Program: B.A., Linguistics
Overview
Linguistics studies human language, seeking to define its nature, to establish its relationship to human thought, to discover what distinguishes human language from other forms of communication (human and nonhuman), to understand how children develop a language and acquire additional ones, to understand the ways in which languages may differ from one another and to describe how human beings use language in context to engage in all the other “human” activities.
Presently, the Linguistics Major is, for the most part, an Upper Division Major. Four linguistics courses are available for GE credit at the 200- and 300-levels. Students are encouraged to complete their GE work and to pursue study in languages other than their native language in preparation for their work in Linguistics. Entering freshmen who are interested in Linguistics should consult with the Chair/Advisor.
Program Requirements
Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts Degree
1. Required Courses (27 units)
LING 200 (How) Language Matters (3)
or LING 250 Language(s) in California (3)
LING 300 Approaches to Linguistic Analysis (3)
LING 310 Language and the Law (3)
LING 325 Language, Gender, and Identity (3)
LING 402 Phonetics and Phonology (3)
LING 403 Morphology (3)
LING 404 Syntax (3)
LING 408 Semantics and Pragmatics (3)
LING 417 Language Development and Acquisition (3)
LING 441 Sociolinguistics (3)
or LING 427 Languages in Contact (3)
2. Electives (12 units)
Choose four courses. Two courses must be from Group A. All four courses may be from Group A.
Group A:
LING 200 (How) Language Matters (3)
LING 250 Languages(s) in California (3)
LING 310 Language and the Law (3)
LING 325 Language, Gender, and Identity (3)
LING 407 Language Varieties (3)
LING 411 Introduction to Historical Linguistics (3)
LING 427 Languages in Contact (3)
LING 430 A Linguistic Introduction to Cognitive Science (3)
LING 447 Bilingualism in the U.S. (3)
(Note: A course counted as required cannot double-count as an elective.)
Group B:
AFRS 395 Bilingualism in the African-American Community (3)
ANTH 310 Language in Culture: Anthropological Linguistics (3)
ANTH 360 Immigration and Ethnicity (3)
CHS 333 Language and Society: Chicanas/os and Other Language Minority Children (3)
CHS 433 Language Acquisition of the Chicana/o and ESL Speakers (3)
CHS 482 Language of the Barrio (3)
CD 442 Speech Science (3)
CD 462 Language Disorders I (3)
COMP 310 Automata, Languages and Computation (3)
COMP 333 Concepts of Programming Languages (3)
COMP 410 Logic Programming (3)
COMP 469 Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (3)
COMS 350 Nonverbal Communication (3)
COMS 356 Intercultural Communication (3)
COMS 450 Communication Research Methodology (3)
DEAF 484 Structure of American Sign Language (3) (Taught in ASL)
DEAF 485 Issues in American Sign Language (3) (Taught in ASL)
ENGL 400 History of the English Language (3)
ENGL 405 Language Differences and Language Change (3)
FREN 389 French Phonetics 1 (3)
FREN 400 Structure of the French Language 1 (3)
ITAL 305 Structure of the Italian Language (3)
PHIL 355 Philosophy of Mind (4)
PHIL 445 Philosophy of Language (3)
PHIL 455 Advanced Philosophy of Mind (3)
PSY 367 Cognitive Psychology (3)
PSY 369 Applied Cognition (3)
SOC 364/L Social Statistics and Lab (3/1)
SPAN 395 Spanish Phonetics (3)
SPAN 400 Structure of the Spanish Language (3)
SPAN 401 Language and Culture (3)
SPAN 497 Comparative Structure of Spanish and English (3)
3. Studies in a Foreign Language (6 Units)
Undergraduate majors are required to complete either a or b:
- Non-romance language: two semesters at the beginning level
- Romance language: two semesters at the intermediate level
Undergraduate majors whose native language is not English are exempt from the foreign language requirement.
Total Units in the Major: 39
Foreign Language: 6
General Education: 48
Additional Units: 27
Total Units Required for the B.A. Degree: 120
Contact
Chair: Evelyn McClave
Staff: Katherine Draper, Reyna Campos Kennedy
Sierra Tower 805
(818) 677-5019
www.csun.edu/humanities/linguistics
Student Learning Outcomes
- Express what linguists mean by “knowing a human language” by demonstrating knowledge of such core fields as phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics.
- Verbalize what is involved in the acquisition and development of language and discuss its biological and social foundations.
- Describe key concepts from such fields as pragmatics, and discourse analysis and relate them to language data.
- Verbalize how sociocultural diversity manifests itself in language using methods and concepts from the field of sociolinguistics.
- Read, evaluate, and write effectively about linguistic topics.
- Define the connections between linguistic study and its practical applications.