Academic Programs: Courses

101B Introduction to Linguistics HU

B. Lillehaugen
An introductory survey of linguistics as a field. This course examines the core areas of linguistic structure (morphology, phonology, syntax, semantics), pragmatics, and language variation in relation to language change. The course provides rudimentary training in the analysis of language data, and focuses on the variety of human language structures and on the question of universal properties. Taught at Bryn Mawr, Fall of 2011 Typically offered every Fall at Bryn Mawr.

113H Introduction to Syntax HU

B.Lillehaugen
This course is a hands-on investigation of sentence structures in human language. This is a participation intensive course. Collectively, the class will develop an increasingly complex syntactic theory starting with basic assumptions and seeing where they lead. In the process, students will develop skills in observing syntactic patterns and analyzing these patterns in order to come to some generalizations on their own. Typically offered every Fall.

114H Introduction to Semantics HU

S.Huang
This course focuses on the study of meaning in human language. We will explore semantic issues that arise from the lexicon, the sentences, and the discourse. Along the way, we will investigate not only the semantic structure of natural language but also pragmatic factors that affect language use. This is a participation-intensive course. In the process, students will not only learn the basic semantic theory but will also develop skills in observing semantic patterns and analyzing these patterns in order to come to some generalizations on their own. Typically offered every Spring.

115H Phonetics and Phonology HU

B.Lillehaugen
This course investigates the sound patterns found in human languages. Phonetics is the study of these patterns from a physical and perceptual perspective while phonology is the study of sound patterns from a cognitive perspective. Activities in the class will expose students to the methodologies used by both perspectives (articulatory description and acoustic analysis for phonetics and formal theoretical models for phonology) and show the necessity and utility of both approaches in understanding the nature of sound patterns in human language. Typically offered every Spring.

238H Psychology of Language SO (Cross-listed in Psychology)

M.Boltz
Prerequisite: Psychology 100 or consent of instructor.

282H Structure of Chinese SO (Cross-listed in East Asian Studies)

Tom Ernst
This course is an overview of the Chinese language in terms of sound, form, and meaning, examining the major structures of Mandarin Chinese and providing a basic theoretical perspective on them. Students with linguistics background will have an opportunity to enrich their understanding of linguistic theories and methodologies, and to develop skills in analyzing a non-Indo-European language systematically, while students who have completed at least Second-year Chinese will be exposed to systematic analyses of the language in order to learn the general patterns and theoretical perspectives. We will start with a quick look at Mandarin history, phonetics and word-building. This is followed by investigations of such major syntactic structures as passives, questions, BA sentences, topic and focus constructions, and relative clauses. Student assignments include two written analysis problems, responsibility for leading discussion of articles on Chinese syntax, and a final paper.

295 Syntax Seminar

Tom Ernst
This course is designed to provide further training in formal syntax, in terms of both data analysis and the fundamentals of syntactic theory. We will start by reviewing the basics of Government-Binding (GB) theory, beginning with basic phrase structure and methods of syntactic analysis, then moving on to more advanced topics, such as constraints on A’-movement, the nature and location of argument positions, and the properties of Logical Form. The second part of the course features close reading of several major articles of the past 25 years, as a way of exploring both the details of the theory and some of the rich cross-linguistic data that supports it. The goal is to have a solid grounding in the theory, and practice in applying it to new sets of data. Assignments include several written homeworks, responsibility for leading discussion of articles on syntax, and a final paper.

365H The Politics of Language in the Spanish-Speaking World HU (Cross-listed in Spanish)

A.López-Sánchez
Prerequisite: A 200 level course or consent of instructor.

382H Topics in Chinese Syntax and Semantics HU (Cross-listed in East Asian Studies)

S.Huang
An examination of the core issues in the study of Chinese syntax and semantics, such as phrase structure, modification structure, quantification, or event semantics. The aim is to examine a rich array of data as analyzed by specialists and study the inner workings of the language and its theoretical implications. Prerequisite: Intro to Syntax and Intro to Semantics. Recommended but not required: Structure of Chinese. Sophomore standing or above. No knowledge of Chinese is required. Advanced Chinese students are welcome to email the instructor to discuss the possibility of taking this course. Typically offered in alternate years.

Bryn Mawr College courses in Linguistics:

LING B101 Introduction to Linguistics
LING B281 Language in Social Context
CMSC B325 Computational Linguistics

Swarthmore College currently offers the following courses in Linguistics:

Full Swarthmore course listing with location, times, and professors