Indigenous Language Course Offerings

CREE 100

Elementary Cree I

Introduction to Cree: basic oral expression, grammar, and practice with electronic learning materials. No prior knowledge of Cree is assumed.
*Note: Students may receive credit for one of CREE 100 or CREE 104. *

CREE 101

Elementary Cree II

A continuation of CREE 100. Further grammar and oral practice in Cree. This course completes preparation for CREE 202.
***Prerequisite: CREE 100.***
*Note: Students may receive credit for one of CREE 101 or CREE 105.*

CREE 104

Cree Grammar and Orthography I

This course is designed for students who seek grammatical and literary knowledge of Cree. Emphasis is on writing in the standard Roman orthography and on grammatical structures.
*Note: Students may receive credit for one of CREE 100 or CREE 104.*

CREE 105

Cree Grammar and Orthography II

A continuation of CREE 104. Further writing practice, grammar, and an introduction to short compositions.
***Prerequisite: CREE 104.***
*Note: Students may receive credit for one of CREE 101 or CREE 105.*

CREE 150

Cree Immersion I

This course will focus on listening and speaking skills by integrating linguistic functions with cultural knowledge. Students will acquire the level of competence needed to be functional within a relatively narrow range of familiar topic areas.
*Note: Students may receive credit for one of CREE 150, CREE 100, and/or CREE 101.*

CREE 202

Intermediate Cree I

This course is a continuation and integration of the Cree oracy and literacy skills introduced at the 100-level. Intermediate grammatical structures are introduced through oral practice and the study of oral and written literature.
***Prerequisite: CREE 101 or CREE 105.***

CREE 203

Intermediate Cree II

A continuation of CREE 202. Further oral and written practice in Cree. This course completes preparation for all senior CREE courses.
***Prerequisite: CREE 202.***

CREE 206

Cree Linguistics

Linguistic concepts for the scientific analysis of Cree, with comparison to the closely related Algonquian language Saulteaux. Application to language teaching.
***Prerequisite: CREE 101 or CREE 105 or permission of the Program Coordinator.***

CREE 225

Cree Transcription

This course will reinforce the standard roman orthography for Cree and present ample opportunity to increase one's ability at transcribing spoken Cree from both oral and audio-taped sources.
***Prerequisite: CREE 203.***

CREE 230

Cree Syllabics

Introduction to the Cree syllabics writing system. Reading and writing in syllabics.
***Prerequisite: CREE 101 or permission of the Program Coordinator.***
*Note: Students may receive credit for one of CREE 230 or CREE 330.*

CREE 250

Cree Immersion II

This course will bring participants to an intermediate level of proficiency. It will be complemented by examination and usage of grammatical structures, cultural elements, and the study of oral and written literature.
***Prerequisite: CREE 150 or CREE 100 and CREE 101.***
*Note: This course can be counted as an elective but cannot be used toward the main requirements of degree programs.*
*Note: This course will also be available as a non-credit option for those outside the university community.*

CREE 305

Expository Writing in Cree

Study and analysis of non-fiction literature in Cree, such as biography, history, politics, news stories, narratives, and technical writing; practice in writing and revision.
***Prerequisite: CREE 203.***

CREE 325

Translation I: Cree-English

A comparison of Cree and English stylistics with practical exercises in written translation, primarily from Cree to English.
***Prerequisite: CREE 225.***

CREE 340

Oral Tradition of Cree

Stories and legends on audio and video cassettes will be analyzed and transcribed by students. Storytelling sessions by students and elders. Visiting lecturers will also be included in the course.
***Prerequisite: CREE 203 or permission of the Program Coordinator.***

CREE 390

Selected Topics in Cree

Courses designed as required for senior undergraduate.
***Prerequisite: One 300-level CREE course or permission of the Program Coordinator.***

CREE 405

Creative Writing in Cree

Students will continue to practice writing techniques, compose original material in Cree, and critique published materials as well as each other's work.
***Prerequisite: CREE 305.***

CREE 425

Translation II: English-Cree

A comparison of Cree and English stylistics with practical exercises in written translation, primarily from Cree to English.
***Prerequisite: CREE 325.***

