The course aims to introduce and to acquaint students with current concerns in the study of linguistics. Students will be encouraged to participate in discussion sessions concerning various topics of linguistics such as pragmatics, syntax, semantics, etc. By the end of the course students should be familiar with a range of topics in contemporary linguistics. The course should be seen as a preparatory step for students to explore their interests in the field of linguistic studies.

The central objective of this course is to understand what language is, how it is structured, and how people use language in everyday life. By the end of this course, students will be able to: • understand and work with the basic concepts and methodologies of linguistic science • discuss language issues in an informed way with both linguists and non-linguists • prepare to enter any intermediate linguistics course

Fromkin, Victoria, Robert Rodman, and Nina Hyams. 2018. An Introduction to Language. The 11th Edition. Wadsworth Publishing.

Other reading materials will be provided in the iLearn system (https://ilearn.thu.edu.tw).


(Note: In order to protect Intellectual Properties of individual authors and publishers, hardcopies of the textbook are not allowed in class.)