Linguistics

• GRS LX 683: The Sounds of Spanish
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: one LS 300-level language course; or consent of instructor.
  Introduction to Spanish phonetics and phonology. Covers articulatory, acoustic, and auditory phonetics, focusing on techniques for visualizing speech sounds. Examines the phonemic inventory and phonological organization of Spanish from several perspectives, including generative and articulatory phonology as well as sociolinguistics. Conducted in Spanish. Also offered as CAS LS 507. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS LX 507.
• GRS LX 684: The Structure of Spanish
  Graduate Prerequisites: one LS 300-level language course; or consent of instructor.
  Introduction to Spanish morphology and syntax. Explores the structure of Spanish words, phrases, and sentences from multiple perspectives with a focus on natural language data. Examines Generative, Usage-based, and Lexical-Functional approaches to the analysis of grammatical structure. Conducted in Spanish. Also offered as CAS LS 508. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS LX 508.
• GRS LX 686: Topics in Spanish Linguistics
  Graduate Prerequisites: one LS 300-level language course.
  Topics vary. Taught in Spanish. Also offered as CAS LS 505.
• GRS LX 690: Topics in Linguistics
  Topics and pre-requisites vary by semester and section. May be repeated for credit as topics change. Topic for Fall 2023: Topics in Linguistics: Language Revitalization. Pre-reqs: CAS LX 250, Introduction to Linguistics, or equivalent. Languages become "endangered" or "dormant" for multiple reasons, and efforts to revitalize languages take many paths. We examine key cases of language revitalization, including examples from around the world, but with a primary focus on indigenous languages of North America.
• GRS LX 691: Linguistic Field Methods
  A team-based in-depth investigation of the phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and lexicon of an African or other non-Indo-European language. Bi-weekly sessions with language consultant. Weekly trainings on methodology, ethics, analysis, and presentation of results. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Teamwork/Collaboration.
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  • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
  • Ethical Reasoning
  • Teamwork/Collaboration
• GRS LX 694: Introduction to Programming for Computational Linguistics
  Introduction to computational techniques to explore linguistic models and test empirical claims. Serves as an introduction to programming, algorithms, and data structures, focused on modern applications to Natural Language Processing. Topics include tagging and classification, parsing models, meaning representation, and information extraction. [Not intended for students with a background in programming or computer science] This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Quantitative Reasoning II, Research and Information Literacy.
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  • Quantitative Reasoning II
  • Research and Information Literacy
• GRS LX 703: Phonological Analysis
  Graduate Prerequisites: GRS LX 601 (formerly CAS LX 510), or consent of instructor.
  Survey of phonological theory and analysis, with focus on cross-linguistic typology of phonological systems. Phonological reasoning and argumentation skills are developed. Empirical coverage includes contrast, distinctive features, rules and constraints, opacity, tone, syllabification, stress, and interactions with morphology and syntax. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course entitled "Introduction to Phonology" that was previously numbered CAS LX 513.
• GRS LX 705: Prosody
  Graduate Prerequisites: GRS LX 601 (formerly CAS LX 510), or consent of instructor.
  Exploration of the melodic and rhythmic aspects of the languages of the world. Emphasis on theoretical and experimental approaches to cross-linguistic typology. Specific topics include syllables and syllable-weight, rhythm and speech timing; stress and metrics; tone and intonation. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS LX 525.
• GRS LX 706: Advanced Topics in Phonology
  Graduate Prerequisites: CAS LX 403/ GRS LX 703
  Topics will vary. May be taken more than once for credit with different topics. First topic: Distinctive feature theory from Structuralism to the present. Issues include the putative universality of distinctive features, their phonetic underpinnings, tension among the various roles features play in the grammar, and applicability of features to phonology beyond consonants and vowels.
• GRS LX 709: Intermediate Phonetics
  Graduate Prerequisites: CAS LX 301 / GRS LX 601, or consent of instructor.
  Comprehensive overview of the field of linguistic phonetics, focusing on speech production, aerodynamics, acoustics, and perception. Special attention to the role of phonetics in shaping cross-language phonological typology. Emphasis on practical skills for phonetic data analysis.
