Linguistics Courses | 2026-2027 Academic Catalog | SIU

Oral conversational and academic English. An elective for students who do not speak English as their first language. Classes are offered at beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels. May be repeated at three different levels for a maximum of 9 credit hours. Mandatory Pass/Fail.

Credit Hours: 3

(University Core Curriculum) [IAI Course: C1 900] The first course in the university's two-course required composition sequence designed for ESL students. This course helps ESL writers become more comfortable with and proficient in academic writing in English. To this end, Linguistics 101 teaches students processes and strategies for planning, drafting, revising, and editing their English writing for academic audiences. Course assignments focus on writing from primary and secondary sources. ESL equivalent to University Core Curriculum English 101.

Credit Hours: 3

(University Core Curriculum) [IAI Course: C1 901R] The second course in the university's two-course required composition sequence designed for ESL students. This course helps ESL writers become more comfortable with and proficient in research writing for academic audiences. Linguistics 102 focuses on writing from secondary sources, teaching students processes and strategies for planning, drafting, revising, and editing papers that incorporate published material. All aspects of the research process are addressed, from locating and evaluating relevant sources to incorporating and documenting these sources in papers written for various purposes. Students must earn a grade of C or better in LING 101 or ENGL 101 before beginning LING 102. For credit in the University Core Curriculum, students must earn a "C" or better in 102. Equivalent to University Core Curriculum ENGL 102. Prerequisite: LING 101 or ENGL 101.

Credit Hours: 3

(University Core Curriculum) In this course, we will explore human language through examination of various mathematical approaches used to analyze and sometimes argued to fundamentally underlie language. Through this course, students will develop mathematical skill and literacy in quantitative approaches particularly as they relate to language. We will work through concepts such as basic formal logics, set theory, probabilities and other foundational quantitative skills.

Credit Hours: 3

(University Core Curriculum) What distinguishes humans from other animals? This course addresses how language is a uniquely human phenomenon by exploring issues in language and society and psychological aspects of language use. Topics include language in conversation, differences between speakers of different ages/genders/regions/social groups, first and second language acquisition, bilingualism, language meaning and change, and the relationship between language and culture.

Credit Hours: 3

(University Core Curriculum) An examination of different varieties of English and the growing presence of other languages in the United States. Local, regional, and national perspectives are used to review current patterns of language diversity and to explore the impact of language issues on policies and practices in education, the legal system, and the work place.

Credit Hours: 3

(University Core Curriculum) Blending linguistic theory with artistic practice, this course examines how sound, structure, and meaning come together to form entirely new languages?like those found in fantasy, science fiction, and experimental literature. Students will study notable conlangs (e.g., Klingon, Dothraki, Quenya, Laadan, Loxian, Lingua Ignota, Liliputian), each reflecting unique worldviews and artistic aims), learn core principles of phonetics, grammar, and script design, and ultimately invent their own fully realized language. Emphasis is placed on aesthetic choices, cultural worldbuilding, and language as a form of artistic expression. No prior linguistics knowledge required. Ideal for students interested in storytelling, design, worldbuilding, or the intersection of art and communication.

Credit Hours: 3

(University Core Curriculum) Introduces the sociolinguistic and historical dynamics shaping Indigenous and minority languages in the Americas. Topics include pre-Columbian linguistic diversity, colonization, language shift, endangerment, and revitalization. Students engage with case studies and community-based approaches, connecting academic inquiry with Indigenous perspectives. No prerequisites. (Credit Hours: 3).

Credit Hours: 3

This course helps ESL writers refine their writing in English, with a focus on broadening their understanding of the rhetorical expectations of the types of writing done in their professional disciplines, both in academia and in industry. Assignments focus on the exploration of research methods and writing tasks involved in various fields and in the job application process. Students must earn a grade of C or better in LING 102 or ENGL 102 before beginning LING 290. Prerequisite: LING 101 or ENGL 101 and LING 102 or ENGL 102.

Credit Hours: 3

An introductory survey of descriptive and theoretical linguistics: assumptions, methods, goals, terminology, and subareas.

