Graduate Program

Term Schedule

Fall 2021

Number	Title	Instructor	Time
LING 406-1 History of the English Language Steven Rozenski TR 11:05AM - 12:20PM
All languages change over time, often in predictable patterns. Where did today’s standard English come from, and how is our sense of that standard tied to assumptions about race, class, gender, and nationality? To find out, we will begin roughly 5,000 years ago, studying the common ancestor of languages as different as English, Hindi, and Polish: Proto-Indo-European. We will learn about the prehistoric roots of English, then turn to the earliest written evidence of it: “Anglo-Saxon” or “Old English,” ca. 600-1100.The language was transformed in the wake of the Norman Invasion of 1066, as English became lower in status than both Anglo-Norman French and Latin for a few centuries. Next, we will learn about the growth of English, and its changes, in the age of Chaucer (Middle English) and Shakespeare (Early Modern English). Finally, we will explore processes of standardization, hybridization, and diffusion in the complex effects of English’s spread across the globe over the course of the past 450 years. Location Lechase Room 104 (TR 11:05AM - 12:20PM)
LING 410-2 Introduction to Language Sound Systems Joyce McDonough MW 10:25AM - 11:40AM
The goal of this course is to provide a background for understanding the principles that underlie the structure of sound systems in human languages. Starting with the notion phoneme, the course focuses on acoustic and articulatory phonetics, as a basis for understanding phonological processes and change in linguistic sound forms. Students will acquire skills in the production, recognition, and transcription of sounds in various languages of the world. The course will serve as a foundation for work in language documentation, sociolinguistics and sociophonetics, morphology. Location Gavett Hall Room 310 (MW 10:25AM - 11:40AM)
LING 425-1 Intro to Semantic Analysis Scott Grimm MW 2:00PM - 3:15PM
This course introduces students to the basics of the analysis of meaning in natural language. The first section focuses on devices that motivate certain forms to take on the meanings they have. The second section of the course moves on to discuss how meanings combine to form meanings for larger unitshow words and phrases combine to form sentences meanings. Using logical notation we illustrate the formal analysis of natural language meaning in terms of truth-conditions. We will discuss the basics of set theory, and investigate how meanings represented in these terms correlate with the syntactic and lexical structures of sentences of natural language. Students of graduate standing or those with strong formal backgrounds may consider starting with LING 265/465 instead, for which this course is ordinarily a prerequisite. This course counts towards satisfying the core course requirement for majors. Location Hutchison Hall Room 473 (MW 2:00PM - 3:15PM)
LING 440-1 Topics in Lang. Variation & Change Maya Abtahian MW 12:30PM - 1:45PM
This course offers an overview of the study of language variation and change. We will examine some of the ways that spoken language varies according to the social characteristics and social motivations of its speakers. Methods for quantitative analysis of linguistic variation will be introduced. LING 410 or 420 recommended but not required. Location Meliora Room 209 (MW 12:30PM - 1:45PM)
LING 448-1 Statistical Speech & Language Processing Daniel Gildea TR 11:05AM - 12:20PM
An introduction to statistical natural language processing and automatic speech recognition techniques. This course presents the theory and practice behind the recently developed language processing technologies that enable applications such as speech-driven dictation systems, document search engines (e.g., finding web pages) and automatic machine translation. Students taking this course at the 400 level will be required to complete additional readings and/or assignments. Location Gavett Hall Room 312 (TR 11:05AM - 12:20PM)
LING 460-1 Syntactic Theory Joanna Pietraszko TR 11:05AM - 12:20PM
This course picks up where LING 420 leaves off, though focusing more on topics in natural language syntax from a cross-linguistic perspective. The goal of the course is an approach to syntax that accounts for both language-particular as well as universal constraints on language. Among the topics studied are head and phrase movement, constraints on co-reference (anaphora), elipsis, and agreement (phi features). Prerequisite: LING 420 recommended. Location Lattimore Room 513 (TR 11:05AM - 12:20PM)
LING 461-1 Constraint-Based Syntax Arshia Asudeh MW 3:25PM - 4:40PM
This course in linguistic theory examines syntactic phenomena from the perspective of constraint-based theories of grammar as opposed to transformational grammar and its descendants. The course will examine and develop constraint-based theories of syntax, with particular focus on Lexical-Functional Grammar and Head-driven Phrase Structure Grammar. We will examine some of the history and fundamentals of syntactic theory in light of constraint-based/transformational approaches and also consider the different consequences of these approaches for the architecture of the language faculty. Lastly, we will contrast these approaches with respect to some standard syntactic problems. No background in constraint-based syntax will be assumed, but some general knowledge of syntactic theory would be beneficial. This course is meant for linguistics majors and non-majors alike. Location Lattimore Room 513 (MW 3:25PM - 4:40PM)
