ED 5900G - Linguistic Foundations

Credits: 4

This course takes a practical approach to the study of linguistics and of English as a second language with implications for teaching reading, writing, and grammar in monolingual or multilingual contexts. Theories of first and second language acquisition are studied and compared. The basic nature of language, oral and written language, language variation, language change, and the relations of language to society and culture are explored. The course focuses on the development of linguistic foundational knowledge elements such as phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics that informs planning for teaching English learners. Structural and semantic differences between students’ first languages and English as a second language are examined and used in planning for learning.