Credit Hours: 3

The problem of the uniqueness of human language and how it fits into culture and society. The origin and development of language. Topics covered include animal and human communication, language and world view, and the meaning of meaning.

Credit Hours: 3

This topics course offers an exploration of both linguistic and cultural topics for a selected language. Students will learn basics of the topic language while learning about its linguistic system. Students will learn about countries where the language is spoken and those countries? culture and customs. No prerequisites. May be repeated to a total of nine credit hours under different topics (languages).

Credit Hours: 3

(University Core Curriculum) (Same as WGSS 320I) This course looks at language practices and men and women from different cultures in terms of how speech reflects and shapes their social identities. Perspectives from the fields of linguistics, anthropology, psychology, sociology, and communication studies will be used.

Credit Hours: 3

This course introduces students to the fundamental role that language plays in creating and shaping laws and the legal system. The course incorporates introductory information from the linguistic fields of semantics, syntax, and pragmatics to develop an understanding of written and spoken laws from the perspective of language use.

Credit Hours: 3

Introduces foundational knowledge and understanding of theory, practice, and research in intercultural communication, including the effects of cultural identities and cross-cultural experiences on language, perception, and worldview. Implications for language learning and teaching are also explored.

Credit Hours: 3

(Same as ASL 351) This course is designed to examine linguistic concepts as they pertain to American Sign Language. Phonological, morphological, syntactic and pragmatic structures of ASL will be studied. Prerequisite: ASL 220B with a grade of C or better.

Credit Hours: 3

(Same as ASL 352) This course will explore the major areas of sociolinguistics as they relate to Deaf communities from around the world. Multilingualism, bilingualism and language contact, variation, discourse analysis, language planning and policy, and language attitudes will be studied. No knowledge of Sign Language required.

Credit Hours: 3

(University Core Curriculum) (Same as ASL 375) This course explores signed languages from a worldwide perspective: linguistic commonalities and differences, the birth of a new sign language, evolution of educational approaches to deafness, marginalization of signed languages and Deaf people. No prior knowledge of sign language required.

Credit Hours: 3

(Same as PHIL 402) Introduction to the formal mechanisms used to encode meaning in natural language. Potential topics include: predication, definiteness, quantification, and semantic modeling.

Credit Hours: 3

This is a course in basic phonetics, including articulatory and acoustic phonetics. Students will learn to make the sounds used in languages of the world, provide articulatory descriptions of those sounds, recognize distinctions among sounds upon hearing them, and use spectrographic software to analyze the acoustic stream.

Credit Hours: 3

Study of English phonology, including phonetics, phonemics, and prosodics.

Credit Hours: 3

Regional variation and social stratification of American English. Phonological and syntactic differences among the major dialects of American English. Prerequisite: LING 300.

Credit Hours: 3

Introduction to the major concepts and issues in phonological theory from a cross-linguistic perspective. Prerequisite: LING 300 or consent of instructor.

Credit Hours: 3

(Same as ANTH 406) An introductory survey of historical and comparative linguistics, including terminology, assumptions, and methods of investigation. Satisfies the CoLA Writing-Across-the-Curriculum requirement. Not open to graduate students in Linguistics. Prerequisites: LING 300, LING 405 (may be taken concurrently), or consent of department.

Credit Hours: 3

Course works to make connection between SLA theory and TESOL methods. Promotes eclecticism through exploration of historical (e.g. grammar translation) and current approaches to TESOL (communicative). Encourages critical analysis of teaching materials and reflective practice. Lecture, readings, discussion, teaching demonstrations, and materials review.

Credit Hours: 3

Introduction to the major concepts and issues in generative syntax from a cross-linguistic perspective. Prerequisite: LING 300 or consent of instructor.

Credit Hours: 3

(Same as PHIL 410) A survey and introduction to theories on the nature of "truth" and "meaning" and their relationship to natural language. Potential topics include: reference, definite descriptions, naming, externalism, modality and possible worlds.

