This course is a general introduction to the study of human language. The first part of the course focuses on the analysis of languages from a linguistic perspective. All of the core areas of language study will be considered: phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. This will serve as necessary background for the second part of the course, which will focus on a variety of language-related topics, including English dialect variation, signed languages, bilingual education, and language acquisition. By the end of the course you should be acquainted with the basics of linguistic analysis, be aware of the fundamental similarities and differences among all human languages, and have an informed perspective on issues of language that have an impact on our society.