Students with no previous background in American Sign Language (ASL) will be introduced to basic conversational techniques in ASL, including both expressive and receptive skills. Basic grammar and vocabulary will be covered, including explanations of the fundamental parts of a sign, proper use of fingerspelling, and the significance of non-manual features. Instruction will be supplemented with videos, allowing students to begin exploring the visual literature of the Deaf community in the United States. Readings and class discussions will acquaint students with American Deaf culture, history and education, and the historical development of ASL.

Full details for ASL 1101 - American Sign Language I

This intermediate level course will focus on rigorous development and expansion of ASL vocabulary, non-manual signals, and grammar features through communicative activities. Students will develop ASL presentations to increase communicative fluency. The course provides continued development and discussion related to intercultural competence, ASL literature, ASL linguistics and American Deaf culture/community.

Full details for ASL 2201 - Intermediate American Sign Language I

This course provides an overview of various genres in American Sign Language literature including narratives, folklore, ABC stories, poetry, translated works and visual vernacular. Students will analyze contents, themes and stylistic techniques of works done by various ASL literary artists. This course emphasizes critiquing various narrative and poetic genres with planning and development of new literary works.

Full details for ASL 3201 - ASL Literature

In this course the students learn the skill of writing at the university level. Instructors offer themes for their courses within their own special areas of expertise.

Full details for LING 1100 - FWS: Language, Thought, and Reality

Overview of the science of language, especially its theoretical underpinnings, methods, and major findings. Areas covered include: the relation between sound and meaning in human languages, social variation in language, language change over time, universals of language, and the mental representation of linguistic knowledge. Students are introduced to a wide variety of language phenomena, drawn not only from languages resembling English, but also from many that appear to be quite unlike English, such as those native to the Americas, Africa, Asia, Australia, and the South Pacific.

Full details for LING 1101 - Introduction to Linguistics

This section is highly recommended for students who are interested in learning about the topics covered in the main course through writing and discussion.

Full details for LING 1104 - WIM: Introduction to Cognitive Science

Have you ever wondered what linguistics is? Here is an opportunity to find out. This course introduces a wide range of topics about how language is structured and interwoven in our daily lives. We will pursue questions including the following: What does it mean to “know” a language? How do new words come into the language? Can the structure and meaning of language change? Why is English spelling so complicated? What does it mean to say that something is “right” or “wrong”? How do computers understand and produce human language? What are the pitfalls of translation? How is our identity expressed through language?

Full details for LING 1110 - What is Linguistics? How We Use Linguistics in Our Daily Lives

This course provides an introduction to the science of the mind. Everyone knows what it's like to think and perceive, but this subjective experience provides little insight into how minds emerge from physical entities like brains. To address this issue, cognitive science integrates work from at least five disciplines: Psychology, Neuroscience, Computer Science, Linguistics, and Philosophy. This course introduces students to the insights these disciplines offer into the workings of the mind by exploring visual perception, attention, memory, learning, problem solving, language, and consciousness.

Full details for LING 1170 - Introduction to Cognitive Science

This course addresses topics including origins of legal language, linguistics in the courtroom, plagiarism, and language rights. It introduces areas of linguistics such as syntax, semantics, pragmatics, and sociolinguistics which explicate a wide range of legal matters where both spoken and written language come to fore.

Full details for LING 2223 - Language and the Law

An introduction to the study of language endangerment and language revitalization. Explores why nearly half of the world's languages are facing extinction over the current century, discusses the issues related to that projection, and introduces approaches to maintaining and revitalizing endangered languages.

Full details for LING 2224 - Introduction to Language Endangerment and Revitalization

This course introduces students to the history and methods of cryptanalysis and code breaking. These methods were honed through fierce competitions where secure and secret communications carried life-and-death stakes. The tools developed in this environment formed the foundations of modern linguistics, mathematics and computer science. By understanding these methods and their relationships, we can better understand the systems shaping the world today.

Full details for LING 2250 - Codes and Code Breaking

This course explores both syntax (how words and phrases are combined into sentences) and semantics (how the meanings of words, phrases, and sentences are interpreted). The course aims to give students to the ability to address questions regarding syntactic and semantic properties of languages in a rigorous and informed fashion. Topics covered include phrase structure, grammatical relations, transformations, semantic composition, modification, quantification, and the syntax/semantics interface. Emphasis throughout the course is placed on forming and testing hypotheses.