CREE 490AA

Second Language Acquistion: Theory and Application

Language acquisition: theory and practice examines the various theories on language acquisition and asks the students to evaluate the theories based on their, and others', learning of a second language.
***Prerequisite: Three CREE 300-level courses.***
**Permission of the Program Coordinator is required to register.**

CREE 490AB

Advanced Cree Transcription

This course discusses advanced techniques in Cree language transcription and the formatting of text for publication, as well as providing additional transcription practice in both writing systems, SRO and Syllabics.
***Prerequisite: Three CREE 300-level courses.***
**Permission of the Program Coordinator is required to register.**

DAK 100

Conversational Dakota I

Introduction to the Dakota language, with emphasis on oral expression, basic grammar, and writing in Roman orthography.
*Note: Students may receive credit for one of DAK 101 or DAK 104.*

DAK 101

Conversational Dakota II

A continuation of DAK 100. Further grammar and conversational practice for Dakota.
***Prerequisite: DAK 100.***
*Note: Students may receive credit for one of DAK 101 or DAK 105.*

DAK 104

Dakota Grammar and Orthography I

This course is designed for students who speak some Dakota. Emphasis is on Roman orthography and basic grammar, with some attention to dialect variation.
**Permission of the Program Coordinator Head is required to register.**
*Note: Students may receive credit for one of DAK 104 or DAK 100.*

DAK 105

Dakota Grammar and Orthography II

A continuation of DAK 104. Further study of the grammar and orthography. An introduction to short composition.
***Prerequisite: DAK 104.***
*Note: Students may receive credit for one of DAK 105 or DAK 101.*

DAK 202

Intermediate Dakota l

This course is a continuation of the Dakota oracy and literacy skills introduced at the 100-level. Intermediate grammatical structures are introduced through oral practice and the study of oral and written literature.
***Prerequisite: DAK 101 or 105.***

DAK 203

Intermediate Dakota II

A continuation of DAK 202. Further oral practice in Dakota with additional grammatical instruction and an introduction to short composition. ***Prerequisite: DAK 202***

DAK 206

Dakota Linguistics

Linguistic concepts for the scientific analysis of Dakota, with comparison to the closely related Nakota dialect. Application to language teaching. ***Prerequisite: DAK 101 or DAK 105 or permission of the Program Coordinator.***

DAK 225

Dakota Transcription and Writing

Practice with the roman orthography for Dakota consisting of transcription exercises and short expository and creative compositions. ***Prerequisite: DAK 203***

LING 100

Introductory Linguistics

An introduction to the main subdisciplines of linguistic inquiry: phonetics (speech sounds), phonology (sound patterns), morphology (word structure), syntax (sentence structure) and semantics (meaning).
* Note: Students who have completed ENGL 260 or FR 226 are not permitted to enrol in this course. *

LING 210

Phonetics & Phonology

The identification and production of speech sounds. Phonetic transcription. Study of the sound patterns of various languages.
***Prerequisite: One of LING 100, CREE 206, ENGL 260, NAK 206 or SAUL 206.***

LING 211

Morphology

Word formation in languages, grammatical categories and morphological typologies. Inflectional and derivational categories. Morphology in selected theoretical frameworks.
***Prerequisite: One of LING 100, CREE 206, ENGL 260, NAK 206 or SAUL 206.***

LING 212

Semantics

The study of meaning in language. Morpheme and word meaning, text meaning. Semantic components, domains/fields, and roles. Predictable variants of meaning, contexts, dictionaries, metaphors, cognition, Pragmatics, logic.
***Prerequisite: One of LING 100, CREE 206, ENGL 260, NAK 206 or SAUL 206.***

LING 213

Syntax

An introduction to grammatical analysis and syntactic variation cross-linguistically. Application to the analysis of grammatical structure of various languages.
***Prerequisite: One of LING 100, CREE 206, ENGL 260, NAK 206 or SAUL 206.***

