2007-2008 Academic Catalog

Course descriptions

Linguistics

LING 100 3 Credits
Language, Education and Linguistics (h)
Introduction to the field of linguistics as it pertains to the field of education. Includes discussions of language structure, acquisition and bilingualism and variation and public policy. This course does not satisfy requirements for the B.A. in Linguistics. (3 + 0) Offered Fall

LING 101 3 Credits
Nature of Language (h)
The study of language: systematic analysis of human language and description of its grammatical structure, distribution and diversity. Also available via Independent Learning. (3 + 0) Offered Fall, Spring

LING 216 3 Credits
Languages of the World (h)
A comprehensive survey of the world's languages--past and present. Topics include genetic relationships among languages, linguistic change, language universals, language classification and language families, as well as the interaction of culture and language. (3 + 0) Offered Alternate Spring

LING 303W, O 3 Credits
Language Acquisition
(Cross-listed with ED 303W, O)
Theories of the acquisition and development of first and second languages, including consideration of biological and sociocultural factors. Survey of traditional and contemporary theories, and implications for pedagogy and public policy. (Prerequisites: ENGL 111X; ENGL 211X or 213X; COMM 131X or 141X. Recommended: LING 101.) (3 + 0) Offered Spring

LING 308W, O 3 Credits
Language and Gender (s)
(Cross-listed with ANTH 308W, O and WMS 308W, O)
Examination of relationships between language and gender, drawing on both ethnographic and linguistic sources. Topics include power, socialization and sexism. (Prerequisites: ENGL 111X; ENGL 211X or ENGL 213X or permission of instructor; COMM 131X or 141X. Next offered: 2007-08) (3 + 0) Offered Alternate Fall

LING 318 3 Credits
Introduction to Phonetics and Phonology (h)
Scientific study of human speech sounds, mechanism of their production and sound systems of languages. (Prerequisite: Upper-division standing or permission of instructor.) (3 + 0) Offered Fall

LING 320 3 Credits
Introduction to Morphology (h)
Study of principles and processes of word construction in language. Morphological structure of Alaska native languages and other non-Indo-European languages. (Prerequisites: LING 318 or permission of instructor.) (3 + 0) Offered Alternate Spring

LING 402 3 Credits
Second Language Acquisition
(Stacked with LING 602)
Central issues in second language acquisition research. Includes a critical review of SLA theories and research. (Prerequisites: LING 101 or permission of instructor. Next offered: 2007-08.) (3 + 0) Offered Alternate Fall

LING 410O 3 Credits
Theory and Methods of Second Language Teaching
(Stacked with LING 610)
Theory and practice of teaching a second language, including methodological approaches, second language acquisition theory, materials and testing. (Prerequisites: COMM 131X or 141X. Next offered: 2008-09.) (3 + 0) Offered Alternate Spring

LING 420 3 Credits
Semantics (h)
(Stacked with LING 620)
A systematic exploration of the nature of meaning in human language. Focus is on historical and contemporary approaches to understanding problems of reference, categorization and lexical relationships in meaningful contexts. (Prerequisite: LING 101 or permission of instructor.) (3 + 0) Offered Alternate Spring

LING 430 3 Credits
Historical Linguistics (h)
(Stacked with LING 630)
Introduction to comparative and historical linguistics: methods of linguistic reconstruction, historical change, genetic relationships, dialectology. Includes Indo-European and Alaskan languages. (Prerequisite: LING 318. Next offered: 2008-09.) (3 + 0) Offered Alternate Fall

LING 431 3 Credits
Field Methods in Descriptive Linguistics I (h)
(Stacked with LING 631 and ANTH 632 and cross-listed with ANTH 432)
Introduction to general issues in language field work and to issues specific to working with little studied and/or endangered languages in particular. Focus on introduction to writing systems, making records, computers and transcriptions, planning consultant sessions, working with consultants, interviewing and ethics in the field. Projects include making transcriptions of familiar language, and later, working on unfamiliar language with a language consultant, selecting and carrying out a well-defined project, resulting in a term paper. (Prerequisites: LING 318, LING 320, or permission of instructor. Next offered: 2008-09.) (3 + 0) Offered Alternate Spring

LING 434 3 Credits
Field Methods in Descriptive Linguistics II (h)
(Stacked with LING 634 and ANTH 634 and cross-listed with ANTH 434)
Second semester of Field Methods sequence. Plan linguistic field project, including field trip, caring for equipment, data handling, community contacts, intellectual property, and repatriation. Course work includes lectures and group elicitation with a speaker of non-Indo-European language. Projects may involve either the traditional field work involving finding and working with a consultant, or work involving research of archival materials on languages no longer spoken. (Prerequisites: LING 431 or ANTH 432. Next offered: 2007-08.) (3 + 0) Alternate Fall

LING 440W 3 Credits
Aspects of Bilingualism (h)
Cognitive, linguistic, sociopolitical and educational aspects of bilingualism at both the individual and societal levels, including factors contributing to language maintenance and language shift. (Prerequisites: ENGL 111X, ENGL 211X or ENGL 213X; LING 101, or permission of instructor.) (3 + 0) Offered Alternate Fall

LING 450O 3 Credits
Language Policy and Planning (s)
(Stacked with LING 650)
Consideration of minority languages, including Alaskan Native Languages, in light of their histories, current status and factors affecting future maintenance. (Prerequisites: COMM 131X or 141X. Next offered: 2008-09.) (3 + 0) Offered Alternate Fall

LING 482 3 Credits
Seminar in Linguistics
Current issues in various subfields of linguistics including semantics and pragmatics, discourse analysis, bilingualism, lexicography, language philosophy and issues within a particular language or language group, e.g. Eskimo phonology, Athabascan morphology. May be repeated once. (Next offered: 2008-09.) (3 + 0) Offered Alternate Spring

LING 601 3 Credits
Principles of Linguistic Analysis
Provides experience in working with various languages to determine systematic principles of transcribing and organizing sounds; isolating morphemes; categorizing words into semantic categories; and understanding narrative and other rhetorical structures. For students whose specialty is other than linguistics who could benefit from a graduate-level introduction to linguistic methods. (3 + 0) Offered Alternate Fall

LING 602 3 Credits
Second Language Acquisition
(Stacked with LING 402)
Central issues in second language acquisition research. Includes a critical review of SLA theories and research. (Prerequisites: LING 101 or LING 601; graduate standing; or permission of instructor. Next offered: 2008-09.) (3 + 0) Offered Alternate Fall

LING 603 3 Credits
Phonetics and Phonology
A scientific approach to the study of human speech sounds and the mechanism of their production (phonetics), as well as the exploration of the fundamental concepts of the sound systems of languages (phonology) and theories which allow for the analysis of real language data. (3 + 0) Offered Alternate Spring

LING 604 3 Credits
Morphology and Syntax
The study of how meaning is encoded in words in languages of the world. Morphological and morphophonemic processes, lexical categories, derivation and inflection, productivity, tense, aspect, mode, case, concord, valence changes, and morphological typologies. Similarities and differences among languages in the grammatical devices used to signal relations between nouns and verbs, negation, comparison and attribution. (Prerequisites: LING 101 or 601, graduate standing, or permission of instructor. Next offered: 2008-09.) (3 + 0) Offered Alternate Fall

LING 610 3 Credits
Theory and Methods of Second Language Teaching
(Stacked with LING 410O)
Theory and practice of teaching a second language, including methodological approaches, second language acquisition theory, materials and testing. (Next offered: 2008-09.) (3 + 0) Offered Alternate Spring

LING 620 3 Credits
Semantics (h)
(Stacked with LING 420)
A systematic exploration of the nature of meaning in human language. Focus is on historical and contemporary approaches to understanding problems of reference, categorization and lexical relationships in meaningful contexts. (Prerequisite: LING 101, graduate standing, or permission of instructor.) (3 + 0) Offered Alternate Spring

