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Linguistics

(Undergraduate)

Linguistics-the scientific study of language-is inherently interdisciplinary. With respect to the administrative and curricular divisions of the Harpur College of Arts and Sciences at Binghamton University, the field of linguistics is in fact fully interdivisional. The subject matter of linguistics includes topics from all three divisions: humanities, social sciences, and science and mathematics. A brief sketch of the history and current status of the field shows how this is possible.
Linguistics first flowered in the 19th century as an elaboration of classical philology, the historical study of the classical languages, including Latin, Greek, and, eventually, Sanskrit-upon recognition of the relatedness of the languages of Europe with the languages of India. The continuing strong ties of linguistics to literary and philosophical studies as well as to the study of languages thus make linguistics one of the humanities.
Early in the 20th century linguistics established itself as a valuable tool in the study of the ways of life of nonliterate peoples. In this way linguistics became recognized as one of the four major subfields of anthropology. This affiliation and the contributions of linguistics to the study of social phenomena make linguistics one of the social sciences.
In the latter part of the 20th century many linguists identified themselves as cognitive psychologists. Linguistics is essential to an understanding of language as a human ability. Increasing study of the biological and neurological bases of language, and development of computational models of language processing, further strengthen the case for including linguistics in the Division of Science and Mathematics.
Language is an object with innumerable facets, and linguistics encompasses them all. On the other hand, linguistics is by no means a mere agglomeration of the language-related aspects of a myriad of different disciplines. The analytical methods, theoretical constructs, and specific objects of study of linguistics are the unique products of a long tradition of identifiably linguistic inquiry. The Harpur College program in linguistics provides a strong foundation in the principles of linguistic theory and method, as well as a wide variety of cross-disciplinary and sub-disciplinary offerings.

Requirements for
Linguistics Major

The major in linguistics combines the study of linguistic theory and method with comparative or historical study of specific languages.
The linguistics major counts as a major in the humanities division. This means that when linguistics majors select courses outside the division of their major in order to fulfill the Harpur all-college distribution requirements, they select courses in the Division of Science and Mathematics and in the Division of Social Sciences. The minimum course requirements for the major are:

1. LING 112 or 114; LING 118.
2. Two courses from among LING 312, 314, and 316.
3. Historical and comparative linguistics: LING 434 and four credits of LING 218, or eight credits of LING 218.
4. Language courses:
(a) One advanced language course, in composition or phonetics or advanced grammatical analysis, presupposing intermediate fluency (the fluency normally attained after four or more semesters of college-level language instruction) in the language.
(b) Four semesters of college-level instruction (or the equivalent, including courses taken at the secondary school level, equating one year of instruction to one semester of college-level instruction) in a language or languages other than the language of (a). Students may fulfill this requirement with up to four semesters (or equivalent) in a single additional language or one semester each of four different languages, or any combination adding up to the equivalent of four semesters of college-level language instruction.
5. Eight additional credits in linguistics courses, at least four of which must be at the upper-division level (LING 300 or above).
Students interested in language teaching are strongly advised to take LING 378 and 466, and if they are interested in teaching English to speakers of other languages, they are advised to take LING 234 as well.
6. LING 490.

Honors in Linguistics

The receipt of honors in linguistics is based upon completion of an acceptable honors thesis. To be considered for honors, a student must have at least a B+ average in linguistics courses, must secure the approval of a faculty member who agrees to serve as the honors thesis supervisor, and must submit a written request to the program for approval no later than the end of the semester preceding the student's final semester. The honors thesis typically doubles as the student's senior seminar paper in LING 490, but up to four credits may also be obtained for the thesis by registering for LING 498. LING 498 may not, however, substitute for LING 490, nor may it be counted toward fulfillment of the minimum course requirements for the major. By the last day of classes in the student's final semester, each honors thesis supervisor must submit written confirmation that an acceptable thesis has been completed or is certain to be completed by the end of the semester.

