teaching

introduction to the me'phaa language, focusing on basic oral production, listening comprehension, & literacy. aims at developing novice level proficiency (ACTFL guidelines). co-taught w/ Eutropia Rodriguez

introduction to the scientific study of human language by surveying a number of domains/levels within linguistic theory (phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, language acquisition, sociolinguistics), with illustrations from typologically diverse languages.

formal study of syntax in natural language from a cognitive perspective, exploring & modeling the human cognitive faculty responsible for building & maintaining complex syntactic structures in the mind

covers contemporary issues in the study of language, gender, & sexuality, specifically orienting to a framework known as "trans linguistics." students work together to do novel research that addresses real-world problems from the perspective of trans linguistics, learning how linguistics can be a tool for "the empowerment of trans people and others at the margins" (Zimman 2020: 15)

an in-depth look into me'phaa varieties & their structural characteristics at various levels (phonetic, phonological, morphological, syntactic, discursive)

surveys similarities & differences across the world’s languages to develop the notion of a typology of language & consider proposed linguistic universals based on the comparative study of the phonology, morphology and syntax of languages spoken by diverse communities across geographic regions

taking the perspective of linguistic anthropology, this class investigates language use in social contexts, focusing on language use as seen through a cultural lens

below are some video walkthroughs showing how to diagram sentences à la X-bar theory. in my experience both teaching and learning syntax, it can be really helpful to see sentences being drawn, rather than looking at complete products. if you’re in an intro syntax class and feeling lost, these videos are for you!

i created these a few years back for the syntax I class i teach, but they should be pretty transferrable if you’re in any intro to generative syntax class using X-bar structures. wanna see a video on a topic not covered below? feel free to suggest one by emailing me!