Linguistics
241-251 Stevenson College
(831) 459-4988 (undergraduate)
(831) 459-2905 (Department Manager)
https://linguistics.ucsc.edu
Programs Offered
Linguistics B.A.
Linguistics Minor
Language Studies B.A.
Language Studies Minor
Linguistics Contiguous Bachelor's/Master's Pathway
Linguistics M.A.
Linguistics Ph.D.
Other Programs of Interest
Applied Linguistics and Multilingualism B.A.
Cognitive Science B.S.
Computer Science B.S.
Computer Science B.A.
Natural Language Processing M.S.
Language is what makes us human. With language, we share complex ideas with others, tell stories about ourselves, and understand the world. Linguistics is the scientific study of this unique human ability.
Linguists ask some fundamental questions: How do children acquire whatever language or languages are spoken around them? How is language represented in the brain and mind? How and why do languages vary across space and time? How do people use language to construct and express their identities in society?
The programs offered by the Department of Linguistics introduce students to the structure and use of language across contexts, in five core areas:
Phonetics studies how speech sounds are produced and perceived.
Phonology investigates how speech sounds pattern in particular languages and across languages.
Syntax and Morphology investigate how languages construct phrases and sentences from smaller (words) and smaller units (roots, prefixes, suffixes).
Semantics is the study of how linguistic units combine to form the meanings of sentences, and how meaning is created in conversational context.
Psycholinguistics is concerned with the cognitive mechanisms we use to produce and comprehend language.
Students learn a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods, along with hypothesis formation and testing, to study the properties of particular languages.
The faculty in the Department of Linguistics have primary research and teaching interests in one or more of the areas above.They also offer courses on computational linguistics, sociolinguistics, neurolinguistics, and language change. The department has connections to other fields in the humanities (philosophy), the social sciences (anthropology, psychology, sociology), the natural sciences (biology, neuroscience, acoustics), computer science, computer engineering, and artificial intelligence.
The department offers two undergraduate majors and a graduate program. The linguistics major leads to a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Linguistics; the language studies major leads to a B.A. degree in Language Studies (see Language Studies). The graduate program leads to the Master of Arts (M.A.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Linguistics.
The department also offers a combined B.A./M.A. pathway, which makes it possible for certain well-qualified, highly motivated students to complete the requirements for both degrees in five years, rather than the usual six.
Courses for Non-majors
LING 50, Introduction to Linguistics, an introduction to the major areas, problems, and techniques of modern linguistics. (Gen Ed: SI)
LING 53, Semantics 1, introduction to the logical foundations of natural language semantics. A basic literacy course in the language of logical representation. (Gen Ed: MF)
LING 80C, Language, Society and Culture, the study of language from a sociological perspective. Multilingualism, language change and variation, pidgins and creoles, the origin and diversification of dialects. (Gen Ed: CC)
LING 80D, Language and Mind, explores how properties of human languages can be used to understand how the mind works and to what extent language use and experience can affect how we think. (Gen Ed: PE-H).
LING 80H, The Human Voice, an introduction to the acoustics and perception of voices with special focus on race, gender, and ethnicity. (Gen Ed: ER)
LING 80K, Invented Languages, explores invented languages, including Elvish and Klingon, as well as lesser-known ones that tackle ethical, social, or cognitive concerns. (Gen Ed: TA)
LING 80M, Language and Indigeneity in Mesoamerica, explores indigenous experiences in Mesoamerica, focusing on the role of language in the formation of indigenous identities, both historically and in contemporary society. (Gen Ed: ER)
LING 100, Sounds of the World's Languages: Phonetics I, provides a comprehensive introduction to the sounds of human language.
LING 131, Spanglish, an investigation of Spanglish as a linguistic and cultural phenomenon. (Gen Ed: ER)
LING 133, Language OnLine (LOL): Communication in the digital era, an investigation of the language of memes and social media. (Gen Ed: PE-T)