LING 220

Interdisciplinary Linguistics

Basic introduction to historical linguistics, language acquisition, writing systems, sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, and other interdisciplinary areas of language study.
***Prerequisite: One of LING 100, CREE 206, ENGL 260, NAK 206 or SAUL 206.******

LING 230

Indigenous Languages of Turtle Island

Introduction to the classification of the Indigenous Languages of the Americas, with specific focus on Turtle Island (i.e. Mexico, the United States and Canada). Topics will include language in its social and cultural contexts, genetic and areal classification, selected linguistics structures and semantic systems, written and non-verbal communication systems.
***Prerequisite: Completion of 30 credit hours, or permission of the Program Coordinator.***

LING 270

Sociolinguistics

The study of language from the perspective of linguistics. Topics may include: linguistic variation in space and time; language and social class, gender, and identity; diglossia, multilingualism and code switching; language birth and death, language revitalization and maintenance; language(s) in Canada and language policies.
***Prerequisite: Completion of 30 credit hours.***

LING 280

Language Documentation

This course will provide an introduction to the tools and techniques of language documentation. Focus will be given to the practical recording, preparation and presentation of linguistic data from the Indigenous Languages of the Americas.
***Prerequisite: LING 100 or completion of the Arts Language Requirement.***

LING 320

Historical Linguistics

Investigation of the ways in which languages change over time. Reconstruction of the older stages of a language through comparison with related languages. Reconstruction of the common ancestor language of related languages.
***Prerequisite: LING 210, LING 211, and one of CLAS 110, LING 212, LING 213, or LING 220.***

LING 325

First Language Acquisition

The course will provide information about how children acquire language from their initial, prenatal speech perception abilities until they can comprehend and produce complex sentences. The core areas of phonological, lexical, morphological and syntactic acquisition will be surveyed. ***Prerequisite: LING 220, or permission of the the Department Head.***
*Note: LING 210 is recommended.*

LING 327

Evaluation of Language Learning Processes

The cognitive and social aspects of second language mastery, and the processes of bilingual/bicultural development. Strategies for enhancing second language learning and acquisition with particular reference to First Nations languages.
*** Prerequisite: LING 220 or an introductory course in the teaching of English or French as a second language ***

LING 360

Applied Linguistics

An introduction to the use of Linguistics in the teaching and learning of First Nations languages. A survey of topics including communication and structure, cross-linguistic influence, teaching pronunciation, morphology, syntax and semantics, applications to orthography and literacy, etc.
***Prerequisite: One of CREE 206, NAK 206, SAUL 206, or LING 100, and two 300-level CREE or SAUL courses or two 200-level LING courses.***

LING 380

Research Methods of Linguistics

Field methods and interview techniques. Library and archival research. Introspection in linguistic research. Formulation of alternative hypotheses and use of argumentation in choosing among them. Ethics of research. Scientific method.
*** Prerequisite: LING 210 and LING 211 ***

LING 410

Seminar in Phonology

Consolidation of expertise in phonetic transcription, production, and phonological analysis. Common phonological processes. Contemporary phonological theory. Abstractness, naturalness, rule ordering, and rule interaction.
***Prerequisite: LING 210, or permission of the Program Coordinator.***

LING 411

Seminar in Morphology

Morphological processes and structures. Complex systems. Evolution of morphological categories and language universals. Morphology in selected theories.
***Prerequisite: LING 211, or permission of the Program Coordinator.***

LING 412

Seminar in Semantics

Semantic processes and structures. Semantic theories. Application of semantics in language acquisition and teaching. Diachronic semantics.
***Prerequisite: LING 212.***

LING 413

Seminar in Syntax

Contemporary syntactic theory. An examination of competing frameworks for syntactic analysis: relational grammar, transformational grammar, typological approaches. Natural syntax.
***Prerequisite: LING 213.***

LING 480

Linguistic Fieldwork

Practical application of field methods and interview techniques to the study of First Nations and other indigenous languages. Formulation of alternative hypotheses pertaining to data gathered in interviews. Hypothesis testing and use of argumentation in hypothesis assessment. Data analysis and presentation.
***Prerequisite: LING 380 and permission of the Program Coordinator.***

