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This course, beyond providing an introduction to the science of linguistics, is designed to give students in their first year an awareness of the importance of language in everyday life and of the range of its uses and abuses as a cultural and class marker, vehicle of knowledge, and instrument of power. It is an objective of this course that students who complete it should be better prepared than they were before for the sensitive and exacting study, not only of literature, but of whatever specialized studies they subsequently undertake. Topics to be considered include whether language is a cultural artifact that is learned or is instinctual; the varieties of languages; language as expression of culture, linguistic imperialism, problems of translation; the distinction between speech and writing; stenolanguage, metalanguage, and poetic language; metaphor and symbol; language and theory. The course will include a laboratory for required supplementary work in phonetics and the practical study of spoken language.
Unless preregistered students attend the first class meeting or communicate directly with the instructor prior to the first class, they will be dropped from the class list. NOTE: Students must still submit a completed Drop/Add form to the Registrar's Office.
COURSE FORMAT: Seminar
Level: UGRD Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: NONE Grading Mode: Student Option
Prerequisites: NONE
Last Updated on MAR-18-2003
Copyright Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, 06459