• LNGS 2240

    Southern American English
     Rating

    2.95

     Difficulty

    2.71

     GPA

    3.28

    Last Taught

    Fall 2024

    An examination of the structure, history, and sociolinguistics of the English spoken in the southeastern United States.

  • LING 2430

    Languages of the World
     Rating

    3.67

     Difficulty

    2.00

     GPA

    Last Taught

    Spring 2025

    An introduction to the study of language relationships and linguistic structures. Topics covered the basic elements of grammatical description; genetic, areal, and typological relationships among languages; a survey of the world's major language groupings and the notable structures and grammatical categories they exhibit; and the issue of language endangerment. Prerequisite: One year study of a world language or permission of instructor.

  • LING 3090

    TESOL Theory and Method
     Rating

    4.67

     Difficulty

    3.00

     GPA

    3.31

    Last Taught

    Spring 2025

    Studies the theory, problems, and methods in teaching English as a second language, with attention to relevant areas of general linguistics and the structure of English.

  • LING 3101

    ESL Teaching Practicum: Language
     Rating

     Difficulty

     GPA

    Last Taught

    Spring 2025

    Through this course, students focus on teaching oral English as another language, while gaining experience in the practice of English-language teaching to international students, faculty, and staff at the University. This is an excellent opportunity to gain teaching experience under the supervision of an experienced mentor. For every 1 hour of credit, students must meet with an instructor for 5 classroom & practice 33 hours.

  • LING 3102

    ESL Teaching Practicum: Culture
     Rating

     Difficulty

     GPA

    Last Taught

    Spring 2025

    Through this course, students focus on culture in ESL, while gaining experience in the practice of English-language teaching to international students, faculty, and staff at the University. This is an excellent opportunity to gain teaching experience under the supervision of an experienced mentor. For every 1 hour of credit, students must meet with an instructor for 5 classroom & practice 33 hours

  • LING 3103

    ESL Teaching Practicum: Writing
     Rating

     Difficulty

     GPA

    Last Taught

    Spring 2025

    Through this course, students focus on the topic of writing in an L2, while gaining experience in the practice of English-language teaching to international students, faculty, and staff at the University. This experience is an excellent opportunity to gain teaching experience under the supervision of an experienced mentor.

  • LNGS 3250

    Introduction to Linguistic Theory and Analysis
     Rating

    2.82

     Difficulty

    3.48

     GPA

    3.32

    Last Taught

    Fall 2024

    Introduces sign systems, language as a sign system, and approaches to linguistics description. Emphasizes the application of descriptive techniques to data.

  • LNGS 3260

    Introduction to Comparative-Historical Linguistics
     Rating

     Difficulty

     GPA

    Last Taught

    Spring 2025

    An introduction to the nature and causation of variation in linguistic systems over time, with attention to the comparative and internal reconstruction of systems no longer attested but assumed to have existed. LNGS 3250 or Instructor Permission

  • LING 3400

    Structure of English
     Rating

    3.03

     Difficulty

    2.36

     GPA

    3.49

    Last Taught

    Fall 2024

    Introduces students to the descriptive grammar of English and applied methods for reasoning about linguistic structure through community-engaged group research introducing linguistics to Virginia High School students. Covers units of sound and phonemic transcriptions, word building and inflection, lexical categories, basic sentence types, common phrase and clause patterns, and syntactic transformations structural analysis and use of evidence.

  • LING 4650

    Linguistic Typology
     Rating

     Difficulty

     GPA

    3.77

    Last Taught

    Spring 2024

    Linguistic typologists study the patterns of grammatical forms and relations as they vary and converge across the diversity of the world's languages. Students in this course examine and critically evaluate definitions, methods and results of typological research, and gain practice analyzing linguistic data through typological lenses.

  • LING 4993

    Independent Study in Linguistics
     Rating

     Difficulty

     GPA

    Last Taught

    Spring 2025

    Conducted by students under the supervision of an instructor of their choice.

  • LING 4998

    Distinguished Major Thesis
     Rating

     Difficulty

     GPA

    Last Taught

    Fall 2024

    A two-semester course in which the student prepares a thesis under the supervision of a Linguistics faculty member. Prerequisite: Participants in the Distinguished Majors Program in Linguistics.

  • LING 4999

    Distinguished Major Thesis
     Rating

     Difficulty

     GPA

    Last Taught

    Spring 2025

    A two-semester course in which the student prepares a thesis under the supervision of a Linguistics faculty member. Prerequisite: Participants in the Distinguished Majors Program in Linguistics.

  • LNGS 5060

    Syntax and Semantics
     Rating

     Difficulty

     GPA

    3.86

    Last Taught

    Spring 2024

    Syntax and Semantics

  • LING 5090

    Teaching English as a Second Language
     Rating

    3.33

     Difficulty

    4.00

     GPA

    3.65

    Last Taught

    Spring 2025

    Studies the theory, problems, and methods in teaching English as a second language, with attention to relevant areas of general linguistics and the structure of English.

