LING 804 - Research Methods in Linguistics

This course introduces graduate students to methods employed in linguistic research. This course has two primary concentrations: one on language documentation and the other on quantitative and/or qualitative linguistic analysis. Concepts covered in course include building hypotheses, empirical data analysis, developing critical thinking skills using the scientific method. All data used in this course comes by way of natural language data.

LING 816 - Topics in the Grammar of Non-Indo European Languages

Media Lengua is a language spoken in the Ecuadorian highlands. Most linguists describe it as a bilingual mixed language because of its split between roots and suffixes. It was primarily formed through the process of relexification whereby nearly all lexical roots, from Quichua, including core vocabulary, were replaced by their Spanish counterparts. Impressionistically, the Spanish-origin lexicon in Media Lengua conforms to Quichua phonology while maintaining Quichua word order and the vast majority of Quichua’s agglutinating suffixes. This course invites both graduate and undergraduate students to explore the fascinating linguistic nuances of Media Lengua utilizing corpus material, dictionaries, and academic literature as we delve into the processes of language mixing that have resulted in Media Lengua's unique structure. The course aims to equip students with a broad understanding of this unique language from structural, historical, and comparative perspectives.

LING 818 - Topics in Second Language Studies

This course introduces the theories in second language acquisition (SLA) as well as SLA theory-informed practices in second language pedagogy. Students will also learn how to design second language research and analyze language learner-related data quantitatively and qualitatively.

LING 819 - Bilingualism and Multilingualism

This course addresses sociolinguistic aspects of bilingualism and multilingualism with a focus on Canadian context. The topics include language dynamics in immigration (official versus home language use and attitudes); heritage language speakers, language and cultures interactions, language and identity, family language policies.