GE Review: LING 115: Language and Society
By: Kelsey Cheng ‘25
LING 115 is one of the most popular GE-C’s for a reason. It covers topics like what is classified as a language (spoiler: it’s more complicated than you think), multilingualism, psychology, and slang words just to name a few of the many topics. I chose this class my freshman year because it was i) recommended on Reddit and ii) I’m a semi-bilingual cognitive science major that likes linguistics. