Introduction to Linguistics I

This course serves as a first introduction to linguistics, the discipline that is concerned with the scientific study of human language. Beginning with a reflection on the specific properties of human natural language, this course introduces the foundational fields of linguistics covering phonetics and phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics with the aim of giving you an overview of the scope of the discipline and to prepare you for participation in more advanced courses concerned with different aspects of the study of language. In the course of the semester, the central fields of linguistics are introduced alongside theories and methodologies employed in linguistic research. You will gain insights into methods and techniques of linguistic data analysis and read widely on various foundational aspects of human language.