LING 470-2 Preserving diversity in language and culture Nadine Grimm TR 12:30PM - 1:45PM
This class is addressed to anyone interested in fieldwork involving data collection of spoken language, including for instance linguists, anthropologists, or historians. Languages and cultures are currently disappearing on an unprecedented level due to the effects of globalization and displacement of people. Minority groups are often the most affected. As languages and cultures die, we lose entire knowledge systems and communities an integral part of their identity. This class introduces you to major techniques and tools of collecting and curating language data, using it for your research purposes, and making it useful to speech communities and other scholars. We will investigate the importance of language as a social convention from an interdisciplinary perspective, including, e.g., issues in intercultural research and ethics in fieldwork. Students will design their own projects, depending on their personal interests, and receive hands-on training in audio and video recording, time-aligned annotations, data management, and archiving. Location Lattimore Room 513 (TR 12:30PM - 1:45PM)
LING 481-1 Statistical Methods in Comp Ling Aaron White MW 12:30PM - 1:45PM
This course covers advanced topics in computational linguistics, with a focus on the deployment of statistical methods for advancing linguistic theory as well as the use of linguistic theory for designing statistical models. Topics include models of phonetic category perception and learning, phonotactic, morphological, and syntactic grammar induction, and syntactic and semantic parsing. Prerequisite: LING 424 Location Hylan Building Room 305 (MW 12:30PM - 1:45PM)
LING 491-1 472: Field Methods II Nadine Grimm –
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LING 495-1 Master's Research in Ling Joyce McDonough –
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LING 495-2 Master's Research in Ling Scott Grimm –
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LING 495-3 Master's Research in Ling Nadine Grimm –
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LING 495-4 Master's Research in Ling Arshia Asudeh –
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LING 495-5 Master's Research in Ling Maya Abtahian –
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LING 495-6 Master's Research in Ling Joanna Pietraszko –
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LING 495-7 Master's Research in Ling Aaron White –
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LING 501-1 Linguistics Graduate Proseminar Joanna Pietraszko M 6:15PM - 7:30PM
No description Location Lattimore Room 513 (M 6:15PM - 7:30PM)
LING 590-1 Supervised Teaching Aaron White –
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LING 590-2 Supervised Teaching Scott Grimm –
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LING 590-3 Supervised Teaching Nadine Grimm –
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LING 590-4 Supervised Teaching Joyce McDonough –
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LING 590-5 Supervised Teaching Joanna Pietraszko –
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LING 590-6 Supervised Teaching Arshia Asudeh –
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LING 590-7 Supervised Teaching Maya Abtahian –
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LING 595-1 PhD Research in Ling Jeffrey Runner –
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LING 595-2 PhD Research in Ling Scott Grimm –
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LING 895-1 Cont of Master's Enrollment – –
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LING 897-1 Master's Dissertation Joyce McDonough –
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LING 897-2 Master's Dissertation Scott Grimm –
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LING 897-3 Master's Dissertation Nadine Grimm –
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LING 897-4 Master's Dissertation Arshia Asudeh –
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LING 897-5 Master's Dissertation Joanna Pietraszko –
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LING 897-6 Master's Dissertation Maya Abtahian –
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LING 897-7 Master's Dissertation Aaron White –
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LING 995-1 Cont of Doctoral Enrollment – –
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LING 997-1 Doctoral Dissertation Jeffrey Runner –
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LING 999-1 Doctoral Dissertation Jeffrey Runner –
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Number	Title	Instructor	Time
Monday
LING 501-1 Linguistics Graduate Proseminar Joanna Pietraszko
No description
Monday and Wednesday
LING 410-2 Introduction to Language Sound Systems Joyce McDonough
The goal of this course is to provide a background for understanding the principles that underlie the structure of sound systems in human languages. Starting with the notion phoneme, the course focuses on acoustic and articulatory phonetics, as a basis for understanding phonological processes and change in linguistic sound forms. Students will acquire skills in the production, recognition, and transcription of sounds in various languages of the world. The course will serve as a foundation for work in language documentation, sociolinguistics and sociophonetics, morphology.
