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LinguisticsMay be elected as an interdepartmental concentration program Prerequisites to Concentration. Ling 210, 211, or 212 is a prerequisite for a linguistics concentration, but does not count towards the concentration. Concentration Requirements. The linguistics concentration requires a total of 30 credits at the 300 level or higher. Students should consult with their advisor to ensure that their concentration program consists of a coherent set of courses. The interdisciplinary nature of the field of linguistics – and hence the interdisciplinary nature of the concentration program – makes it particularly important that students are aware of the options available to them. Required Courses. All concentrators are required to take the following three courses. This coursework should be completed as soon as possible, as it is intended to ensure that all students gain a solid understanding of the nature of language and the methods currently employed in the study of language. 1. Linguistics 313 – Sound Patterns This course explores two fundamental aspects of the sounds of the world's languages: speech sounds as physical entities (phonetics) and speech sounds as linguistic units (phonology). 2. Linguistics 314 – Aspects of Meaning This course introduces students to aspects of semantic and pragmatic systems in natural language, including logic and formal systems, reference/co-reference, and text analysis. 3. Linguistics 315 – Introduction to Sentence Analysis This course examines the rule systems whereby words are organized into phrases and phrases into sentences in natural languages. In extraordinary circumstances, with permission of an advisor, an advanced course in the area of phonetics/phonology, semantics, or syntax could satisfy the Ling 313, 314, or 315 requirement, respectively. Additional Courses. Beyond the three basic courses, concentrators are encouraged to fill out their program, in consultation with a linguistics concentration advisor, with courses that satisfy their own particular interests and goals. These courses may be offered by the Program in Linguistics or another program or department. Each term, the Linguistics Undergraduate Program distributes a list of courses offered by other units that are approved for concentration credit in Linguistics. Concentrators may request that courses not on this list also count towards the required credits; these requests must be approved by the Undergraduate Program. Double Concentration. Because the study of language is inherently interdisciplinary, a concentration in linguistics can be designed to integrate very well with other academic fields. A large proportion of current linguistics concentrators (more than half) complete double concentrations. An LS&A double concentration requires satisfying all of the concentration requirements of both programs. However, since LS&A places no limit on the number of credits that may be offered jointly for both concentrations, this allows students to double-concentrate with substantially fewer than 60 total concentration credits. Students considering a double concentration in linguistics and another field in LS&A should consult concentration advisors in both fields. Honors Concentration. The Honors concentration in linguistics includes completion of the requirements for the concentration and, in addition, a senior Honors project leading to an Honors thesis. The thesis must be written under the supervision of a faculty member of the Program in Linguistics and with permission of a concentration advisor. Students may elect Linguistics 495 and 496 when writing the Honors thesis (but are not required to do so). Concentration Profiles. We offer here some examples of possible concentration profiles, but these are intended merely as examples; students are encouraged to experiment. (Note: The courses listed below from other programs and departments may change their numbers and designations at any time.) 1. Applied Linguistics and Second Language Learning and Teaching The study of second/foreign language acquisition is a major focus of applied linguistics. Coursework in this area addresses both practical and theoretical issues. Although much of the emphasis in these courses is on teaching English as a Second Language (ESL), the principles and practices studied apply to instruction in any non-native language. A sequence of coursework in this area is especially useful for students interested in teaching ESL, particularly in international settings. Students will have opportunities to meet faculty members and observe language courses in the language departments and at the English Language Institute, a principal center of second language instructional research and curriculum development. Students following this concentration profile who seek a certificate (issued upon graduation) stating that the student has completed a sequences of courses in this concentration area are required to take Ling 350 and three other courses from the following list (in addition to the three core courses required of all concentrators):
Students interested in combining linguistics with work in a particular language should take courses dealing with the history and structure of that language. Such a concentration assumes the ability to use the spoken and written language; courses that focus on learning the languages (generally 100- and 200-level) will not count as part of the concentration requirements in linguistics. As an example, one course from each of the following categories could be combined with the core linguistics courses to form a concentration that deals with the history and structure of German: structure of German: German 506; history of German: German 415 or 504; Germanic linguistics: German 500. The concentration could be completed with additional courses in German or courses offered by the Program in Linguistics. Similar concentration programs can be developed for any other language with sufficient resources available at the University. Such a program is ideal as a double concentration with the language concerned (i.e., German in this example). Students who are interested in how language is used within its social setting, and the relation between language variation and social structure, may combine linguistics courses with courses offered in anthropology or sociology. This program is effective as part of a double concentration in Linguistics and either of these two departments. Courses in this area include:
Students who wish to explore the relation between language and human cognitive capabilities are encouraged to combine coursework in linguistics and psychology. This program is particularly recommended for students seeking a double concentration in these two units. Possible courses include:
Students interested in learning about issues in natural language and computation may combine courses in linguistics, philosophy, and computer science. These students may also choose to pursue a double concentration in linguistics and either of these two fields. Examples of courses in this area are:
6. The Linguistics of English Texts and Discourse Students interested in applying the methods of linguistic analysis to spoken English discourse and to written English texts can combine the study of linguistics with courses in historical or discourse analysis, including:
This concentration program is ideal as a double concentration with English. Students who desire a more intensive program in the analysis of language can complete their concentration with courses such as:
This concentration program works well as part of a double concentration with a number of fields, including mathematics or any of those listed under the profiles above. Advising. Advising appointments can be made by contacting: John Lawler (jlawler@umich.edu) or Joan Morley (hjmorley@umich.edu). Courses in Linguistics
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