Linguistics (LING)
Linguistics is the study of the human language faculty. It requires the investigation of a highly structured system of knowledge within the mind of the speaker (a mental grammar), which is examined empirically and modeled formally. Linguists seek to establish the general principles governing the organization, emergence and use of language, including a model of how languages vary across space and time. Language is treated as a natural object, like other cognitive faculties, serving as a natural point of entry into scientific discovery and the tools of scientific reasoning, such as pattern recognition, experimental design, and hypothesis construction and testing. Linguistics serves as a “bridge” discipline between the sciences and the humanities because language is at the center of humanistic inquiry, from philosophy and history to literary theory and language and cultural studies.
Linguistics Major
The major in linguistics includes a two-semester introductory sequence, intermediate work in theoretical grammar, intermediate work in the cognitive mechanisms of language, an advanced seminar and two electives, as outlined below. Research opportunities are available within the major.
The requirements for the major are as follows:
| May be taken in any order. | ||
| LING 105 | Linguistic Analysis: Sounds and Words | 1 |
| LING 110 | Linguistic Analysis: Sentences and Dialects | 1 |
| Three 200-level courses, one of each pair: | ||
| LING 205 | Phonetics and Phonology | 1 |
| or LING 206 | Morphology | |
| LING 215 | Syntax | 1 |
| or LING 216 | Semantics | |
| LING 230 | Psycholinguistics | 1 |
| or LING 237 | Introduction to Language Development | |
| Select two of the following: | 2 | |
Any linguistics course offered in addition to: | ||
| Advanced Methods in Language | ||
| Language Development | ||
| Topics in Hispanic Linguistics | ||
| Select one of the following: | 1 | |
| Advanced Syntax 1 | ||
| Language and the Brain 1 | ||
| Advanced Topics in Psycholinguistics 1 | ||
| Typology and Universals 1 | ||
- 1
Fulfills the Culminating Experience.
The Culminating Experience draws together and integrates the knowledge and analytical methods mastered by majors in the course of their study. It is satisfied by taking one seminar, either LING 315 Advanced Syntax, LING 325 Language and the Brain, LING 330 Advanced Topics in Psycholinguistics or LING 340 Typology and Universals, normally in the spring of the senior year. These 300-level seminars are designed to investigate one area in depth while highlighting interactions between this area and other sub-disciplines studied in the course of the major.
Linguistics Minor
The linguistics minor consists of five courses.
| LING 105 | Linguistic Analysis: Sounds and Words | 1 |
| LING 110 | Linguistic Analysis: Sentences and Dialects | 1 |
| Three 200 or 300-level linguistics courses | 3 | |
Majors in Linguistics will be able to:
- Analyze linguistic structures for the major grammatical modules: phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics (1, 2, 6, 9)
- Demonstrate a basic understanding of allied fields in linguistics, including how languages are learned (acquisition), how languages change (historical linguistics), how language varies by social group (sociolinguistics), and how language is represented in the brain (neurolinguistics) (1, 2, 6, 9)
- Describe theoretical approaches to language, and apply those linguistic theories to data from a typologically diverse set of languages (1, 2, 6, 7, 9)
- Develop proficiency in experimental techniques for the study of language, and determine how those experimental results inform models of how language is learned, perceived, comprehended, or produced (1, 2, 6, 8, 9)
- Apply specialized linguistic knowledge to a range of societal issues, including the complex relation between language and identity construction, language prejudice, and, in particular, how language ideologies perpetuate linguistic discrimination (3, 4, 5)
- Develop the ability to write and present orally according to the norms of the discipline (6, 7, 8)
- Perform sophisticated linguistic analysis in one subfield of linguistics (e.g., syntax, psycholinguistics, neurolinguistics, or language typology) (1, 2, 6, 7, 9)
Numbers in parentheses reflect related Educational Goals of Bucknell University.
Courses
LING 105. Linguistic Analysis: Sounds and Words. 1 Credit.
Offered Fall Semester Only; Lecture hours:3
One semester of a two-semester introduction to linguistics. Topics include: phonetics, phonology, word forms, language change, language acquisition.
LING 110. Linguistic Analysis: Sentences and Dialects. 1 Credit.
Offered Spring Semester Only; Lecture hours:3
One semester of a two-semester introduction to linguistics. Topics include: syntax, semantics, language variation, language and society.
LING 1NT. Linguistics Non-traditional Study. 1 Credit.
Offered Fall, Spring, Summer; Lecture hours:Varies,Other:3
Nontraditional study in Linguistics. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
LING 203. A History of English. 1 Credit.
Offered Occasionally; Lecture hours:3
A historical overview of the English language from its origins to the present, focusing on principles of language change, sociolinguistics, and language contact.
LING 204. Language and Culture: Introduction to Linguistic Anthropology. 1 Credit.
Offered Occasionally; Lecture hours:3
This course introduces the anthropological study of language and its importance to human behavior and social relations, covering key concepts, terms, and theories about how languages are structured, how people acquire language, and how language affects a number of important social and cultural domains, among other topics.
