Graduate Program

Spring Term Schedule

Spring 2025

Number	Title	Instructor	Time
LING 404-1 History of Linguistic Thought Ash Asudeh TR 2:00PM - 3:15PM
This course looks at key ideas in linguistics, starting in Babylon and Ancient China and working towards the study of meaning in modern linguistic theory and philosophy of language. Among the topics we will look at are: writing and its influence on grammatical traditions; the advent of historical linguistics, linguistic phylogeny, and the comparative method; European structuralism; American structuralism; variation within and across languages; the rise of generative grammar; Chomsky’s philosophy of linguistics, including competence and I-language; literal meaning and beyond. Students will be expected to read a selection of primary literature and participate actively in class discussion. The course will be assessed by essays (essay questions and readings lists for each essay to be provided). Prerequisites: LING 410 OR LING 420 Location Lattimore Room 513 (TR 2:00PM - 3:15PM)
LING 407-1 Old English Literature and Language: rescuing it from oblivion Sarah Higley TR 11:05AM - 12:20PM
Wes hal! England prior to the Norman Conquest i(1066 c.e.) produced King Alfred, Beowulf and stunning poetry and prose, written at a time when Engla-lond fought for its cultural and political status in the British Isles. We’ll explore the sublime, mystical, medical, and earthy writings of England: Wonders of the East, comets, portents, medicinal charms, riddles, the Paternoster and the Devil, maps, visions, wolves, women, runes, cross-dressing saints. We’ll translate some texts in Old English and read others in translation, and as your lærestre (teaching servant) I’ll help you learn Old English language and vocabulary, and explore the diversity of a people who’ve been reduced to stereotype. Old English stood with Old Irish as being one of the earliest producers in the western Middle Ages of a people’s native language on manuscript. England survived invasions by the Danes and the Normans (1066) which never completely replaced its language with Danish or French, merely enriched it. Location Hylan Building Room 305 (TR 11:05AM - 12:20PM)
LING 420-01 Intro to Grammatical Systems Mary Moroney TR 3:25PM - 4:40PM
This course examines the grammatical structure of sentences from the standpoint of transformational grammar. The course develops the basic techniques of syntactic analysis in order to develop a working theory of a (fragment of) English. The theory is then tested against data from other languages and revised accordingly. Location Harkness Room 115 (TR 3:25PM - 4:40PM)
LING 424-1 Intro to Computational Lin Aaron White MW 12:30PM - 1:45PM
This course covers foundational concepts in computational linguistics and is designed for students with a strong background in formal linguistic methods but only rudimentary programming experience. Major focus is placed on the use of formal languages as a tool for understanding natural language as well as on developing students' ability to implement foundational algorithms pertaining to those formal languages. Topics include basic formal language theory, finite state phonological and morphological parsing, and syntactic parsing for context free grammars and mildly context sensitive formalisms. Students who have taken the CSC17X series should consult with the instructor prior to enrollment, since there is overlap with a subset of the technical material covered in those courses. Conversely, while it is possible to enter this course with no programming experience and do well, students new to programming may wish to take CSC161 or to attend a CIRC programming bootcamp prior to taking this course. Location Lattimore Room 513 (MW 12:30PM - 1:45PM)
LING 427-1 Topics in Phonetics & Phonology Jeremy Coburn MW 2:00PM - 3:25PM
This course is intended to provide participants with an overview of research in an area of phonetics and phonology. Issues vary from term to term but may cover areas in segmental, metrical and intonational phonology and the phonology/phonetics interface. Location Lattimore Room 513 (MW 2:00PM - 3:25PM)
LING 430-1 Sign Language Structure Norma Tourangeau MW 12:30PM - 1:45PM
An examination of signed languages and the cognitive constraints that shape them, through a detailed consideration of the structure of American Sign Language and other natural signed languages of the world. Includes training in sign language notation and analysis. Prerequisites: ASLA 106 in the immediately preceding semester or permission of the instructor. B or better in ASLA 106. Location Lechase Room 160 (MW 12:30PM - 1:45PM)
LING 447-01 Natural Language Processing Hangfeng He MW 10:25AM - 11:40AM
This introductory course in Natural Language Processing (NLP) explores the AI techniques enabling computers to understand and communicate with humans. Divided into four main sections—Statistical NLP, Neural NLP, Foundation Models, and Advanced Topics—the curriculum covers essential language tasks, from syntax and semantics to complex applications like question answering. We'll also touch on current trends in Large Language Models, such as emergent abilities and human-alignment techniques. Ideal for those interested in the intersection of AI and language, the course tackles challenges at the word, sentence, and document levels. Prereqs: CSC 172 & CSC 242 Location Gavett Hall Room 312 (MW 10:25AM - 11:40AM)