Credit Hours: 3

(Same as JPN 410) Introduction to the linguistic structure of Japanese (phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, etc.) with particular emphasis on morphology and syntax. This course satisfies the CoLA Writing-Across-the-Curriculum requirement.

Credit Hours: 3

This course studies the relationship between language and society. The focus in an individual semester may include but is not limited to regional dialectology, language variation, linguistic geography, multilingualism, languages in contact, and/or language planning.

Credit Hours: 3

This course offers a survey of the historical, social, political, linguistic, and educational issues surrounding the Spanish language in the United States. Topics to be addressed include Spanish language use and bilingualism, language maintenance and shift, education of Latino populations, Hispanic diversity, and Latino literature.

Credit Hours: 3

(Same as ANTH 417) Introduction to the study of the social conditions under which language contact occurs and the cultural and linguistic consequences of such contact using data from a variety of languages and cultures. Potential topics include: language maintenance and shift, ideologies and attitudes regarding bilingualism, and language development and change.

Credit Hours: 3

This course takes a pragmatic approach to learning Japanese and focuses on Japanese "in context." Students will acquire interpretive skills to understand the contextual particularity and nuance of Japanese in context. They are introduced to various pragmatic concepts and constructs, such as speech act, politeness, face negotiation, speech style shifts, and gender, among others.

Credit Hours: 3

An exploration of the languages of the world. We will discuss their geographical distribution, their genetic affiliations, their historical development, and structural characteristics. Course assumes no prior background in linguistics.

Credit Hours: 3

Introduction to the theories and methods in the study of the structure of words. Emphasis is on current work in morphology, its impact on other subareas of linguistics, and application of theory to data, and implications for current work. Prerequisite: LING 300 or consent of instructor.

Credit Hours: 3

Detailed analysis of the structure of particular languages or linguistic structures. May be repeated as topic varies to a total of six credit hours with consent of department.

Credit Hours: 3

An introduction to current theories of ESL/EFL composition and pedagogical grammar, as well as principles and techniques for teaching composition and grammar in a second language. Course will combine understanding of theory with evaluation of published materials and original development of high quality teaching materials. Prerequisite: LING 407 or consent of instructor.

Credit Hours: 3

(Same as CLAS 403 and ENGL 403) This course traces the development of English from its Germanic roots to its role as a global language. We examine how historical events?migration, conquest, and cultural change?shaped English vocabulary, grammar, and structure. Students will explore how social and political forces influenced linguistic change, gaining tools for analyzing English alongside its Germanic relatives. By the end of the course, students will explain key factors driving language change, demonstrate basic historical linguistic analysis, and connect linguistic developments to major historical events. Assignments emphasize clear written work and the application of linguistic knowledge to advanced topics in language science.

Credit Hours: 3

Selected topics in theoretical and applied linguistics. May be repeated to a total of nine hours credit under different topics. Not for graduate credit.

Credit Hours: 3

Survey of the field of language planning: definitions and typologies, language problems, language treatment, attitudes and beliefs about language, relations between language planning processes and other kinds of social and economic planning, linguistic innovations and other processes of language change, implementation of language policies.

Credit Hours: 3

(Same as PSYC 443) Examines the linguistic, psycholinguistic, sociolinguistic, and educational aspects of bilingualism, particularly as pertaining to the care and education of bilingual children. Useful for teachers, speech therapists, doctors, psychologists, counselors, and others working with bilinguals. Practical applications and data-based research. Prerequisite: LING 300 or consent of instructor.

Credit Hours: 3

(Same as PSYC 444) Introduction to key concepts and major theoretical and methodological issues in SLA research. Examines major developments in SLA in the areas of phonology, morphology, lexis, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, and discourse and provides students with hands-on experience in describing and accounting for L2 data. An opportunity to design and implement a data-based study in an area of interest to students. Prerequisite: LING 300 or consent of instructor.

Credit Hours: 3

(Same as PSYC 445) A broad spectrum introduction to psycholinguistics. Topics to be covered include general methodology for the study of psycholinguistics, the nature of language, theories of human communication, language comprehension and production, first and second language acquisition, meaning and thought, natural animal communication systems, and language and the brain.

