Language is a uniquely human capacity that enables us to communicate a limitless set of messages on any topic. While human languages can differ greatly in certain respects, all are intricate, complex, rule-governed systems. Linguistics is the scientific study of these systems, their use for communication in rich social settings, and their cognitive underpinnings. The linguistics concentration at Brown introduces students with the basic concepts in linguistics that are necessary to describe human languages and theorize about them: how sound is organized in language, how sounds and gestures combine to form meaningful units, and how language is used for communication. It encourages students to acquire an appreciation of the different kinds of variation in human languages: what is common to different languages, how languages can differ from one another, and how speech communities and individuals vary in their use of language. It familiarizes students with a wide variety of topics in linguistics, including psycholinguistics, language change, language and society, computational approaches to language, and philosophy of language. Furthermore, the concentration lets students acquire hands-on experience in understanding and solving open-ended questions in linguistics, which would include comparing the merits of competing theoretical approaches, and teaches them how to communicate linguistic arguments effectively in writing and in presentations.
Students who wish to pursue one or more aspects of Linguistics in greater depth than required by the Bachelor of Arts, and to focus on some of the more technical, computational, and/or experimental areas of the field may choose to take a Bachelor of Science in Linguistics instead. Students will form a collection of classes that combines expertise in linguistics and in adjacent fields. For instance, students may combine their interest in linguistics with classes in cognitive science, philosophy, or computer science, with approval from the concentration advisor.
A.B. Requirements (10 courses)
Students are expected to fulfill both breadth and depth requirements. Breadth requirements let students reach common ground understanding of topics in linguistics, and include an introductory gateway course, a class that focuses on phonetics / phonology, a class that focuses on syntax / morphology, a class that focuses on semantics / pragmatics, and a class on language variation. Depth requirements expect students to gain more specialized knowledge in specific domains, by taking additional courses, some of which must be methods / advanced courses, as described below.
| Gateway Course | 1 | |
| Introduction to Linguistics | ||
| Phonetics/Phonology Courses | 1 | |
| Phonology | ||
| Phonetics | ||
| Syntax Courses | 1 | |
| Introduction to Syntax | ||
| Linguistic Variation and Universals | ||
| Semantics/Pragmatics Courses | 1 | |
| Lexical Semantics | ||
| Compositional Semantics | ||
| Pragmatics | ||
| Linguistic Variation Courses | 1 | |
| Sociolinguistics | ||
| Language and Gender | ||
| Linguistic Variation and Universals | ||
| Language and the Mind | ||
| Child Language Acquisition | ||
| Learning Compositional Language | ||
| Language Processing | ||
| Language Processing in Humans and Machines | ||
| Laboratory in Psycholinguistics | ||
| 5 additional appropriate electives forming a thematically related set to be determined in consultation with the Concentration Advisor. At least one of these must be drawn from the list of advanced courses listed below, and we strongly recommend that at least one course be an appropriate methods and a topics course. No more than 2 of these courses may be drawn from below 1000 level courses. The electives can be drawn from any of the above courses, or any of the other linguistic/language related courses in the program. Electives may also be drawn from courses in other departments in consultation with the Concentration Advisor; a list of courses which standardly count towards the Linguistics Concentration (provided they form part of the thematically related set) is appended below. | 5 | |
| Child Language Acquisition | ||
| Language and Politics in East Europe and Russia | ||
| Advanced and Methods Courses | ||
| Compositional Semantics | ||
| Introduction to Corpus Linguistics | ||
| Linguistic Field Methods | ||
| Computational Linguistics | ||
| Laboratory in Psycholinguistics | ||
| NOTE: This is NOT an exhaustive list of courses that can be applied towards the Linguistics Concentration requirements. | ||
| Total Credits | 10 | |
Independent study is encouraged for the A.B. degree. Students should sign up for LING 19XX with a faculty advisor who is a member of the Program in Linguistics. Arrangements should be made in Semester 6 for students expecting to do independent study during Semesters 7 and/or 8.
Honors (12 courses)
Candidates for Honors in Linguistics must meet all of the requirements above, write an Honors thesis, and take two additional courses. One course is normally LING 19XX (Directed Research in Linguistics) - intended for work on the Honors thesis.
Three of the total 12 courses must be drawn from the advanced list above (the Directed Research course counts as one of the advanced courses).
Refer to the Program in Linguistics webpage for detailed information about the Linguistics Honors program.
ScB Requirements (16 courses)
Students who wish to pursue one or more aspects of Linguistics in greater depth than does the A.B., and to focus on some of the more technical, computational, and/or experimental areas of the field may choose to take an Sc.B in Linguistics. Students will choose a focus pathway, in consultation with the Concentration Advisor / Director of Undergraduate Studies, which will direct their choices.
