Linguistics

LINGUISTICS COURSES

We have currently offer four Linguistics courses. All are certified as Writing-Intensive and Pathways. Linguistics courses are taught by Language and Cognition Professors who are experienced with students who are emerging bilinguals and those who may struggle with academic writing. All Linguistics courses are open to students from the ESL 91 level on.  They are on a basic, introductory level, and do not require any specific sequence or previous linguistics course. These courses are designed to help students understand the development and use of language, both in conversation and in academic contexts. They are interesting and relevant to students of all majors.

WHY STUDY LINGUISTICS?

Linguistics is a new field and is constantly growing and adding new areas of investigation. Linguistics students who continue their studies after Hostos can pursue majors in education, ESL, speech pathology, and library/information science. In addition to these professions, knowledge of linguistics has become closely associated with careers in health, business, law, criminal justice, social work, computer science, government, advertising, and the media.

The study of linguistics enhances awareness of issues concerned with language, communication, and interacting with diverse populations. Consequently, these courses provide skills that would also be useful to those who do not plan to study beyond the two-year degree, and would be particularly relevant to employment in the health professions, criminal justice, working as educational para-professionals, or to students who plan to enter the military.

SOME TOPICS IN LINGUISTICS
  • How children acquire language
  • How children and adults acquire and use new languages
  • How language and culture influence the way people think and interact with others
  • How political and social power shapes attitudes to language
  • The relationship of language knowledge to academic achievement and educational success
  • How language is reflected in the media
  • Dialect and language varieties, including standard and non-standard language
  • Speech, hearing, and communication disorders
 
STUDYING LINGUISTICS HELPS DEVELOP THESE SKILLS
  • Writing and communication
  • Analytical reasoning, critical thinking, and clarity of expression
  • Recognizing how specific details of communication affect personal and social interactions
  • How language affects academic progress
  • Understanding the relationship of language to social and historical events
  • Appreciating diversity in speech and communication.


COURSES

LIN 100 Introduction to Linguistics (3 credits)
(Writing Intensive Sections)
Pathways: Individual and Society
Pre/Co-requisite: ESL 91 or ENG 100
This course offers an introduction to the field of linguistics, providing students with the basic terms, discourse and concepts related to the scientific study of language; the brain and language; and the social and chronological history of language. Students also learn the subsystems of language, such as phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and non-verbal communication.
 
LIN 102 Bilingualism (3 credits)
(Writing Intensive Sections)
Pathways: Individual and Society
Pre/Co-requisite: ESL 91 or ENG 100
This course explores the nature of bilingualism, both as a societal and an individual human phenomenon. It includes the study of language domains, language acquisition and language loss; the psychological, cognitive, legal, and sociological implications of living with two languages; and the educational and economic aspects of bilingualism. Students experience first-hand observations of bilingual communities and individuals.
 
LIN 103 Language Acquisition (3 credits)
(Writing Intensive Sections)
Pathways: Individual and Society
Pre/Co-requisite: ESL 91 or ENG 100
This course focuses on the process of language acquisition in normally developing children, from infancy to school age. Theories of language acquisition are explored, including those that are behavioral, psycholinguistic, and sociolinguistic. Students learn the developmental stages of language and study the relationship between oral and written language acquisition. They also learn language differences related to bilingualism and dialect variations.
 
LIN 105 Language and Power (3 credits)
(Writing Intensive Sections)
Pathways: World Cultures and Global Issues [in process])
Pre/Co-requisite: ESL 91 or ENG 100
This course focuses on the relationship of language and power. Students will explore the various ways in which language is used to construct inequality and domination, but is also used to offer tools for resistance and change. The syllabus will be organized around selected linguistic issues of language and law in the United States, the post-colonial linguistic experience in Asia and Africa, the impact of global English, and, with the use of media examples, evolving attitudes to language and communication. This multi-disciplinary course integrates insights from cultural linguistics, applied critical linguistics, and linguistic anthropology.