Introductory Linguistics Research Articles

Phonology from the Inside Out: Constructed Language as a Pedagogical Tool

Abstract This paper reflects on a project-based curriculum employing constructed languages to teach linguistics, with a focus on phonology. In a special topics linguistics course, nine students were led through the construction of a language. While students in introductory linguistics courses sometimes struggle with phonology, active engagement with a semester-long language construction project endowed these students with the practical motivation to understand (1) what phonology is, (2) how phonological rules work, and (3) why rules surface in the first place. They readily captured generalizations based on natural classes of sounds, recognizing the systematicity of their constructed phonology. Student performance and engagement in this course support the use of constructed languages as a pedagogical tool in linguistics. Because an ongoing project builds in problem-solving opportunities and processual thinking, highlighting relationships among key concepts, students achieve a more comprehensive understanding of core areas in the broader linguistic picture.

Universal Design for Learning as a pathway to accessibility in the linguistics classroom

This paper offers suggestions on enhancing accessibility in our introductory linguistics courses, with a particular focus on teaching phonetics and phonology to students with hearing and visual disabilities. After reviewing some existing resources designed to make linguistics content more accessible, we address some of the practical constraints we experienced in trying to adopt these resources for our own courses. In light of such challenges, we offer practical strategies for improving accessibility both in the physical classroom as well as for online or hybrid courses. We suggest that implementing such strategies, which are in line with the principles of Universal Design for Learning, can prove beneficial for all students, with or without the need for accommodation. Finally, we encourage instructors to take proactive steps to make their course content more accessible, both in their current and future classes.

Video chat exams in an online general education linguistics course

Video chat exams are a potential solution in online, general education introductory linguistics courses that seek to promote academic integrity, differentiate instruction, center student language and rhetorical practices, and offer multiple assessment modalities. Instructors who try video chat exams will want to clearly communicate expectations, offer practice exams, take steps to mitigate bias, and be sure this strategy aligns with their student learning outcomes as well as logistical concerns, like class size.

Using constructed languages to introduce and teach linguistics

Abstract Introductory linguistics courses are a common component of general education curricula at many institutions of higher education, reaching tens of thousands of students with diverse backgrounds and interests. Such courses provide a great opportunity for linguists to convey the field’s message and its values to a wider audience. We propose that it is possible to increase the public outreach of such courses by engaging not only the students in the course, but also the campus community at large. In this paper, we report on using constructed languages (conlangs) as a tool to help students understand course materials via active learning as well as present linguistic research to the wider community of college campuses.

Becoming Linguistically and Culturally Responsive Educators: Teacher Candidates’ Perspective Shifts in an Introductory Linguistics Course

ABSTRACT Many teacher education programs aim to address the acute need for culturally and linguistically responsive educators by fostering linguistic consciousness and awareness of language learner populations. This mixed-methods study explores how elementary education teacher candidates’ perspectives shift through critical reflection and dialogue about English learners’ education and equitable classroom practices. Using a transformative learning framework, our findings illustrate that collaborative learning tasks as well as peers’ and multilingual graduate teaching assistants’ experiences play a disorienting role in challenging monolingual and bilingual teacher candidates’ beliefs about language acquisition, bilingualism, and English learners’ education. We discuss implications for teacher language awareness and instructional practices in ESL endorsement courses.

Integration of curriculum ideology and politics in higher education: a case study of English linguistics in China

Amidst efforts to fulfill the Chinese government’s education guide for morality building and character cultivating, curriculum ideology and politics have emerged as key aspects in higher education pedagogy. English linguistics, a staple for junior English majors and often perceived as theoretical and challenging, represents an opportunity to align with national education directives. This study explores the integration of ideological and political education within the English major’s curriculum, specifically within an English linguistics course. This paper details an empirical case study conducted in a local Jiangxi university in China, where an “ideological education + linguistics” teaching model was carefully crafted and implemented in the introductory linguistics session. Methodologies included classroom observation, post-lesson questionnaire and interview, revealing enhancements in student engagement, understanding of linguistic concepts, and scientific and logical reasoning. Additionally, noteworthy improvements in teaching methodologies were reported. The findings affirm the model’s feasibility and effectiveness in reinforcing the curriculum ideology and politics in major disciplines, suggesting a beneficial tripartite impact on national educational goals, student learning, and teaching innovation. Research significance indicates that by applying their experiences, front-line teachers can act as researchers, enhancing the implementation of educational research; besides theoretical studies, micro case studies are essential to validate and complement educational research, thus contributing to the development of a comprehensive theoretical framework.

'Fostering Linguistic Equality: The SISE Approach to the Introductory Linguistics Course' by Sarah E. Hercula (2020)

Fostering Linguistic Equality: The SISE Approach to the Introductory Linguistics Courseby Sarah E. Hercula (2020)Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan, 232 pp.

