Course Schedule and Catalog

Long Title: "C'EST BANANA" - A LINGUISTIC TAKE ON CONLANGS (WILL RICE)

Department: College Courses

Grade Mode: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory

Language of Instruction: Taught in English

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 1

Description: From fan-favorite TV shows to blockbuster movies, many popular franchises have characters who speak a language of their own. Watching minions chatter to one another is fun, but sometimes we may wonder what linguistic merit fictional languages actually have. However, not all of these fictional languages are so “fictional” — oftentimes, they have real grammar, vocabulary, and phonology patterns that are more sophisticated than expected. In what ways can these fictional languages and their structures reflect the real world languages that we speak everyday? In this course, students will analyze a different fictional language each week, followed by a chance for them to apply their new skills in a semester-long project to construct their own fictional language with the rest of the class. Students will learn how to spot linguistic patterns that apply to a broader context, ultimately aiding them in their ability to learn any type of language. The course culminates in an oral exam, where students will have the opportunity to speak to each other in the constructed language that they built together.