LING 205. Phonetics and Phonology. 1 Credit.
Offered Alternate Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
An investigation into the articulatory and acoustic properties and patterns of speech sounds, with applications to speech pathology, processing, and phonological theory. Prerequisite: LING 105.
LING 206. Morphology. 1 Credit.
Offered Occasionally; Lecture hours:3
Explores the mental lexicon, the internal structure of words, and the processes by which words are formed in a wide variety of languages. Prerequisite: LING 105 or LING 110.
LING 210. Language and Race. 1 Credit.
Offered Alternate Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
An introduction to "non-standard" dialects of English with a primary focus on African-American Vernacular English (AAVE). This course explores the linguistic and non-linguistic factors that give rise to language variation. Crosslisted as CBST 210.
LING 212. Language Disorders. 1 Credit.
Offered Occasionally; Lecture hours:3
Survey and linguistic description of a variety of language disorders and impairments across the lifespan, including Specific Language Impairment, Williams Syndrome, and forms of aphasia. The course draws on experimental findings in Psycholinguistics and clinical findings in Speech Pathology.
LING 215. Syntax. 1 Credit.
Offered Fall Semester Only; Lecture hours:3
Contemporary generative theories of phrase structure and its relation to meaning. Focus on comparative syntax and its implications for Universal Grammar. Prerequisite: LING 110 or permission of the instructor.
LING 216. Semantics. 1 Credit.
Offered Alternate Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
An introduction to the fundamental notions, arguments, and techniques of linguistic semantics. Focus on how meaning is structured and represented by the human mind. Prerequisite: LING 110 or permission of the instructor.
LING 220. Bilingualism. 1 Credit.
Offered Occasionally; Lecture hours:3
An examination of the psychological and social factors involved in the acquisition and use of two or more languages across the lifespan. Topics will also include language contact and bilingual education.
LING 230. Psycholinguistics. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Analysis of psychological processes involved in language. Topics include language production and perception in children, adults, bilinguals, and exceptional populations.
LING 237. Introduction to Language Development. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Survey of the mechanisms involved in language development. Topics include the stages in language development, theoretical approaches to language development, the biological bases of language, and atypical language development. Prerequisite: PSYC 100, or LING 105, or LING 110, or LING 230. Crosslisted as PSYC 237.
LING 295. Topics in Linguistics. 1 Credit.
Offered Alternate Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
A specific linguistic topic, to be selected. Prerequisite: LING 105 or LING 110 or permission of the instructor. May be repeated for credit.
LING 2NT. Linguistics Non-traditional Study. 1 Credit.
Offered Fall, Spring, Summer; Lecture hours:Varies,Other:3
Nontraditional study in Linguistics.
LING 315. Advanced Syntax. 1 Credit.
Offered Occasionally; Lecture hours:3
Topics in advanced generative syntax, emphasis on new developments in syntactic theory. Prerequisite: LING 215 or LING 216.
LING 319. Undergraduate Research. .5-1 Credits.
Offered Both Fall and Spring; Lecture hours:Varies,Other:1.5; Repeatable
Research in psycholinguistics. Research topics may be posed by students or faculty. Prerequisite: LING 230 and permission of the instructor.
LING 320. Language & Environmental Politics. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Communication is central to how people perceive the environment, understand their relationship to it, and organize actions to change it. This course draws on concepts from linguistic anthropology, including discourse analysis, to examine debates about wildlife conservation, clean energy, eco-friendly products, environmental rights, and climate change. Crosslisted as ANTH 307 and ENST 320.
LING 325. Language and the Brain. 1 Credit.
Offered Alternating Spring Semester; Lecture hours:3
An examination of the physical basis for language. Topics include the nature of language as a cognitive faculty, atypical language development in childhood, and acquired aphasia. Prerequisites: LING 105 or LING 110 or LING 230 or PSYC 237 or LING 237.
LING 330. Advanced Topics in Psycholinguistics. 1 Credit.
Offered Occasionally; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Advanced study in psycholinguistics. Includes topics such as language production, language comprehension, and bilingualism. Prerequisite: LING 230 or permission of the instructor.
LING 340. Typology and Universals. 1 Credit.
Offered Occasionally; Lecture hours:3
Examination of the wide range of features in the world's languages. The course is mainly descriptive, with some theory regarding the source of linguistic universals. Prerequisite: one of the following: LING 205, LING 206, LING 215, or LING 216.
LING 390. Independent Study. .5-1 Credits.
Offered Both Fall and Spring; Lecture hours:Varies,Other:Varies; Repeatable
Subject to be selected by the student in consultation with the instructor. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
LING 395. Honors in Linguistics. 1 Credit.
Offered Both Fall and Spring; Lecture hours:Varies,Other:3
Honors thesis in Linguistics. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
Faculty
Professor: James E. Lavine
Associate Professor: Heidi Lorimor (Director)
Affiliated Faculty: Hiram L. Smith (Spanish)