The representation of animal communication and language evolution in introductory linguistics textbooks

AbstractThe last three decades have brought a wealth of new empirical data and methods that have transformed investigations of language evolution into a fast-growing field of scientific research. In this paper, we investigate how the results of this research are represented in the content of the most popular introductory linguistic textbooks. We carried out a comprehensive computer-assisted qualitative study, in which we inspected eighteen English-language textbooks for all content related to the evolutionary emergence of language and its uniqueness in nature, in order to evaluate its thematic scope, selection of topics, theories covered, researchers cited, structural soundness, currency, and factual accuracy. Overall, we found that the content of interest lacks a defined canonical representation across the textbooks. The coverage of animal communication was relatively broad, with some recurring classic examples, such as vervet monkeys or honeybees; this content was mostly structured around the ‘design features’ approach. In contrast, the coverage of topics related to language origins and evolution was much less extensive and systematic, and tended to include a relatively large the proportion of content of historical value (i.e. creation myths, ‘bow-wow’ theories). We conclude by making recommendations for future editions of textbooks, in particular, a better representation of important frameworks such as signalling theory, and of current research results in this fast-paced field.

Furthering student engagement: Lab sections in introductory linguistics

This article describes a pedagogical innovation implemented in our introductory linguistics course. We supplement classic theory building with a series of labs, deployed through a co-requisite ‘lab’ course that meets weekly. This builds on two previously established teaching strategies: the implementation of hands-on activities in linguistics classrooms, and the lab sections traditionally utilized in the natural sciences. The labs aim to fulfill three goals: (i) to better represent the field of linguistics in our introductory course, (ii) to help students solidify theories and connect them to the real world, and (iii) to teach practical skills for linguistics research and more broadly.

Pronouns and social justice in the linguistics classroom

AbstractMy introductory Linguistics course was for many years shaped by the field’s distaste for social justice issues such as cisheterosexism, racism, colonialism and ableism. Like many other linguists, I concentrated my teaching on the core formal subfields. This essay considers how the colonial roots of Linguistics have shaped the field and my teaching, and reflects on my efforts to integrate social justice concerns into my teaching, using the changing grammar of non-binary pronouns as one entry point.

Exploring the use of corpus tools for teaching language variation to L2 Spanish majors

Discussing language variation in introductory linguistics courses is a given in helping university students understand that speakers and communities use language differently. For Spanish majors/minors in the US, such content can be explored in linguistics courses taught in Spanish. However, little research has been done on pedagogy for teaching Hispanic linguistics in this context. Following an action-based design, this study contributes to research on linguistics pedagogy by exploring how students in four sections of an introductory Spanish linguistics course reacted not only to the topic of social and/or structural variation but also to the use of corpus tools in exploring this topic.

“Can we take a picture with you?” The realization of the refusal speech act with tourists by Emirati speakers

Effective communication between people from different cultures requires not only the ability to speak a common language but also an awareness of sociocultural rules and sociolinguistics features, an important one being speech acts the realization of which realization by Emirati non-native speakers of English has not been studied sufficiently. This paper investigates a particularly face-threatening speech act - refusals. It explores Emiratis comfort level and the use of the refusal speech act in communicative exchanges with unknown tourists. The data set consisted of 94 participant responses to a pre-instructional activity in an introductory linguistics class. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data sets. The key findings suggest that both male and female participants were rather comfortable conversing with a tourist couple that they had never met, but male participants reported being more at ease accepting the couples request to take a photo with the tourists at a statistically significant level. While more than half of the participants reported willingness to take the photo with the tourists, approximately 41.5% would decline such a request, with significantly more females declining the request. The most frequent components of the refusal speech act included a statement of regret, a thank-you note, and an excuse, reason, or explanation. Results also showed that linguistic devices for positive politeness purposes were used rather sparingly, and it was mainly the females who used them. Based on the results, it is helpful for visitors to the UAE to be mindful of Emiratis' sociocultural and sociolinguistic behaviors so that the nuances of communication can be understood and responses are appropriate, which can reduce the likelihood of communication breakdowns and increase the well-being of all involved in the interaction.

Teaching linguistics through language construction

Abstract This article details how introductory linguistics courses can increase student engagement and learning through a project-based approach, whereby the students first study the subfields of linguistics with a view to complete the main project of the course, namely to construct a novel language. I provide information from a semester-long course with specific project-based activities teachers could utilize in their classes. I also thoroughly examine the constructed language projects based on 33 student submissions in an introductory linguistics course in the US. The analysis indicates a high level of engagement and creativity by the students in creating a distinct orthography, phonetic, morphological, and syntactic rules and semantic properties for their constructed languages. The results from a 20-item questionnaire and student exit interviews indicate that the project-based approach adopted in the completion of their constructed languages proved effective in (a) improving student motivation and engagement; (b) helping students apply the knowledge of the material to carry out linguistic analysis; (c) enhancing students’ language learning skills; (d) encouraging them to study additional foreign languages; and finally (e) promoting linguistic diversity. Hence, as an innovative and effective method still in its infancy, project-based learning should be more widely implemented in linguistics instruction.

