The Italian & Linguistics major enables students to combine the study of human language from a variety of perspectives with the study of Italian language, literature, and culture. In their linguistics courses, students explore the formal structures of language (sound system, internal structure of words, syntactic organization, and representations of meaning) as well as language universals, variability across languages, social dimensions of language use, and historical language change. At the same time, they achieve proficiency in Italian (reading, writing, speaking, listening) and gain an appreciation and critical understanding of Italian cultural and literary traditions, practices, genres, and great works. Class projects and interactions with faculty provide frequent opportunities for making connections between the major’s two primary areas of study. Study abroad is strongly encouraged and, with careful planning, easily accommodated.The joint major equips students with sought-after language skills and intercultural competence and provides excellent background for a range of careers including language education, testing and assessment, translation and interpretation, international business, speech therapy, voice coaching, information technology, law, nursing and medicine, child development, and social work. It also prepares students for graduate study in the areas of language, literature, linguistics, and related areas such as regional studies and cognitive science.Learning OutcomesStudents graduating with a joint major in Italian & Linguistics are expected to attain:An understanding of the fundamental questions that drive modern linguistic research concerning formal structure, universals, acquisition, historical change, variation, and social dimensions of use, along with foundational knowledge in the core areas of linguistic theory.The ability to identify and describe with precision the empirical patterns found in sets of language data, and to construct well-reasoned linguistic analyses by formulating, testing, and refining hypotheses about these patterns.Proficiency in the Italian language at an advanced level, with respect to reading, writing, speaking, and understanding of spoken Italian.Critical and analytical engagement with Italian cultural and literary traditions, practices, genres, and great works.Systematic exposure to the earliest forms of written Italian from the 12th through the 17th century: Umbrian, Sicilian, Tuscan, and the emergence of literary Italian.
