Mila Tasseva-Kurktchieva, Director

Overview

Linguistics is the scientific study of language. Its various subdisciplines investigate how speech sounds are organized (phonetics and phonology), how words, phrases, and sentences are structured (morphology and syntax), and how meaning is structured and interpreted (semantics and pragmatics). Linguistics also includes the study of how language is learned (language acquisition), how it is represented in the mind (psycholinguistics), how it changes over time (historical linguistics), and how it relates to social and cultural phenomena (sociolinguistics and linguistic anthropology).

At the undergraduate level the program offers the possibility of an undergraduate minor or cognate field in linguistics, and knowledge gained in such a course of study can complement a wide variety of disciplines. Students who would especially benefit from a minor or cognate in linguistics are those majoring in anthropology, computer science, English, French, German, philosophy, psychology, and Spanish. A linguistics minor is also good preparation for a graduate program in speech pathology. A student wishing to have linguistics as a major concentration of study may pursue an emphasis in the field through the Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies (B.A.I.S.) degree program. Further information about the B.A.I.S. program may be obtained from the College of Arts and Sciences.

The recommended first step in learning about linguistics is LING 101 - Linguistics 1: Introduction to Language  which satisfies a Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Social Sciences Carolina Core requirement. After the introduction gained in this course, the student is prepared for specialized courses on the 200-500 level. (There are, however, no formal prerequisites for these courses.)  Possibilities include courses on the structure of human language, language in society, history of language, acquisition of language, and courses devoted to the description of a particular language: English, French, German, or Spanish.

Majoring in one of the related disciplines and minoring in linguistics can prepare students for a variety of careers, including teaching, translating, foreign service, and social work, or for graduate study in linguistics and any of its related fields. For students who want to pursue linguistics past the undergraduate level, the USC Linguistics Program offers a comprehensive graduate program in linguistics, which leads to the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees or the Graduate Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages.

Programs and Courses

Programs

• Linguistics Minor

Courses

• ENFS 091 - English for Academic Purposes A
• ENFS 092 - English for Academic Purposes B
• ENFS 093 - Technology for Academic Purposes
• ENFS 094 - Course Supplement
• LING 101 - Linguistics 1: Introduction to Language
• LING 102 - Integrated Linguistic Skills for Non-Native Speakers 1
• LING 103 - Integrated Linguistic Skills for Non-Native Speakers 2
• LING 104 - Integrated Linguistic Skills for Non-Native Speakers 3
• LING 105 - Special Topics in Linguistics I
• LING 140 - Linguistic Diversity Awareness.
• LING 205 - Special Topics in Linguistics II
• LING 240 - Language Conflict and Language Rights
• LING 241 - Language and Popular Culture
• LING 300 - Introduction to Language Sciences
• LING 301 - The English Language
• LING 305 - Special Topics in Linguistics III
• LING 314 - Spanish Phonetics and Pronunciation
• LING 340 - Language, Culture, and Society
• LING 345 - Language in the USA
• LING 399 - Independent Study
• LING 405 - Topics in Linguistics
• LING 421 - English Grammar
• LING 431 - Development of the English Language
• LING 440 - Language in Society
• LING 442 - African-American English
• LING 472 - Introduction to Technology in Language Education
• LING 474 - Bilingualism
• LING 502 - French Linguistics
• LING 503 - Introduction to German Linguistics
• LING 504 - Introduction to Spanish Linguistics
• LING 505 - Interdisciplinary Topics in Linguistics
• LING 512 - French Phonology
• LING 514 - Contrastive English-Spanish Phonetics and Phonology
• LING 521 - Advanced English Grammar
• LING 530 - Language Change
• LING 533 - Introduction to the Germanic Languages
• LING 540 - Topics in Language and Culture
• LING 541 - Language and Gender
• LING 542 - Research in Language Conflict and Language Rights
• LING 543 - Discourse, Gender, and Politics of Emotion
• LING 545 - Anthropological Approaches to Narrative and Performance
• LING 546 - Japanese Language in Society
• LING 548 - German Sociolinguistics
• LING 554 - The Structure of Modern Spanish
• LING 556 - Language and Globalization
• LING 565 - Philosophy of Language
• LING 567 - Psychology of Language
• LING 570 - Introduction to Language Development
• LING 600 - Survey of Linguistics
• LING 627 - Introduction to Semantics and Pragmatics
• LING 650 - Introduction to Morphology