Undergraduate Major -- BA in Linguistics

The CSULB Linguistics Major for the B.A. has been approved and is now available as of Fall Semester 2004. Please note: students interested in Linguistics should complete all general education courses and requirements in addition to the courses listed below.

 

Veteran and New Professors will instruct, advise and urge you to complete your studies and arrive successfully at Graduation Day.

LINGUISTICS at CSULB

What is linguistics anyway?

Linguistics is the science of language. It explores:

Why should I major in it?

By taking the major in Linguistics, leading to the B.A., you could begin preparing yourself for a career in Teaching English as a Second Language (T.E.S.L.), a teaching specialty that is in high demand in the U.S and the world.

Are you bilingual?

Do you speak English and Spanish, Khmer, Japanese, Korean, French, Russian or Chinese? Linguistics is a major that allows you to capitalize on your bilingual ability, giving you a head start.

Still interested?

Visit Dr. John Attinasi (Psychology Building 114) or Dr. Robert Hertz (Psychology Building 219) and talk with us about our favorite subject. You may also telephone: 562. 985-5792. Find more information at www.csulb.edu click on "Academics' and then "CSULB Catalogue." or visit our website:

CSULB Department of Linguistics Home Page http://www.csulb.edu/depts/ling/index.htm

Courses in the Major

Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics (120 units) Students interested in Linguistics should complete all general education courses and requirements in addition to the courses listed below

The following are department expectations for students studying for the B.A. in Linguistics:

  1. Study the basic mechanisms common to all languages: the domains of phonetics and phonology, morphology and syntax, and semantics and pragmatics
  2. Acquire knowledge of the ways different human languages embody these mechanisms
  3. Understand the social functions of language and the roles that they play in culture
  4. Study language variation, including historical change, social and regional dialects
  5. Demonstrate knowledge of how people acquire first and second languages and the implications for schooling and educational policy
  6. Critical evaluation of language research and policy
  7. Applications of Linguistics in community settings
  8. Career opportunities of Linguistics in education, translation, computational linguistics, and other professions
  9. Proficiency in English and in at least one other language

Find more information at http://www.csulb.edu/depts/ling/index.htm or

www.csulb.edu click on “Academics” and then “CSULB Catalogue”

Requirements :

General Education (not listed) + Courses in the major (42 units, below)

Lower Division: (6 units)

Ling 101. Introduction to the World's Languages (3)

Ling 170. Introduction to Linguistics (3)

Language requirement:

  Four semesters (or equivalent) of a language other than English, with either:

•  two semesters of an Indo-European language plus two semesters of a non-Indo-European language or

•  four semesters of any language.

Students with prior language experience can pass the language requirement by examination or other evidence.

Upper Division:

1. 12 units – All of the following

Ling 325. Modern English Grammar (3)

Ling 329. Introduction to Language Acquisition (3)

Ling 420. English Phonology (3)

Ling 421. English Syntax (3)

2. 24 units – Select eight (8) courses from

Ling 413. Language and Culture (3)

Ling 423. Semantics (3)

Ling 425. Education Across Cultures (3)

Ling 426. History of the English Language (3)

Ling 428. Applied Linguistics (3)

Ling 433. Survey of Discourse Analysis (3)

Ling 470. Language and Gender in Cross-Cultural Perspective (3)

Ling 472. Language and Discrimination (3)

Ling 485. Theoretical Foundations of Language Minority Education (3)

Ling 490. Special Topics in Linguistics (3)

PSY 438. Psycholinguistics

Students may substitute up to 6 units of relevant upper-division coursework from other departments, with permission of the Linguistics advisor.