LING 450-01 Data Science for Linguistics C.M. Downey MW 9:00AM - 10:15AM
This course addresses linguistic research questions through data science techniques. The course will focus on developing skills to (i) acquire and process a variety of language data, from using established corpora to capturing data in the wild, and (ii) to investigate language use, particularly syntactic and semantic phenomena, through descriptive and inferential statistical techniques. A significant part of the course will be devoted to hands-on projects and will include developing familiarity with using the programming languages Python and R to acquire and explore linguistic data. Familiarity with statistics and/or computational linguistics is advantageous, but not necessary. Location Morey Room 525 (MW 9:00AM - 10:15AM)
LING 465-2 Formal Semantics Ash Asudeh TR 9:40AM - 10:55AM
This course is an in-depth introduction to the formal analysis of natural language meaning, employing techniques that have been developed in language and formal philosophy over the last century. Issues include intensionality, quantification, tense, presupposition, plurality, the analysis of discourse, and other current issues. Familiarity with syntax, logic, and/or computation are helpful. Location Lattimore Room 513 (TR 9:40AM - 10:55AM)
LING 466-01 Intro to Pragmatics Mary Moroney MW 3:25PM - 4:40PM
Within theoretical linguistics, pragmatics is (broadly speaking) the study of how language users convey meaning. This course covers three general areas: (1) How meaning carried by linguistic elements (such as sentences) interacts with meaning that arises from inferences about speakers intentions; (2) Ways of characterizing meaning, especially with respect to linguistic elements not easily handled in traditional semantic (i.e., truth-conditional) terms; (3) The role of context in determining meaning. Topics to be discussed include the relation between semantics and pragmatics, representations of context, truth-conditional and other types of meaning, presupposition; implicature and Grices Cooperative Principle Location Lattimore Room 513 (MW 3:25PM - 4:40PM)
LING 467-01 Seminar in Semantics Scott Grimm MW 9:00AM - 10:15AM
This course explores topics relating to the semantics of nouns, including the count/mass distinction, theories of plurality, relational nouns, and nominalizations. We will focus both on current literature exploring these topics and the methodologies used to investigate them. Students will participate in hands-on research to better explore these topics. Pre-requisites: LING 225/LING 425 Location Morey Room 205 (MW 9:00AM - 10:15AM)
LING 491-1 Master's Reading in Linguistics Ash Asudeh 7:00PM - 7:00PM
Blank Description Location ( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)
LING 491-2 Master's Reading in Linguistics Nadine Grimm 7:00PM - 7:00PM
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LING 491-3 Master's Reading in Linguistics Scott Grimm 7:00PM - 7:00PM
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LING 491-4 Master's Reading in Linguistics Joyce McDonough 7:00PM - 7:00PM
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LING 491-5 Master's Reading in Linguistics Maya Abtahian 7:00PM - 7:00PM
No description Location ( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)
LING 491-6 Master's Reading in Linguistics Joanna Pietraszko 7:00PM - 7:00PM
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LING 491-7 Master's Reading in Linguistics Aaron White 7:00PM - 7:00PM
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LING 495-1 Master's Research in Linguistics Joyce McDonough 7:00PM - 7:00PM
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LING 495-2 Master's Research in Linguistics Scott Grimm 7:00PM - 7:00PM
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LING 495-3 Master's Research in Linguistics Nadine Grimm 7:00PM - 7:00PM
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LING 495-5 Master's Research in Linguistics Maya Abtahian 7:00PM - 7:00PM
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LING 495-6 Master's Research in Linguistics Joanna Pietraszko 7:00PM - 7:00PM
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LING 495-7 Master's Research in Linguistics Aaron White 7:00PM - 7:00PM
Blank Description Location ( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)
LING 501-01 Research Methods in Linguistics Maya Abtahian TR 11:05AM - 12:20PM
This course is intended to help graduate students in linguistics design and plan for independent research. Topics will include developing a research question, conducting a literature review, and designing a research plan. As necessary, we will also work on “research management,” or everything that researchers need to do alongside producing intellectual content, including presentation skills (different types of presentation), data collection techniques, writing an IRB proposal, managing research timelines, securing research funds, developing necessary software skills, maintaining a presence in the field, conducting a job search, and others. A secondary goal of the course is to provide an opportunity for graduate advising. Students may bring questions or concerns for discussion. Location Lechase Room 122 (TR 11:05AM - 12:20PM)
