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February 2001, update of June 1988
Mark Alpert, Social Sciences Librarian
The concentration in Linguistics and Cognitive Science is designed to give students a foundation in the theory of language and its relation to allied fields of inquiry. The concentration emphasizes the approach of generative grammar, which attempts to describe formally the nature of a speaker's knowledge of his or her native language and to place this knowledge in a psychological and biological framework. This approach to the study of language has had a profound influence on fields like philosophy, psychology, anthropology, neuroscience and computer science.
The library collection in Linguistics is intended to support an undergraduate concentration leading to a Bachelor's degree with topics such as: phonology, syntax, and, semantics. The collection also serves the doctoral program in Psychology with specialization in Linguistics and Cognitive Science. Psycholinguistics and the relation of language to other cognitive functions are covered by the Neuroscience statement.
The undergraduate concentration in Linguistics emphasizes the approach of tranformational generative grammar. Students study the structure of diverse languages, historical linguistics, semantics and sociolinguistics. In addition, language acquisiton, language processing and the relation of language to other cognitive capaciies.
Interest in anthropological and sociocultural linguistics is maintained by the Anthropology department. Materials in the area of artificial intelligence is handled by the neuroscience statement.
None Specified
Works dealing with the languages of diverse regions and peoples of the world are collected.
The main emphasis is on work in current linguistic theory and analysis although occasional works dealing with historical linguistics are acquired. Historical linguistics is handled by the Neurosciences.
The emphasis is on current imprints.
The language is primarily english. Requests for material in other languages are considered.
Monographs are primary to the collection.
Serials are also primary to the collection.
The library buys or subscribes to electronic indexes and full-text databases that offer research value. Links to free websites are not actively collected together on the library's website although links to websites are included in guides produced by the library.
Research collections in microforms are purchased when deemed relevant.
Dissertations are acquired on a highly selective basis.
Video and audio materials are acquired when relevant to the curriculum.
Materials are located both at the Main Library and the Science Library
None Specified
Subject Area |
Collecting Levels |
| Phonology | Undergraduate Study |
| Syntax | Undergraduate Study |
| Semantics | Undergraduate Study |
| Language Acquisition | Undergraduate Study |
| Historical Linguistics | Selective/Basic |
| Sociolinguistics | Graduate Study |
| Psycholinguistics | Graduate Study |
Because of the interdisciplinary nature of subject matter of Psychology, a number of related policy statements should be referred to:
