Courses

This course introduces the students to the rudiments of linguistic and sociolinguistic survey. The focus is on purpose-driven language survey design and appropriate subsequent reporting of the findings. Consideration is given to current issues in social science research such as the ethics of sampling, and statistical significance of sample populations.

This course introduces students to theories of second language and second culture acquisition. Students develop and evaluate self-directed strategies based on personal learning styles. Practical experience in the above topics is gained by working with a speaker of a non-Indo-European-language

Prepares linguists and literacy workers to guide speakers of an unwritten language to develop an orthography that will accurately represent the sound system of the language, be acceptable to the speakers of the language, and be easily learned for reading and writing the language. This includes consideration of both linguistic and sociolinguistic factors, and representation of non-segmental features such as tone. Although the focus is on alphabetic scripts, non-Roman scripts, including syllabic and logographic, are also considered.

Provides a theoretical and practical basis for analyzing the semantics of the lexicon, managing a lexical database and producing dictionaries for a variety of audiences including the local community, translators and linguists.

Discusses foundational principles of translation as cross-linguistic communication, with a focus on minority and minoritized language environments. Students will study the principles involved in understanding a message as originally communicated in one language and cultural setting, and in communicating that message in a very different language and culture. Students will apply theories from different schools of thought regarding communication and the idea of quality in translation.

Provides an overview of the process of Bible Translation paying particular attention to problems related to the translation of sacred texts. Students will apply existing skills in biblical exegesis and linguistic analysis to cross-linguistic communication, with particular consideration given to key biblical concepts and themes, figurative language, identification of genre, and concerns about authenticity among receptor language communities. Special emphasis will also be placed on Bible translation best practices, inclusion of key stakeholders in the translation project context, quality assurance mechanisms, and utilization of tools specific to Bible translation.

This course develops skills in academic writing for linguistics, including articles, abstracts, theses, books, etc.

An examination of special topics or issues in linguistics that are not covered in depth in other courses.

Every non-thesis student in the MA Linguistics program is required to write a comprehensive exam in the last semester of their program. Contact the program director for details.