• GRS LX 722: Intermediate Syntax: Modeling Syntactic Knowledge
  Graduate Prerequisites: GRS LX 621 (formerly CAS LX 522), or consent of instructor.
  Using linguistic data drawn from a wide variety of languages, students develop a precise model of syntactic knowledge through evaluation of hypotheses and arguments. Exploration of major discoveries and phenomena from the linguistic literature.
• GRS LX 723: Advanced Syntax: Issues in Modern Syntactic Theory
  Graduate Prerequisites: GRS LX 722; or consent of instructor.
  Exploration of advanced topics in syntax, chosen in part based on student interest, through reading and critical discussion of both foundational and recent literature. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course entitled "Syntax II" that was previously numbered CAS LX 523.
• GRS LX 724: Intermediate Syntax: Modeling Syntactic Knowledge Discussion
  Graduate Prerequisites: GRS LX 621.
  Graduate Corequisites: GRS LX 722.
  Required discussion section for students registered in GRS LX 722. Students must also register for GRS LX 722.
• GRS LX 732: Intermediate Semantics: The Grammatical Construction of Meaning
  Graduate Prerequisites: GRS LX 631 (formerly CAS LX 502), or consent of instructor.
  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. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course entitled "Semantics II" that was previously numbered CAS LX 503.
• GRS LX 733: Experimental Pragmatics
  Graduate Prerequisites: GRS LX 631 (formerly CAS LX 502), or consent of instructor.
  Covers recent developments in the theory of pragmatics and related empirical findings obtained through a variety of experimental methods. Topics include scalar implicature and its relation to vagueness and imprecision, hyperbole, metaphor, irony, politeness, and the pragmatics of reference to objects in visual scenes. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Quantitative Reasoning II, Digital/Multimedia Expression, Creativity/Innovation.
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  • Quantitative Reasoning II
  • Digital/Multimedia Expression
  • Creativity/Innovation
• GRS LX 736: Advanced Topics in Semantics & Pragmatics
  Graduate Prerequisites: CAS LX 432/ GRS LX 732
  Topic will vary. May be taken more than once for credit with different topics. Topic for Spring 2020: Degree semantics. The semantics of expressions of degree, including vague, gradable expressions like "tall", positive and comparative forms ("taller", "tallest"), and degree-denoting expressions like "six feet". Examination of multiple theoretical perspectives, and investigation of crosslinguistic variation through literature and new data collection.
• GRS LX 738: Discourse Analysis: Theoretical and Methodological Approaches
  Review of current research literature on discourse analysis; students practice and apply current methods and techniques of discourse analysis.
• GRS LX 753: Acquisition of Phonology
  Graduate Prerequisites: GRS LX 601; or consent of instructor.
  Surveys current knowledge about how children acquire phonology during the first years of life. Topics include biological foundations; perceptual and vocal development; word learning; phonological universals; implicit and explicit learning mechanisms; formalist and functionalist models; and individual variation. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course entitled "Phonological Development" that was previously numbered CAS LX 541.
• GRS LX 754: Acquisition of Syntax
  Graduate Prerequisites: GRS LX 621; or consent of instructor.
  Exploration of the character and course of acquisition of syntactic knowledge in both first and second language contexts. Covers methodological principles for conducting studies and analyzing data, and topics such as development of verb movement, binding theory, and tense. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS LX 540.
• GRS LX 790: Intermediate Topics in Linguistics
  Topics and pre-requisites vary by semester and section. May be repeated for credit as topics change. Topic for Spring 2022: Advanced Topics in Quantitative Methods. Provides students who already have a strong foundation in statistical analysis as well as basic skills in R with an overview of a range of advanced techniques and topics, including: Praat functions in R, Generalized Additive Models, multinomial regression, principal components analysis, frequentist vs. Bayesian statistics, cluster analysis, Poisson regression, discriminant analysis, power analysis, stepwise model selection, multilevel interactions, and dynamic visualization. Also explores strategies for streamlining workflow, increasing efficiency and reducing time from data import to communication of results.