguistics 306.

LIN 373. Topics in Linguistics and Related Disciplines.

Introduction to the study of the areas of linguistics that involve other disciplines, such as sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, mathematical methods in linguistics. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Varies with the topic.

Topic 10: Language, Culture, and the Texas German Experience. Same as American Studies 370 (Topic 47), Anthropology 324L (Topic 55), and German, Scandinavian, and Dutch Studies 351C. The evolution of the culture and language of German immigrants to Texas from the 1840s through the present and how they have influenced other ethnic groups in Texas. Three lectures a week for one semester. Only one of the following may be counted: American Studies 370 (Topic: Language, Culture, and the Texas German Experience), 370 (Topic 47), Anthropology 324L (Topic: Language, Culture, and the Texas German Experience), 324L (Topic 55), Germanic Civilization 327E (Topic 11) German, Scandinavian, and Dutch Studies 351C, Linguistics 350 (Topic: Language, Culture, and the Texas German Experience), 373 (Topic 10). Additional prerequisite: Upper-division standing.

LIN 373C. Child Language.

Examine theory and research concerning the development of language in children. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Linguistics 373 (Topic 1) and 373C may not both be counted. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.

LIN 373E. Endangered Languages.

Same as Anthropology 320G. Examine language rights as a tool for defending small-scale and minority language communities against the spread of national and global languages. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Only one of the following may be counted: Anthropology 320G, 320L (Topic Language Endangerment/Rights), 320L (Topic 13), Linguistics 373 (Topic: Language Endangerment/Rights), 373 (Topic 12), 373E. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.

LIN 373G. The German Language: Historical Perspectives.

Same as Anthropology 320J and German 369 (Topic 4). Conducted in English. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Only one of the following may be counted: Anthropology 320J, 320L (Topic 9), German 369 (Topic 4), Germanic Civilization 327E (Topic 9), Linguistics 373 (Topic 9), 373G. Prerequisite: Three semester hours of upper-division coursework in German or Linguistics.

LIN 373J. Bilingual Minds.

Same as Mexican American Studies 357M. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Only one of the following may be counted: Linguistics 373 (Topic: Bilingual Minds), 373J, Mexican American Studies 357M, 374 (Topic: Bilingual Minds). Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.

LIN 373L. American Indian Languages and Cultures.

Same as Anthropology 320C. Explore the myriad of indigenous languages of North America and how they are intertwined with culture. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Only one of the following may be counted: Anthropology 320C, 320L (Topic 4), Linguistics 373 (Topic: Amer Indian Langs and Culs), 373L. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.

LIN 373N. Machine Learning Toolbox for Text Analysis.

Examine basic statistical methods for machine learning, with an emphasis on applications that have to do with text. Explore supervised learning (e.g., logistic regression, support vector machines, neural networks) and unsupervised learning (e.g., clustering, dimensionality reduction). Utilize Python programming. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Linguistics 373 (Topic: Machine Learning Text Analysis) and 373N may not both be counted. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.

LIN 373P. Introduction to Cognitive Science.

Same as Cognitive Science 360 (Topic 1) and Philosophy 365 (Topic 2). Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Only one of the following may be counted: Cognitive Science 360 (Topic 1), Linguistics 373 (Topic 7), 373P, Philosophy 365 (Topic 2). Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.

LIN 373S. Speech Play and Verbal Art.

Same as Anthropology 320D. Examine speech play and verbal art (from puns to lies to songs to stories to poetry) from ethnographic and linguistic perspectives in a host of contexts and languages. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Only one of the following may be counted: Anthropology 320D, 320L (Topic 5), Linguistics 373 (Topic: Speech Play and Verbal Art), 373S. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.

LIN 377. Syntactic Theory.

Introduction to formal syntax, which refers to the use of a mathematically precise formalism to model the syntax of human languages and test theories against the challenge of new data. Hands-on solving of syntax puzzles of increasing complexity. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Linguistics 373 (Topic: Syntactic Theory) and 377 may not both be counted. Prerequisite: Linguistics 306 and 372L.

LIN 379. Conference Course in Linguistics.

Supervised individual study of selected problems in linguistics. Conference course. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Six semester hours of upper-division coursework in linguistics.

LIN 679H. Honors Tutorial Course.

Supervised individual reading for one semester, followed by research and writing to produce a substantial paper. Conference course for two semesters. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: For 679HA, admission to the Linguistics Honors Program; for 679HB, Linguistics 679HA.

Graduate Courses

LIN 380K. Phonology I.

The descriptive techniques of generative phonology. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

LIN 380L. Syntax I.

An introduction to the description and analysis of syntax. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

LIN 380M. Semantics I.

An introduction to formal semantics and pragmatics, and the logical techniques needed to analyze them. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

LIN 380S. Sociolinguistics.

An introduction to sociolinguistic research, with attention to theoretical issues. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and Linguistics 380K and 380L.

LIN 381K. Phonology II.

Readings and problems in current phonological theory. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and Linguistics 380K.

LIN 381L. Syntax II.

Advanced description and analysis of syntax. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and Linguistics 380L.

LIN 381M. Phonetics.

Speech production and perception; acoustic phonetics; phonetics and phonology; experimental techniques. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

LIN 381S. Semantics II.

Continuation of Linguistics 380M. Descriptive methods and theoretical tools for investigating meaning in human languages; an introduction to propositional content and speech acts. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and Linguistics 380L and 380M.

LIN 382. Historical Linguistics.

The principles of language change, reconstruction of earlier linguistic stages, language contact, and language relatedness. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and Linguistics 380K.

LIN 383. Comparative and Diachronic Linguistics.

The comparative method; applications to particular linguistic families. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Graduate standing; additional prerequisites vary with the topic.

Topic 3: Introduction to Romance Linguistics. Same as French 396K (Topic 1: Introduction to Romance Linguistics), Italian 396K (Topic 1: Introduction to Romance Linguistics), Portuguese 396K (Topic 2: Introduction to Romance Linguistics), and Spanish 396K (Topic 2: Introduction to Romance Linguistics). Additional prerequisite: Graduate standing in languages and consent of instructor and the graduate adviser.
Topic 6: History of the Arabic Language. Same as Arabic 382C (Topic 4).
Topic 8: Introduction to Diachronic Linguistics: Germanic. Same as Classical Civilization 383 (Topic 2) and German 381 (Topic 3). Only one of the following may be counted: Classical Civilizations 383 (Topic 2), German 381 (Topic 3), Linguistics 383 (Topic 8).

LIN 384. Language Structures.

Languages studied have included Chatino, German, Mayan, Romance languages, and others. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and twelve semester hours of upper-division coursework in linguistics.

Topic 4: German Syntax. Same as German 393K (Topic 1: German Syntax).

LIN 385. Field Methods in Linguistic Investigation.

Methods of research in phonological and grammatical description; work with speakers of under-described languages. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, with additional field hours to be arranged. Offered on the letter-grade basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and consent of instructor.

LIN 386M. Mathematical and Computational Linguistics.

Three lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and consent of instructor.

Topic 2: Computational Linguistics I.
Topic 3: Computational Linguistics II.
Topic 4: Computational Linguistics III: Advanced Parsing.

LIN 387. Linguistics and Language Teaching.

Same as Curriculum and Instruction 385G (Topic 6). Designed primarily for participants in international education exchange programs. Application of the findings of linguistics to the teaching of languages. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and consent of instructor.