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All LX Courses

CAS LX 110 Say What' Accents, Dialects, and Society

4 credits. Fall and Spring

BU Hub Learn More
  • The Individual in Community
  • Research and Information Literacy
  • Social Inquiry I

Exploration of how variation in accents and dialects interacts with various aspects of society and human life. Students examine how dialect variation arises, how it can be described, and how it interacts with literature, film, humor, and music. Cannot be taken for credit by students who have previously taken, or are currently taking, CAS LX 250 or a higher-level linguistics course. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, The Individual in Community, Research and Information Literacy.

CAS LX 120 Language and Music

4 credits.

BU Hub Learn More
  • Aesthetic Exploration
  • Research and Information Literacy
  • Scientific Inquiry I

Is the co-occurrence of music and language in human societies coincidental or inevitable? This course examines this question by defining what language and music are, exploring their structural similarities and differences, and surveying global diversity in musical and linguistic expression. Carries humanities divisional studies credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Scientific Inquiry I, Research and Information Literacy.

CAS LX 205 Origins of Writing

4 credits.

BU Hub Learn More
  • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
  • Historical Consciousness
  • Teamwork/Collaboration

Overview of the world's major writing systems: Egyptian and Mayan hieroglyphs; Sumerian and Akkadian cuneiform; West Semitic consonantal scripts (abjads); East Asian scripts; runes; Greek and Roman alphabets. Considerable linguistic component supplemented by historical information about ancient languages and cultures. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Also offered as CAS CL 205. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Teamwork/Collaboration.

CAS LX 205S Origins of Writing

4 credits.

BU Hub Learn More
  • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
  • Historical Consciousness
  • Teamwork/Collaboration

Overview of the world's major writing systems: Egyptian and Mayan hieroglyphs; Sumerian and Akkadian cuneiform; West Semitic consonantal scripts (abjads); East Asian scripts; runes; Greek and Roman alphabets. Considerable linguistic component supplemented by historical information about ancient languages and cultures. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Teamwork/Collaboration.

CAS LX 208 The Language of Our Ancestors: Introduction to Indo-European Linguistics

4 credits.

Panorama of ancient and medieval Indo-European languages and cultures. English, Irish, Hindi, Russian, Armenian, and Farsi languages are all related and belong to Indo-European family: they descended from a common ancestor, Proto-Indo-European. This protolanguage can be reconstructed using historical-comparative method.

CAS LX 235 Language in the Contemporary World: Language, Society, and the Law

4 credits.

BU Hub Learn More
  • Ethical Reasoning
  • Oral and/or Signed Communication
  • Teamwork/Collaboration

Exploration of the role of human language in society, focusing on language in legal settings. Addresses governmental policy on language; language crimes such as perjury, solicitation, and bribery; the meaning of consent; and the linguistics of legal interpretation. Carries humanities divisional studies credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Oral and/or Signed Communication, Teamwork/Collaboration.

CAS LX 250 Introduction to Linguistics

4 credits. Fall and Spring

BU Hub Learn More
  • Critical Thinking
  • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
  • Scientific Inquiry I

Properties that languages share and how languages differ with respect to structure (sound system, word formation, syntax), expression of meaning, acquisition, variation, and change; cultural and artistic uses of language; comparison of oral, written, and signed languages. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Scientific Inquiry I, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Critical Thinking.

CAS LX 250S Introduction to Linguistics

4 credits.

BU Hub Learn More
  • Critical Thinking
  • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
  • Scientific Inquiry I

Properties that languages share and how languages differ with respect to structure (sound system, word formation, syntax), expression of meaning, acquisition, variation, and change; cultural and artistic uses of language; comparison of oral, written, and signed languages. Effective Summer 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Scientific Inquiry I, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Critical Thinking.

CAS LX 301 Phonetics and Phonology: Introduction to Sound Systems

4 credits. Fall

BU Hub Learn More
  • Critical Thinking
  • Quantitative Reasoning I
  • Scientific Inquiry II

Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASLX 250) or consent of instructor; Undergraduate Corequisites: (CASLX 302) - (Students must also register for required co-req CASLX 302). Introduction to the nature and patterning of sounds in human language. Presents articulatory and acoustic phonetics, and basic phonological analysis, focusing on cross-language typology and comparison. Hands-on development of practical skills, including IPA transcription, field techniques, and digital speech analysis. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Scientific Inquiry II, Quantitative Reasoning I, Critical Thinking.

CAS LX 302 Phonetics and Phonology: Introduction to Sound Systems Discussion

0 credits. Fall

Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASLX 250) or consent of instructor; Undergraduate Corequisites: (CASLX 301) - Required discussion section for students registered in CASLX 301. Students must also register for CASLX 301.

CAS LX 311 Morphology: Introduction to the Structures and Shapes of Words

4 credits.

Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASLX250) or consent of instructor. - Morphology, the study of the internal structure and the shapes of words across languages, straddles the boundary between syntax and phonology. This course covers the major empirical and theoretical issues in the study of morphology, emphasizing links to other components of grammar. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Also offered as GRS LX 611. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course entitled "Morphology" that was previously numbered CAS LX 521.

