ENG 161 - Introduction to Linguistics

3 credit hours - Three hours weekly; one term.
This course meets the Arts & Humanities General Education Requirement. 

Explore the nature of language and the development of the English language. Learn about the evolution, operation and acquisition of human language and its relation to animal communication. Investigate social and cultural influences on language and the development of dialects. Analyze the relationship between language, thinking and writing, and trace the development of various writing systems. No knowledge of a foreign language is necessary.

Note: Typically offered at MC and OL; fall term.

Course Outcomes:

1. Explain in writing and discussion the design features of human language;

2. Discover in writing and discussion myths that many people hold about language and, in doing so, confront their own misconceptions about language;

3. Demonstrate in writing and discussion knowledge of the basic subfields of linguistics: phonetics/phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics;
4. Explain in writing and discussion how language relates to the society or culture that uses it and to power, prestige,  and social status;
5. Analyze in writing and discussion the role that language plays in defining gender, race, class, sexuality, age, and ability;
6. Explain in writing and discussion how languages evolve and how, in particular, the English language has developed throughout history;
7. Describe in writing and discussion how children acquire language;
8. Explain in writing and discussion the relationship between language, the brain, and thinking.