LING 621 3 Credits
Cultural Aspects of Language Acquisition
(Cross-listed with ED 621)
An expended view of the ways in which individuals become socialized into particular patterns of first and second language and literacy. The ongoing acquisition of both oral and written language(s) from early childhood through adult life. Topics will include the cultural dimensions of language development, the relationship between communication and culture, bilingualism and the role of language in the transmission of sociocultural knowledge. (3 + 0) Offered Spring, Alternate Summer, As Demand Warrants

LING 627 3 Credits
Introduction to Linguistic Description and Documentation
General introduction to lexicography, field phonetics, grammatical documentation, investigation of narrative, other levels of linguistic documentation, the distinction between description and documentation and differences in structure and method between pedagogical and academic materials resulting from field work. (Prerequisites: LING 601 or equivalent, and demonstrated background in phonology and morphology, or permission of instructor. Next offered: Fall 2008) (3 + 0) Offered Alternate Fall

LING 630 3 Credits
Historical Linguistics
(Stacked with LING 430)
Introduction to comparative and historical linguistics: methods of linguistic reconstruction, historical change, genetic relationships, dialectology. Includes Indo-European and Alaskan languages. (Prerequisite: LING 318. Next offered: 2008-09.) (3 + 0) Offered Alternate Fall

LING 631 3 Credits
Field Methods in Descriptive Linguistics I (h)
(Stacked with LING 431 and ANTH 432 and cross-listed with ANTH 632)
Introduction to general issues in language field work and to issues specific to working with little studied and/or endangered languages in particular. Focus on introduction to writing systems, making records, computers and transcriptions, planning consultant sessions, working with consultants, interviewing, and ethics in the field. Projects include making transcriptions of familiar language, and later, working on unfamiliar language with a language consultant, selecting and carrying out a well-defined project, resulting in a term paper. (Prerequisites: LING 627, or permission of instructor. Next offered: 2008-09) (3 + 0) Offered Alternate Spring

LING 634 3 Credits
Field Methods in Descriptive Linguistics II (h)
(Stacked with LING 434 and ANTH 434 and cross-listed with ANTH 634)
Second semester of Field Methods sequence. Plan linguistic field project, including field trip, caring for equipment, data handling, community contacts, intellectual property and repatriation. Course work includes lectures and group elicitation with a speaker of non-Indo-European language. Projects may involve either traditional field work involving finding and working with a consultant, or work involving research of archival materials on languages no longer spoken. (Prerequisites: LING 631 or ANTH 632; Next offered: 2007-08.) (3 + 0) Alternate Fall

LING 650 3 Credits
Language Policy and Planning
(Stacked with LING 450O)
Consideration of minority languages, including Alaska Native Languages, in light of their histories, current status and factors affecting future maintenance. (Next offered: 2007-08.) (3 + 0) Offered Alternate Fall

LING 651 3 Credits
Topics in Athabascan Linguistics
(Cross-listed with ANL 651)
Graduate level introduction to important topics in Athabascan linguistics, including both foundational literature and current research. Topics may include laryngeal features; tonogenesis; the syntaxmorphology interface; argument structure; lexical semantics and discourse. Course may be repeated once for credit with permission of instructor. (Prerequisites: LING 601 or equivalent; graduate standing. Recommended: LING 603 and LING 604. Next offered: 2008-09.) (3 + 0) Offered Alternate Fall

LING 652 3 Credits
Linguistics Applications
An in-depth investigation of linguistic problems in selected languages. Includes phonological, morphological, syntactic and semantic issues. Students will produce a grammatical sketch of a language. (Prerequisites: LING 318, 320 and 601; or relevant course work. Next offered: 2008-09.) (3 + 0) Offered Alternate Year

LING 660 3 Credits
Internship
Apprenticeship to a language teacher or a linguist doing fieldwork. Maintain a log and portfolio of work. If teaching, the goal is to develop appropriate lesson plans and do mentored teaching. If doing fieldwork, the goal is to develop appropriate materials for teaching. (Prerequisites: LING 603, 604, and ANTH 632 or LING 610.) Offered Fall or Spring