CAS LX 317 "Having" and "Being" across Languages

4 credits.

Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASLX250) or consent of instructor. - Languages differ startlingly in how they express the apparently basic concepts of "possession" and "essence". Students explore this variety and its implications, addressing fundamental questions about linguistic relativism, language universals, and the relationship between structure and meaning. Also offered as GRS LX 617. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS LX 517.

CAS LX 321 Syntax: Introduction to Sentential Structure

4 credits. Fall and Spring

Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASLX 250) or consent of instructor; Undergraduate Corequisites: (CASLX 322) - (Students must also register for required co-req CASLX 322). Introduction to syntax as an object of inquiry. Students build an increasingly sophisticated model of syntactic knowledge to account for data from English and other languages, constructing and evaluating alternative hypotheses about how sentence structure works. Carries humanities divisional studies credit in CAS. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course entitled "Syntax I" that was previously numbered CASLX 522.

CAS LX 322 Syntax: Introduction to Sentential Structure Discussion

0 credits. Fall and Spring

Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASLX 250) or consent of instructor; Undergraduate Corequisites: (CASLX 321) - Required discussion section for students registered in CASLX 321. Students must also register for CASLX 321.

CAS LX 327 Focus

4 credits.

Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASLX250) or consent of instructor. - Exploration of focus in natural language, integrating syntax, phonology, semantics, morphology, and pragmatics in pursuit of general understanding of the cross-linguistic diversity of focus phenomena and the ways in which different linguistic processes cooperate to express focus. Also offered as GRS LX 627. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS LX 518.

CAS LX 328 Questions

4 credits.

Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASLX250) or consent of instructor. - Exploration of question formation across languages, and from several theoretical perspectives, integrating syntax, phonology, semantics, morphology, pragmatics, and philosophy in pursuit of a general understanding of one of the central phenomena in theoretical linguistics. Also offered as GRS LX 628. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS LX 519.

CAS LX 331 Semantics & Pragmatics: Introduction to Linguistic Meaning

4 credits. Fall and Spring

BU Hub Learn More
  • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
  • The Individual in Community
  • Teamwork/Collaboration

Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASLX250) or consent of instructor. - Systematic examination of how meaning is encoded in words and sentences, and how it can emerge from the complexity of the grammar. Also touches on various aspects of pragmatics--the study of how meaning is shaped by context. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Critical Thinking. Effective Fall 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Teamwork and Collaboration.

CAS LX 332 Semantics and Pragmatics: Introduction to Linguistic Meaning Discussion

0 credits. Fall and Spring

Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASLX 250) or consent of instructor; Undergraduate Corequisites: (CASLX 331) - Required discussion section for students registered in CASLX 331. Students must also register for CASLX 331.

CAS LX 341 Sociolinguistics

4 credits. Fall and Spring

Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASLX250 OR CASAN351) or consent of instructor. - Introduction to language in its social context. Methodological and theoretical approaches to sociolinguistics. Linguistic variation in relation to situation, gender, socioeconomic class, linguistic context, and ethnicity. Integrating micro- and macro-analysis from conversation to societal language planning.

CAS LX 342 Language, Race, and Gender

4 credits.

BU Hub Learn More
  • Social Inquiry I
  • Teamwork/Collaboration

Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASLX250) or consent of instructor. - Do women talk differently from men' How do race and ethnicity relate to the way people use language' This course examines these interrelated questions from the perspective of modern sociolinguistic theory, analyzing a range of languages and communities throughout the world. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Teamwork/Collaboration.

CAS LX 345 Languages in Contact: The High Stakes of Grammatical Border-Crossing

4 credits.

Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASLX250) or consent of instructor. - Examines the mechanisms and outcomes of language contact by surveying cases around the globe from the past and present. Topics include lexical-borrowing, code- switching, pidgins and creoles, language death, and the emergence of entirely new language systems.

CAS LX 346 Language Variation and Change

4 credits.

BU Hub Learn More
  • Social Inquiry I
  • Teamwork/Collaboration

Why do languages change over time? Who leads and who follows in situations of language change? The course answers these questions by examining the link between language change and linguistic variation, focusing on how synchronic variation leads to diachronic change. Effective Spring 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Teamwork/Collaboration.

CAS LX 349 Bilingualism

4 credits.

BU Hub Learn More
  • Critical Thinking
  • The Individual in Community
  • Social Inquiry II

Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASLX250) or consent of instructor. - The psycholinguistics and sociolinguistics of life with two languages. Topics include bilingual language use, processing, acquisition, organization; effects of bilingualism on cognition and development; the bilingual brain; the bilingual speech community; bilingual education; bilingualism in the media and public eye. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry II, The Individual in Community, Critical Thinking.

CAS LX 350 Crosslinguistic Approaches to Language Acquisition

4 credits. Fall and Spring

Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASLX250) - Exploration, within the framework of generative grammar, of how similarities and differences in the acquisition patterns of syntax, semantics, and morphology across typologically diverse languages provide key evidence about the essential nature of first and second language acquisition.