Full details for LING 3303 - Introduction to Syntax and Semantics

Old Norse is a collective term for the earliest North Germanic literary languages: Old Icelandic, Old Norwegian, Old Danish, and Old Swedish. The richly documented Old Icelandic is the center of attention, and the purpose is twofold: the students gain knowledge of an ancient North Germanic language, important from a linguistic point of view, and gain access to the medieval Icelandic (and Scandinavian) literature. The structure of Old Norse (Old Icelandic), phonology, and morphology, with reading of selections from the Prose-Edda, a 13th-century narrative based on the Eddaic poetry.

Full details for LING 3315 - Old Norse I

The Romance languages are the lasting imprint of all that happened to the Latin language as it moved through time, territories, and people of many ethnicities. While the Latin of antiquity retained its prestige in high culture, the natural untutored usage of ordinary people was always free to go its own way. This course covers the following topics, selected to create a panoramic view: Formation of the general Romance seven-vowel system from Latin. Early and widespread sound changes in popular Latin. Finding and interpreting evidence for trends in popular Latin pronunciation. The comparative method and its limitations. Essential later sound changes, some of which ceate a whole new order of consonants unknown to Latin but conspicuous in Romance. Nouns and adjectives from Latin to Romance. Formation of the present indicative: the competing forces of sound change and analogical adjustment. A brief overview of Portuguese. Variants of the seven-vowel system. Salient features of Romanian. Factors that helped shape the vocabulary of Romance. Medieval diglossia. Emergence of Romance vernaculars newly recognized by their speakers as languages distinct from Latin and from each other. Close analysis of the oldest surviving document written unmistakably in Romance (842 C. E.).

Full details for LING 3321 - History of Romance Languages I

An introduction to the language and culture of the Cayuga (Gayogo_hó:no?) people. Basic language instruction provided in an immersive learning environment, focusing on the relationship of language and culture to plants and growing.

Full details for LING 3324 - Cayuga Language and Culture

Super-linguistics is a subfield of linguistics that applies techniques used for analyzing natural language to non-linguistic materials. This course uses linguistic tools from semantics, pragmatics and syntax to study sequential images found in comics, films, and children's books. We will also study multimedia, gestures, and static images such as instruction signs, emoji, and paintings. Linguistic topics include anaphora, implicature, tense and aspect, attitudes and embedding, indirect discourse, and dynamic semantics. We introduce linguistic accounts of each of the topics and apply them to pictorial data.

Full details for LING 3344 - Superlinguistics: Comics, Signs and Other Sequential Images

Independent study of linguistics topics not covered in regular curriculum for undergrads.

Full details for LING 3390 - Independent Study in Linguistics

Provides an introduction to phonological theory. The empirical basis, theoretical approaches, and relevant literature are explored through extensive data analysis and critical reading.

Full details for LING 4401 - Phonology I

An advanced introduction to syntactic theory within the principles and parameters/minimalist frameworks. Topics include phrase structure, argument structure (unaccusative verbs, unergative verbs, double object constructions), principles of word order, and the binding theory.

Full details for LING 4403 - Syntax I

This course provides advanced instruction in phonetic analysis and experimental methodology. Students learn about various theories of speech perception, production, and cognitive representation. This provides a background in which students develop an original research project. The goals of this course are for students to gain a conceptual understanding of phonetic analyses and to acquire practical experience in using phonetic analyses to explore cognitive dimensions of speech.

Full details for LING 4419 - Advanced Phonetics

Introduces methods for theorizing about meaning within generative grammar. These techniques allow the creation of grammars that pair syntactic structures with meanings. Students look at several empirical areas in detail, among them complementation (combining heads with their arguments), modification, conjunction, definite descriptions, relative clauses, traces, bound pronouns, and quantification. An introduction to logical and mathematical concepts used in linguistic semantics (e.g., set theory, functions and their types, and the lambda notation for naming linguistic meanings) is included in the course.

Full details for LING 4421 - Semantics I

Computational models of natural languages. Topics are drawn from: tree syntax and context free grammar, finite state generative morpho-phonology, feature structure grammars, logical semantics, tabular parsing, Hidden Markov models, categorial and minimalist grammars, text corpora, information-theoretic sentence processing, discourse relations, and pronominal coreference.

Full details for LING 4424 - Computational Linguistics I

This course provides structure and guidance to students doing an honors thesis in linguistics. The course consists of biweekly meeting of all honors thesis writers with the course instructor. Students will prepare presentations and written materials including topic, background, outline, methodology for honors project for class presentation and discussion. The course also covers aspects of linguistics research methodology.

Full details for LING 4491 - Honors Research Workshop I

Directed honors thesis research for students working on an honors thesis, taken with the student's honors thesis chair or other committee member.

Full details for LING 4493 - Honors Thesis Research

A course on change in language structure, beginning with an overview of widely attested types of syntactic change and proceeding to an introduction of current theoretical treatments. Topics covered include grammaticalization, word order, and the interplay between morphological and syntactic change.

