Linguistics Minor

Linguistics is a structured discipline that examines the organization and social dimensions of human language. You will learn about the commonalities among languages, the global diversity of language, and the dynamic nature of language as a system of communication.

There are many connections to other fields of study such as the humanities (philosophy, literature), the social sciences (anthropology, psychology, sociology), the natural sciences (biology, neuroscience, acoustics), computer science, computer engineering, and artificial intelligence.

Additional Information

Coursework
The linguistics minor requires 15-18 hours. Core Areas A through E may not be counted as coursework in the minor. Courses taken to satisfy an English major requirements may not be used to satisfy the minor requirements. Non-English majors who are interested in the linguistics minor should seek the approval of the department head to waive the pre-requisites for the required English courses.

Required:

ENGL 2050 - Standard English Grammar

This course is an introductory study of structural grammar and Standard English usage.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisite: ENGL1102 or ENGL1102H with a grade of C or higher

Hours:
3

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ENGL 3010 - History of the English Language

This course is a detailed introduction to the background, origins, development, and structure of the English language and the fundamental tools and concepts used in the study of a language's history.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisites: ENGL 2050, ENGL 2230, and one ENGL 2100-level literature or ENGL 2200-level creative writing course, each with a grade of C or higher.

Hours:
3

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ENGL 3020 - Introduction to English Linguistics

An introduction to English linguistics and some of its important subfields, including the structure of English (its phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics), psycholinguistics and sociolinguistics.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisites: ENGL 2050, ENGL 2230 and one ENGL 2100-level literature or ENGL 2200-level creative writing course, each with a grade of C or higher.

Hours:
3

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ENGL 3050 - Advanced English Grammar

This course is a study of the syntax of English and introduces theories of structural, generative, and functional grammars. This course assumes a mastery of prescriptive English Grammar.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisites: ENGL 2050, ENGL 2230 and one ENGL 2100-level literature or ENGL 2200-level creative writing course, each with a grade of C or higher.

Hours:
3

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ENGL 4030 - English Sociolinguistics

An introduction to sociolinguistics, the course examines regional and social dialects, language standards, gendered language, creoles and pidgins, "political correctness," politeness, rudeness, sarcasm, slang, "bad" language, humor, naming practices, e-language, and global Englishes.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisites: ENGL 2050, ENGL 2230 and one ENGL 2100-level literature or ENGL 2200-level creative writing course, each with a grade of C or higher

Hours:
3

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Choose One of the Following:

COMM 3050 - Advanced Intercultural Communication

Exploring the foundations, processes, and applications of communicating in intercultural contexts, this course emphasizes intercultural theory and research on intercultural power and contexts, identity, language, and nonverbal codes, understanding intercultural transactions, impacts of popular culture, and managing intercultural conflict.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisite: COMM 1100 or permission of the instructor

Hours:
3

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CSCI 1301 - Computer Science I

This course will cultivate critical thinking skills by presenting computer science as problem solving discipline with emphasis in: fundamentals of computer science, algorithm development, coding, debugging and documentation of programs. The course will also include hands-on activities through assigned programming work.

Hours:
4

Notes:
Course is equivalent to CSCI 1301K

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FREN 3410 - French Phonetics

An intensive study of pronunciation building fluent expression through corrective phonetics, requiring the use of the International Phonetic Alphabet and phonetic transcriptions. Class conducted in French.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisite: FREN 2002 or FREN 2006, or placement by the Department of Modern Languages

Hours:
3

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SPAN 3630 - Translation Theory and Practice I

This course addresses the fundamental principles and translation techniques as they apply to the medical field, business world, and advertising. The course covers aspects of translation theory and practice, and of translation as a profession which prepares students to produce Spanish ↔ English translations. Required course for the Certificate in Spanish Translation.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisites: SPAN 2002 and ENGL 1102, or permission of instructor

Hours:
3

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SPAN 4420 - Spanish Sociolinguistics

This course will provide students with a survey of Spanish sociolinguistics which is the study of how language and social factors interact. Students will be introduced to themes such as how age, socioeconomic status, and gender influence our language; how languages vary across the Spanish-speaking world; what happens to languages that come into contact with each other; bilingualism and Spanish in the US and as a heritage language here; how our attitudes toward a speaker's language influence our perception of him or her; the relationship between language and identity; and factors influencing how policies and laws involving language are passed. Class conducted in Spanish.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisite: SPAN 2002 or SPAN 2006 or departmental permission.

Hours:
3

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PSYC 3310 - Cognitive Psychology

Cognitive Psychology is the scientific study of the processes by which we acquire, store, transform, and use information. The main topics in this field are pattern recognition, attention, memory, knowledge, language, problem-solving, and decision making. This course is an introduction to the major phenomena, methods, concepts, principles, and theories that make up the field of Cognitive Psychology.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisite: PSYC 1101 or PSYC 1101H with a grade of C or higher

Hours:
3

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Careers in Linguistics
You can apply the knowledge and skills applicable to careers in translation such as:

The U.S. State Department or other government agencies

International affairs

Information technology (natural language processing, speech recognition, speech synthesis)

Publishing (editor, lexicographer, technical writer)

Speech pathology/therapy

Audiology

Education

Law

Medicine

Library science

Computer science

Writing

Advertising

More About Linguistics
The central areas of linguistics investigate the knowledge that speakers of a language acquire about its structure.

Syntax is concerned with the rules that combine words into larger units of phrases and clauses.

Semantics is the study of the meanings of linguistic units and how they are combined to form more complex ideas.

Phonetics deals with the physical properties of language sounds.

Phonology investigates the sound systems of particular languages.

Morphology investigates the ways in which words are formed from prefixes, roots, and suffixes.

Pragmatics is the study of language use.

Other perspectives on language study include sociolinguistics, poetic language, and language change.