Linguistics
Last updated November 7, 2011
Welcome to the Kwantlen Linguistics page!
[wεlkəm tu liŋgwistiks]
NEW JANUARY 2012: LING 2120 –
GRAMMATICAL PATTERNS IN LANGUAGE.
If you loved those syntax trees in
Ling 1100, come draw some more of them!
Prerequisite: LING 1100
"And what exactly IS Linguistics???"
Linguistics is the scientific study of language. Linguistics studies all aspects of how people use language and what they must know in order to do so. Language is a unique and universal characteristic of the human species, and holds a special fascination for us. The history of linguistics as a field of systematic study goes back almost three thousand years.
Modern linguists concern themselves with many different facets of language, from the physical properties of the sound waves in words to the intentions of speakers towards others in conversations and the social contexts in which conversations are embedded. The branches of linguistics examine how languages are structured, how languages are used, and how they change.
Who uses linguistic knowledge?
Knowledge about basic linguistics is applicable wherever language is a matter of concern. The domain of linguistics is not a single field, but ranges from research on teaching and learning foreign languages to studies of neurolinguistic disorders like aphasia and of various speech and hearing defects. It includes work in language planning: the efforts to devise writing systems for languages in the post-colonial world, to standardize terminologies for various technical domains, to revitalize endangered languages.
Examples of the applications of linguistics can be multiplied indefinitely. The oldest forms of applied linguistics are the preparation of dictionaries and the field of interpretation and translation. Moreover, linguistic techniques are needed to avoid air accidents due to miscommunication, and to steer clear of problems of communication between members of different ethnic groups. Linguists also increasingly take part in legal proceedings that require precise interpretation, resulting in a new field of study of language and law.
The applications of computers to language extend to the development of interfaces that enable people to interact with computers using ordinary language, of systems capable of understanding speech and writing, and of techniques that allow people to retrieve information more effectively from text databases or from the Web. An growing number of linguists are working in high-tech industries.
Linguistics Courses
Currently Kwantlen's Modern Languages and Linguistics Department offers four linguistics courses: Ling 1100 – Introduction to Language Structure, Ling 1300 – Languages of the World, Ling 2300 - Language in Society and Ling 2400 - First and Second Language Acquisition. Courses are offered at theLing1100 - Introduction to Language Structure (3 credits)
University transferable (refer to transfer guide)Linguistics 1100 introduces students to the rules that govern human languages in general. At first glance, languages seem to differ from each other greatly (just think about English compared to German compared to Mandarin, and so on), but there are basic similarities shared by them all. This course investigates the systematic principles in the organization of human languages. We look at the four core aspects of language structure: word-formation, word order, speech sounds, and sound patterns. Students analyze examples from a variety of languages and discuss applications of linguistic findings to language learning and teaching.
Ling1300 - Languages of the World (3 credits)
University transferable (refer to transfer guide)
Ling 2120 - Grammatical Patterns in Language (3 credits)
University transferable (refer to transfer guide)
This course examines the principles that govern the way that words are created and organized into sentences, and how the meanings of words and sentences are interpreted. We investigate the systems that underlie the organization and structure of natural languages and apply these principles to the description and analysis of individual languages. Students evaluate and analyze data from a variety of languages around the world.
Ling 2300 - Language in Society (3 credits)
University transferable (refer to transfer guide)
This course examines the relationship between language and culture in past and present societies. We analyze variation in language based on region, social class, gender, and age. We study contact and conflict between languages and look at different kinds of language policies enacted throughout the world. We also investigate how cultural attitudes and expectations and group attachments affect language usage.
Ling 2400 - First and Second Language Acquisition (3 credits) 
University transferable (refer to transfer guide)
This course studies processes and issues associated with a child learning a first language and an adult studying a second language. Topics will include the acquisition of vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation. Students become familiar with normal language development and review fundamental questions in current theoretical models.
Linguistics Course Offerings (Spring 2012)
Linguistics Courses
Instructor:
Paivi Koskinen: 604-599-2544 (R), 604-599-2488 (S), Voicemail: 9346
Instructor bio
Frequently Asked Questions about Linguistics
Will I learn to speak English more properly?
Linguistics courses are not meant to teach any specific language. You learn about many languages and about language in general. Linguistic knowledge will also make you better at learning and/or teaching languages.
Will I learn to speak some language other than English?
You will not become a proficient speaker of a new language in a Linguistics class. That’s why you will want to study French, German, Japanese, Mandarin, Spanish or Punjabi alongside your Linguistics courses, or after them. On the other hand, you will learn a lot about many languages and about human language in general. You will most certainly be a better language learner with Linguistic knowledge as an added study tool.
In order to be a student at Kwantlen, you need to be able to speak English at a required level. If you are a student at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, you know enough about language for a Linguistics course. That is all you need to know about language in order to begin Linguistics 1100.
Link to the Kwantlen Library Subject Guide on Linguistics
