Undergraduate Courses

SPN 3700 Introduction to Hispanic Linguistics [syllabus, Fall 2012]
This course introduces the student to linguistics, the scientific study of language, using the Spanish language (and occasionally Portuguese, Catalan and other Romances languages) as examples. We will cover an introduction to syntax (the study of word order and functional grammatical processes), morphology (the study of word formation), semantics (the study of meaning), phonetics (the study of sound articulation), phonology (the study of the sound system), sociolinguistics (the study of language as it relates to society) and diachronic linguistics (the study of historical change). This course is taught in Spanish.

 

Graduate Courses

SPN 6735 Child Language Acquisition [syllabus, Fall 2010]
The course introduces graduate students to the generative study of child first language (L1) acquisition. This course covers theory and practice via lectures on theoretical points and student lead discussions on authentic research articles. We will cover the development of formal acquisition approaches to L1 acquisition from the mid 1980s through the present day. We will focus on Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan and Galician as primary languages to explain and understand the theoretical positions. However, prior knowledge of these languages is not required as the course is taught in English and the theory transcends any one language or family of languages. Students from Linguistics and other departments can do their projects on the language of their choice.

LIN 6720 Second Language Acquisition [syllabus, Spring 2011]
This course offers an introduction at the graduate level to the study of Second Language Acquisition (SLA) theory from a multitude of perspectives. A focus is placed on comparative theoretical SLA epistemology as well as issues pertaining to the designing and undertaking of empirical research in adult language acquisition. An emphasis is placed on the study of SLA from cognitive science perspectives. The course will focus on three main areas: (a) an introduction into major SLA theories; (b) research methodology, and (c) formal SLA linguistic theories.

SPN 6855: The Structure of Spanish: (Morpho)Syntax [syllabus, Fall 2012]
This course is an introduction to transformational (morpho)syntactic theory, developed through the study of central aspects of Spanish grammar (e um pouco de português). Via class lectures, discussions of homework problems, in-class exercises and your research papers, we will construct a model of (a fragment of) Spanish. Coursework emphasizes problem solving, syntactic argumentation, and the ability to construct and work with a formal system.

 

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