CAS LX 355 Second Language Acquisition

4 credits.

Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASLX250) or consent of instructor. - Overview of second language acquisition at all linguistic levels. Topics include the role of the native language; markedness; universals; environmental variables; cognitive and affective factors; social dimensions; individual differences among learners; and application of theory to third language acquisition.

CAS LX 359 Interrupted Acquisition and Language Attrition

4 credits.

Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASLX250) or consent of instructor. - Examines native language knowledge and change in speakers who have become dominant in another language. Topics include differences among heritage speakers, international adoptees, and adult second language learners; language change in expatriates; and environmental and affective factors conditioning language loss. Also offered as GRS LX 659. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course entitled "Incomplete Acquisition and Language Attrition" that was previously numbered CAS LX 546.

CAS LX 360 Historical and Comparative Linguistics

4 credits.

BU Hub Learn More
  • Critical Thinking
  • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
  • Historical Consciousness

Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASLX250) or consent of instructor. - 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. Carries humanities divisional studies credit in CAS. Also offered as GRS LX 660. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS LX 535. Effective Spring 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Creativity/Innovation, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Historical Consciousness. Effective Spring 2026, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Critical Thinking, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Historical Consciousness.

CAS LX 360S Historical and Comparative Linguistics

4 credits.

BU Hub Learn More
  • Critical Thinking
  • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
  • Historical Consciousness

Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASLX250) or consent of instructor. - 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. Carries humanities divisional studies credit in CAS. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS LX 535. Effective Summer 2026, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Critical Thinking, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Historical Consciousness.

CAS LX 365 Variation in Dialects of English

4 credits. Fall and Spring

Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASLX250) or consent of instructor. - Exploration of how dialects of English differ from each other, focusing on grammatical variation in the US, with occasional forays into other dialects. Students come to appreciate how linguists investigate grammatical diversity scientifically, revealing the complex structure of non-standard dialects.

CAS LX 367 Indigenous Languages of Latin America

4 credits.

BU Hub Learn More
  • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
  • Research and Information Literacy
  • Writing-Intensive Course

Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASLX 250) and First-Year Writing Seminar (e.g., CASWR 100; WR 120) - Exploration of the structure, history, and varieties of indigenous languages of Latin America, and of the communities that speak them. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Research and Information Literacy.

CAS LX 368 Structure of African Languages

4 credits.

Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASLX250) or consent of instructor. - African language structure and status from the perspectives of theoretical and comparative linguistics (within the generative grammar framework), typology, and sociolinguistics, with focus on South African Nguni languages, especially IsiXhosa, and comparisons to its sister languages in that language group. Also offered as GRS LX 668. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS LX 505.

CAS LX 370 Romance Linguistics

4 credits.

Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASLX 250) and prior study of some Romance language at the 4th semester level or higher (e.g., CASLF 212 or LI 212 or LP 212 or LS 212 or CL 212, or equivalent); or consent of instructor. - Covers morphophonological and morphosyntactic change since Latin, plus various topics in the comparative grammar of modern Romance languages. Students deepen their linguistic knowledge and analytic skills by applying what they have learned in other linguistics courses to this language family.

CAS LX 372 French Phonetics

4 credits. Fall and Spring

Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASLF303) one CAS LF 300-level course and CAS LX 250 as either a pre-requisite o r as a co-requisite. - Students improve their pronunciation and aural comprehension by applying linguistic principles governing the articulation and distribution of French sounds, liaison, "mute e," and intonation. Written exercises reinforce theoretical points; oral exercises and recordings allow focus on individual difficulties. Conducted in French. Also offered as CAS LF 500.

CAS LX 373 The Structure of French: Phonology

4 credits.

Undergraduate Prerequisites: one CAS LF 300-level course and CAS LX 250 or equivalent; or consent o f instructor. - The sound system of standard French and dialect variation in France, Canada, and other Francophone regions. Questions about mental representation of linguistic information, processes of word formation, and language variation and change. Students discover linguistic regularities through frequent problem sets. Conducted in French. Also offered as CAS LF 503 and GRS LX 673.

CAS LX 374 The Structure of French: Syntax

4 credits. Fall and Spring

Undergraduate Prerequisites: one CAS LF 300-level course and CAS LX 250 or equivalent; or consent o f instructor. - Exploration of French syntax with comparisons to Quebecois, English, and other languages. Topics include the position of the verb, pronoun status, questions, relative clauses, imperatives, negation, causatives, and left/right dislocation. Students discover structural properties through frequent problem sets. Conducted in French. Also offered as CAS LF 502 and GRS LX 674.

CAS LX 375 The History of the French Language

4 credits. Spring

BU Hub Learn More
  • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
  • Historical Consciousness

Undergraduate pre-requisites: CASLX 250. - Overview of socio-historical and linguistic factors underpinning the emergence, development, and spread of the French language over time. Study of historical, societal, and political events, along with phonetic, morphological, syntactic, and orthographic changes. Representative texts demonstrate stages of language change. Effective Spring 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.