LING 560-01 Seminar in Syntax Joanna Pietraszko TR 12:30PM - 1:45PM
The seminar’s overarching theme is syntactic locality. In narrow syntax, two types of locality have long been recognized: (a) boundary domains and (b) relativized minimality. The former refers to the existence of categories (today known as phases) that are impenetrable for syntactic operations. The latter concerns competition among potential targets of operations, requiring that the closest suitable candidate is selected for the operation. The seminar aims to provide a comprehensive overview of theoretical proposals addressing both types of locality, highlighting key empirical findings that have reshaped these theories over time. Through an exploration of foundational and recent literature, students will be equipped to conduct original research on the topic. Key questions we will explore in the seminar: Are both CPs and vPs phases? If so, how can we explain the relative transparency of vP? If not, how do we account for successive cyclic movement through vP? Do all operations—A-movement, A-bar movement, φ-agreement, case assignment, etc.—observe the same locality domains? How do cross-clausal relations, such as hyperraising, align with the CP phase hypothesis? Is A-movement genuinely more local than A-bar movement? What is the locality of φ-agreement? What is the locality of case assignment? How can we reconcile Relativized Minimality with inversion constructions, whose existence seems to directly contradict it? How do we reconcile Relativized Minimality with defective intervention, such as that caused by dative subjects in Icelandic? Through addressing these questions, the seminar will provide a structured path for students to critically engage with the intricate dynamics of syntactic locality. Location Lattimore Room 513 (TR 12:30PM - 1:45PM)
LING 589-01 Graduate Field Methods Joanna Pietraszko TR 3:25PM - 4:40PM
No description Location Lattimore Room 513 (TR 3:25PM - 4:40PM)
LING 590-1 Supervised Teaching Ash Asudeh 7:00PM - 7:00PM
No description Location ( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)
LING 590-2 Supervised Teaching James Wamsley 7:00PM - 7:00PM
Blank Description Location ( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)
LING 590-3 Supervised Teaching Maya Abtahian 7:00PM - 7:00PM
No description Location ( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)
LING 590-4 Supervised Teaching Joanna Pietraszko 7:00PM - 7:00PM
Blank Description Location ( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)
LING 590-5 Supervised Teaching Aaron White 7:00PM - 7:00PM
No description Location ( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)
LING 590-6 Supervised Teaching Joyce McDonough 7:00PM - 7:00PM
Blank Description Location ( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)
LING 590-7 Supervised Teaching Scott Grimm 7:00PM - 7:00PM
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LING 590-8 Supervised Teaching Mary Moroney 7:00PM - 7:00PM
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LING 591-1 PhD Reading Course in Linguistics – 7:00PM - 7:00PM
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LING 591-2 PhD Reading Course in Linguistics – 7:00PM - 7:00PM
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LING 595-1 PhD Research in Linguistics Nadine Grimm 7:00PM - 7:00PM
No description Location ( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)
LING 595-2 PhD Research in Linguistics Aaron White 7:00PM - 7:00PM
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LING 595-3 PhD Research in Linguistics Ash Asudeh 7:00PM - 7:00PM
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LING 595-4 PhD Research in Linguistics Scott Grimm 7:00PM - 7:00PM
No description Location ( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)
LING 595-5 PhD Research in Linguistics Joyce McDonough 7:00PM - 7:00PM
No description Location ( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)
LING 895-1 Cont of Master's Enrollment Maya Abtahian 7:00PM - 7:00PM
Blank Description Location ( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)
LING 897-1 Master's Dissertation Maya Abtahian 7:00PM - 7:00PM
Blank Description Location ( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)
LING 899-1 Master's Dissertation Maya Abtahian 7:00PM - 7:00PM
Blank Description Location ( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)
LING 999-1 Doctoral Dissertation Maya Abtahian 7:00PM - 7:00PM
No description Location ( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)

Number	Title	Instructor	Time
Monday
Monday and Wednesday
LING 450-01 Data Science for Linguistics C.M. Downey
This course addresses linguistic research questions through data science techniques. The course will focus on developing skills to (i) acquire and process a variety of language data, from using established corpora to capturing data in the wild, and (ii) to investigate language use, particularly syntactic and semantic phenomena, through descriptive and inferential statistical techniques. A significant part of the course will be devoted to hands-on projects and will include developing familiarity with using the programming languages Python and R to acquire and explore linguistic data. Familiarity with statistics and/or computational linguistics is advantageous, but not necessary.