Requirements for
Linguistics Minor

A minor specialization in linguistics is available for students with a serious interest in the scientific study of language but with other commitments that preclude the pursuit of a linguistics major. Students majoring in linguistics may not declare a minor in linguistics, though they are free to switch from the major to the minor (or vice versa) at any time. The linguistics minor is interdivisional. This means that students who declare two minors can count the linguistics minor as not being in the same division as their other minor (which is necessary for students whose major and one minor are in a single division).
Six courses, distributed as follows, are required for the linguistics minor:

1. LING 112 or 114; LING 118.
2. Two courses from among LING 312, 314, and 316.
3. One course from among LING 378, 434, 442, 466, and 474.
4. Four additional credits in linguistics courses (including, if desired, additional selections from among the courses cited in 2 and 3 above).

Counting of Courses
Toward Major and Minor
Requirements

All courses presented in fulfillment of the minimum requirements for the linguistics major or minor must be taken for a letter grade (no pass/fail) and the grade received must be a C- or better in order to count toward these requirements. The overall average in courses presented in fulfillment of minimum requirements must be a C or better.

Distribution Requirements

As an interdivisional program, the linguistics program offers courses applicable toward all three of the divisions recognized in the various distribution requirements at Binghamton University. The divisional placement of each linguistics course is indicated in the course descriptions that appear below; it is also reflected in the second digit of each course number in accordance with the following scheme:

X00-X09 Nondivisional courses (do not count toward distribution requirements)
X10-X19 Humanities or social sciences
X20-X39 Humanities
X40-X59 Social sciences
X60-X69 Social sciences or science and mathematics
X70-X79 Science and mathematics
X80-X99 Nondivisional courses (do not count toward distribution requirements)

Course Offerings

NOTE: Unless otherwise noted, all undergraduate courses carry 4 credits and are offered every year.

LING 112 (also ANTH 112). Language in Human Behavior/1997-98
Introduction to interdisciplinary study of language, psychological, social, and cultural aspects of language use in a variety of cultural, social, and historical settings. (LING 112 counts toward divisional distribution requirements as either humanities or social sciences.)

LING 114 (also ANTH 114). LANGUAGE, CULTURE, AND COMMUNICATION IN THE UNITED STATES
Introduction to the plurality of communication patterns in the U.S., with particular attention to at least three of the following communities: African American, Asian American, Euro-American, Hispanic, and Native American; links between cultural groups and different communication and discourse patterns; language and identity; ways in which communication differences affect intercultural interaction; practical applications of communication research, especially in the educational, legal, and medical contexts. (LING 114 counts toward divisional distribution requirements as either humanities or social sciences.)

LING 118 (also ANTH 118). INTRODUCTION TO LINGUISTIC STRUCTURES
Basic methods and concepts of linguistic analysis, including phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics, with special attention to cross-linguistic comparison. (LING 118 counts toward divisional distribution requirements as either humanities or social sciences.)

LING 119 (also CLAS 122, HIST 235). HISTORY OF LEGAL TERMINOLOGY
Survey of the Latin- and French-based technical language of modern American law, explored through the history of the legal systems in which it originated: Roman and European Civil Law, Canon Law, and English Common Law. (LING 119 counts toward divisional distribution requirements as either humanities or social sciences.)

LING 131 (also CLAS 111). WORD ORIGINS
The derivation of English vocabulary from Latin and Greek bases, prefixes, and suffixes. (LING 131 counts toward divisional distribution requirements as humanities.)

LING 132 (also CLAS 121). SCIENTIFIC AND MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY
Principles and methods of analyzing English words of Greek and Latin derivation. Word formation. Modification of root concepts by formative additions. Word structure and vocabulary building emphasizing scientific and medical terms. (LING 132 counts toward divisional distribution requirements as humanities.)

LING 197. INDEPENDENT STUDY/variable credit
Individual research under direct supervision of faculty member. Prerequisites: determined by instructor. (May not be counted toward divisional distribution requirements.)

LING 214 (also WOMN 233). LANGUAGE, SEX, AND GENDER
Theoretical and empirical aspects of relationship between language and the sexes. Sexism in linguistic structures, sex- and gender-determined patterns of language use. Societal and psychological implications of sex registers. Special attention to the causes and effects of cross-cultural differences in the relationship between language and gender. (LING 214 counts toward divisional distribution requirements as either humanities or social sciences.)

LING 218. STRUCTURE OF LANGUAGE X/variable credit
Survey of structure of languages for purposes of typological, historical, or other scientific analysis. Particular language or languages announced in advance (and included in course title). May be repeated for credit as title varies. Prerequisites: determined by instructor. (LING 218 does not count toward the Harpur College foreign language requirement. LING 218 counts toward divisional distribution requirements as either humanities or social sciences).

