The Department of Linguistics offers a variety of intersting elective courses that have no pre-requisites. Find out more about a few of these course below, or check out the full list of elective courses open to all students here. Check with an advisor to seeif any of these courses can be used to fulfill your Breadth-Social Sciences (B-SOC) or Breadth-Science (B-SCI) requirements.

LING 160 - Language, Culture, & Society

When we think about self-expression, we tend to think of the way we dress and act, the people we spend time with, and the things we do with our time. But what about our language? How does the way we speak reveal information about our identity (e.g. age, gender, hobbies, background, where we grew up, where we live, etc.) How do others form opinions of us (justified or not) based on the way we speak?  In LING 160 – Language, Culture, and Society, students have the opportunity to explore language as a social phenomenon that varies across contexts, communities, and over time. On the surface, this course looks at how language is related to social factors, culture, and community issues, but it also asks students to reflect on their own language use as it relates to the topical issues of discrimination, prejudice, and equity, diversity, and inclusion.

LING 160 – Language, Culture, and Society is being offered in a blended format for Fall 2022 with Dr. Suzanne Hilgendorf. Find out more here: http://www.sfu.ca/outlines.html?2022/fall/ling/160/b100

LING 200 - Foundations of English Grammar

Consider the headline “Giant Waves Down Mary’s Tunnel.” At first glance, this may seem far-fetched. Is this the first confirmed sighting of a giant? Why is it waving at us through a tunnel? More likely, the headline is suggesting that there were large waves moving through Mary’s Tunnel. While you might be able to intuitively figure out that the word “giant” here is probably acting as adjective and not a noun, LING 200 – Foundations of English Grammar will present you with the tools needed to build your understanding of the way English grammar works behind the scenes.

Grammar is an integral part of every language, and we are constantly applying grammatical knowledge in our day-to-day lives without knowing it. Students in this course will have the chance to identify the grammatical categories found in English and determine the ways those categories form the fundamentals of English sentence structure while developing analytical skills applicable in language analysis, writing, and communication.

LING 200 – Foundations of English Grammar is being offered in a blended format for Fall 2022 with Dr. Ivelina Tchizmarova. Find out more here: http://www.sfu.ca/outlines.html?2022/fall/ling/200/d100  

LING 290 - The Science of Speech

Have you ever wondered what ventriloquists, earwitness identification, and talking agents like Siri, Alexa, and Cortana have in common? LING 290 – The Science of Speech might be able to help you answer that question. LING 290 introduces students to the scientific study of speech and demonstrates how it can be applied in business, language teaching, rehabilitation, forensics, the arts, and other diverse fields.

The technology that incorporates speech sciences is changing rapidly in ways that will improve people’s day-to-day lives. At the same time, opportunities for misuse have arisen. Deep Fakes are one example of how the overlap of technology and speech sciences can be used in a negative way, but some of the same technology being used for Deep Fakes is also being used to help make communication aids for people with disabilities. Check out this video from BBC Ideas that highlights the importance of alternative and augmentative communication (AAC): https://aeon.co/videos/adaptive-technologies-have-helped-stephen-hawking-and-many-more-find-their-voice

LING290 – The Science of Speech is being offered in a blended format for Fall 2022 with Dr. Murray Munro. Find out more here: http://www.sfu.ca/outlines.html?2022/fall/ling/290/b100