LING 485AA

Central Amer Indian Lng Struct

This course will explore the linguistic research done on Central American Indian languages, especially those of Mexico and Guatemala. Topics may include work in phonology, morphology, syntax, historical linguistics, areal linguistics, and linguistic relativity.
**Permission of the Program Coordinator is required to register.**

LING 485AB

Structure of the Cree Language

The major grammatical structures of the Cree language will be surveyed, including its Phonology, Morphology, Syntax and Semantics. The place of Cree linguistics structure within general linguistic theory will also be explored.
**Permission of the Program Coordinator is required to register.**

LING 485AC

Structure of Dene Language

Investigation of the Dene Suline, Athapaskan: Phonology, Morphology, Syntax.
**Permission of the Program Coordinator is required to register.**

LING 485AD

Structure of Dakota and Nakota Languages

Investigation of the Dakota, Nakota and Siouan Languages: Phonology, Morphology, Syntax.
**Permission of the Program Coordinator is required to register.**

LING 490AB

A Study in Historical Linguistics

An exploration of how languages change over time and how the earlier stages of a language can be reconstructed, up to the ancestor of any family of related languages.
**Permission of the Program Coordinator is required to register.**
*Note: Students may receive credit for one of LING 490AB or LING 320.*

LING 490AC

Directed Siouan Linguistics Research

An exploration of the Nakota language, with regard to its historical-comparative place within the Siouan language family, through the study of selected articles.
**Permission of the Program Coordinator is required to register.**

LING 495AB

Directed Research in Corpus Linguistics

An introduction to foundations, methods, and applications in corpus linguistics, with a particular focus on one or more Indigenous languages. The student will gain hands-on experience in current tools and best practices used in corpus development.
***Prerequisite: One of LING 410, LING 411, LING 412, or LING 413.***
**Permission of the Program Coordinator is required to register.**

LING 497AA

Neurolinguistics

This course explores the neurological basis of our ability to speak, understand speech, learn languages, and read and write. Interest in the information that makes these processes possible, how it is acquired and how it is represented in the cerebral cortex.
**Permission of the Program Coordinator is required to register.**

LING 497AB

Pediatric Neurolinguistics

This course is about language and the brain, especially in relation to children. Topics include Acquisition and Use of Language beginning at birth (and even before), as well as "abnormal" situations including injury and disease and other developmental disorders.
**Permission of the Program Coordinator is required to register.**

LING 497AC

Adolescent Neurolinguistics

This course is about language and the brain, especially in relation to adolescence. Topics include the normally developing brain and use of language, including language acquisition, beginning at puberty. As well, abnormal situations, including injury and disease and other harmful effects on the brain, will be studied.
**Permission of the Program Coordinator is required to register.**

LING 810

Topics in Advance Phonology

Reading, research, discussion, and writing on advanced topics in phonology. These may include: phonetic, phonemic, or morphophonemic categories, processes, or systems, in language particular studies, typological or universal studies, or experimental phonetics.

LING 811

Topics in Advanced Morphology

Reading, research, discussion, and writing on advanced topics in morphology. These may include: morphological categories, processes, or systems, in language particular studies, typological or universal studies, applied studies, or theoretical studies.

LING 812

Topics in Advanced Semantics

Reading research, discussion, and writing on advanced topics in semantics; these may include: semantic categories.

LING 813

Topics in Advanced Syntax

Reading, research, discussion and writing on advanced topics in syntax; these may include: syntactic Algonquin obviation, negotiation, immediate constituent analysis, history of syntactic theory.

LING 820

Topics in Adv Diachronic Ling

Reading, research, discussion, and writing on advanced topics in diachronic linguistics. These may include: family tree vs. wave theory, linguistic reconstruction (phonology, morphology, syantax, semantics), dialect continua, substratum languages, comparing proto-languages, processes of sound and meaning change, or reconstruction of culture and homeland through language.

LING 830

Language Universals

An in-depth examination and evaluation of proposed language universals, both substantive and theoretical.