LING 440-1 Topics in Lang. Variation & Change Maya Abtahian
This course offers an overview of the study of language variation and change. We will examine some of the ways that spoken language varies according to the social characteristics and social motivations of its speakers. Methods for quantitative analysis of linguistic variation will be introduced. LING 410 or 420 recommended but not required.
LING 481-1 Statistical Methods in Comp Ling Aaron White
This course covers advanced topics in computational linguistics, with a focus on the deployment of statistical methods for advancing linguistic theory as well as the use of linguistic theory for designing statistical models. Topics include models of phonetic category perception and learning, phonotactic, morphological, and syntactic grammar induction, and syntactic and semantic parsing. Prerequisite: LING 424
LING 425-1 Intro to Semantic Analysis Scott Grimm
This course introduces students to the basics of the analysis of meaning in natural language. The first section focuses on devices that motivate certain forms to take on the meanings they have. The second section of the course moves on to discuss how meanings combine to form meanings for larger unitshow words and phrases combine to form sentences meanings. Using logical notation we illustrate the formal analysis of natural language meaning in terms of truth-conditions. We will discuss the basics of set theory, and investigate how meanings represented in these terms correlate with the syntactic and lexical structures of sentences of natural language. Students of graduate standing or those with strong formal backgrounds may consider starting with LING 265/465 instead, for which this course is ordinarily a prerequisite. This course counts towards satisfying the core course requirement for majors.
LING 461-1 Constraint-Based Syntax Arshia Asudeh
This course in linguistic theory examines syntactic phenomena from the perspective of constraint-based theories of grammar as opposed to transformational grammar and its descendants. The course will examine and develop constraint-based theories of syntax, with particular focus on Lexical-Functional Grammar and Head-driven Phrase Structure Grammar. We will examine some of the history and fundamentals of syntactic theory in light of constraint-based/transformational approaches and also consider the different consequences of these approaches for the architecture of the language faculty. Lastly, we will contrast these approaches with respect to some standard syntactic problems. No background in constraint-based syntax will be assumed, but some general knowledge of syntactic theory would be beneficial. This course is meant for linguistics majors and non-majors alike.
Tuesday
Tuesday and Thursday
LING 406-1 History of the English Language Steven Rozenski
All languages change over time, often in predictable patterns. Where did today’s standard English come from, and how is our sense of that standard tied to assumptions about race, class, gender, and nationality? To find out, we will begin roughly 5,000 years ago, studying the common ancestor of languages as different as English, Hindi, and Polish: Proto-Indo-European. We will learn about the prehistoric roots of English, then turn to the earliest written evidence of it: “Anglo-Saxon” or “Old English,” ca. 600-1100.The language was transformed in the wake of the Norman Invasion of 1066, as English became lower in status than both Anglo-Norman French and Latin for a few centuries. Next, we will learn about the growth of English, and its changes, in the age of Chaucer (Middle English) and Shakespeare (Early Modern English). Finally, we will explore processes of standardization, hybridization, and diffusion in the complex effects of English’s spread across the globe over the course of the past 450 years.
LING 448-1 Statistical Speech & Language Processing Daniel Gildea
An introduction to statistical natural language processing and automatic speech recognition techniques. This course presents the theory and practice behind the recently developed language processing technologies that enable applications such as speech-driven dictation systems, document search engines (e.g., finding web pages) and automatic machine translation. Students taking this course at the 400 level will be required to complete additional readings and/or assignments.
LING 460-1 Syntactic Theory Joanna Pietraszko
This course picks up where LING 420 leaves off, though focusing more on topics in natural language syntax from a cross-linguistic perspective. The goal of the course is an approach to syntax that accounts for both language-particular as well as universal constraints on language. Among the topics studied are head and phrase movement, constraints on co-reference (anaphora), elipsis, and agreement (phi features). Prerequisite: LING 420 recommended.
LING 470-2 Preserving diversity in language and culture Nadine Grimm
This class is addressed to anyone interested in fieldwork involving data collection of spoken language, including for instance linguists, anthropologists, or historians. Languages and cultures are currently disappearing on an unprecedented level due to the effects of globalization and displacement of people. Minority groups are often the most affected. As languages and cultures die, we lose entire knowledge systems and communities an integral part of their identity. This class introduces you to major techniques and tools of collecting and curating language data, using it for your research purposes, and making it useful to speech communities and other scholars. We will investigate the importance of language as a social convention from an interdisciplinary perspective, including, e.g., issues in intercultural research and ethics in fieldwork. Students will design their own projects, depending on their personal interests, and receive hands-on training in audio and video recording, time-aligned annotations, data management, and archiving.
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday