College Bulletin 2024-2025
Linguistics
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Faculty
EMILY A. GASSER, Associate Professor and Chair
THEODORE B. FERNALD, Professor
K. DAVID HARRISON, Professor5
DONNA JO NAPOLI, Professor
JONATHAN N. WASHINGTON, Associate Professor
KIRBY CONROD, Assistant Professor
RIKKER DOCKUM, Visiting Assistant Professor
MICHAEL DONOVAN, Visiting Assistant Professor
NICTÉ FULLER MEDINA, Visiting Assistant Professor
MELANIE DROLSBAUGH, Language Lecturer, American Sign Language
JEREMY FAHRINGER, Laboratory Technologist
TARSIA DUFF, Administrative Assistant
5 Fall 2024.
What is Linguistics?
There are 7,000 languages in the world. Linguistics is the scientific study of language-we develop techniques to explore patterns that all human languages have in common and investigate the ways in which each is unique. Our explorations yield insights not only about languages, but also about the nature of the human mind.
The relevance of linguistics to the fields of anthropology, cognitive science, language study, philosophy, psychology, and sociology has been recognized for a long time. Linguistics cross list courses from ten departments, reflecting the diversity of fields with strong relevance to our field. The interdisciplinary nature of the field, and our program, further encourages students to broaden their horizons and interact with a wide variety of students, scholars, and ideas.
What we hope students will get from studying Linguistics
Because the very nature of modern linguistic inquiry is to build arguments for particular analysis, the study of linguistics gives the student finely honed argumentation skills, which stand in good stead in careers in law, business, and any other profession where such skills are crucial.
Linguistics at Swarthmore, Bryn Mawr College, and Haverford College
The Linguistics Department is a constituent in the Tri-College Linguistics Department, which includes courses at Bryn Mawr College and Haverford College. Linguistics courses at Swarthmore College regularly include students from all three schools.
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The Academic Program
The Linguistics Department offers a course major, a course minor, an honors major, and an honors minor. In addition, a special course major and a special honors major are offered in linguistics and languages.
Language courses do not count towards the elective requirements for the major/minor. Examples of these courses include LING 011, 012, 015, 024, 033, and 057. If you’re unsure about whether a course falls into this category, please contact the chair.
Students may count towards the major or minor up to one elective course taken with CR/NC grading. This restriction does not apply to courses taken in the first semester at Swarthmore or in other cases where regular letter grades are not available.
Students who wish to petition for an exception or change to a particular major/minor requirement should fill out the form at [link] and submit it to the department chair. These requests will be granted at the discretion of the chair, in consultation with appropriate faculty members.
Off-Campus Study
Linguistics majors and minors frequently study abroad, and are encouraged to do so. There is no limit on the number of courses taken abroad or in other off-campus programs that may count towards the major or minor. Usually these will count as electives, but the chair may approve relevant courses to fulfil core major requirements.
Course Major: Linguistics
The course major in linguistics consists of at least eight credits in linguistics, including all of the following:
- Phonetics & Phonology: LING 45/H115.
- Syntax: LING 50/H113/B113.
- Semantics: LING 40/H114.
- A course in language, culture, and society from the following: LING 21 Anthropological Linguistics, LING 25/H125 Sociolinguistics, LING 41 Dialects of American English, LING 44 Linguistic Discrimination, LING 46 / H146 Linguistic Diversity, LING/ANTH B281 Language in the Social Context. Other courses which are not being used to fulfil another major requirement may be used here with approval of the chair.
- A course in the Structure of a Non-Indo-European Language: typically LING 61 (Navajo), 67 (Wamesa), 68 (Kyrgyz), H282 (Chinese), or H215 (Colonial Valley Zapotec).
- LING 100/H399/B399, in which students complete and defend a one-credit senior thesis. This course constitutes the comprehensive requirement for the major.
- Two additional electives in linguistics.
Special Course Major: Linguistics and Languages
The special course major in linguistics and languages consists of at least twelve credits: six credits in linguistics and three credits in each of two languages. The languages can be ancient or modern. Students must complete each of the following:
- A course in Phonetics & Phonology from the following list: LING 45.
- A course in Syntax: LING 50.
- A course in Semantics from the following list: LING 40.
- A course in Language, Culture, & Society (see course major).
- A course in the Structure of a Non-Indo-European Language (see course major).
- LING 100, in which students complete and defend a one-credit senior thesis. This course constitutes the comprehensive requirement for the major.
Contact the Modern Languages Department, the Spanish Department, and the Classics Department to find out the necessary courses to complete the language part of this special major.
Some work in each foreign language included in the major must be done in the student’s junior or senior year.
If one or both of the foreign languages is modern, the student must study abroad for at least one semester in an area appropriate for one of the foreign languages.
Course Minor
Four minors are offered, each totaling five credits (courses below plus any other two credits in linguistics):
- Theory: LING 40/H114, LING 45/H115, LING 50/H113/B113
- Phonology/Morphology: LING 43, LING 45/H115, and LING 25 or LING 52
- Syntax/Semantics: LING 40/h114, LING 43, LING 50/H113/B113
- Language and Society:
- Individualized: Student may choose five courses in linguistics and provide justification why the courses form a coherent minor.