CAS LX 376 Topics in French Linguistics

4 credits.

Undergraduate Prerequisites: one CAS LF 300-level course and CAS LX 250 or equivalent; or consent o f instructor. - Topics vary by semester. Taught in French. May be repeated for credit as topics change. Also offered as CAS LF 506 and GRS LX 676.

CAS LX 381 Spanish in the United States

4 credits.

Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASLX250) and one LS 300-level language course; or consent of instructor. - An ethnographic survey and sociolinguistic analysis of Spanish as spoken in urban areas of the US. Focuses on issues of language and dialect content, language change, the fraught notion of 'heritage' speakers, and code-switching as a sociolinguistic phenomenon. Conducted in Spanish. Also offered as CAS LS 420 and GRS LX 681. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS LX 420.

CAS LX 383 The Sounds of Spanish

4 credits.

Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASLX250) and 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 and GRS LX 683. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS LX 507.

CAS LX 384 The Structure of Spanish

4 credits.

Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASLX250) and 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 and GRS LX 684. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS LX 508.

CAS LX 386 Topics in Spanish Linguistics

4 credits.

Undergraduate Prerequisites: CASLX 250 and one LS 300-level language course. - May be taken twice for credit if topics are different. Taught in Spanish. Also offered as CASLS 505 and CASLX 686.

CAS LX 390 Topics in Linguistics

4 credits. Fall and Spring

Topics and pre-requisites vary by semester and section. May be repeated for credit as topics change. Please see "Notes" for current offering.

CAS LX 391 Linguistic Field Methods

4 credits. Fall and Spring

BU Hub Learn More
  • Ethical Reasoning
  • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
  • Teamwork/Collaboration

Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASLX250) or consent of instructor. - 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.

CAS LX 394 Introduction to Programming for Computational Linguistics

4 credits.

BU Hub Learn More
  • Quantitative Reasoning II
  • Research and Information Literacy

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 (NLP). Topics include tagging and classification, parsing models, meaning representation, and information extraction. (Not intended for students with a background in programming or computer science.) Carries MCS divisional studies credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Quantitative Reasoning II, Research and Information Literacy.

CAS LX 400 Senior Independent Work in Linguistics & Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences

2 credits. Fall and Spring

Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASLX250) - Senior independent work for Linguistics & Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences majors. May be repeated once, for a total of 4 credits.

CAS LX 401 Senior Independent Work

4 credits. Fall and Spring

Undergraduate Prerequisites: approval of Honors Committee. - SR INDEP WORK

CAS LX 402 Senior Independent Work

4 credits. Fall and Spring

Undergraduate Prerequisites: approval of Honors Committee. - Senior independent work

CAS LX 403 Phonological Analysis

4 credits.

Undergraduate Prerequisites: CAS LX 301 (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. Also offered as GRS LX 703. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course entitled "Introduction to Phonology" that was previously numbered CAS LX 513.

CAS LX 405 Prosody

4 credits.

Undergraduate Prerequisites: CAS LX 301 (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. Also offered as GRS LX 705. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS LX 525.

CAS LX 409 Intermediate Phonetics

4 credits.

Undergraduate Prerequisites: CASLX 301 / GRSLX 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.

CAS LX 422 Intermediate Syntax: Modeling Syntactic Knowledge

4 credits.

Undergraduate Prerequisites: CAS LX 321 (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. Also offered as GRS LX 722.

CAS LX 423 Advanced Syntax: Issues in Modern Syntactic Theory

4 credits. Fall and Spring

Undergraduate Prerequisites: CASLX 422 or consent of instructor. Graduate Prerequisites: CASLX 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.

CAS LX 432 Intermediate Semantics: The Grammatical Construction of Meaning

4 credits. Fall and Spring

Undergraduate Prerequisites: CAS LX 331 (formerly CAS LX 502). - 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. Also offered as GRS LX 732. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course entitled "Semantics II" that was previously numbered CAS LX 503.

CAS LX 433 Experimental Pragmatics

4 credits.

BU Hub Learn More
  • Creativity/Innovation
  • Digital/Multimedia Expression
  • Quantitative Reasoning II

Undergraduate Prerequisites: CAS LX 331 (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. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course entitled "Topics in Pragmatics" that was previously numbered CAS LX 504. 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.

CAS LX 451E INTERN LINGSTCS

Var credits.

Undergraduate Prerequisites: enrollment in the Auckland Internship Program. - INTERN LINGSTCS

CAS LX 452E INTERN LINGSTCS

Var credits.

Undergraduate Prerequisites: enrollment in the Auckland Internship Program. - INTERN LINGSTCS

CAS LX 453 Acquisition of Phonology

4 credits. Fall and Spring

Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASLX301) - 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. Also offered as GRS LX 753. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course entitled "Phonological Development" that was previously numbered CAS LX 541.

CAS LX 454 Acquisition of Syntax

4 credits. Fall and Spring

Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASLX321) - 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. Also offered as GRS LX 754. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS LX 540.

CAS LX 490 Intermediate Topics in Linguistics

4 credits. Fall and Spring

Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASLX250) or consent of instructor. - Topics vary by semester. May be taken more than once for credit, with different topics. Also offered as GRS LX 790.

CAS LX 491 Directed Study: Linguistics

Var credits. Fall and Spring

Undergraduate Prerequisites: consent of department and CAS Academic Advising, 100 Bay State Rd., Ro om 401. - Application form available in CAS Academic Advising.

CAS LX 492 Directed Study: Linguistics

Var credits. Fall and Spring

Undergraduate Prerequisites: consent of department and CAS Academic Advising, 100 Bay State Rd., Ro om 401. - Application form available in CAS Academic Advising.

CAS LX 496 Computational Linguistics

4 credits.

BU Hub Learn More
  • Quantitative Reasoning II
  • Research and Information Literacy

Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASLX250) and CASCS112 or CASLX394); or consent of instructor. - Introduction to computational techniques to explore linguistic models and test empirical claims. Serves as an introduction to concepts, algorithms, data structures, and tool libraries. Topics include tagging and classification, parsing models, meaning representation, corpus creation, information extraction. Effective Spring 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Quantitative Reasoning II, Research and Information Literacy.

CAS LX 601 Phonetics & Phonology: Introduction to Sound Systems

4 credits. Fall and Spring

BU Hub Learn More
  • Critical Thinking
  • Quantitative Reasoning I
  • Scientific Inquiry II

Introduction to the nature and patterning of sounds in human language. Presents articulatory and acoustic phonetics, and basic phonological analysis, focusing on cross-language typology and comparison. Hands-on development of practical skills, including IPA transcription, field techniques, and digital speech analysis. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Scientific Inquiry II, Quantitative Reasoning I, Critical Thinking.

CAS LX 611 Morphology: Introduction to the Structures and Shapes of Words

4 credits.

Graduate Corequisites: (GRSLX612) - (Students must also register for required co-req GRS LX 612.) Morphology, the study of the internal structure and the shapes of words across languages, straddles the boundary between syntax and phonology. This course covers the major empirical and theoretical issues in the study of morphology, emphasizing links to other components of grammar. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course entitled "Morphology" that was previously numbered CAS LX 521.

CAS LX 612 Morphology: Introduction to the Structures and Shapes of Words Discussion

0 credits.

Graduate Corequisites: (GRSLX611) - Required discussion section for students registered in GRS LX 611. Students must also register for GRS LX 611.

CAS LX 617 Having and Being across Languages

4 credits.

Graduate corequisite: CASLX 618. - Languages differ startlingly in how they express the apparently basic concepts of "possession" and "essence". Students explore this variety and its implications, addressing fundamental questions about linguistic relativism, language universals, and the relationship between structure and meaning. Students must also register for CASLX 618 corequisite.

CAS LX 618 Having and Being across Languages

0 credits.

Graduate Corequisite: CASLX 617 - Required discussion section for students registered in CASLX 617. Students must also register for CASLX 617.

CAS LX 621 Syntax: Introduction to Sentential Structure

4 credits. Fall and Spring

Introduction to syntax as an object of inquiry. Students build an increasingly sophisticated model of syntactic knowledge to account for data from English and other languages, constructing and evaluating alternative hypotheses about how sentence structure works. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course entitled "Syntax I" that was previously numbered CAS LX 522.

CAS LX 627 Focus

4 credits.

Exploration of focus in natural language, integrating syntax, phonology, semantics, morphology, and pragmatics in pursuit of general understanding of the cross-linguistic diversity of focus phenomena and the ways in which different linguistic processes cooperate to express focus. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS LX 518.

CAS LX 628 Questions

4 credits.

Exploration of question formation across languages, and from several theoretical perspectives, integrating syntax, phonology, semantics, morphology, pragmatics, and philosophy in pursuit of a general understanding of one of the central phenomena in theoretical linguistics. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS LX 519.

CAS LX 631 Semantics & Pragmatics: Introduction to Linguistic Meaning

4 credits. Fall and Spring

BU Hub Learn More
  • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
  • The Individual in Community
  • Teamwork/Collaboration

Systematic examination of how meaning is encoded in words and sentences, and how it can emerge from the complexity of the grammar. Also touches on various aspects of pragmatics--the study of how meaning is shaped by context. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course entitled "Semantics I" that was previously numbered CAS LX 502. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, The Individual in Community, Critical Thinking. Effective Fall 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Teamwork and Collaboration.

CAS LX 641 Sociolinguistics

4 credits. Fall and Spring

Introduction to language in its social context. Methodological and theoretical approaches to sociolinguistics. Linguistic variation in relation to situation, gender, socioeconomic class, linguistic context, and ethnicity. Integrating micro- and macro-analysis from conversation to societal language planning. Also offered as CAS AN 521.

CAS LX 642 Language, Race, and Gender

4 credits.

