Introduction to Linguistics In this course we will discuss the major issues and findings in the study of human language within theories of modern linguistics. The main topics include the nature of human language as opposed to other communication systems; sound patterns (phonology); word-formation (morphology); sentence structure (syntax); meaning (semantics); language and the brain; language acquisition; geographical and social dialects; and historical development of language and language change.

Introduction to Sociolinguistics In this course, we will explore the ways that language creates and reflects social identities.  We will look at the contextual factors-social, cultural, geographical, political, etc.-that impact language use and variation.  Themes for this course will include linguistic variation, language and identity, language policy, and language in the media.  We will consider questions such as:  What distinguishes a language from a dialect?  How and why do some language varieties become privileged?   How do notions of politeness and respect vary across linguistic contexts?  In essence, we will learn how language shapes our world, and how we shape language itself.

Introduction to TESOL In this course we will study theories and methods in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) in the U.S. and abroad. We will look at the basic building blocks of the grammatical and pronunciation systems of English and explore different teaching techniques. We will examine curricular resources used with adolescent and adult learners, and develop materials applicable to a variety of classroom settings. Class sessions will be largely hands-on and will include practice student teaching demonstrations with peer feedback. (Not open to students who have taken LNGT/EDST 1003)   Joe McVeigh has many years of experience teaching English to students from a wide range of language backgrounds. He provides professional development for teachers domestically and internationally as an English Language Specialist for the U.S. Department of State. His ESL textbooks, published by Oxford University Press, are widely used in many countries around the world.

Language, Culture and Society In this course students will be introduced to the comparative, ethnographic study of language in relation to socio-cultural context. Our readings will be drawn from diverse global settings and will focus upon language as the means by which people shape and are shaped by the social worlds in which they live. We will examine contrasts in ways of speaking across different communities, personal identities, and institutions. We will explore the consequences of communicative difference across a range of contact situations, including everyday conversation among peers, service encounters, political elections, and global connections or disconnections made possible through new media.

English Grammar: Concepts and Controversies In this course we will study the structure of the English language, learning key terms and strategies for analyzing English syntax.  We will explore English grammar from both prescriptive and descriptive perspectives and examine its relevance to language policy, linguistic prejudice, and English education.  Readings will be drawn from a variety of texts, including Rhetorical Grammar (2009), Eats, Shoots & Leaves (2006), Language Myths (1999), and Origins of the Specious (2010). This course is relevant to students wanting to increase their own knowledge of the English language, as well as to those seeking tools for English teaching and/or research.

Language Structure and Function In this course we will discuss the major issues and findings in the study of human language within theories of modern linguistics, which shares a history with mid-century American anthropology. The main topics include the nature of human language in comparison with other communication systems; sound patterns (phonology); word-formation (morphology); sentence structure (syntax); meaning (semantics); use (pragmatics); language acquisition and socialization. We will also consider language variation and the historical development of languages.  Instruction is in English but examples will be drawn from less commonly studied languages around the world.

Narratives in News Media In this course we will consider questions such as: What linguistic strategies do the news media use to craft compelling stories?  What are the dominant narratives at play about national and global social issues, and how are some journalists working to counter those narratives?  We will employ Critical Discourse Analysis as a central framework, reading theoretical and empirical work by linguists such as Teun van Dijk, as well as from sociologists and political scientists. We will engage with “On the Media” and other podcasts, TED talks, documentaries such as Outfoxed (2004), and online magazines.  Students will write for a variety of audiences.

Introduction to Japanese Linguistics (in English) In this course, we will explore the structure and usage of Japanese through speech and text samples from media, entertainment, and everyday communication. We will analyze speech sounds (phonetics/phonology), word formation (morphology), sentence formation (syntax), and larger structures (discourse), alongside current research on vocabulary (lexicon) and meaning (semantics). Students will develop problem-solving and reasoning skills by applying linguistic theories to various data, learning to formulate research questions and support arguments with evidence. Through comparing Japanese with English and other languages, students will engage in discussions about the similarities and differences among diverse human communication systems. This course is taught in English; no Japanese or linguistics knowledge is required.

Origins of Writing The first attempts at writing were awkward experiments. A few transitioned to fully-fledged writing systems, but most were incomplete affairs that eventually went extinct. In the first half of this course, we will explore the reasons why some experiments faltered—and why others succeeded in Africa, Eurasia, and the Americas thousands of years ago. We will learn how archaeologists and codebreakers deciphered these inscriptions as well as the basics of the writing systems themselves, from Mesopotamian cuneiform to Egyptian hieroglyphics to Chinese oracle bones. In the second half of the course, we will explore Mesoamerican writing systems and focus on learning the Maya hieroglyphic script—the most sophisticated system ever produced in the Americas.

