LIN - Linguistics

Linguistics: LIN

Lower-Division Courses

LIN X06. 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.

LIN X12. Topics in Interdisciplinary Approaches to Language.

An interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary introduction to the manifold aspects of language.

LIN X12C. Culture and Communication.

An introduction to the study of culture through communication and the theory of signs.

LIN X12D. 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?

LIN X12E. 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.

LIN X13. Language and Computers.

Examine a conceptual, non-programming overview of how computers learn, understand, and generate human language, including text encoding, machine learning, language modeling, and text generation. Study what makes human language difficult for computers, how these challenges are overcome, and implications for society. Engage in quantitative reasoning; technical background not required.

LIN X15. Speech Science.

Neurophysiological mechanisms underlying the encoding and decoding of speech.

LIN X19S. 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.

LIN X29S. Topics in Linguistics.

Upper-Division Courses

LIN X19S. Topics in Linguistics.

LIN X21L. American English.

An overview of the historical development of English in the Americas. Attention to regional, social, and ethnic differences, and their implications for public education.

LIN X23L. English as a World Language.

An account of the spread of English around the world; national, social, and regional varieties.

LIN X29S. Topics in Linguistics.

LIN X44K. 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.

LIN X45. 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.

LIN X46. 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.

LIN X50. Special Topics in the Study of Language.

Nontechnical examination of social, educational, and political problems to which current linguistic knowledge is relevant.

LIN X50.10. 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.

LIN X50.11. 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.

LIN X50.12. Analyzing Text Data: A Statistics Toolkit for Linguists.

Introduction to statistical concepts and analyses via language problems and linguistic data sets.

LIN X50.15. Computational Semantics.

Studies methods for automatically learning and analyzing word meanings and sentence meanings. Encompasses vector space models as well as logic-based semantics.

LIN X50.4. 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.

LIN X50.6. 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.

LIN X50C. Language and the Brain.

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.

LIN X50E. Why Chinese Has No Alphabet.

Introduction to the history and evolution of the Chinese writing system and language. No background in Chinese language, culture, or linguistics is required.

LIN X50G. The Politics of Insult.

Examine how linguistic practices of (im)politeness and verbal aggression shape--and are shaped by--social hierarchies, cultural contexts, and political dynamics across different contexts, from liberal to anti-liberal. Analyze how seemingly neutral concepts of "civility" and appropriate speech" often mask power relations while exploring how taboo language, conflict talk, and transgressive communication can both challenge and reinforce existing social orders.

LIN X50S. Word Meaning.

LIN X51. Language and Identity.

Investigate the central importance of language to the formation of people's regional, social class, gender, ethnic, and age identities through psycholinguistics, cognitive psychology, sociophonetics, and popular media sources. Examine how socially driven spoken language variation is created and how it is perceived.

LIN X51C. A Linguistic History of India.

Explore the richly documented linguistic and literary history of languages in the Indian subcontinent, paying attention to linguistic phenomena, contact effects, and language-based movements.

LIN X51D. Language, Culture, and the Texas German Experience.

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.

LIN X51E. Language and Thought.

Study the relation between language and thought, using a cognitive science approach. Examine the words people use and how people think; whether language structure affects thought; and some cognitive aspects of language.

LIN X51F. Native American Verbal Art.

Examine the verbal artistic traditions such as jokes, story-telling, song, chant, poetry, etc., of Native American peoples.

LIN X51G. Bilingual Language Acquisition.

Examine various aspects of bilingual first language acquisition including phonology, morphology, and syntax, as well as the child's use of his/her languages.

LIN X51I. Linguistics of Writing.

Discuss how language relates to the written word and how linguistic analysis is intertwined with writing. Examine the typology and evolution of writing systems, the psycholinguistics of reading and writing, and the role of writing in contemporary language politics.

LIN X51P. Language, Cognition, and Rhythm.

Explore connections between language and various musical forms, and what the psychological basis for these connections might be.

LIN X53C. Introduction to Computational Linguistics.

Introduction to key representations and algorithms used in computational linguistics and key natural language processing applications.

LIN X53D. Computational Discourse and Natural Language Generation.

Introduction to machine learning models for discourse processing and text generation. Explore open issues in NLG, including evaluation, ethics, and factuality.

LIN X53N. Natural Language Processing.

Introduces theoretical and applied topics relating to natural language processing, including machine translation, search, automatic summarization, and dialog systems.

LIN X53S. English Syntax for Writing.

LIN X55. Sign Languages and Signing Communities.

Examine 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. Conducted in English.

LIN X57. Undergraduate Research.

Supervised research experience.

LIN X58Q. Supervised Research.

Supervised student-initiated research.

LIN X60K. Introduction to English Grammar.

Introduction to the study of the syntactic structure of modern English from the viewpoint of generative grammar.

LIN X64. Introduction to Psycholinguistics.

LIN X64M. History of the English Language.

Development of sounds, forms, and vocabulary of the English language from its origins to the present.

LIN X65. Bias.

An interdisciplinary introduction to bias from the perspectives of psychology, political science, business, philosophy, and linguistics.

LIN X71. Machine Learning for Text Analysis.

Examine basic machine learning methods, with an emphasis on building applications that intelligently analyze text. Explore supervised learning (e.g., logistic regression, neural networks), unsupervised learning (e.g., clustering), and natural language processing.

LIN X72J. Meaning and Message.

Explore theories of linguistic meaning using logical and mathematical tools. Introduction to key ideas from compositional and lexical semantics.

LIN X72K. Sound Patterns: From Sound to Word.

Methods and principles of analyzing the sound systems of languages.

LIN X72S. Syntax: From Word to Utterance.

Discuss the methods and principles of describing the syntactic systems of languages.

LIN X73C. Child Language.

Examine theory and research concerning the development of language in children.

LIN X73D. African American Language.

Introduction to the history and contemporary form of African American Language (AAL). Through readings, examine the linguistic description of essential features, the use of AAL in the creation of culturally and historically influential texts, and AAL as a subject of public discussion.

LIN X73E. Endangered Languages.

Examine language rights as a tool for defending small-scale and minority language communities against the spread of national and global languages.

LIN X73F. Historical Perspectives on the German Language.

LIN X73I. Building Blocks of Modern German.

LIN X73L. American Indian Languages and Cultures.

Explore the myriad of indigenous languages of North America and how they are intertwined with culture.

LIN X73P. Introduction to Cognitive Science.

LIN X73S. Speech Play and Verbal Art.

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.

LIN X74M. Sociolinguistics.

Explore current interests in sociolinguistic research literature. Examine language and gender; social, regional, and ethnic dialects of American English; language use in African American communities; language and identity in a pluralistic society; and language, literacy, and education.

LIN X77. 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.

LIN X79. Conference Course in Linguistics.

Supervised individual study of selected problems in linguistics.

LIN X79H. Honors Tutorial Course.

Supervised individual reading for one semester, followed by research and writing to produce a substantial paper.

Graduate Courses

LIN X19S. Topics in Linguistics.

LIN X29S. Topics in Linguistics.

LIN X80K. Phonology I.

The descriptive techniques of generative phonology.

LIN X80L. Syntax I.

An introduction to the description and analysis of syntax.

LIN X80M. Semantics I.

An introduction to formal semantics and pragmatics, and the logical techniques needed to analyze them.

LIN X80S. Sociolinguistics.

An introduction to sociolinguistic research, with attention to theoretical issues.

LIN X81K. Phonology II.

Readings and problems in current phonological theory.

LIN X81L. Syntax II.

Advanced description and analysis of syntax.

LIN X81M. Phonetics.

Speech production and perception; acoustic phonetics; phonetics and phonology; experimental techniques.

LIN X81S. 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.

LIN X82. Historical Linguistics.

The principles of language change, reconstruction of earlier linguistic stages, language contact, and language relatedness.

LIN X83. Topics in Comparative and Diachronic Linguistics.

The comparative method; applications to particular linguistic families.

LIN X83.11. Comparative Semitic Linguistics.

Examine the Semitic languages and review the basic features of their phonology, morphology, and syntax.

LIN X83.3. Introduction to Romance Linguistics.

LIN X83.6. History of the Arabic Language.

LIN X83.8. Introduction to Diachronic Linguistics: Germanic.

LIN X84. Topics in Language Structures.

Languages studied have included Chatino, German, Mayan, Romance languages, and others.

LIN X84.4. German Syntax.

LIN X85. Field Methods in Linguistic Investigation.

Methods of research in phonological and grammatical description; work with speakers of under-described languages.

LIN X86M. Topics in Mathematical and Computational Linguistics.

LIN X86M.2. Computational Linguistics I.