BU Hub Learn More
  • Social Inquiry I
  • Teamwork/Collaboration

Undergraduate Prerequisites: Graduate standing in the Linguistics program, or consent of instructor. - Do women talk differently from men? How do race and ethnicity relate to the way people use language? This course examines these interrelated questions from the perspective of modern sociolinguistic theory, analyzing a range of languages and communities throughout the world. Effective Spring 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Teamwork/Collaboration.

CAS LX 645 Languages in Contact: The High Stakes of Grammatical Border-Crossing

4 credits.

Examines the mechanisms and outcomes of language contact by surveying cases around the globe from the past and present. Topics include lexical-borrowing, code-switching, pidgins and creoles, language death, and the emergence of entirely new language systems. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS LX 515.

CAS LX 646 Language Variation and Change

4 credits.

BU Hub Learn More
  • Social Inquiry I
  • Teamwork/Collaboration

Why do languages change over time? Who leads and who follows in situations of language change? The course answers these questions by examining the link between language change and linguistic variation, focusing on how synchronic variation leads to diachronic change. Effective Spring 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Teamwork/Collaboration.

CAS LX 649 Bilingualism

4 credits. Fall and Spring

BU Hub Learn More
  • Critical Thinking
  • The Individual in Community
  • Social Inquiry II

The psycholinguistics and sociolinguistics of life with two languages. Topics include bilingual language use, processing, acquisition, organization; effects of bilingualism on cognition and development; the bilingual brain; the bilingual speech community; bilingual education; bilingualism in the media and public eye. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS LX 545. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry II, The Individual in Community, Critical Thinking.

CAS LX 650 Crosslinguistic Approaches to Language Acquisition

4 credits. Fall and Spring

Exploration, within the framework of generative grammar, of how similarities and differences in the acquisition patterns of syntax, semantics, and morphology across typologically diverse languages provide key evidence about the essential nature of first and second language acquisition. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course entitled "Language Acquisition and Linguistic Theory" that was previously numbered GRS LX 700.

CAS LX 655 Second Language Acquisition

4 credits.

Overview of second language acquisition at all linguistic levels. Topics include the role of the native language; markedness; universals; environmental variables; cognitive and affective factors; social dimensions; individual differences among learners; and application of theory to third language acquisition. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS LX 542.

CAS LX 659 Interrupted Acquisition and Language Attrition

4 credits.

Examines native language knowledge and change in speakers who have become dominant in another language. Topics include differences among heritage speakers, international adoptees, and adult second language learners; language change in expatriates; and environmental and affective factors conditioning language loss. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course entitled "Incomplete Acquisition and Language Attrition" that was previously numbered CAS LX 546.

CAS LX 660 Historical and Comparative Linguistics

4 credits.

BU Hub Learn More
  • Critical Thinking
  • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
  • Historical Consciousness

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. Carries humanities divisional studies credit in CAS. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS LX 535. Effective Spring 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Creativity/Innovation, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Historical Consciousness. Effective Spring 2026, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Critical Thinking, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Historical Consciousness.

CAS LX 660S Historical and Comparative Linguistics

4 credits.

BU Hub Learn More
  • Critical Thinking
  • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
  • Historical Consciousness

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. Carries humanities divisional studies credit in CAS. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS LX 535.Effective Summer 2026, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Critical Thinking, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Historical Consciousness.

CAS LX 664 The Linguistics of Contemporary English

4 credits.

Systematic introduction to the linguistic analysis of modern English (phonology, morphology, syntax) from the perspective of generative grammar. Other topics include: English and its West Germanic relatives, non-standard varieties and the development of standard English, varieties of World Englishes.

CAS LX 665 Variation in Dialects of English

4 credits. Fall and Spring

Graduate Corequisites: (GRSLX666) - Exploration of how dialects of English differ from each other, focusing on grammatical variation in the US, with occasional forays into other dialects. Students come to appreciate how linguists investigate grammatical diversity scientifically, revealing the complex structure of non-standard dialects. Students must also register for GRS LX 666.

CAS LX 666 Variation in Dialects of English Discussion

0 credits.

Graduate Corequisites: (GRSLX665) - Required discussion section for students registered in GRS LX 665. Students must also register for GRS LX 665.

CAS LX 667 Indigenous Languages of Latin America

4 credits.

BU Hub Learn More
  • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
  • Research and Information Literacy
  • Writing-Intensive Course

Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASLX 250) and First-Year Writing Seminar (e.g., CASWR 100; WR 120) - Graduate Corequisites: (GRSLX 677) - Exploration of the structure, history, and varieties of indigenous languages of Latin America, and of the communities that speak them. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Research and Information Literacy. Students must also register for GRSLX 677.

CAS LX 668 Structure of African Languages

4 credits.

African language structure and status from the perspectives of theoretical and comparative linguistics (within the generative grammar framework), typology, and sociolinguistics, with focus on South African Nguni languages, especially IsiXhosa, and comparisons to its sister languages in that language group. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS LX 505.

CAS LX 669 The Structure of Creole Languages

4 credits.

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. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS LX 533.

CAS LX 670 Romance Linguistics

4 credits.

Graduate Prerequisites: prior study of some Romance language at the 4th semester level or higher (e.g., CASLF 212 or LI 212 or LP 212 or LS 212 or CL 212, or equivalent); or consent of instructor. Corequisite: CASLX 671 - Covers morphophonological and morphosyntactic change since Latin, plus various topics in the comparative grammar of modern Romance languages. Students deepen their linguistic knowledge and analytic skills by applying what they have learned in other linguistics courses to this language family.

CAS LX 671 Romance Linguistics Discussion

0 credits.

Graduate Prerequisites: prior study of some Romance language at the 4th semester level or higher (e.g., CASLF 212 or LI 212 or LP 212 or LS 212 or CL 212, or equivalent); or consent of instructor. Corequisite: CASLX 670 - Required discussion section for students registered in CASLX 670. Students must also register for CASLX 670.

CAS LX 673 The Structure of French: Phonology

4 credits.

Graduate Prerequisites: one CAS LF 300-level course, or consent of instructor. - The sound system of standard French and dialect variation in France, Canada, and other Francophone regions. Questions about mental representation of linguistic information, processes of word formation, and language variation and change. Students discover linguistic regularities through frequent problem sets. Conducted in French. Also offered as CAS LF 503.

CAS LX 674 The Structure of French: Syntax

4 credits. Fall and Spring

Graduate Prerequisites: one CAS LF 300-level course, or consent of instructor. - Exploration of French syntax with comparisons to Quebecois, English, and other languages. Topics include the position of the verb, pronoun status, questions, relative clauses, imperatives, negation, causatives, and left/right dislocation. Students discover structural properties through frequent problem sets. Conducted in French. Also offered as CAS LF 502.

CAS LX 675 The History of the French Language

4 credits. Spring

BU Hub Learn More
  • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
  • Historical Consciousness

Undergraduate pre-requisites: CASLX 250. - Overview of socio-historical and linguistic factors underpinning the emergence, development, and spread of the French language over time. Study of historical, societal, and political events, along with phonetic, morphological, syntactic, and orthographic changes. Representative texts demonstrate stages of language change. Effective Spring 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.

CAS LX 676 Topics in French Linguistics

4 credits.

Graduate Prerequisites: one CAS LF 300-level course or consent of instructor. - Topics vary by semester. Taught in French. May be repeated for credit as topics change. Also offered as CAS LF 506. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS LX 506.

CAS LX 677 Indigenous Languages of Latin America Discussion

0 credits.

Graduate Corequisites: (GRSLX667) - Required discussion section for students registered in GRS LX 667. Students must also register for GRS LX 667.

CAS LX 681 Spanish in the United States

4 credits.

Graduate Prerequisites: one LS 300-level language course, or consent of instructor. - An ethnographic survey and sociolinguistic analysis of Spanish as spoken in urban areas of the US. Focuses on issues of language and dialect content, language change, the fraught notion of 'heritage' speakers, and code-switching as a sociolinguistic phenomenon. Conducted in Spanish.

CAS LX 683 The Sounds of Spanish

4 credits.

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.

CAS LX 684 The Structure of Spanish

4 credits.

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.

CAS LX 686 Topics in Spanish Linguistics

4 credits.

Undergraduate Prerequisites: CASLX 250 and one LS 300-level language course. - May be taken twice for credit if topics are different. Taught in Spanish. Also offered as CASLX 386 and CASLS505.

CAS LX 690 Topics in Linguistics

4 credits. Fall and Spring

Topics and pre-requisites vary by semester and section. May be repeated for credit as topics change. Please see "Notes" for current offering.

CAS LX 691 Linguistic Field Methods

4 credits. Fall and Spring

BU Hub Learn More
  • Ethical Reasoning
  • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
  • Teamwork/Collaboration

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.

CAS LX 694 Introduction to Programming for Computational Linguistics

4 credits.

BU Hub Learn More
  • Quantitative Reasoning II
  • Research and Information Literacy

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.

CAS LX 703 Phonological Analysis

4 credits. Fall and Spring

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.

CAS LX 705 Prosody

4 credits.

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.

CAS LX 706 Advanced Topics in Phonology

4 credits. Fall

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.

CAS LX 709 Intermediate Phonetics

4 credits.

Graduate Prerequisites: CASLX 301 / GRSLX 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.

CAS LX 722 Intermediate Syntax: Modeling Syntactic Knowledge

4 credits.

Graduate Prerequisites: GRSLX 621 (formerly CASLX 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.

CAS LX 723 Advanced Syntax: Issues in Modern Syntactic Theory

4 credits. Fall and Spring

Undergraduate Prerequisites: CASLX 422 or consent of instructor. Graduate Prerequisites: CASLX 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.

CAS LX 724 Intermediate Syntax: Modeling Syntactic Knowledge Discussion

0 credits.

Graduate Prerequisites: (GRSLX 621); Graduate Corequisites: (GRSLX 722) - Required discussion section for students registered in GRSLX 722. Students must also register for GRSLX 722.