The Sounds of Language: Introduction to Phonetics and Phonology In this course we will study the description and analysis of speech: how the sounds of language are physiologically produced, acoustically represented, and psychologically perceived and categorized. Through acoustic and phonological analysis, students will develop the skills to distinguish and produce the sounds of the world’s languages, as well as explore the sound systems of different languages, in order to determine which patterns differ and which patterns are common to all. Students will hone their analytical and technical skills by solving phonological problem sets as well as by using computer software (Praat) to analyze the acoustics of speech.

Arabic Sociolinguistics (taught in English) In this course we will focus on the inter-relationships between the way Arabic is used by native speakers and the various social contexts affecting that usage. In particular, we will discuss the phenomenon of diglossia in Arabic speech communities (that is, the co-existence of Modern Standard Arabic with the vernacular Arabic dialects of today); aspects of linguistic variation and change in the Arab world; the relation between register and language; as well as the relation between language and such sociological variables as education, social status, political discourse, and gender. Readings are primarily drawn from sociolinguists' studies in the Arab world.

Emotion in Japanese, Spoken and Unspoken (taught in English) How do our emotions surface in speech and text? To what extent are they explicit or implicit? How do linguistic and cultural differences affect how we express our feelings? In this course, we will examine various forms of sentiments in Japanese and beyond through the lens of cognitive linguistics, the scientific study of language and mind. Students will be able to analyze the language of visual, auditory and gustatory experiences depicted in various genres, including haiku, popular songs, food magazines, manga and online communication. We will be reading classical and contemporary articles on sound symbolism, emotion nouns and adjectives, metaphor, and recent stylistic changes, among other topics. Class meetings consist of lectures and in-class discussions in English.

History of the French Language In this course we will study how French has evolved into a global language. We will survey its development from a Latin dialect spoken in ancient Gaul to its present-day diversity in the French-speaking world, with a focus on comparative analysis. Specific topics may include linguistic variation over time, gender and language change, phonological history, spelling reforms, and language use on social media. Students will engage with historical and contemporary texts, art, and audiovisual sources.

The Non-Native Speaker in a  Multilingual World In this course we will address linguistic, educational, and ideological dimensions of the non-native speaker identity and multilingual societies. What does it mean to be a non-native speaker? Why is this linguistic identity considered by some to be a stigma and by others to be a privilege? How do societies succeed in and fail at integrating speakers of different languages? In which ways do language policies and educational practices in the United States and around the world reflect linguistic and social realities?

How Languages are Learned: Theories and Implications In this course we will develop a nuanced understanding of the cognitive, social, and educational factors that enable humans to acquire second languages. What is the difference between first and second language acquisition? How can instruction and curriculum be optimized to help learners? How are languages acquired in naturalistic settings? What is the impact of technology on language education? How do ideologies impact bilingual education in the United States and beyond?

The Structure of Language: Introduction to Morphology and Syntax In this course we will focus on two fundamental areas in the study of language structure: morphology and syntax. Morphology is the study of the internal structure of words and their meaningful parts (e.g., roots and affixes), whereas syntax studies how words are combined to form larger units (phrases and sentences). Linguistic data for illustration and analysis will be taken both from English and a variety of languages belonging to different language families to help us better understand the unity and diversity of human language with regard to word and sentence structure. The course is intended to enhance students’ skills in linguistic description and analysis, as well as general problem-solving and analytical reasoning skills.

Second Language Acquisition: Theories and Research Why do most people have an accent when speaking a language they learned after a certain age? What are the processes and mechanisms behind the acquisition of an additional language? Why are there larger individual differences in the acquisition of a second language than in the first? These are some key questions addressed in second language acquisition (SLA) research. In this course we will study various SLA theories, research methodologies, and findings. We will also learn how to conduct basic SLA research, including collecting and analyzing data, and writing a report, following accepted conventions in the field.

