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Goals of the B.A. in Linguistics
Graduates of the B.A. Linguistics program should be able to satisfy the following goals:
Goal 1: To transmit in-depth knowledge of the structure and function of language and its use and change in various cultural and social settings
| Objectives | Courses | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Describe sound patterns in any language and represent them using appropriate formalisms, and conduct psycholinguistic experiments on phonological constructs | LING 101 (introduced), LING 113 (reinforced), LING 125 (reinforced) | Initial assessment, Data analysis problems, Quizzes, Experimental paper, Paper: phonemic sketch of a language, Final Exam |
| Transcribe speech sounds of the world's languages using the International Phonetic Alphabet | LING 101 (introduced), LING 111 (reinforced), LING 125 (reinforced) | Transcription exercises, Quizzes, Midterm exam, Final exam, Term paper |
| Analyze sentence structure in any language in terms of grammatical relations and constituent structure, and recognize the typological diversity of syntactic phenomena | LING 101 (introduced), LING 112 (reinforced), LING 125 (reinforced) | Syntactic analysis exercises, Projects, Midterm exam, Final exam |
| Analyze the meaning of words and sentences, identify types of lexical and sentence relations, elaborate on the role of linguistic and pragmatic context in the interpretation of meaning, and understand the role of theories in the analysis of semantic data | LING 101 (introduced), LING 114 (reinforced), LING 125 (reinforced) | Initial Assessment, Data analysis problems, Mini Projects, Midterm Exam, Final Exam |
| Identify phonological, morphological, syntactic and semantic changes in the history of a language, discuss the contribution of social factors and language contact to language variation and change, use the comparative method to reconstruct ancestors of related languages, and explain the genetic and typological classification of languages | LING 101 (introduced), LING 113 (introduced), LING 125 (reinforced) | Data analysis problems, Mini Projects, Midterm Exam, Final Exam |
| Analyze word structure cross-linguistically in terms of morphemes, analyze patterns of allomorphy, establish the syntactic behavior of words and morphemes, recognize the typological diversity of word structure and the mechanisms of word coinage, and understand competing theoretical positions on the structure of words and the structure of the lexicon | LING 101 (introduced), LING 162 (reinforced), LING 125 (reinforced) | Data analysis problems, Mini Projects, Midterm Exam, Final Exam |
Goal 2: To help students develop critical thinking skills, analytical skills, and reading, writing and research skills
| Objectives | Courses | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Analyze phonological, morphological, syntactic, semantic and historical linguistics data | LING 112 (introduced), LING 113 (introduced), LING 114 (introduced), LING 125 (introduced) | Initial assessment, Data analysis problems, Mini projects, Midterm exam, Final exam |
| Critically evaluate different approaches to the analysis of linguistic data | LING 112 (introduced), LING 113 (introduced), LING 114 (introduced) | Homework assignments, Term paper |
| Use library and electronic research sources effectively | LLD 100W (introduced), LING 114 (reinforced), LING 125 (reinforced) | Homework assignments, Annotated bibliographies |
| Use English reading and writing skills effectively to report on research or problem analysis | LLD 100W (introduced), All courses (reinforced) | Part of the evaluation of every written assignment or exam |
| Demonstrate proficiency equivalent to one-year college level study in a language other than their native language | Foreign language courses at any college; English proficiency for native speakers of a language other than English | College transcript or evaluation from the Department of Foreign Languages |
Goal 3: To help students develop an understanding of the relationship between linguistic theories and areas such as artificial intelligence, cognitive science, language acquisition and learning, and language policy.
Depending on the types of elective courses a student takes, one or more of the following objectives may be reinforced:
| Objectives | Courses | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Discuss issues in speech synthesis, speech recognition, natural language processing and produce synthesized speech, develop speech recognition and natural language processing programs | LING 124, LING 165, LING 123 | Homework problems, Midterm exam, Final exam, Parser, Speech Synthesizer |
| Evaluate theories of first and second language acquisition and teaching | LING 161, LLD 108 | Midterm exam, Final exam, Mini project, Term paper |
| Identify language-related social problems in areas such as education, the law, the workplace, etc., and discuss the feasibility of various empirically-based solutions | LING 166, LING 125, LLD 122, LLD 129 | Sociolinguistic data collection and analysis reported in a paper, Midterm exam, Final exam |
Goal 4: To help students develop an appreciation for the diversity and dynamic nature of human languages and cultures in the U.S. and the world.
The Linguistics Program addresses this goal in all of its core courses as well as through specific areas of specialization that students may pursue. In that respect, Goal 4 is realized through the specific objectives listed for Goals 1, 2, and 3.
