Linguistics course catalog
All 35 recorded UW–Madison courses in this department, including courses not offered this term. Open a course for prerequisites, historical grades and instructors.
AMERIND/LINGUIS 371: Survey of North American Indian Languages
3 credits
Overview of native languages of North America, including topics such as history, distribution, diversity, government policy, language endangerment, elaboration of cultural domains, language and worldview, speech styles, language structure (phonology, morphology, grammatical categories), performance (narrative, song), writing systems.
ANTHRO/FOLKLORE/INTLST/LINGUIS 211: Global Language Issues
Credits unavailable
Focuses on language and its culture, example topics include: extinction and revival, language and nationhood, how widely and deeply languages differ, language and worldview, writing systems and literacy, language discrimination and inequality.
ANTHRO/LINGUIS 301: Introduction to Linguistics: Descriptive and Theoretical
3 credits
Elementary theory and practical work in phonetics, phonology, morphology, and syntax, with attention to formal grammar.
ANTHRO/LINGUIS 430: Language and Culture
Credits unavailable
The relationship of language as a communication system to the culture transmitted by it. Principle problems in the interrelations of language and nonlinguistic human behavior.
LINGUIS 101: Human Language
3 credits
Elementary theory and practical work in phonetics, phonology, morphology, and syntax, with attention to formal grammar.
LINGUIS 213: Topics in Sociolinguistics
3 credits
Introduction to sociolinguistics through study of a particular topic. Focuses on how language is shaped by social factors such as gender, ethnicity, education, social status, and geographic location.
LINGUIS 237: Language in Wisconsin
3 credits
For millennia, the place we now call Wisconsin has been home to countless languages and dialects: Indigenous languages, immigrant/refugee languages and English. How and when did people learn English and when and why did they begin to speak only English? How has English developed in distinctive ways here? Do hands-on, original research to answer these and related questions about English and other languages past and present in Wisconsin. Examine social and historical issues and issues of linguistic structure, drawing on local histories, archival data, Census records and audio recordings, with opportunities to do fieldwork in communities across the state and the region.
LINGUIS 299: Directed Study
Credits unavailable
Directed study projects as arranged with a faculty member.
LINGUIS 303: Historical Linguistics
Credits unavailable
Understanding language change; relation of variation and change to formal properties of human language; consideration of linguistic typology, basic concepts and methods of diachronic analysis. Topics include: language classification and reconstruction; language and social identity, geography, and power; language contact; registers; writing systems.
LINGUIS 309: Grammatical Variability of Language
Credits unavailable
Introduction to theories of variation among world languages, focusing on syntactic phenomena.
LINGUIS 310: Phonology
3 credits
Analysis and formal statement of phonological systems; problems and methods of phonological theory.
LINGUIS 322: Morphology
3 credits
Morphological characteristics of the world's languages. Introduction to theoretical approaches to morphology. Interaction between morphology and syntax; morphology and phonology.
LINGUIS 330: Syntax
3 credits
Grammatical theory; types of elements and processes usable in syntactic description of various sorts.
LINGUIS 340: Semantics
Credits unavailable
Meaning in natural languages, relationship between syntax and semantics, compositional semantics.
LINGUIS 351: American Sign Language 1
4 credits
An introduction to elementary skills in production and comprehension of American Sign Language (ASL), with a communicative focus. Basics of ASL vocabulary, structure, and grammar, and the North American manual alphabet. Develop basic conversational abilities, culturally appropriate behaviors, and learn about the culture and history of Deaf communities.
LINGUIS 352: American Sign Language 2
Credits unavailable
Develop comprehension and production abilities in American Sign Language (ASL). Recognition and demonstration of more sophisticated grammatical features of ASL, focusing on increasing fluency and accuracy. Develop cultural awareness of the Deaf communities of the world.
LINGUIS 353: American Sign Language 3
4 credits
Intermediate-level communication skills in American Sign Language (ASL). Increase proficiency in production and comprehension of ASL vocabulary, grammar, and classifiers. Develop conversational abilities and continue to learn about the culture and history of Deaf communities.
LINGUIS 354: American Sign Language 4
Credits unavailable
Upper intermediate-level communication skills in American Sign Language (ASL). Expand vocabulary, improve grammatical accuracy and conversational fluency. Develop greater confidence using complex structures such as classifiers, role shifting, and spatial referencing. Cultural topics explore Deaf identity, community, and current issues.
LINGUIS 373: Topics in Linguistics
3 credits
Study of a particular topic in linguistics.
LINGUIS 375: Sign Language Linguistics
3 credits
Introduction and overview of the linguistics of sign languages, signing communities, and perceptions of deaf people and sign languages. Topics include: the grammar of sign languages, their use in signing communities, patterns in the transmission and acquisition of sign languages, and the emergence of new sign languages.
LINGUIS 427: Field Methods II
Credits unavailable
Collection and analysis of morphological, syntactic, and semantic data from a particular language, using one or more speakers as consultants.
LINGUIS 481: Junior Honors Tutorial
1 credits
Mentored individual research for those pursuing Honors in the Major.
LINGUIS 482: Junior Honors Tutorial
Credits unavailable
Mentored individual research for those pursuing Honors in the Major.
LINGUIS 510: Phonological Theories
Credits unavailable
Theories of phonology, and advanced phonological description.
LINGUIS 522: Advanced Morphology
3 credits
Advanced morphological theory.
LINGUIS 530: Syntactic Theories
Credits unavailable
Theories of syntax, and syntactic description. The relation of syntax to semantics, and other aspects of linguistic theory.
LINGUIS 571: Structure of a Language
Credits unavailable
In-depth study of all components of the grammar of a language.
LINGUIS 681: Honors Seminar-senior Thesis
3 credits
Mentored individual research and study for students completing a thesis in an Honors program.
LINGUIS 682: Honors Seminar-senior Thesis
Credits unavailable
Mentored individual research and study for students completing a thesis in an Honors program.
LINGUIS 690: Capstone in Linguistics
3 credits
In-depth exploration of a particular topic in linguistics. Training in data collection methodologies. Experience gathering, organizing, and analyzing linguistic data as part of a supervised research project.
LINGUIS 699: Independent Reading
1–6 credits
Advanced directed study projects as arranged with a faculty member.
LINGUIS 800: Research Methods and Materials
3 credits
Professionalization activities for linguists, including writing and publishing, submitting abstracts to conferences, and creating CVs.
LINGUIS 977: Seminar
2–3 credits
Critical examination of selected issues in linguistics.
LINGUIS 990: Thesis
1–12 credits
Research in connection with the doctoral thesis.
LINGUIS 999: Independent Reading
1–12 credits
Mentored reading and research for students with dissertator status.