Chinese Sociolinguistics (taught in English) Sociolinguistics is mainly concerned with the interaction of language and society. The language situation in China is unique both in the modern world and in human history. We will gain a good understanding of sociolinguistics as a scientific field of inquiry through exploring the Chinese situation in this course. Some of the questions we will ask are: What is Mandarin (Modern Standard) Chinese? Who are "native speakers" of Mandarin? Are most Chinese people monolingual (speaking only one language) or bilingual (speaking two languages) or even multilingual? How many "dialects" are there in China? What is the difference between a "language" and a "dialect"? Are Chinese characters "ideographs", i.e., "pictures" that directly represent meaning and have nothing to do with sound? Why has the pinyin romanization system officially adopted in the 1950s never supplanted the Chinese characters? Why are there traditional and simplified characters? We will also explore topics such as power, register, verbal courtesy, gender and language use. Students are encouraged to compare the Chinese situation with societies that they are familiar with.

Semantics, Logic, and Cognition Using logical and mathematical tools, formal semantics answers the following questions: Why do sentences mean what they mean? How is reasoning possible? How does language structure our understanding of time, change, knowledge, morality, identity, and possibility? We will evaluate several formal-semantic models from philosophical, linguistic, and psychological perspectives. This course is well suited for students interested in computer science, linguistics, logic, mathematics, neuroscience, philosophy, or psychology.

Introduction to Spanish Phonetics and Pronunciation In this course we will study the sound system of Spanish with the aims of introducing the fields of phonetics and phonology while improving pronunciation. Students will become familiar with phonetic transcription, comparing and contrasting articulatory and acoustic characteristics of Spanish as well as English in order to understand and implement different phonological patterns produced by native speakers of Spanish. Additionally, we will discuss major pronunciation differences across the Spanish-speaking world.

Variation and Change in Japanese (In English) What can linguistic change tell us about human cognition and behavior? How does the notion of “politeness” vary across communities? How do speakers of Japanese perform gender and other social identities?  In this course we will address linguistic diversity and dynamism by examining the Japanese language. Topics include workplace discourse and change in honorific systems. Employing classic works in linguistics and addressing contemporary cultural materials such as manga and J-drama we will apply theoretical frameworks from (socio-)pragmatics, historical linguistics and linguistic typology to gain a deeper understanding of how and why Japanese has developed to its present forms and uses. Students with an interest in linguistics, or in teaching and learning language, or science in general, may also enjoy the analytical approach. (No prerequisites. JAPN0103 above or equivalent recommended). Heritage speakers are also welcome.

Language Endangerment and Renewal Out of the world’s roughly 7000 languages, 3000 are under-resourced and under-recognized, and threatened with discrimination and limited use in their communities of origin. Most threatened languages are indigenous, their speakers having responded to colonial dispossession by shifting to politically and economically dominant languages. While all languages change, the global shift away from indigenous languages represents an unprecedented loss of global linguistic heritage and diversity. Some communities have responded with programs designed to reclaim and renew heritage languages for future generations. We will apply linguistic, anthropological, decolonizing, and data science methods to the project of indigenous language reclamation.

Introduction to Hispanic Linguistics This course is an introduction to the theory and methodology of linguistics as applied to the study of Spanish. The course’s goals are to understand the basic characteristics of human language (and of Spanish in particular), and to learn the techniques used to describe and explain linguistic phenomena. We will study the sound system (phonetics/phonology), the structure of words (morphology), the construction of sentences (syntax), as well as the history and sociolinguistic variation of the Spanish language, as spoken in communities in Europe, Latin America, and Northern America. We will examine texts, speech samples, and songs, illustrating these linguistic phenomena.

French Language and Society In this course we will study the relationship between the French language and French-speaking societies. Sociolinguistic approaches will be used to explore how geography, class, ethnicity, and gender influence dialectal, lexical, and phonological variation. We will examine how language contact with regional and minority languages affects language use and development. Materials will include scholarly publications, speech samples, social media, and films. Students will learn how to build and analyze surveys, and will practice presenting their research at professional venues.

Philosophy of Language Speaking a language is a complex form of behavior that plays a rich and varied role in human life. The philosophy of language seeks to give a philosophical account of this phenomenon, focusing on such questions as: How does language gain meaning? How does it differ from animal communication? Is language in some sense innate? Other topics to be addressed include: theories of reference and truth; the relation between language, thought, and reality; and theories of metaphor. Readings from philosophers and linguists will include works by Frege, Russell, Wittgenstein, Chomsky, and Pinker. (Previous course in philosophy or waiver; PHIL 0180 is also strongly recommended)3 hrs lect.