Replacing traditional sections with Teams-based groupwork: Remote learning and beyond

The sudden shift to online teaching and learning brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic provided an opportunity to consider alternatives to entrenched teaching practices. Making use of the private channel function in Microsoft Teams, I replaced traditional sections in an introductory linguistics course with asynchronous groupwork. This enabled students to form learning communities that facilitated peer learning and support in spite of remote learning, while unexpectedly connecting students with instructors in more personalized ways than typically witnessed in traditional sections. The medium allowed the teaching team to provide tailored feedback on each group’s work, as well as point out errors that were common across groups. I reflect on some of the problems encountered and consider how these might be addressed in the future.

Active learning in emergency remote introductory linguistics: Successes and challenge

This paper describes a set of flipped learning materials that I created for emergency remote teaching of introductory linguistics. My goals were to create a set of asynchronous materials that would scaffold student progress through a syntax unit, require active engagement in the material, and enable students to receive incremental formative feedback. Assessment of formative and summative student progress in the unit demonstrates that these materials were as effective at supporting student learning as face-to-face pedagogical methods. The discussion touches on additional issues related to pedagogy of care that were overlooked.

Using a class wiki to facilitate community and linguistic inclusivity

I describe the implementation of a class wiki in an introductory linguistics class. There were two pedagogical goals: (1) facilitate asynchronous student engagement and collaborative learning; (2) provide opportunities for students to engage with various linguistic issues having to do with justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Assessment for the wiki was done using a version of specifications grading (Nilson 2015), so that students could choose their level of engagement with the wiki. A full description of the wiki is available at https://cbjorndahl.github.io/CMUNoLWiki/, which includes detailed descriptions, learning objectives, and prompts given to students for each wiki cate-gory. The present paper focusses primarily on the pedagogical motivations, design of the pedagogical intervention, and a reflection of its effectiveness.

Hybrid contracts in introductory linguistics

Wanting to shift the focus in the introductory linguistics classes in an access institution from teaching to learning, I created a tripartite (hybrid) contract that consists of three distinct tasks: labor-based tasks (collaborative forums and breakout activities); content-based tasks (assignments and final project on changing understandings about language) and self-regulated tasks (learning logs, metacognitive awareness surveys, capstone). This contract gives students agency and establishes a culture of “forgiveness” (while maintaining high standards), providing flexibility since my students’ life challenges can affect their academic performance.

Tracing a selfie

Abstract This teaching report focuses on effectiveness of teaching pedagogies of the word formation process to Navajo students at a two-year college in the American Southwest. The activities used to teach the concepts of word formation are illustrated/described. The purpose of using authentic examples including songs from popular culture is to make students aware that these linguistic concepts are related to their everyday lives and in the hope that they can utilize these concepts and integrate real-life examples in their future teaching career. A feedback form was administered to collect the students’ views toward the pedagogies including activities in an introductory Linguistics class.

Attracting Black students to linguistics through a Black-centered Introduction to Linguistics course

In response to the lack of culturally sustaining pedagogies for Black students in linguistics, we created an online Introduction to Linguistics course designed as part of a specially funded research program that serves Black undergraduates from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) as well as Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs). In recognition of the fact that conventional introductory linguistics courses often alienate Black students, the course was designed to center Black language and culture in every lesson. We describe the rationale for and implementation of the course, as well as the impact of the model on students and instructors. The course’s Black-centered content as well as its online synchronous and asynchronous teaching model can be adapted for other teaching contexts as a way to recruit Black students into linguistics and to offer linguistics courses to students at universities, especially HBCUs, that do not have linguistics programs. The work is particularly relevant as linguists seek to be inclusive in their teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic and work toward the greater inclusion of Black people in every aspect of linguistics due to the heightened awareness of anti-Blackness in higher education and specifically in language studies.*

Attracting Black students to linguistics through a Black-centered Introduction to Linguistics course

In response to the lack of culturally sustaining pedagogies for Black students in linguistics, we created an online Introduction to Linguistics course designed as part of a specially funded research program that serves Black undergraduates from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) as well as Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs). In recognition of the fact that conventional introductory linguistics courses often alienate Black students, the course was designed to center Black language and culture in every lesson. We describe the rationale for and implementation of the course, as well as the impact of the model on students and instructors. The course's Black-centered content as well as its online synchronous and asynchronous teaching model can be adapted for other teaching contexts as a way to recruit Black students into linguistics and to offer linguistics courses to students at universities, especially HBCUs, that do not have linguistics programs. The work is particularly relevant as linguists seek to be inclusive in their teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic and work toward the greater inclusion of Black people in every aspect of linguistics due to the heightened awareness of anti-Blackness in higher education and specifically in language studies.