GET1036 The Logic of Language
The Logic of Language is a general education course that I have developed and offer at NUS. It is designed to expose analytically-minded students to the study of human language through pattern description and algorithmic thinking. The material draws on foundational ideas in Linguistics, as well as Philosophy and Computer Science.
Colleagues: I do not post these course materials online, but feel free to contact me for them.
Official course description
Our capacity for language is a defining aspect of what it means to be human and is central to both thought and communication. This course investigates the rules that underlie what we say, how meaning is encoded, and how we reason with language. We will apply mathematical tools of pattern description and logic to describe and better understand human language, with the goal of developing logical explanations for linguistic phenomena. Comparison to artificial and programming languages will be discussed. Emphasis will be placed on clear, precise descriptions and their accessible communication through writing and oral presentation.