German Linguistics (in German) This course simultaneously presents an overview of the major subfields of linguistics as they apply to the German language and a discussion of how today's Standard German evolved. We will pay attention to important concepts in phonetics/phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. In addition to these theoretical and descriptive aspects, we will discuss sociolinguistic issues such as language and gender and regional variations within Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Luxemburg. Lectures and discussions will be conducted in German.

Language and the Environment Do languages simply put different labels on the environment, from rocks to trees to carbon, or are what we see and what we value shaped by the ways that we talk about it? Drawing upon ethnography, linguistics, and critical discourse analysis, we will explore how environmental perceptions and modes of action are formed in and through language. We will bring an appreciation of language differences to the analysis of ongoing environmental controversies, where the various stakeholders draw contrasting boundaries between nature and culture and define human involvement with nature in different ways.

Linguistic Anthropology Methods In this course we will work with a method and theory known as the “ethnography of communication” to examine language use in socio-cultural context. Students will learn to form research questions and collect different kinds of data, including everyday spoken interactions, archival print sources, and social media. Students will learn how to document, annotate, and analyze their samples as speech events linked to broader discursive contexts and social relations. Students will also turn ethnography of communication upon social science research itself, examining interviews and surveys as communicative interactions. The course provides an empirical pathway to questions of cultural difference and social inequality.

Language and Culture in the Americanist Tradition In this seminar we will use a comparative approach to study indigenous languages and community-academy relations. Through the lens of American Anthropology, Linguistics, and Folklore spanning the late 19th to mid-late twentieth centuries, we will listen to speakers of indigenous, creole and other minority languages as they addressed themselves to researchers and wider audiences. We will trace the history of language and culture in the Americanist Tradition, with particular attention paid to ethnolinguistic text collections, which we will analyze for expressions of verbal artistry, rhetorical address, and political voice.

Bilingualism in the Spanish-Speaking World What does it mean to be bilingual? In this course we will study bilingualism with a special emphasis on Spanish-speaking bilinguals in Europe, Latin America, and the United States. Course topics will include social, political, linguistic, and psychological aspects of bilingualism. Special attention will be paid to societal bilingualism, language use among a group or community, individual bilingualism, how an individual’s language use changes in different contexts and throughout an individual’s lifespan, and government and educational policies throughout the Spanish-speaking world. We will study texts, speech samples, and media that highlight different aspects of bilingualism. (At least two Spanish courses at the 0300 level or above, or by waiver)

Natural Language Processing In this course we will explore computational models for processing natural (human) language. We will introduce statistical and algorithmic techniques that are used to classify, generate, and understand language at the syntactic and semantic levels. We will explore applications such as parsing, information extraction, language modeling, and sentiment analysis. Assignments will involve constructing and modifying systems and will incorporate a variety of large corpora. We will also discuss the ethical concerns associated with current methods for collecting and labeling large corpora, and how language technologies might reflect and reinforce social hierarchies. This course fulfills the Responsible Computing requirement for the Computer Science major.

Introduction to Translation Studies Combining theory and praxis, this course is geared towards students with an advanced knowledge of modern languages (300-level and above) who are contemplating a career in translation. During the first part of the course in the lecture/discussion format, we will analyze key concepts of translation studies such as Katharina Reiss’ and Hans Vermeer’s “skopos theory” and Lawrence Venuti’s “the translator’s invisibility.” We will also explore political and ideological influences on translation, specifically gender. Throughout the course, students will be required to translate different non-literary texts into their native languages and present their translations in class. Not open to students who have taken LNGT 1001. A translator and writer with 30 years of experience, Karin Hanta, Director of the Feminist Resource Center at Chellis House, holds a PhD in Translation Studies from the University of Vienna./

Language Access Language access makes the difference between life and death for some of the most vulnerable people navigating and fleeing crises and conflicts worldwide. In this course, students will explore language justice and access within immigration, public health, and educational systems and settings. Students will learn to distinguish the roles of translators and interpreters working in the asylum, detention, and humanitarian parole legal processes. Students will also gain a detailed understanding of the responsibilities and strategies of interpreters and translators in high-stakes and crisis situations by learning from (and supporting) those engaged in language access work, advocacy and research. This course will require engagement with community partners in independent research.

