Linguistics Minor

West Chester University

Program Coordinator:
Israel Sánz-Sánchez
Main Hall 113
isanzsanch@wcupa.edu


Mission Statement

Approved 10/9/2010

The Linguistics Minor at West Chester University is an interdisciplinary program that strives to create a learning environment for students wishing to gain insight into the properties and function of human language as a basic element of human behavior. Through a variety of courses and venues, the contributing faculty in our minor will prepare their students to describe, analyze and research the various manifestations of language. These include, but are not limited to, speech production, phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, language history, dialectology, sociolinguistics, the sociology of language, communication-related aspects, first- and second-language learning, psycholinguistics and the philosophy of language. The contributing faculty in the minor will prepare their students to apply the central concepts of linguistic theory to English and non-English data. The contributing faculty will also prepare their students to make meaningful connections between the contents learned in the minor and their own lives and careers. Ultimately, the contributing faculty in the minor will work to ensure that the students develop an appreciation for languages both as structured communication systems and as critical components of the world's cultural diversity.

Program Objectives

Approved 10/9/2010

  1. To create a learning environment for students wishing to gain insight into the properties and function of human language as a basic element of human behavior.
  2. To design courses and to plan venues that will prepare students in the minor to describe, analyze and research the various formal and socio-cultural manifestations of language.
  3. To prepare students to apply the central concepts of linguistic theory to English and non-English data.
  4. To assist students in establishing personally meaningful connections between the contents learned in the minor and their own lives and professional goals.
  5. To ensure that students develop an appreciation for languages both as structured communication systems and as critical components of the world's cultural diversity.