Any study of verbal communication must involve language. But too often language
is  taken for granted by the scholar, just as air is taken for granted by a person, until
she is without it. The study of language, however, is vigorously pursued by some
communication scholars and scholars from a range of communication-related disciplines,
such as anthropology, linguistics, oral performance, and rhetoric. The first aim of this
course is to expose the student to the literature that looks at language from
a variety of perspectives: linguistics, linguistic anthropology, speech act theorists,
and narrative analysts. The second aim is to engage the student in a study of communication
that takes language as the primary focus and draws upon the theories and methods
developed by scholars. This is a course that is rigorous, requires a substantial amount
of reading, in-class reflection and debate, and a well-planned research project.

Click here to see the syllabus.