Data Science Across Disciplines In this course, we will gain exposure to the entire data science pipeline—obtaining and cleaning large and messy data sets, exploring these data and creating engaging visualizations, and communicating insights from the data in a meaningful manner. During morning sessions, we will learn the tools and techniques required to explore new and exciting data sets. During afternoon sessions, students will work in small groups with one of several faculty members on domain-specific research projects in Anthropology, Biology, Classics, Political Science, and Statistics. This course will use the R programming language. No prior experience with programming is necessary. (Not open to students who have taken STAT 0118, STAT 0201, ANTH 1230, BIOL 1230, CLAS 1230, ECON 1230, ECSC 1230, ENVS 1230, FMMC 1230, GEOG 1230, HARC 1230, HIST 1230, JAPN 1230, LNGT 1230, MATH 1230, NSCI 1230, PSCI 1230, SOCI 1230, STAT 1230, or WRPR 1230.)  ANTH/LNGT 1230: In this section we will explore indigenous political voice in unexpected places. The data we will analyze will consist of bilingual Apache-English and Maidu-English stories, songs and speeches originally recorded by anthropological linguists in the early twentieth century as examples of traditional culture. Students will use R to search this corpora for how indigenous contributors were also making claims on the future in their address to the researcher and to wider anticipated audiences. This course includes a community engagement component.  BIOL/ECSC 1230: In this section we will work with data collected by elephant seals equipped with oceanographic instruments in the Southern Ocean. Depending on your interests, you can approach the project from different angles: students focusing on biology will explore where the seals travel and what drives their movements, while those interested in earth science will investigate the temperature and salinity profiles gathered during their dives. Working in teams, you’ll combine these perspectives to build a fuller picture of both seal ecology and the oceanographic processes that shape their environment. Along the way, you’ll practice manipulating and visualizing different types of data including maps of seal tracks, temperature and salinity profiles, and cross-sections of ocean properties. We will also bring in satellite  and autonomous float data to place seal activity and the data they collect in a broader context. By the end, you’ll have a sense of how these different data sources fit together and what unique insights we gain from using seals as oceanographers.  CLAS 1230: In this section students will gain hands-on experience with a variety of natural language processing and text mining techniques by exploring the writings of the ancient historian Plutarch, who lived during the first and second centuries AD.  We will focus on the biographies of "great men" in Plutarch’s Lives, which chronicles the history, morals, and virtues of major figures who played parallel roles in ancient Greek and Roman society. The public domain English translation from Project Gutenberg will serve as our main corpus; however, students with a background or interest in Ancient Greek can work with the text in the original language. Using the R programming language, students will transform unstructured text into quantitative data for statistical analysis and morphosyntactic parsing. We will also apply machine learning models to our data to reveal underlying patterns in large amounts of text. No prior experience with R is necessary.  PSCI 1230: Who votes in elections? Who attends protests? Why? In this section we will use the tools of data science to explore these and other questions about political participation in the Americas. We will examine engagement in different forms of participation and the demographic, economic, social, and other factors that shape participation. The class will introduce students to the basics of survey research and the study of political participation.  Students will complete a final group project showcasing the concepts and tools learned in class.   STAT 1230: In this section students will dive into the world of data science by focusing on invasive species monitoring data. Early detection is crucial to controlling many invasive species; however, there is a knowledge gap regarding the sampling effort needed to detect the invader early. In this course, we will work with decades of invasive species monitoring data collected across the United States to better understand how environmental variables play a role in the sampling effort required to detect invasive species. Students will gain experience in the entire data science pipeline, but the primary focus will be on data scraping, data visualization, and communication of data-based results to scientists and policymakers.

Alex Lyford

Ben White

Brandon Baird

David Allen

Florence Feiereisen

Gyula Zsombok

Hang Du

James Fitzsimmons

Joe McVeigh

John Carew

John Spackman

Julia Deen

Kareem Khalifa

Karin Hanta

Laura Biester

Marcos Rohena-Madrazo

Marybeth Nevins

Per Urlaub

Sayaka Abe

Shawna Shapiro

Thor Sawin

Usama Soltan

Read 90 reviews for Linguistics courses at Middlebury College. Find the best Linguistics professors and courses.  Discover your new major today!

Super cool subject. The readings were hard. I learned a lot about the spanish language in and of itself which was cool. I would say that it's pretty applicable to actually speaking spanish and while not a spanish learning course, certainly helped my spanish.

Helpful but fast-paced. Especially difficult for students whose first language is not English. The professor is super supportive, the reading and homework really help me to understand what he's teaching.


Brandon was an amazing professor. With his co-professor, John Carew, he taught a class of ~15 students with great enthusiasm and knowledge. I would definitely take this class again because of the great content. 