  • LING 5101

    ESL Teaching Practicum: Language
     Rating

     Difficulty

     GPA

    Last Taught

    Spring 2025

    Through this course, students focus on the topic of language in an L2, while gaining experience in the practice of English-language teaching to international students, faculty, and staff at the University. This experience is an excellent opportunity to gain teaching experience under the supervision of an experienced mentor. For every 1 hour of credit, students must meet with an instructor for 5 classroom & practice 33 hours. Prerequisite: 3250

  • LING 5102

    ESL Teaching Practicum: Culture
     Rating

     Difficulty

     GPA

    Last Taught

    Spring 2025

    Through this course, students focus on the topic of culture in ESL, while gaining experience in the practice of English-language teaching to international students, faculty, and staff at the University. This experience is an excellent opportunity to gain teaching experience under the supervision of an experienced mentor. For every 1 hour of credit, students must meet with an instructor for 5 classroom & practice 33 hours. Prerequisite: 3250

  • LING 5103

    ESL Teaching Practicum: Writing
     Rating

     Difficulty

     GPA

    Last Taught

    Spring 2025

    Through this course, students focus on the topic of writing in an L2, while gaining experience in the practice of English-language teaching to international students, faculty, and staff at the University. This experience is an excellent opportunity to gain teaching experience under the supervision of an experienced mentor. For every 1 hour of credit, students must meet with an instructor for 5 classroom & practice 33 hours.

  • LING 5401

    Linguistic Field Methods
     Rating

     Difficulty

     GPA

    Last Taught

    Spring 2025

    Investigates the grammatical structure of non-European language on the basis of data collected in class from a native speaker. A different language is the focus of study each year.

  • LING 5409

    Acoustic Phonetics
     Rating

     Difficulty

     GPA

    3.60

    Last Taught

    Spring 2025

    In this course on phonetics, students will explore the acoustic properties of different segment types, formants, pitch, intensity, spectra, and voice pulsing, among other phenomena. The emphasis is on parameters that influence speech intelligibility, the correlates of language variation (comparison between languages, effects of dialects), as well as some aspects of phonetic pathology.Prerequisites: LNGS 3250 or Instructor Permission

  • LING 5410

    Phonology
     Rating

     Difficulty

     GPA

    Last Taught

    Fall 2024

    An introduction to the theory and analysis of linguistic sound systems. Covers the essential units of speech sound that lexical and grammatical elements are composed of, how those units are organized at multiple levels of representation, and the principles governing the relation between levels.     

  • LING 5993

    Independent Study in Linguistics
     Rating

     Difficulty

     GPA

    Last Taught

    Fall 2024

    Independent study conducted by the student under the supervision of, and with agreement of, instructor.

  • LING 6650

    Linguistic Typology
     Rating

     Difficulty

     GPA

    3.95

    Last Taught

    Spring 2024

    Linguistic typologists study the patterns of grammatical forms and relations as they vary and converge across the diversity of the world's languages. Students in this course examine and critically evaluate definitions, methods and results of typological research, and gain practice analyzing linguistic data through typological lenses.

  • LNGS 7010

    Linguistic Theory and Analysis
     Rating

     Difficulty

     GPA

    3.73

    Last Taught

    Fall 2024

    Linguistic Theory and Analysis

  • LNGS 7020

    Historical and Comparative Linguistics
     Rating

     Difficulty

     GPA

    3.91

    Last Taught

    Spring 2025

    An introduction to the nature, causation, and theory of variation in linguistic systems over time, with attention to the theoretical underpinnings and implementation of the methods of internal and comparative reconstruction. Prerequisite: LNGS 7010 or instructor permission.

  • LNGS 7240

    Southern American English
     Rating

     Difficulty

     GPA

    Last Taught

    Fall 2024

    A discuss of the structure and history of the English spoken in the Southeastern United States. Prerequisites: Instructor Permission.

  • LING 7300

    Psycholinguistics
     Rating

     Difficulty

     GPA

    Last Taught

    Fall 2024

    This course focuses on the psychological processes that underlie the use of language and speech. Is language competence different from other human skills? Is language a biological, a psychological, a cultural phenomenon, or all of these? Why do people speak with an accent? Why do we forget words (and why do we remember them)?

  • LING 7400

    Structure of English
     Rating

     Difficulty

     GPA

    Last Taught

    Fall 2024

    This course provides students with a foundation in the grammar of the English language. Topics include phonology, morphology, syntax, with a focus on structural analysis. Students will gain confidence in discussing the form, function, & usage of linguistic structures. These topics will also be related to the teaching & tutoring of English as a second language including error correction & feedback which will be reflected in advanced final papers.

  • LING 8998

    Non-Topical Research
     Rating

     Difficulty

     GPA

    Last Taught

    Spring 2025

    Preparation for Master's Research, no thesis director.

  • LING 8999

    MA Thesis Research
     Rating

     Difficulty

     GPA

    Last Taught

    Fall 2024

    For Master's thesis, taken under the supervision of a thesis director.

  • LING 9010

    Directed Research
     Rating

     Difficulty

     GPA

    Last Taught

    Spring 2025

    Special Areas Students should choose electives in one or more of the following areas: anthropology, Asian and Middle Eastern languages and Cultures, comparative Latin and Greek, English language study, Germanic linguistics, Indic linguistics, philosophy, psychology, Romance linguistics, Slavic linguistics.