LING 234. TEACHING ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE/1996-97
Introduction to methods in teaching English a second language. Fundamentals of language structure, problems in instruction, resources for dealing with these problems. Prerequisite: LING 118 or ANTH 118. (LING 234 counts toward divisional distribution requirements as humanities.)

LING 236 (also ENG 291). STRUCTURE OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
Linguistic description of English: descriptive and generative phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics. (LING 236 counts toward divisional distribution requirements as humanities.)

LING 239. INTRODUCTORY TOPICS IN LINGUISTICS: HUMANITIES
Particular themes and problems announced in advance (and reflected in course title when course is offered). Examples are language and thought, languages of the world, writing systems. May be repeated for credit as topic varies. Prerequisites: determined by instructor. (May be counted toward divisional distribution requirements as humanities.)

LING 249. INTRODUCTORY TOPICS IN LINGUISTICS: SOCIAL SCIENCES
Particular themes and problems announced in advance (and reflected in course title when course is offered). Examples are language and culture, sociology of bilingualism, ethnography of speaking. May be repeated for credit as topic varies. Prerequisites: determined by instructor. (May be counted toward divisional distribution requirements as social sciences.)

LING 279. INTRODUCTORY TOPICS IN LINGUISTICS: SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS
Particular themes and problems announced in advance (and reflected in course title when course is offered). Examples are language and hallucination, language acquisition, diagnosis and treatment of articulation disorders. May be repeated for credit as topic varies. Prerequisites: determined by instructor. (LING 279 counts toward divisional distribution requirements as science and mathematics.)

LING 297. INDEPENDENT STUDY/variable credit
Individual research under direct supervision of faculty member. Prerequisites: determined by instructor. (May not be counted toward divisional distribution requirements.)

LING 312. PHONETICS AND PHONOLOGY/1996-97
Principles and mechanisms of speech production and perception. Practice in phonological analysis and theory. Special attention to cross-linguistic differences in sound systems. Prerequisite: LING 118 or ANTH 118. (LING 312 counts toward divisional distribution requirements as either humanities or social sciences.)

LING 314. MORPHOLOGY AND SYNTAX/1997-98
Issues and problems in morphological and syntactic theory. Universal, typological, and other comparative analytic aspects of morphosyntax. Prerequisite: LING 118 or ANTH 118. (LING 314 counts toward divisional distribution requirements as either humanities or social sciences.)

LING 316. SEMANTICS AND PRAGMATICS/1996-97
Lexical, phrasal, and discourse-functional semantics. Descriptive and theoretical aspects of study of meaning and language use. Prerequisite: LING 118 or ANTH 118. (LING 316 counts toward divisional distribution requirements as either humanities or social sciences.)

LING 339. TOPICS IN LINGUISTICS: HUMANITIES
Particular themes and problems announced in advance (and reflected in course title when course is offered). May be repeated for credit as topic varies. Prerequisites: determined by instructor. (LING 339 counts toward divisional distribution requirements as humanities.)

LING 349. TOPICS IN LINGUISTICS: SOCIAL SCIENCES
Particular themes and problems announced in advance (and reflected in course title when course is offered). May be repeated for credit as topic varies. Prerequisites: determined by instructor. (LING 349 counts toward divisional distribution requirements as social sciences.)

LING 378. SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION/1997-98
Psycholinguistic research and theory relevant to acquisition of second language. Pilot experimentation in applied psycholinguistics. Role of contrastive analysis. History and theory of language teaching. Prerequisite: LING 118, ANTH 118, or four college semesters of second language instruction (or equivalent). (LING 378 counts toward divisional distribution requirements as science and mathematics.)

LING 379. TOPICS IN LINGUISTICS: SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS
Particular themes and problems announced in advance (and reflected in course title when course is offered.) May be repeated for credit as topic varies. Prerequisites: determined by instructor. (LING 379 counts toward divisional distribution requirements as science and mathematics.)

LING 397. INDEPENDENT STUDY/variable credit
Individual research under direct supervision of faculty member. Prerequisites: determined by instructor. (May not be counted toward divisional distribution requirements.)

