This course is designed to give students a broad introduction to the field of linguistics from the perspective of language users. As native users of at least one spoken or signed language, students are already in some ways experts in how language works. This course will explore the beliefs about and perceptions of language that they already possess and build upon this knowledge by comparing popular notions about language with those developed in linguistic science, paying attention to the contributions of popular belief as well as the differences between them and scientific findings.

This course is designed to give students a broad introduction to the field of linguistics from the perspective of language users. As native users of at least one spoken or signed language, students are already in some ways experts in how language works. This course will explore the beliefs about and perceptions of language that they already possess and build upon this knowledge by comparing popular notions about language with those developed in linguistic science, paying attention to the contributions of popular belief as well as the differences between them and scientific findings.