Credit Hours: 3

A synchronic or diachronic survey of particular language, language family, sub-family, or macro-family. May be repeated as topic varies for a total of six credit hours with consent of department.

Credit Hours: 3

Introduction to the methods of eliciting and evaluating data to construct a detailed linguistic description of a language or dialect by working with a native speaker or speakers of the language/dialect. Additional discussion on preservation and wider linguist-community responsibility. Prerequisite: LING 300 or consent of instructor.

Credit Hours: 3

Focused observation of a wide variety of classes in English as a second language and in foreign languages. Some supervised teaching or tutoring. Analysis of textbooks for TESOL. Not for graduate credit. Prerequisite: LING 407 or consent of department.

Credit Hours: 3

An examination of indigenous and other minority languages of the Americas. Discussion of language documentation and revitalization vis-a-vis community internal language ideologies, language shift, and the effects of contact with European languages and cultures.

Credit Hours: 3

Provides a broad overview of the field of bilingual education, including related terminology; historical, political, social, theoretical, international, economic, cultural, and legal aspects of bilingual education; and educational program models for serving English language students. Satisfies the CoLA Writing-Across-the-Curriculum Requirement.

Credit Hours: 3

Methods and materials for: bilingual content, biliteracy, sheltered and multicultural instruction, and for ELLs with disabilities; techniques for advocacy for ELLs, writing funding proposals, and conducting program reviews and workshops. Includes materials reviews, lesson planning, and micro-teaching.

Credit Hours: 3

This course covers theoretical and practical issues in the assessment, testing, measurement, and evaluation of second and foreign language learners. It covers the history and development of language testing practices; the relationship between assessment, instruction, and course design; principles of good assessment; the sociocultural context surrounding assessment; and traditional and alternative assessment that can be used for all language skills in diverse K-12 and adult learners. Students get hands-on practice critically evaluating assessments, creating their own assessments, and analyzing and interpreting assessment results.

Credit Hours: 3

This course offers an introduction to a variety of technologies that can be used to support and enhance second language learning. In addition to building students' practical skills and comfort with a range of technologies, the course encourages critical thinking about if/when to use technologies in the classroom and how to best integrate them.

Credit Hours: 3

Overview of issues and procedures in the design and implementation of courses for TESOL. Works through major steps of course design including needs and context analysis, setting of objectives, syllabus design, content specification, and evaluation. Prerequisite: LING 407 or consent of instructor.

Credit Hours: 3

An introduction to current theories, principles, and techniques for teaching second language listening and speaking skills. Students will gain practical experience in developing meaningful listening and speaking activities/materials. Prerequisite: LING 407 or consent of instructor.

Credit Hours: 3

An introduction to current theories of reading and vocabulary learning, as well as principles and techniques for teaching reading and vocabulary in a second language. Course will combine understanding of theory with evaluation of published materials and original development of high-quality teaching materials. Prerequisite: LING 407 or consent of instructor.

Credit Hours: 3

This course explores the various ways in which culture informs and interacts with teaching and learning in the additional language classroom. Materials and assignments are designed to advance students' understanding of theory, practice, and research in the wider field of intercultural communication with a focus on how such knowledge can be applied to pedagogical practices in language teaching. Considerations will include the effects of cultural identities and cross-cultural experiences on language, perception, and world view and how these factors inform the larger language learning experience. Current and future teachers will be equipped with the tools to develop their individual intercultural competence and to foster intercultural awareness in their own classrooms.

Credit Hours: 3

Provides students with the opportunity to work with students of diverse linguistic backgrounds in a local school or in an international setting. Students will spend a minimum of two hours per week (one credit hour), up to eight hours per week (three credit hours) in a classroom. Students wishing to fulfill the 100-clock-hours requirement for an ESL endorsement must register for three credit hours. Students will complete weekly reports, monthly reflections, and observe language educators in real world situations. Prerequisite: LING 407 with a grade of C or better.

Credit Hours: 1-3

Directed readings in selected topics in linguistics. Special approval needed from the instructor.

Credit Hours: 1-8