LING 83: Language, Structure, and Cognition

Even though everyone speaks or signs at least one language, the complexity of language in its structure and function is often underappreciated and misunderstood. This myth-busting class guides students to the field of linguistics. Together, we will explore how language is structured from sound to conversation, how language is related to society, and how language is processed in the brain and simulated by machines. Students will engage with linguistic data, explore language technology, and reflect on their positions in the social world through ideologies about languages and their speakers. At the end of the class, with a taste for being a linguist, students will appreciate the skills and opportunities that linguistics can offer.