How do sounds turn into meaning? How do we learn a new language? What even is language?

This course offers a broad introduction to linguistics, the study of human language. We’ll cover some of the most important topics in linguistics, such as where meaning comes from, how language changes over time, and the inner workings and impact of large language models like ChatGPT.

To complement the lecture portion of the classes, we will take examples from everyday conversation, social media, and politics for hands-on analysis using the techniques covered. Discussion will be a key part of the sessions and each block will end with a short Kahoot quiz.

Each lesson will focus on a different main topic:
1. What Linguistics Is and Isn’t
2. From Sound to Meaning (Phonetics, Morphology, Lexical Semantics)
3. What We Really Mean (Pragmatics)
4. Language and Identity (Sociolinguistics)
5. Language Myths
6. LLMs, AI, and Their Ethics (Computational Linguistics)

This course requires no prior knowledge about linguistics. You’ll leave with a deeper understanding of communication, science-backed tips for language learning, and a critical reflection on “correct” language and AI.