Full details for LING 4606 - Historical Syntax

An investigation of varying topics in the philosophy of language including reference, meaning, the relationship between language and thought, communication, modality, logic and pragmatics.

Full details for LING 4712 - Topics in the Philosophy of Language

An introduction to the study of language endangerment and language revitalization. Explores why nearly half of the world's languages are facing extinction over the current century, discusses the issues related to that projection, and introduces approaches to maintaining and revitalizing endangered languages.

Full details for LING 6224 - Introduction to Language Endangerment and Revitalization

An introduction to the language and culture of the Cayuga (Gayogo_hó:no?) people. Basic language instruction provided in an immersive learning environment, focusing on the relationship of language and culture to plants and growing.

Full details for LING 6324 - Cayuga Language and Culture

Provides an introduction to phonological theory. The empirical basis, theoretical approaches, and relevant literature are explored through extensive data analysis and critical reading.

Full details for LING 6401 - Phonology I

An advanced introduction to syntactic theory within the principles and parameters/minimalist frameworks. Topics include phrase structure, argument structure (unaccusative verbs, unergative verbs, double object constructions), principles of word order, and the binding theory.

Full details for LING 6403 - Syntax I

This course provides advanced instruction in phonetic analysis and experimental methodology. Students learn about various theories of speech perception, production, and cognitive representation. This provides a background in which students develop an original research project. The goals of this course are for students to gain a conceptual understanding of phonetic analyses and to acquire practical experience in using phonetic analyses to explore cognitive dimensions of speech.

Full details for LING 6419 - Advanced Phonetics

Introduces methods for theorizing about meaning within generative grammar. These techniques allow the creation of grammars that pair syntactic structures with meanings. Students look at several empirical areas in detail, among them complementation (combining heads with their arguments), modification, conjunction, definite descriptions, relative clauses, traces, bound pronouns, and quantification. An introduction to logical and mathematical concepts used in linguistic semantics (e.g., set theory, functions and their types, and the lambda notation for naming linguistic meanings) is included in the course.

Full details for LING 6421 - Semantics I

Computational models of natural languages. Topics are drawn from: tree syntax and context free grammar, finite state generative morphophonology, feature structure grammars, logical semantics, tabular parsing, Hidden Markov models, categorial and minimalist grammars, text corpora, information-theoretic sentence processing, discourse relations, and pronominal coreference.

Full details for LING 6424 - Computational Linguistics I

Examination of recent developments in the core areas of phonetics and phonology as well as its interfaces with other components of the grammar (e.g., morphosyntax, semantics or pragmatics). Topics covered include current approaches and relevant theoretical and historical perspectives.

Full details for LING 6601 - Topics in Phonetics-Phonological Theory

A course on change in language structure, beginning with an overview of widely attested types of syntactic change and proceeding to an introduction of current theoretical treatments. Topics covered include grammaticalization, word order, and the interplay between morphological and syntactic change.

Full details for LING 6606 - Historical Syntax

An introduction to phonology, morphology, and syntax of Old Irish. In this course we will learn the basic grammar of the Old Irish language. We will work through most of David Stifter's textbook Sengoidelc. By the end of the semester, the student should have a good command of the grammatical structures of the language and be ready to tackle literary texts.

Full details for LING 6623 - Introduction to Old Irish I

An investigation of varying topics in the philosophy of language including reference, meaning, the relationship between language and thought, communication, modality, logic and pragmatics.

Full details for LING 6634 - Topics in the Philosophy of Language

The phonetics data analysis workshop provides students with practice in analysis and visualization of phonetic data, using Matlab, R, and Praat. Experiment design and statistical methods are emphasized.

Full details for LING 6692 - Phonetic Data Analysis Workshop

This seminar provides a venue for feedback on research projects, invited speakers, and paper discussions within the area of computational psycholinguistics.

Full details for LING 6693 - Computational Psycholinguistics Discussion

This seminar provides a venue for discussion of ongoing research, technical tutorials, invited speakers and paper discussions of topics related to experimental and computational approaches to natural language meaning.

Full details for LING 6694 - Linguistic Meaning Lab

This seminar provides a venue for collaborative research, feedback on ongoing research, technical tutorials, invited speakers, and paper discussions within the area of language documentation.

Full details for LING 6695 - Language Documentation Workshop

An independent study for graduate students.

Full details for LING 7701 - Directed Research

Addresses current theoretical and empirical issues in computational linguistics.

Full details for LING 7710 - Computational Seminar

Addresses current theoretical and empirical issues in semantics.

Full details for LING 7711 - Semantics Seminar