LING

Subject

LING

Type

course

Edition

2025-2026

Source

cdn.carleton.edu

The capacity to acquire and use natural languages such as English is surely one of the more remarkable features of human nature. In this course, we explore several aspects of this ability. Topics include the sound systems of natural languages, the structure of words, principles that regulate word order, the course of language acquisition in children, and what these reveal about the nature of the mind. Sophomore Priority section is available

Subject

LING

Type

course

Edition

2025-2026

Source

cdn.carleton.edu

This course is organized to enable the student to actively participate in the construction of a rather elaborate theory of the nature of human cognitive capacity to acquire and use natural languages. In particular, we concentrate on one aspect of that capacity: the unconscious acquisition of a grammar that enables a speaker of a language to produce and recognize sentences that have not been previously encountered. In the first part of the course, we concentrate on gathering notation and terminology intended to allow an explicit and manageable description. In the second part, we depend on written and oral student contributions in a cooperative enterprise of theory construction. Sophomore Priority section is available Offered: Fall 2025, Winter 2026, Spring 2026 Credits: 6 Liberal Arts Requirements: FSR, Formal or Statistical Reasoning Tags: CGSC Core CL: 100 level LING Core Course Faculty: Catherine Fortin · Cherlon Ussery

Subject

LING

Credits (min)

6

Credits (max)

6

Credit unit

credits

Type

course

Edition

2025-2026

Source

cdn.carleton.edu

Subject

LING

Type

course

Edition

2025-2026

Source

cdn.carleton.edu

Subject

LING

Type

course

Edition

2025-2026

Source

cdn.carleton.edu

Subject

LING

Type

course

Edition

2025-2026

Source

cdn.carleton.edu

Subject

LING

Type

course

Edition

2025-2026

Source

cdn.carleton.edu

This course has two primary goals: to provide participants with a forum to continue to develop their analytical skills (i.e., to ‘do syntax’), and to acquaint them with generative syntactic theory, especially the Principles and Parameters approach. Participants will sharpen their technological acumen, through weekly problem solving, and engage in independent thinking and analysis, by means of formally proposing novel syntactic analyses for linguistic phenomena. By the conclusion of the course, participants will be prepared to read and critically evaluate primary literature couched within this theoretical framework. Offered: Winter 2026 Liberal Arts Requirements: FSR, Formal or Statistical Reasoning better. Tags: CGSC Elective CL: 200 level LING Core Course Faculty: Catherine Fortin

Subject

LING

Credits (min)

6

Credits (max)

6

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2025-2026

Source

cdn.carleton.edu

Prerequisite

Student has completed and of the following course(s): LING 115 with grade of C- or

Although no two utterances are ever exactly the same, we humans don’t function like tape recorders; we overlook distinctions to which mechanical recording devices are sensitive, and we “hear” contrasts which are objectively not there. What we (think we) hear is determined by the sound system of the language we speak. This course examines the sound systems of human languages, focusing on how speech sounds are produced and perceived, and how these units come to be organized into a systematic network in the minds of speakers of languages. Offered: Fall 2025 Liberal Arts Requirements: FSR, Formal or Statistical Reasoning with grade of C- or better. Tags: CGSC Elective CL: 200 level LING Core Course Faculty: Yoolim Kim

Subject

LING

Credits (min)

6

Credits (max)

6

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2025-2026

Source

cdn.carleton.edu

Prerequisite

Student has completed any of the following course(s): One 100-level LING course

Subject

LING

Type

course

Edition

2025-2026

Source

cdn.carleton.edu

Subject

LING

Type

course

Edition

2025-2026

Source

cdn.carleton.edu

Subject

LING

Type

course

Edition

2025-2026

Source

cdn.carleton.edu

Subject

LING

Type

course

Edition

2025-2026

Source

cdn.carleton.edu

What moves where, how, and for what purpose? In this course, participants explore accounts of various types of syntactic movement within the Minimalist Program. After an introduction to Minimalism, we read, discuss, and evaluate primary literature. This course offers an overview of the progression of generative syntactic theory from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s, with a focus on objectively comparing competing analyses. By the end of the course, participants will have familiarity with scholarly literature on theoretical syntax; with evaluating and critiquing existing theoretical analyses; and with proposing and defending a novel analysis. Not offered in 2025-26 Liberal Arts Requirements: FSR, Formal or Statistical Reasoning better. Tags: CGSC Elective CL: 300 level LING Advanced Course

Subject

LING

Credits (min)

6

Credits (max)

6

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2025-2026

Source

cdn.carleton.edu

Prerequisite

Student has completed any of the following course(s): LING 216 with grade of C- or

Subject

LING

Type

course

Edition

2025-2026

Source

cdn.carleton.edu

Subject

LING

Type

course

Edition

2025-2026

Source

cdn.carleton.edu

Subject

LING

Type

course

Edition

2025-2026

Source

cdn.carleton.edu

Subject

LING

Type

course

Edition

2025-2026

Source

cdn.carleton.edu

Semantics is the study of what words and constructions mean in a language and how speakers come to actually interpret those meanings. In this course we explore several objects of inquiry within the field of semantics, including compositional semantics (i.e., the computation of meaning over syntactic structures), lexical semantics (with a particular emphasis on verb meanings), and how the various interpretations of ambiguous constructions are derived. Offered: Spring 2026 Liberal Arts Requirements: FSR, Formal or Statistical Reasoning Tags: CGSC Elective CL: 300 level LING Advanced Course Faculty: Cherlon Ussery

Subject

LING

Credits (min)

6

Credits (max)

6

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2025-2026

Source

cdn.carleton.edu

Invented, or artificial, languages have come to be for many reasons, whether a desire to improve existing languages, an effort to unite the world, or a need to explore how languages are learned. But, the majority have failed. Why? What can we learn about natural language from invented languages? This class investigates the numerous underpinnings of various invented languages, from 17th century Real Character, to Toki Pona, to Solresol, to more recent creations like Na’vi. We also examine the successful ‘reinvention’ of Modern Hebrew. Students will invent their own language and formally present weekly aspects of their developing grammar. Offered: Winter 2026 Liberal Arts Requirements: SI, Social Inquiry grade of C- or better. Tags: CGSC Elective CL: 300 level LING Advanced Course LING Elective Faculty: Yoolim Kim

Subject

LING

Credits (min)

6

Credits (max)

6

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2025-2026

Source

cdn.carleton.edu

Prerequisite

Student has completed any of the following course(s): LING 216 or LING 217 with

This course prepares students to engage in the research needed for their comps projects. Students will identify a research topic, begin engaging with the relevant literature, and deliver presentations throughout the term. By the end of fall term, students will have a portion of their comps drafted in preparation for the

Subject

LING

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

credits

Type

course

Edition

2025-2026

Source

cdn.carleton.edu

Students continue, and complete, their comps research, building upon the foundation built in LING 399. In close consultation with their primary adviser, students set and meet weekly goals for collecting and analyzing data, writing, and revising. By the end of winter term, students must receive approval from their primary and secondary advisers on the final iteration of their 30-40 page paper. Offered: Winter 2026 Grading: S/NC Faculty: Catherine Fortin

Subject

LING

Credits (min)

6

Credits (max)

6

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2025-2026

Source

cdn.carleton.edu

Prerequisite

Student is a Linguistics major and has Senior Priority.