Courses

• CAS LX 501: Linguistic Field Methods
  An in-depth investigation of the phonology, morphology, syntax, and discourse/pragmatics of an African or other non-Indo-European language. Weekly sessions with language consultant.
• CAS LX 502: Semantics I
  Introduction to the study of linguistic meaning, with the goal of improving understanding of the ways in which native speakers produce and interpret language. Emphasis on the interaction of meaning with other components of grammar and cognitive systems.
• CAS LX 503: Semantics II
  Systematic development of a semantic theory of natural language, using the tools of model-theoretic semantics. In-depth study of the relation between meaning and grammar, and the relation between meaning and context.
• CAS LX 504: Topics in Pragmatics
  Covers the main areas of linguistic pragmatics, the study of language use and the relation between meaning and context. Study of pragmatic phenomena such as presuppositions, implicatures, anaphora, and focus, from the perspective of linguistic semantics.
• CAS LX 505: Structure of African Languages
  African language structure and status from the perspectives of theoretical and comparative linguistics, typology, and sociolinguistics (language and society, endangerment). Evolution of the four-phyla genetic classification system, emphasizing the high language density Niger-Congo phylum. Includes student research projects.
• CAS LX 510: Phonetics
  Introduction to articulatory and acoustic phonetics: the anatomy of human speech production and perception. Practice in using feature-based analysis beginning with English and including other European and non-European languages. Introduction to spectographic analysis.
• CAS LX 513: Introduction to Phonology
  Introduction to the sound system of languages. Study and analysis of physical and mental aspects of sound production in speech and the system in which sounds are organized. Phonological rules, processes, and universals are examined through consideration of various languages.
• CAS LX 521: Morphology
  Introduction to major theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of word structure in natural language. Emphasis on the development of skills for analysis of morphological structures of unfamiliar languages.
• CAS LX 522: Syntax I
  Introduction to the logical structure and organization of language, and to Chomskyan theory. Application of principles of syntactic analysis to students' own and other languages through data-oriented problems from different language types.
• CAS LX 523: Syntax II
  Continuation of CAS LX 522. Investigation of the relationships between syntactic structure and logical representation. Overview of major syntactic theories, with particular emphasis on Chomsky's "principles and parameters" approach and Bresnan's Lexical Functional Grammar.
• CAS LX 533: The Structure of Creole Languages
  Overview of pidginization and Creolization. Evolution, typology, and area characteristics of Creole languages. Role of contact languages and other linguistic substrata. Field and classroom research with Creole language speakers.
• CAS LX 535: Historical and Comparative Linguistics
  Introduction to language change and the methodology of historical linguistic analysis, using data from a wide array of languages. Investigates genetic relatedness among languages, language comparison, historical reconstruction, and patterns and principles of change in phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics.
• CAS LY 111: Elementary Modern Arabic I
  The essentials of standard Arabic, the idiom used in public communications throughout the Arab world. Listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
• CAS LY 112: Elementary Modern Arabic II
  The essentials of standard Arabic, the idiom used in public communications throughout the Arab world. Listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
• CAS LY 139: Intensive First-year Arabic for Heritage Learners
  Intensive first-year Arabic for students already knowing the Arabic alphabet and possessing some colloquial Arabic conversation skills. Reading, writing, speaking, and comprehension. One semester covers all material taught in CAS LY 111 and LY 112. Cannot be taken for credit in addition to CAS LY 111 or LY 112.
• CAS LY 211: Second-Year Modern Arabic I
  Completes the process of presenting the basic structures of modern formal Arabic, concentrating on weak verb forms, more complicated sentence formation, and more sophisticated expression in speech and writing. Vocabulary expansion and better root-pattern identification skills are also stressed.
• CAS LY 212: Second-Year Modern Arabic II
  Completes the process of presenting the basic structures of modern formal Arabic, concentrating on weak verb forms, more complicated sentence formation, and more sophisticated expression in speech and writing. Vocabulary expansion and better root-pattern identification skills are also stressed.
• CAS LY 214: Levantine Arabic
  To enhance oral communicative ability in colloquial Levantine Arabic. Introduces vocabulary, grammatical features, and cultural skills essential for informal communication with speakers of Syrian, Lebanese, Palestinian, and Jordanian Arabic.
• CAS LY 281: Contemporary Arab Literature: Subversion, Censorship, Exile (in English Translation)
  Subversion, censorship, and exile explored in contemporary Arabic texts. Focus on women's and émigrés' writings to demonstrate the dialectical relationships among the three themes.
• CAS LY 282: Qur’anic Negotiations: Contemporary Muslim Writers and the Holy Book (in English translation)
  Contemporary Muslim writers’ responses to the Qur’an, especially their imitations of its rhetorical effects, and their use of the Holy Book to attack social and political ills. Writers include Mahfouz, Durrani, Nisrin, and Rushdie.

Note that this information may change at any time.

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