Linguistics 394BI - Language and Cognition

This course is a one-semester introduction to linguistics as a branch of cognitive science. Linguistics has been at the heart of cognitive science since the 1950's, and it's often said that language provides a privileged window on the inner workings of the mind. Throughout this course, we ask what exactly we learn about the mind by studying language. We will examine two classic arguments from linguistics that have been taken as informative about the structure of the mind: the argument for mental grammar, and the argument for innate knowledge. Specific topics include the nature of phonological and syntactic grammar, numerical cognition, reference and noun-phrase syntax, color systems, theory of mind, and event representations. Satisfies the Integrative Experience requirement for BA-Ling majors.

Pre Req: LINGUIST 201