Course Description
Nature of Language & Language Acquisition introduces the scientific study of language, which includes theoretical concepts (e.g. structural linguistics, sociolinguistics, language development in first and second language acquisition) and application of linguistics in reading and writing development. Students develop a knowledge base in linguistics, phonemic awareness, and syntax, and apply it in real-world educational settings. Taught in English.
Reflective Narrative
In LING 392, I learned about the function of language and the elements of English linguistics such as phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics and the lexicon. A fundamental part of the course was learning about the process of learning a first and second language. Since most of the students' major was on education, the instructor decided to focus on teaching strategies for language learners and how to approach a student who are not proficient in the language. Without a doubt, this information was very valuable, because my professional goal is to be a Spanish professor. One aspect to highlight was the respect that our instructor encouraged us for all forms of communication in English, since as most languages there are linguistic variations, such as Standard American English (SAE), African American English (AAE) and Chicano English (ChE). In order to demonstrate our linguistic English knowledge, my partner Linda Heredia and I completed "Enrique Peña Nieto's Linguistic Analysis" in which we examined one speech from former president of Mexico, in which he expressed himself in English, a language that he does not master. After transcribing his speech in phonological and phonetic form, we used the elements of linguistics such as phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and lexicon. After carrying out this research, we concluded that the participant suffers from major deficiencies in pronunciation, but complies with the rest of the linguistic elements. This class represented a great challenge for me, because English is my second language and most of the concepts were new to me. For this reason, I spent a good amount of time to understand the material as well as to study for my exams. In addition, I was determined to master the material and apply it to everyday situations as I will be specializing in Spanish linguistics, which shares features with English linguistics. Without a doubt, I must increase my knowledge of the English structure, especially in phonology. This class is related to SPAN 395.