Course Archive
Websites for Representative Linguistics Classes
(Note: Lynn Gordon is retired and no longer teaching. Syllabi for other courses are available at gordonl@wsu.edu)
English 112 Language in the Real World (Topic: Language and Law)
English 255 English Grammar
The primary goal of this class is to learn to apply of one kind of analysis to English sentences. This kind of analysis introduces the terms and methods of traditional analysis which underlie style sheets and manuals. It should, therefore, make editing and revising to a specific style sheet much easier.
English 256 Introduction to Linguistics
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the field of linguistics, the study of the nature, structure and use of language.
English 443/543 Phonology
The purpose of this course is to help students to learn about the sound systems of natural human languages, to learn techniques for analyzing regularities in sounds systems, to learn how to make arguments in favor of particular analyses, and to become familiar with the range of natural variation and distribution of speech sounds in human languages.
English 444/544 Syntax
The purpose of this class is to learn about modern syntactic theory and analysis based on examining a range of structures (of different periods, developmental stages and dialects) of English (mostly). The best way to learn a system of analysis is to do it and so we'll be doing a lot of it. We will be employing a Minimalist approach, which is the most recent theoretical descendant of generative syntax.
English 457 Sociolinguistics
This class addresses a number of questions about the relationship between language and society, including
What language varieties do people use?
What affects their choice of variety?
What do people use language to do?
How does who a person is affect how he or she uses language?
How does how a person uses language affect and reflect who she or he is?
How does the social context in which a language develops and is used affect its structure?
How does the social contract between users of a language affect their interpretation of what is said or written?
English 454/554 History of the English Language
The topic of this course is the development of English from the time Germanic tribes invade the British Isles to the present. We will consider how the changes in English exemplify language change in general, how language and society interact, how the language is used in literature and how English developed as a literate language.
English 458 Topics in Linguistics: Historical Linguistics
The purpose of this course is to help students to learn about how languages change over time; to learn about the kinds of relationships that exist between languages; to learn the techniques for analyzing and providing evidence for those relationships; and to learn how to do formal analyses of language change and argue for particular analyses.
English 458 Topics in Linguistics: Linguistic Research Methods
The purpose of this class is to introduce a wide range of research methods in linguistics (many of which can be used in a wide range of social science and educational areas as well as linguistics). At the end of this class, a student should be able tread a wide range of linguistic research critically; conduct research using multiple methods; and draw up an effective research plan to address a particular question or hypothesis.