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Language Sector > Module > Iteration
August 2025  Confirmed  Hybrid
Lecture-based • Low intensity
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Many people do not realize the variety of language structures and strange language phenomena that exist in the world's languages. This class will introduce a number of features that can be found across the globe. These include object agreement, verbs that necessarily encode the shape of items, ergativity, discourse particles, languages with 20 grammatical gender classes, pronoun hierarchies, circumfixes and infixes, and the complex systems of taboo words that arise in some languages. We will look at a number of these, at what is rare, common, surprising, but all of which are real. Language families from Africa, the Caucasus, Siberia, Australia, and the Americas.

The module will follow an 8-session structure as shown below.
Outline 8-Session Structure
Week 1 Lecture 1: Introduction to languages, English, linguistics, and glossing
Discussion 1: How to we make sense of English and what else to expect in the world's languages?
Week 2 Lecture 2: Agreement, ergativity
Discussion 2: Problem set and identifying parts of unusual phenomena
Week 3 Lecture 3: Evidentiality, Genders
Discussion 3: Noun class, word gender exercise
Week 4 Lecture 4: Taboo language and word classes, and shape
Discussion 4: Word class and shape puzzle

Required Texts

There are no required texts for this module. The preceptor will supply all the material.
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This will be a Hybrid class (4 lectures & 4 discussion sessions). Each week will consist of 1 hour of recorded lecture and 1 hour of live discussion (not recorded) for a total of 8 class hours over the course of the month.

Delivery Plan
1. The first session each week will be a pre-recorded lecture sent to students at least 2 days before the live discussion session.
2. The second session each week will be a live discussion session (not recorded).

Days and Times

Pre-recorded lectures plus a live discussion meeting Wednesdays at 7:00 PM Eastern for four 1-hour sessions on August 6, 13, 20, 27

Signum Time
US/Eastern
Note Your Time
unknown
Mon, Aug 4
7:00 PM
Lecture (pre-recorded). NOT LIVE.
Wed, Aug 6
7:00 PM
LIVE DISCUSSION SESSION
Mon, Aug 11
7:00 PM
Lecture (pre-recorded). NOT LIVE.
Wed, Aug 13
7:00 PM
LIVE DISCUSSION SESSION
Mon, Aug 18
7:00 PM
Lecture (pre-recorded). NOT LIVE.
Wed, Aug 20
7:00 PM
LIVE DISCUSSION SESSION
Mon, Aug 25
7:00 PM
Lecture (pre-recorded). NOT LIVE.
Wed, Aug 27
7:00 PM
LIVE DISCUSSION SESSION