Linguistics Major (B.A.)
https://cola.unh.edu/linguistics/program/ba/linguistics
Linguistics is the study of one of the most important characteristics of human beings—language. It cuts across the boundaries between the sciences and the humanities. The program is an excellent liberal arts major or preprofessional major for education, law, medicine, clergy and others. It is a particularly appropriate major for students who want to teach English as a second language. Dual majors with a foreign language, international affairs, business administration and the like are quite feasible.
Students interested in the major should consult with the program coordinator or with any professor who teaches linguistics courses. To declare a major in linguistics, a student must meet with the linguistics coordinator to design a course of study. Information is available from the University Advising Center, 101 Hood House, and at cola.unh.edu/linguistics. Students may also contact Prof. Rachel Burdin, Linguistics Program Coordinator, with questions about major or minor requirements: Rachel.Burdin@unh.edu, (603) 862-1088.
Degree Requirements
All Major, Option and Elective Requirements as indicated.
*Major GPA requirements as indicated.
Major Requirements
The required minimum overall GPA in major coursework is 2.0.
Linguistic majors may use one major-required course to satisfy one Discovery Program category requirement.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| LING 405 | Introduction to Linguistics | 4 |
| Sounds of Language | ||
| Select one course from the following: | 4 | |
| Phonetics | ||
| Phonology | ||
| Sentence Structure or Meaning | ||
| Select one course from the following: | 4 | |
| Syntax | ||
| Semantics | ||
| Historical Linguistics or Sociolinguistics | ||
| Select one course from the following: | 4 | |
| History of the English Language | ||
| Sociolinguistics Survey | ||
| History of Slavic Languages and Culture | ||
| Topics in Hispanic Linguistics and Cultural Studies (Subtopic A) | ||
| Foreign Language | ||
| Two years of college study (or equivalent) of one foreign language | 4-16 | |
| Cognate Specialties | ||
| Select one of the following: | 8 | |
One year study (or equivalent) of a second foreign language from a different language family or subfamily 1 | ||
| Psychology of Language 2 | ||
| Electives | ||
| Select three elective courses from below list, two of which must be a 600- or 700- level LING or ENGL course 3 | 8 | |
| Discovery Program Capstone Experience | ||
| LING 779 | Linguistic Field Methods | 4 |
| or LING 695 | Senior Honors | |
| Total Credits | 40-52 | |
- 1
Old English may count as the second foreign language if the first foreign language is not in the Germanic family.
- 2
With its prerequisite, either PSYC 512 Psychology of Primates or PSYC 513 Cognitive Psychology
- 3
History of the English Language or Sociolinguistics may serve as electives if not used to fulfill the Historical or Sociolinguistic requirement. Similarly, Phonetics, Phonology, Syntax, and Semantics may count as electives if not used to fulfill the Sounds of Language or Sentence Structure or Meaning requirement.
Elective Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Anthropology | ||
| ANTH 795 | Reading and Research (Subtopic B) | 1-8 |
| ANTH 796 | Reading and Research (Subtopic B) | 1-8 |
| Communication | ||
| CMN 666 | Conversation Analysis | 4 |
| English | ||
| ENGL 604 | Phonology | 4 |
| ENGL 603 | Phonetics | 4 |
| ENGL 606 | Languages of the World | 4 |
| ENGL 607 | Syntax | 4 |
| ENGL 608 | Semantics | 4 |
| ENGL 715 | Teaching English as a Second Language: Theory and Methods | 4 |
| ENGL 716 | Curriculum, Materials and Assessment in English as a Second Language | 4 |
| ENGL 718 | Morphology | 4 |
| ENGL 719 | Sociolinguistics Survey | 4 |
| ENGL 728 | Language and Gender | 4 |
| ENGL 752 | History of the English Language | 4 |
| ENGL 790 | Special Topics in Linguistics | 4 |
| ENGL 791 | English Grammar | 4 |
| LLC | ||
| LLC 791 | Methods of Foreign Language Teaching | 4 |
| Linguistics | ||
| LING 606 | Languages of the World | 4 |
| LING 603 | Phonetics | 4 |
| LING 604 | Phonology | 4 |
| LING 607 | Syntax | 4 |
| LING 608 | Semantics | 4 |
| LING 718 | Morphology | 4 |
| LING 719 | Sociolinguistics Survey | 4 |
| LING 728 | Language and Gender | 4 |
| LING 790 | Special Topics in Linguistics Theory | 4 |
| Psychology | ||
| PSYC 512 | Psychology of Primates 1 | 4 |
| PSYC 513 | Cognitive Psychology 1 | 4 |
| PSYC 712W | Psychology of Language | 4 |
| Russian | ||
| RUSS 733 | History of Slavic Languages and Culture | 4 |
| Spanish | ||
| SPAN 641 | Spanish Language Variation & Change | 4 |
| SPAN 645 | Intro to Spanish Linguistics | 4 |
| SPAN 798 | Topics in Hispanic Linguistics and Cultural Studies (Subtopic A) | 4 |
- 1
Students may count either PSYC 512 Psychology of Primates or PSYC 513 Cognitive Psychology toward the linguistics major or minor, but not both.
Alternative courses may be substituted, with the permission of the student's advisor and the linguistics committee, if they are relevant to the the student's academic program.
Candidates for a degree must satisfy all of the University Discovery Program requirements in addition to satisfying the requirements of each individual major program. Bachelor of arts candidates must also satisfy the foreign language proficiency requirement.
Program Learning Outcomes
Students will understand and be able to deploy the analytical tools, modes of critical thinking, and types of writing that are used in studying languages and linguistics. Students will be able to analyze sets of data and make arguments concerning the theoretical analysis of those data.
Core areas:
- Phonetics: Students will understand the acoustic and articulatory properties of speech sounds both for English and for other languages. Students will be able to transcribe and read the International Phonetic Alphabet.
- Phonology: Students will display knowledge of phonological analysis including identifying phonemes and allophones in languages, writing phonological rules using distinctive features, and understanding phonological processes such as assimilation, epenthesis, vowel harmony, etc.
- Morphology: Students will be able to analyze word structure (inflection, derivation, compounding) both in English and in unfamiliar languages. They will understand key concepts concerning the mental lexicon.
- Syntax: Students will be able to analyze the structural properties of sentences in English and in other languages and be familiar with the principles of generative grammar.
- Sociolinguistics, Historical Linguistics, and Typology: Students will understand processes of language change over time, language variation according to region, social class, gender, and education, and the effects of language contact.
- Field Methods: Students will be able to work with a native speaker of an unfamiliar language to collect and analyze data from that language. They will understand the ethical and logistical issues involved in documenting languages.
- Applications: Students will have an understanding of practical applications of linguistic knowledge to daily life, including political issues regarding language (e.g., bilingual education, official languages), language acquisition, disorders that can affect language.