LING 427 (also PHIL 427). TOPICS IN PHILOSOPHY OF LANGUAGE
Detailed examination of topics in philosophy of language and symbolism, meaning, reference, truth, interpretation, etc. Prerequisites: determined by instructor. (LING 427 counts toward divisional distribution requirements as humanities.)

LING 434 (also CLAS 434). HISTORICAL LINGUISTICS/1996-97
Language change, historical relationships between languages, techniques of reconstruction of protolanguages. Genetic, areal, and typological comparison. Universals and particulars of language structure and change. Prerequisites: LING 118 or ANTH 118; and LING 312. (LING 434 counts toward divisional distribution requirements as humanities.)

LING 439. ADVANCED TOPICS IN LINGUISTICS: HUMANITIES
Particular themes and problems announced in advance (and reflected in course title when course is offered). May be repeated for credit as topic varies. Prerequisites: determined by instructor. (LING 439 counts toward divisional distribution requirements as humanities.)

LING 442 (also ANTH 442, SOC 442). SOCIOLINGUISTICS/1997-98
Language in social setting. Regional and social dialects. Bilingualism, pidginization, and creolization of languages. Styles and registers. Conversational analysis. Techniques of socio-linguistic field work. Prerequisite: LING 312. (LING 442 counts toward divisional distribution requirements as social sciences.)

LING 449. ADVANCED TOPICS IN LINGUISTICS: SOCIAL SCIENCES
Particular themes and problems announced in advance (and reflected in course title when course is offered). May be repeated for credit as topic varies. Prerequisites: determined by instructor. (LING 449 counts toward divisional distribution requirements as social sciences.)

LING 466 (also ANTH 466, PSYC 306). PSYCHOLINGUISTICS/1996-97
Theoretical issues, research methods, and substantive findings in study of language perception, production, and acquisition in cross-linguistic perspective. Models of language performance and of its emergence in children in various cultural and linguistic circumstances. Prerequisites: junior or senior standing and appropriate background in linguistics, psychology, or linguistic philosophy (consult instructor or linguistics major advisor). (LING 466 counts toward divisional distribution requirements as either social sciences or science and mathematics.)

LING 474. NEUROLINGUISTICS/1996-97
Language and the brain. Basic aspects of structure and function of human nervous system in relation to speech and language. Critical review of theory and methods in neuropsychology of language, focusing on such topics as ontogenetic development, normal functioning, and pathological breakdown of language with special attention to similarities and differences. Prerequisites: junior or senior standing and appropriate background in linguistics, psychology, or human biology (consult instructor or linguistics major advisor). (LING 474 counts toward divisional distribution requirements as science and mathematics.)

LING 479. ADVANCED TOPICS IN LINGUISTICS: SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS
Particular themes and problems announced in advance (and reflected in course title when course is offered). May be repeated for credit as topic varies. Prerequisites: determined by instructor. (LING 479 counts toward divisional distribution requirements as science and mathematics.)

LING 490. SENIOR SEMINAR/1997-98
Overview of history and current status of field of linguistics. Critical reading of selected classic texts and current primary sources. Discussion of cross-disciplinary, philosophical, sociological, and ethical issues in scientific study of the world's languages. Term paper and seminar presentation on an integrative topic. Prerequisite: senior standing and at least 28 credits in linguistics. (May not be counted toward divisional distribution requirements.)

LING 491. PRACTICUM IN TEACHING INTRODUCTORY LINGUISTICS /variable credit
Directed study by means of teaching a particular course in linguistics. Various assignments closely supervised by instructor, including development of syllabi and other course materials; construction and reading of examinations; lecturing and/or discussion leadership (e.g., undergraduate teaching assistantship). May be repeated for total of eight credits, but no more than four credits for assisting in a specific course. Credit may not be earned in conjunction with course in which student is concurrently enrolled. Prerequisites: consent of instructor and program director. Pass/fail only. (May not be counted toward divisional distribution requirements.)

LING 497. INDEPENDENT STUDY/variable credit
Individual research under direct supervision of faculty member. Prerequisites: determined by instructor. (May not be counted toward divisional distribution requirements.)

LING 498. SENIOR HONORS
Honors thesis written under direct supervision of faculty member. Prerequisites: consent of instructor and program director. (May not be counted toward minimum course requirements for major, nor for divisional distribution requirements.)

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