LING 202

The Linguistic Landscape of the USA

This linguistics course explores the rich mosaic of language varieties and linguistic practices that shape the cultural and social landscape of the United States. Students will investigate how Indigenous, immigrant, heritage, and regional language varieties reflect histories of contact, migration, colonization, and identity. Topics include Indigenous language vitality and revitalization, colonial-era heritage languages, contemporary immigrant and diasporic languages, and the role of language in the education and medical sectors. Through readings, case studies involving actual speakers’ accounts of language use and transmission, and interactive projects, the course examines how language reflects identity, culture, migration, and power across diverse American communities. By the end of the course, students will have gained both an appreciation for the United States’ deep linguistic history and critical tools for analyzing and representing the country’s multilingual landscape today.

COPT - CSISSA (CSI Social Scientific Analysis), COPT - CSITALA (CSI TALA)

Regular Liberal Arts

034116