LING 251(S) Dialects of American English (same as American Studies 251)

This course looks at dialects of American English in depth. We will consider how dialect research is done (the advantages and limitations of various methods). We will examine the most current dialect atlas (published in 2006), as well as older atlases, in order to see the characteristics of current dialects, to see how they have changed in the recent past, and to speculate as to what changes are likely to take place in the future. We will largely look at phonetics and phonology, but we will also consider lexical and grammatical characteristics of regional dialects.
Format: lecture/discussion. Requirements: participation in discussions, midterm exam, final exam, and a group term project.
Prerequisites: LING 100 (formerly LING 101) or LING 210 (formerly LING 111). Enrollment limit:40 (expected: 30).

Hour: SANCHEZ