ANTH 208(F) The Nature of Human Language (Same as Linguistics 200)

LING 200(F) The Nature of Human Language (Same as Anthropology 208)
This course approaches the study of language as fundamental to the study of human nature itself. Questions to be addressed include: What properties of language inform our understanding of ourselves as a species? How might human language be fundamentally different from other animal communication systems? How did language evolve? Did linguistic complexity emerge gradually over time, or did the capacity for complex language develop suddenly? Is there a Universal Grammar shared by all humans? How is language instantiated in the human mind/brain?
Format: lecture/discussion. Requirements: participation in discussions, occasional homework assignments, one or two midterm exams, and a final exam, report, or project.
No prerequisites. No enrollment limit (expected: 15).
Hour: HAUGEN