LING 880

Research Design

A study of succesful examples of linguistic thesis as well as books, articles, and grant proposals. Both content and form will be practised and critiqued in a series of short papers.

LING 890AA

Directed Readings in Semitics Languages

This course will concentrate on the history geographical distribution, and general grammatical features of the Semitic Languages. Will also deal with developments within Arabic, such as the status of Classical Arabic within the Arabic-speaking world, role of poetry and oratory in traditional Arabic language use, and major dialect divisions.

LING 890AB

Directed Readings in Cree Morphology

This is a graduate level course in Morphological structure of the Cree language. Through readings, lectures, seminar discussions, and a major project, a variety of advanced topics in Cree word formation will be explored.

LING 890AC

Directed Readings in Algonquian Syntax

This course will survey many of the salient features in Algonquian Syntax, and place these features in the context of contemporary Syntactic theory. Emphasis will be placed on a comparison of Cree and Saulteaux syntactic structure.

LING 890AD

Neurolinguistics and Spirituality

This course will explore the relationship between the brain, language, and spirituality. Students will have a background in Neurolinguistics and from there explore various aspects of spirituality. Brain imaging technology will also be studied as a means to gain insight into this topic.

LING 890AE

Dene Linguistics

Advanced linguistics concepts (phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics) for the scientific analysis of Dene, with comparison to closely related Athabascan languages.

LING 890AF

Directed Readings in Algonquian Linguistics

This course provides a survey of basic and advanced Linguistic structure of the Algonquian family of languages. Emphasis will be placed on a comparison of Cree and Saulteaux syntactic structure. Topics include phonetics and phonology through morphosyntax, semantics and pragmatics.

LING 890AG

Language and Culture of Upper Tanana

This course explores Upper Athabascan Tanana grammar with comparison to related languages, and culture with comparison to related groups in the boreal forest and beyond.

LING 890AH

Siouan Linguistics

A survey of the Siouan language family, with regard to its internal historical-comparative relationships and selected grammatical aspects of individual languages within the family.

LING 890AI

Advanced Topics in Cree Morphosyntax

This course will allow students to explore selected advanced topics in Cree morphosyntax, including but not limited to derivation, inflection, the direct-inverse system, constituent order (nopun phrases, preverbs, verb and arguments, verb and adjuncts), clausal syntax, extra-clausal syntax, and illocution.

LING 890BB

Cognitive Semantics: Models of Visualization and Bilingualism

Models of visualizing cognitive semantics of language and esp. of bilingualism will be explored including 3D or Multidimensional semantics, connectionism, cognitive frames, cognitive grammar, cultural linguistics, linguistic relativity, and metaphors with epistemic and ontological correspondences. How do these help visualize and understand how translation and bilingualism work.

LING 901

Research

Thesis research.

NAK 100

Conversational Nakota I

Introduction to the Nakota language, with emphasis on oral expression, basic grammar, and writing in Roman orthography.
*Note: Students may receive credit for one of NAK 100 or NAK 104.*

NAK 101

Conversational Nakota II

A continuation of NAK 100. Further grammar and conversation practice for Nakota.
***Prerequisite: NAK 100.***
*Note: Students may receive credit for one of NAK 101 or NAK 105.*

NAK 104

Nakota Grammar and Orthography I

This course is designed for students who speak some Nakota. Emphasis is on Roman orthography and basic grammar, with some attention to dialect variation.
**Permission of the Program Coordinator is required to register.**
*Note: Students may receive credit for one of NAK 104 or NAK 100.*

NAK 105

Nakota Grammar and Orthography II

A continuation of NAK 104. Further study of the grammar and orthography. An introduction to short composition.
***Prerequisite: NAK 104 or permission of the Program Coordinator.***
*Note: Students may receive credit for one of NAK 105 or NAK 101.*

NAK 202

Intermediate Nakota l

This course is a continuation of the Nakota oracy and literacy skills introduced at the 100-level. Intermediate grammatical structures are introduced through oral practice and the study of oral and written literature.
***Prerequisite: NAK 101 or NAK 105.***