Linguistics is a second-year required course. This course provides an introductory overview of linguistics. Its focus is language as a reflection of the structure of the human mind and human society. The following topics are covered: the various levels of grammatical structure as they are treated in linguistic theory (phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics); questions of language as a social phenomenon (dialects, language change, language and society, language and gender, etc.); and issues in language acquisition.

1. Enable a better understanding of the English language (its structure, pronunciation, grammar, word formation, meaning, and usage) and thus help the students be more proficient in their use of English. 2. Provide a good background for students interested in taking further linguistics courses, courses in Teaching English as Foreign Language, communication studies, translation, or other related courses. 3. Give the students’ an opportunity to discover more about the workings of the human mind and the ways in which human thought and language interact. 4. Develop the students’ analytical skills and encourage precision and accuracy in the study of speech and writing. 5. Offer some opportunities to compare and contrast English and Chinese.

Linguistics for Non-Linguists, F. Parker, K. Riley, ed., 4th edition