Honors Major
The honors major in linguistics consists of ten credits in linguistics, and includes all of the following:
- A course in Phonetics & Phonology: LING 45.
- A course in Syntax: LING 50.
- A course in Semantics: LING 40.
- A course in language, culture, and society (see course major).
- A course in the Structure of a Non-Indo-European Language: (see course major).
- LING 195, in which students complete and defend a two-credit senior thesis. This course constitutes the comprehensive requirement for the major.
- Two electives in linguistics.
- Complete and defend an honors major portfolio as explained below.
Honors Major Portfolio requirements:
Thesis: Students are required to write a two-credit thesis in LING 195 (Senior Honors Thesis) in the fall of their senior year. The thesis may be on any topic in linguistics. It need not be related to course work. Work may be collaborative with one other student at the discretion of the faculty. The oral examination will consist of a discussion of up to one hour with the external reader.
Research Papers: Students are required to write two research papers. The student will prepare for these research papers by taking at least four credits of course work (two credits in each of the research paper areas). The areas will be selected from any combination of the following, possibly in combination with other course work:
- phonetics
- phonology
- morphology
- syntax
- semantics
- historical and comparative
- sociolinguistics
Students will take LING 199 (Senior Honors Study) for one credit in the spring of their senior year. The two research papers will be on topics selected by the external readers and must be directly related to course work the student has taken.
Students will work independently on their research papers. The oral examination will consist of a forty-five minute discussion with the external reader for each paper. The discussion will cover the papers and any other material pertinent to the two credits of course work offered in preparation for the paper.
Honors Special Major Linguistics and Languages
The special honors major in linguistics and languages consists of the following Linguistics classes and three credits in each of two languages. The languages can be ancient or modern. Students must complete each of the following:
- A course in Phonetics & Phonology from the following list: LING 45.
- A course in Syntax: LING 50.
- A course in Semantics from the following list: LING 40.
- A course in Language, Culture, & Society (see course major).
- A course in the Structure of a Non-Indo-European Language (see course major).
- LING 195, in which students complete and defend a two-credit senior thesis. This course constitutes the comprehensive requirement for the major.
- Complete and defend an honors major portfolio as explained below.
Honors Special Major Linguistics and Languages portfolio requirements:
Thesis: Students are required to write a two-credit thesis in LING 195 (Senior Honors Thesis) in the fall of their senior year. The thesis may be on any topic in linguistics. It need not be related to course work. Work may be collaborative with one other student at the discretion of the faculty. The oral examination will consist of a discussion of up to one hour with the external reader.
Research Papers: Students are required to write two research papers in linguistics and complete one honors examination that is administered by the relevant language department. The student will prepare for the linguistics research papers by taking at least four credits of course work (two credits in each of the research paper areas). The areas will be selected from any combination of the following, possibly in combination with other course work:
- phonetics
- phonology
- morphology
- syntax
- semantics
- historical and comparative
- sociolinguistics
The third research paper is administered by the relevant language department.
Students will take LING 199 (Senior Honors Study) for one credit in the spring of their senior year. The three research papers will be on topics selected by the external readers and must be directly related to course work the student has taken.
Students will work independently on their research papers. The oral examination will consist of a forty-five minute discussion with the external reader for each paper. The discussion will cover the papers and any other material pertinent to the two credits of course work offered in preparation for the paper.
Honors Minor
If a student is a course major in Linguistics as well as an honors minor in Linguistics, they will write a two-credit thesis in LING 195 constituting the thesis required for the course major and the portfolio for the honors minor.
Honors Minor portfolio requirements:
A single research paper will constitute the portfolio for honors. The areas will be selected from any combination of the following:
- phonetics
- phonology
- morphology
- syntax
- semantics
- historical and comparative
- sociolinguistics
The program requires a one-half credit in LING 199 (Senior Honors Study) in the spring of the senior year. The oral examination will consist of a discussion of up to one hour with the external reader.
Thesis / Culminating Exercise
Every senior linguistics major or linguistics and language major must write a thesis during the fall semester of their senior year.
Application Process Notes for the Major or the Minor
Please follow the process described by the Dean’s Office and the Registrar’s Office about how to apply for a major.
Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate Credit
Linguistics does not accept AP/IB credit.
Transfer Credit
Linguistics does accept transfer credit. Please contact the department for more information.
Sample Paths through Linguistics
There are many acceptable paths through the major. We urge students to talk with their advisers to find the one that is best suited to their interests, bearing the following considerations in mind.
The end of the path is satisfaction of the requirements for the major. The most intricate of these is successful completion of the senior thesis. While students are permitted to complete one or more of the core requirements (courses in sounds, forms, and meanings) during their senior year, doing so will preclude writing a senior thesis in one of these areas. We strongly recommend completing these requirements by the end of the junior year. Because students frequently develop thesis topics during their courses in the Structure of a Non-Indo-European Language, we also recommend satisfying this requirement by the end of the junior year. Syntax (LING 050) and Phonetics and Phonology (LING 045) are prerequisites for the Structure of a Non-Indo-European Language (061, 067, 68 and at Haverford College: LINGH282, and LING215.), the faculty urge students to take these courses by the end of the fall semester of the junior year.
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