Students are expected to fulfill both breadth and depth requirements. Breadth requirements let students reach common ground understanding of topics in linguistics, and include an introductory gateway course, a class that focuses on phonetics / phonology, a class that focuses on syntax / morphology, a class that focuses on semantics / pragmatics, and a class on language variation. Depth requirements expect students to gain more specialized knowledge in specific domains, by taking additional courses, some of which must be methods / advanced courses, as described below. Unlike the AB, ScB students are also expected to take electives outside of linguistics, and to complete a capstone course.
| Gateway course | 1 | |
| Introduction to Linguistics | ||
| At least one course in phonetics / phonology, such as: | 1 | |
| Phonology | ||
| Phonetics | ||
| At least one course in syntax, such as: | 1 | |
| Introduction to Syntax | ||
| Linguistic Variation and Universals | ||
| At least one course in semantics / pragmatics, such as: | 1 | |
| Lexical Semantics | ||
| Pragmatics | ||
| Compositional Semantics | ||
| At least one course in linguistics variation, such as: | 1 | |
| Linguistic Variation and Universals | ||
| Language and the Mind | ||
| Child Language Acquisition | ||
| Learning Compositional Language | ||
| Language Processing | ||
| Laboratory in Psycholinguistics | ||
| Three electives specifically in the focus area, such as: | 3 | |
| Information Theory in Language | ||
| Introduction to Corpus Linguistics | ||
| Computational Linguistics | ||
| Language Processing | ||
| Language Processing in Humans and Machines | ||
| Introduction to Syntax | ||
| Language and the Mind | ||
| Topics in Language Acquisition: Language Acquisition and Cognitive Development | ||
| Child Language Acquisition | ||
| Learning Compositional Language | ||
| Laboratory in Psycholinguistics | ||
| Laboratory in Phonetics | ||
| Linguistic Variation and Universals | ||
| Lexical Semantics | ||
| Pragmatics | ||
| Compositional Semantics | ||
| Conditionals | ||
Or many other courses | ||
| Four non-linguistic focus area electives, such as: | 4 | |
| Introduction to Probability and Statistics with Calculus | ||
| Introduction to Discrete Structures and Probability | ||
| Artificial Intelligence | ||
| Machine Learning | ||
| Data Science | ||
| Using R for Data Analysis | ||
| Linear Algebra | ||
| Introduction to programming | ||
| Multivariate Statistical Techniques | ||
| Computational Linguistics | ||
| Introduction to Computational Neuroscience | ||
| Philosophy of Mind | ||
| Human Cognition | ||
| Cognitive Neuroscience | ||
| Children's Thinking: The Nature of Cognitive Development | ||
| Statistical Methods | ||
| Computational Cognitive Neuroscience | ||
| Cognitive Development | ||
| Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience | ||
| Research Methods And Design | ||
| Introduction to Higher Mathematics | ||
| Paradox and Infinity | ||
| Mathematical Logic | ||
| Social Psychology | ||
Or many other courses | ||
| Three additional electives in Linguistics, preferably outside the main focus area, such as: | 3 | |
| Linguistic Variation and Universals | ||
| Compositional Semantics | ||
| Linguistic Field Methods | ||
| Sociolinguistics, Discourse and Dialogue | ||
| Language and Politics in East Europe and Russia | ||
| Learning Compositional Language | ||
| Language Processing in Humans and Machines | ||
| Introduction to Corpus Linguistics | ||
| Information Theory in Language | ||
| Language Processing | ||
Or many other courses | ||
| One independent study / capstone requirement | 1 | |
LING 19XX: Directed Research | ||
| Total Credits | 16 | |
Honors (17 courses)
The Honors program requires one additional elective, which will typically be a second LING 19XX Directed Research course during the senior year (thus leading to a full year of Directed Reading or Directed Research). Admission to the honors program requires a majority of A grades in the concentration. The student’s work will culminate in an Honors’ thesis on an approved topic (learn more about regulations regarding Honors’ theses at https://linguistics.brown.edu/concentrations), written under the direction of one or more faculty members, and read by a committee of at least two faculty members (one of whom may be from another department).
General Guidelines
Do Foreign Language Courses Count?
Foreign language courses will generally not count towards the concentration requirements, except those that focus on the structure or history of the language. Students are, however, advised to gain familiarity with a foreign language, and are encouraged to take at least one course which deals with the structure of a language other than English.
Choice of Electives
When it comes to the choice of electives, students can complement LING classes with classes that have substantial linguistics content in other departments. However, the specific choice of electives depends on the other classes the student is taking. Students should consult with the concentration adviser / the director of undergraduate studies regarding their specific choices. Additionally, no more than two electives can be 0-level courses.
Overlapping Classes
Linguistics allows students to double-count at most two classes with other concentrations.