LING 467-01 Seminar in Semantics Scott Grimm
This course explores topics relating to the semantics of nouns, including the count/mass distinction, theories of plurality, relational nouns, and nominalizations. We will focus both on current literature exploring these topics and the methodologies used to investigate them. Students will participate in hands-on research to better explore these topics. Pre-requisites: LING 225/LING 425
LING 447-01 Natural Language Processing Hangfeng He
This introductory course in Natural Language Processing (NLP) explores the AI techniques enabling computers to understand and communicate with humans. Divided into four main sections—Statistical NLP, Neural NLP, Foundation Models, and Advanced Topics—the curriculum covers essential language tasks, from syntax and semantics to complex applications like question answering. We'll also touch on current trends in Large Language Models, such as emergent abilities and human-alignment techniques. Ideal for those interested in the intersection of AI and language, the course tackles challenges at the word, sentence, and document levels. Prereqs: CSC 172 & CSC 242
LING 424-1 Intro to Computational Lin Aaron White
This course covers foundational concepts in computational linguistics and is designed for students with a strong background in formal linguistic methods but only rudimentary programming experience. Major focus is placed on the use of formal languages as a tool for understanding natural language as well as on developing students' ability to implement foundational algorithms pertaining to those formal languages. Topics include basic formal language theory, finite state phonological and morphological parsing, and syntactic parsing for context free grammars and mildly context sensitive formalisms. Students who have taken the CSC17X series should consult with the instructor prior to enrollment, since there is overlap with a subset of the technical material covered in those courses. Conversely, while it is possible to enter this course with no programming experience and do well, students new to programming may wish to take CSC161 or to attend a CIRC programming bootcamp prior to taking this course.
LING 430-1 Sign Language Structure Norma Tourangeau
An examination of signed languages and the cognitive constraints that shape them, through a detailed consideration of the structure of American Sign Language and other natural signed languages of the world. Includes training in sign language notation and analysis. Prerequisites: ASLA 106 in the immediately preceding semester or permission of the instructor. B or better in ASLA 106.
LING 427-1 Topics in Phonetics & Phonology Jeremy Coburn
This course is intended to provide participants with an overview of research in an area of phonetics and phonology. Issues vary from term to term but may cover areas in segmental, metrical and intonational phonology and the phonology/phonetics interface.
LING 466-01 Intro to Pragmatics Mary Moroney
Within theoretical linguistics, pragmatics is (broadly speaking) the study of how language users convey meaning. This course covers three general areas: (1) How meaning carried by linguistic elements (such as sentences) interacts with meaning that arises from inferences about speakers intentions; (2) Ways of characterizing meaning, especially with respect to linguistic elements not easily handled in traditional semantic (i.e., truth-conditional) terms; (3) The role of context in determining meaning. Topics to be discussed include the relation between semantics and pragmatics, representations of context, truth-conditional and other types of meaning, presupposition; implicature and Grices Cooperative Principle
Tuesday and Thursday
LING 465-2 Formal Semantics Ash Asudeh
This course is an in-depth introduction to the formal analysis of natural language meaning, employing techniques that have been developed in language and formal philosophy over the last century. Issues include intensionality, quantification, tense, presupposition, plurality, the analysis of discourse, and other current issues. Familiarity with syntax, logic, and/or computation are helpful.
