An introduction to the scientific analysis of the structure and uses of language. Core areas covered include phonetics and phonology, morphology, the lexicon, syntax, semantics and pragmatics, with data from a wide range of languages. Additional topics include language acquisition, bilingualism, neurolinguistics, historical linguistics and computational linguistics.

This course investigates language in its social, cultural, political, and historical contexts. Does your native language influence your perception, your behavior, and your culture? How does your identity influence properties of your language? What happens when unrelated languages come into contact for prolonged periods? How are new languages born? Why isn't English the official language of the United States, and should it be? We will explore these questions (and more) by engaging with the often contradictory opinions of specialists and the public, as well as with the empirical realities behind these different language situations.

There are more than 300 different sign languages around the world. Each Spanish-speaking country has its own sign language. Deaf people in the UK and US might share the same written language, but their sign languages come from different language families. Some sign languages were developed recently, giving linguists an unprecedented opportunity to study how a language emerges. This course explores different sign languages and how they have been shaped by social, cultural, and political factors. It also examines how studying different perspectives on sign language may inform linguistics, disability studies, and other areas of study.