ENGL 3371, Fall 2025
Mon/Weds 1:00–2:20pm
Face to face
CRN: 33013
Get a hands-on look at the rules and patterns that govern language, revealing the secrets behind how we communicate, think, and connect.
Language touches every aspect of our lives. From reading the morning paper to decrypting secret codes, the subconscious knowledge of language is uniquely human. In this course we'll ask what it means to have a command of language—do animals have it? Infants?
What we'll cover:
The sounds of the world’s languages
How English builds new words
The role of language in society
Why languages don’t all share the same word order
Why linguists believe in a “universal grammar”