LING 407-1 Old English Literature and Language: rescuing it from oblivion Sarah Higley
Wes hal! England prior to the Norman Conquest i(1066 c.e.) produced King Alfred, Beowulf and stunning poetry and prose, written at a time when Engla-lond fought for its cultural and political status in the British Isles. We’ll explore the sublime, mystical, medical, and earthy writings of England: Wonders of the East, comets, portents, medicinal charms, riddles, the Paternoster and the Devil, maps, visions, wolves, women, runes, cross-dressing saints. We’ll translate some texts in Old English and read others in translation, and as your lærestre (teaching servant) I’ll help you learn Old English language and vocabulary, and explore the diversity of a people who’ve been reduced to stereotype. Old English stood with Old Irish as being one of the earliest producers in the western Middle Ages of a people’s native language on manuscript. England survived invasions by the Danes and the Normans (1066) which never completely replaced its language with Danish or French, merely enriched it.
LING 501-01 Research Methods in Linguistics Maya Abtahian
This course is intended to help graduate students in linguistics design and plan for independent research. Topics will include developing a research question, conducting a literature review, and designing a research plan. As necessary, we will also work on “research management,” or everything that researchers need to do alongside producing intellectual content, including presentation skills (different types of presentation), data collection techniques, writing an IRB proposal, managing research timelines, securing research funds, developing necessary software skills, maintaining a presence in the field, conducting a job search, and others. A secondary goal of the course is to provide an opportunity for graduate advising. Students may bring questions or concerns for discussion.
LING 560-01 Seminar in Syntax Joanna Pietraszko
The seminar’s overarching theme is syntactic locality. In narrow syntax, two types of locality have long been recognized: (a) boundary domains and (b) relativized minimality. The former refers to the existence of categories (today known as phases) that are impenetrable for syntactic operations. The latter concerns competition among potential targets of operations, requiring that the closest suitable candidate is selected for the operation. The seminar aims to provide a comprehensive overview of theoretical proposals addressing both types of locality, highlighting key empirical findings that have reshaped these theories over time. Through an exploration of foundational and recent literature, students will be equipped to conduct original research on the topic. Key questions we will explore in the seminar: Are both CPs and vPs phases? If so, how can we explain the relative transparency of vP? If not, how do we account for successive cyclic movement through vP? Do all operations—A-movement, A-bar movement, φ-agreement, case assignment, etc.—observe the same locality domains? How do cross-clausal relations, such as hyperraising, align with the CP phase hypothesis? Is A-movement genuinely more local than A-bar movement? What is the locality of φ-agreement? What is the locality of case assignment? How can we reconcile Relativized Minimality with inversion constructions, whose existence seems to directly contradict it? How do we reconcile Relativized Minimality with defective intervention, such as that caused by dative subjects in Icelandic? Through addressing these questions, the seminar will provide a structured path for students to critically engage with the intricate dynamics of syntactic locality.
LING 404-1 History of Linguistic Thought Ash Asudeh
This course looks at key ideas in linguistics, starting in Babylon and Ancient China and working towards the study of meaning in modern linguistic theory and philosophy of language. Among the topics we will look at are: writing and its influence on grammatical traditions; the advent of historical linguistics, linguistic phylogeny, and the comparative method; European structuralism; American structuralism; variation within and across languages; the rise of generative grammar; Chomsky’s philosophy of linguistics, including competence and I-language; literal meaning and beyond. Students will be expected to read a selection of primary literature and participate actively in class discussion. The course will be assessed by essays (essay questions and readings lists for each essay to be provided). Prerequisites: LING 410 OR LING 420
LING 420-01 Intro to Grammatical Systems Mary Moroney
This course examines the grammatical structure of sentences from the standpoint of transformational grammar. The course develops the basic techniques of syntactic analysis in order to develop a working theory of a (fragment of) English. The theory is then tested against data from other languages and revised accordingly.
LING 589-01 Graduate Field Methods Joanna Pietraszko
No description
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday