A study of formal grammar as one aspect of our knowledge of language. Concepts and elements of modern syntactic analysis are introduced and motivated using a variety of grammatical phenomena and processes, across a wide range of languages. Prerequisite: Enrollment in LIN program or permission of instructor.

An introduction to the formal study of sound patterns. Problems from various languages serve as the basis for developing a theory of the representation of sound structure. Prerequisite: Enrollment in LIN program or permission of instructor.

A hands-on introduction to practical aspects of computational linguistics. Students learn how to perform common tasks such as tagging and tokenization with a state-of-the-art programming language. Topics include basic data structures and algorithms, n-gram models, regular expressions, and corpus linguistics.

An overview of the mathematical foundations of theoretical and computational linguistics. Topics covered include set theory, morphisms, logic and model theory, algebra, lattices, lambda calculus, probability theory, information theory, and basics of formal language theory. A strong emphasis is put on the linguistic application of the mathematical concepts in the study and analysis of natural language data.

An introduction to research in linguistics, with presentations by faculty and visiting scientists. Topics include current research questions and ethics of research and publishing. The course will also cover responsible conduct in research and scholarship

An introduction to learnability theory and its implications for language typology and language acquisition. The selection of topics varies and may include identification in the limit from positive text, PAC learning, lattice-based learners, Boolean function learning, neural networks, and learning algorithms for linguistic formalisms. Students will develop familiarity with the primary literature and learn important proof techniques of the field.

In the recent years there have been a number of attempts to formalize core elements of the Minimalist Program, with the aim of clarifying some of its most basic notions and their relations: Merge, Workspace, Head, Copy, Repetition, etc. Most recently, a model deploying concepts from Modern Algebra has been developed, chiefly by Prof. Matilde Marcolli, a mathematical-physicist at Caltech.

In this seminar we will, as a group, work through the major statement of the algebraic model to date, trying to understand it in detail:

Marcolli, Chomsky and Berwick. 2025. Mathematical Structure of Syntactic Merge. An Algebraic Model for Generative Linguistics. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

This task is a challenging one given that linguistics training does not routinely include modern algebraic methods. It therefore represents a good example of something recurrent in a research career: the need to master a new, technical domain of expertise in order to develop deeper understanding of one’s primary area of investigation.

One of the best methods of developing understanding of X, is to try to explain X to others. Therefore, a concrete companion effort of the seminar will be to develop, as a group, a set of notes detailing our “reading” of the book, including:

- our understanding of what the authors are trying to do in each section and why.
- questions that arose at various points and the answers we were able to suggest
- possible alternative explications of ideas, proofs, etc.
- possible connections to other areas of linguistics
- Etc.

This will be maintained on a shared website. Some background readings will be posted in relevant areas. We may also have guest
appearances by MM by Zoom.

 

A study of articulatory phonetics and the international phonetic alphabet, with intensive practice in phonetic transcription from a wide variety of languages. Acoustic phonetics, speech perception, and the applications of phonetics to foreign language teaching.

Theory and practical methodology of language and literacy instruction and assessment to children and adolescents for whom English is not their first language, in alignment with current state, national, and professional standards. Inquiry into instructional approaches, standard-based and data-driven lesson planning, and reflective practices in the teaching and assessment of speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Review and evaluation of resources and technologies. 3 credits, letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc)

A description of the major sentence elements, subsystems, and productive grammatical processes of English. The justification of grammatical categories, interaction between systems and processes, and notions of standard and correctness are discussed with a view to their application in the ESL classroom.

An introduction to modern theoretical and applied linguistics, including phonology, morphology, syntax, language acquisition, historical linguistics, and sociolinguistics.

Study of the social, linguistic, educational, and psychological aspects of bilingualism.

In-depth exploration of the theories of literacy and language development of native English speakers and students who are English language learners pre-school through grade 12. The development and assessment of literacy skills among children at various stages of learning development and across disciplines will be examined. Attention will also be given to children with special needs and the integration of technology in the development of literacy skills.

An introduction to major topics in sociolinguistics, including variation theory, language attitudes, language planning, language change, and pidgins and creoles.

Investigation and evaluation of instructional planning and assessment aligned with current state, national, and professional standards. Teacher candidates practice content-based curriculum development, and use of technologies for language and literacy development among English language learners and reflect on their teaching in multi-level classrooms. Partnerships with colleagues, parents and the respective communities are explored. 3 credits, letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc)