2022-23

TTH 3:30 – 4:50 pm

This introductory course aims to foster an appreciation for the Potawatomi
(Bodw ́ewadmimwen) language, history, and culture as understood through a
linguistic and culturally relevant mode. We will become familiar with the rich
structures of the language through exposure to traditional stories (yadsokanen)
and personal narratives (yathmownen). This will be achieved through an engag-
ing mix of readings, linguistic analyses, classroom discussion, and instruction.
In particular, course texts focus on the histories of displacement, sovereignty,
and governmental relations as well as the use of humor to cope with tragedy
and a shifting cultural identity.

Potawatomi, or Bodw ́ewadmik, are one of the original inhabitants of the land
on which the University of Chicago occupies, and we (the exclusive we, unless
students in the class are also Potawatomi) now have tribal governmental centers
and reservations in Kansas, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Michigan as a
result of Indian removal. As an Algonquian language, Potawatomi is under-
studied and endangered, but this course offers students the ability to familiarize
themselves with the language of this land. Students will not be fluent following
this course, but will possess a newfound appreciation for the diversity of lin-
guistic expression and this community of the Great Lakes region. By the end of
this course, students will understand the foundations of Potawatomi phonology,
morphosyntax, pragmatics, and discourse and will be prepared to develop new
analyses of Potawatomi. This course fulfills the non-Indo-European language re-
quirement for linguistics majors. No previous courses in linguistics are required
though the introductory course is recommended

This course is a graduate-level introduction to topics at the intersection of computation and language. We will study computational linguistics from both scientific and engineering angles: the use of computational modeling to address scientific questions in linguistics and cognitive science, as well as the design of computational systems to solve engineering problems in natural language processing (NLP). The course will combine analysis and discussion of these approaches with training in the programming and mathematical foundations necessary to put these methods into practice. The course is designed to accommodate students both with and without prior programming experience. Our goal is for all students to leave the course able to engage with and critically evaluate research in cognitive/linguistic modeling and NLP, and to be able to implement intermediate-level computational models for novel computational linguistics research.

TTH 11:00 am – 12:20 pm

Spoken in ten countries of Eastern and Central Africa, Swahili has more speakers than any other language in the Bantu family, a group of more than 400 languages most prevalent in sub-equatorial Africa. Based on Swahili Grammar and Workbook, this course helps the students master key areas of the Swahili language in a fast yet enjoyable pace. Topics include sound and intonation patterns, noun class agreements, verb moods, and sentence structures. Additionally, this course provides important listening and expressive reading skills. For advanced students, historical interpretations are offered for exceptional patterns observed in Swahili, in relation with other Bantu languages. This is a general introduction course with no specific prerequisites.

In this course we will examine the language of deception and humor from a variety of perspectives: historical, developmental, neurological, and cross-cultural, and in a variety of contexts: fiction, advertising, politics, courtship, and everyday conversation. We will focus on the (linguistic) knowledge and skills that underlie the use of humor and deception and on what sorts of things they are used to communicate.

MW 1:30 – 2:50 pm

This course deals with the issue of variation and change in language. Topics include types, rates, and explanations of change; the differentiation of dialects and languages over time; determination and classification of historical relationships among languages, and reconstruction of ancestral stages; parallels with cultural and genetic evolutionary theory; and implications for the description and explanation of language in general.

TTH 3:30 – 4:50 pm

Why is the plural of child in English children and not *childs? Why is undoable ambiguous ((i) 'unable to be done', (ii) 'able to be undone'), while unkillable isn't (only 'unable to be killed')? Unhappier is intuitively composed of several, smaller pieces: un-, happy, and -er; but what about unkempt? These questions are the purview of MORPHOLOGY, the field of linguistics devoted to studying the internal structure of words and how they are formed. Consequently, in this course we will investigate the nature of morphemes, in all their cross-linguistic shapes and guises. Key concepts which will frame our discussion include inflection, syncretism, allomorphy, and blocking. The only prerequisite for this course is LING 20001: Introduction to Linguistics.

TTH 9:30 – 10:50 am

This course offers a brief survey of how linguists analyze the structure and the use of language. Looking at the structure of language means understanding what phonemes, words, and sentences are, and how each language establishes principles for the combinations of these things and for their use; looking at the use of language means understanding the ways in which individuals and groups use language to declare their social identities and the ways in which languages can change over time. The overarching theme is understanding what varieties of language structure and use are found across the world's languages and cultures, and what limitations on this variety exist.

TTH 11:00 am – 12:20 pm

This course expands on the material presented in MOGK 20100, enabling students to speak about topics related to employment, current events and issues of public and community interest.

This course aims to develop elementary proficiency in spoken and written Modern Greek and to introduce elements of cultural knowledge. The course will familiarize the students with the Greek alphabet, Modern Greek pronunciation rules and the basic morphology and syntax, with an emphasis on reading and conversational skills. The students will be able to communicate minimally with formulaic and rote utterances and produce words, phrases and lists.

MWF, 3:30-4:20

Students focus on broadening their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in this course.

TTH, 2:00-3:20