CAS LX 732 Intermediate Semantics: The Grammatical Construction of Meaning

4 credits. Fall and Spring

Graduate Prerequisites: CAS 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.

CAS LX 733 Experimental Pragmatics

4 credits.

BU Hub Learn More
  • Creativity/Innovation
  • Digital/Multimedia Expression
  • Quantitative Reasoning II

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.

CAS LX 736 Advanced Topics in Semantics and Pragmatics

4 credits. Fall and Spring

Grad Prereq: CASLX 432/ GRSLX 732. Topic will vary. May be repeated for credit with different topics. Please see "Notes" for current offering.

CAS LX 738 Discourse Analysis: Theoretical and Methodological Approaches

4 credits. Fall and Spring

Review of current research literature on discourse analysis; students practice and apply current methods and techniques of discourse analysis.

CAS LX 753 Acquisition of Phonology

4 credits.

Graduate Prerequisites: (GRSLX601) 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.

CAS LX 754 Acquisition of Syntax

4 credits. Fall and Spring

Graduate Prerequisites: (GRSLX621) 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.

CAS LX 790 Intermediate Topics in Linguistics

4 credits. Fall and Spring

Prereq: Graduate standing or consent of instructor - Topics for Spring 2024: Advanced Morphophonology. Investigation of what morphology and phonology are, how they may or may not be distinct, and how they interact. Topics will vary, but may include: emergence, innateness, inflectional classes, morphomes, paradigms, rules and/or constraints, analogy, cyclicity, ineffability, and prosodic morphology.

CAS LX 795 Quantitative Methods in Linguistics

4 credits.

Graduate Prerequisites: graduate standing in the Linguistics program, or consent of instructor. - Introduces students to quantitative approaches to linguistic data, including visualization, hypothesis testing, and data modeling. Students gain proficiency in R, an open-source statistical environment, and learn the logic behind statistical techniques, as well as practical skills for using them.

CAS LX 796 Computational Linguistics

4 credits.

BU Hub Learn More
  • Quantitative Reasoning II
  • Research and Information Literacy

Graduate Prerequisites: CAS LX 250 and CAS CS 112, or consent of instructor. - Introduction to computational techniques to explore linguistic models and test empirical claims. Serves as an introduction to concepts, algorithms, data structures, and tool libraries. Topics include tagging and classification, parsing models, meaning representation, corpus creation, information extraction. [Students who have already taken CAS LX 394/GRS LX 694 are not eligible to take this course.] Effective Spring 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Quantitative Reasoning II, Research and Information Literacy.

CAS LX 801 Seminar in Linguistic Research

2 credits. Fall

Advanced graduate students working on their qualifying research papers or thesis present and discuss work in progress. The course is organized thematically based on students' research areas. Readings each week are determined on the basis of the research discussed. 2 cr. per semester.

CAS LX 802 Seminar in Linguistic Research

2 credits. Spring

Advanced graduate students working on their qualifying research papers or thesis present and discuss work in progress. The course is organized thematically based on students' research areas. Readings each week are determined on the basis of the research discussed. 2 cr. per semester.

CAS LX 865 Advanced Topics in Linguistics: Language Acquisition

4 credits. Fall and Spring

Graduate Prerequisites: (CASLX522) or consent of instructor. - An in-depth exploration of current issues in language acquisition in relation to recent developments in linguistic theory, making use of computer-based tools and techniques in hands-on lab work. The focus is on experimental methodology and statistics, analysis of transcripts to uncover generalizations and test theoretical predictions, and use of other psycholinguistic tools. Topics to be covered will be drawn, in part, from the recent programs of the annual Boston University Conference on Language Development.

CAS LX 951 Directed Study: Linguistics

Var credits. Fall

Graduate Prerequisites: consent of instructor and director of the program. - Directed study in a selected topic in linguistics.

CAS LX 951S DIRECTED STUDY

4 credits.

Graduate Prerequisites: consent of instructor and director of the program. - DIRECTED STUDY

CAS LX 952 Directed Study: Linguistics

Var credits. Spring

Graduate Prerequisites: consent of instructor and director of the program. - Directed study in a selected topic in linguistics.

CAS LX 952S DIRECTED STUDY

Var credits.

Graduate Prerequisites: consent of instructor and director of the program. - DIRECTED STUDY

CAS LX 981 Certified Full-Time Study

0 credits. Fall

CERT FT STUDY

CAS LX 982 Certified Full-Time Study

0 credits. Spring

CERT FT STUDY

CAS LX 983 Continued Part-Time Study

0 credits. Fall

Continuing Study Part-Time

CAS LX 984 Continued Part-Time Study

0 credits. Spring

CONT STUDY PT

CAS LX 985 Continued Full-Time Study

0 credits. Fall

CONT STUDY CFT

CAS LX 986 Continued Full-Time Study

0 credits. Spring

CONT STUDY CFT

CAS LX TRN CASLX 500 Level Transfer

Var credits.

Related to All LX Courses

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