LIN X86M.3. Computational Linguistics II.

LIN X86M.4. Computational Linguistics III: Advanced Parsing.

LIN X87. Linguistics and Language Teaching.

Application of the findings of linguistics to the teaching of languages.

LIN X89C. Research in Computational Linguistics.

LIN X89D. Research in Documentary and Descriptive Linguistics.

LIN X89P. Research in Phonetics and Phonology.

LIN X89S. Research in Syntax and Semantics.

LIN X89V. Research in Signed Languages.

LIN X91. Topics in Descriptive Linguistics.

LIN X91.2. Studies in English Grammar.

LIN X92. Topics in Current Linguistic Research.

A reading course in a selected area of linguistics.

LIN X92.1. Introduction to Cognitive Science.

LIN X92.2. Tools for Linguistic Description.

Basic tools for analyzing and describing a language through linguistic fieldwork, including phonetic transcription, the discovery and presentation of surface phonology, morphophonology, inflectional morphology, derivational morphology, grammatical categories, and syntax.

LIN X92.3. Linguistic Typology.

An introduction to the typological study of language: the investigation into the nature of human language, as informed by systematic cross-linguistic comparison.

LIN X93. Seminar in Linguistic Topics.

LIN X93.10. Metaphor Across Cultures, Genres, and Time.

Explore how and why metaphors vary both across and within cultures, across different genres, and through time.

LIN X93.4. Neurolinguistics.

LIN X93.6. Speech Play and Verbal Art.

LIN X93.8. Linguistics of Signed Languages.

LIN X93.9. Language Contact.

Examine the phenomenon of language contact from both structural and sociocultural angles. Investigate processes and patterns involved in lexical and structural borrowing, formation of new contact varieties such as creoles and mixed languages, role of contact in driving and shaping language change, and dynamics of specific contact zones. Explore the role of discourse strategies and norms, bilingualism, code-switching, and particular sociocultural practices in determining the nature of the contact that takes place and its effects on the languages involved.

LIN X93C. Language Acquisition.

LIN X93P. Topics in Phonology and Phonetics.

LIN X93S. Topics in Syntax and Semantics.

LIN X93S.3. Frame Semantics.

Explore theories and applications frame semantics within linguistics.

LIN X93S.4. Lexical Semantics.

Explore theories of word meaning, including what the basic elements of word meaning are, how those elements are composed into more complex meanings, and what kinds of grammatical processes augment and modify word meanings. Examine the nature of lexical categories, representations of events and individuals, and how a word's meaning is related to its syntactic and morphological properties.

LIN X93S.5. Lexical Semantic Typology.

Examine the way word meanings and their grammatical behavior vary across languages. Examine specific case studies to explore how the same types of word meanings can be represented differently across languages and how the principles that relate word meaning to grammar also vary, focusing on argument realization, morphological processes of word building, and lexical inventories.

LIN X93S.6. Minimalist Program.

Investigate work within the minimalist program, the current instantiation of the principles and parameters approach to the study of the human language faculty. Examine the development of the minimalist program, including a critical overview of its key concepts and the basic properties of its formal framework. Explore several case studies drawn from very recent work within this tradition that are illustrative of the nature of the approach.

LIN X93S.7. Word Meaning and Syntax.

Investigate the interface between word meaning and syntax beginning with an overview of polysemy, vagueness, prototypes, semantic change and the acquisition of word meaning. Explore the mapping from the lexicon to the syntax, focusing on predicate-argument mapping, argument alternations, and lexicalization patterns.

LIN X94K. Philosophy of Language.

LIN X95. Conference Course in Linguistics.

Supervised research.

LIN X96. Topics in Sociolinguistics.

Detailed investigation of an area of current interest in sociolinguistics. Most topics provide an opportunity for field research.

LIN X96.2. Introduction to Graduate Linguistic Anthropology.

LIN X96.3. Ethnography of Speaking.

LIN X96.4. Turkic Cultures and Languages in Central Asia.

LIN X96.7. Grammar of the Arabic Language.

LIN X97. Forum for Doctoral Candidates.

LIN X98. Thesis.

LIN X98R. Master's Report.

Preparation of a report to fulfill the requirement for the master's degree under the report option.

LIN X98T. Supervised Teaching in Linguistics.

Teaching under the close supervision of the course instructor; weekly group meetings with instructor, individual consultations, and reports throughout the teaching period.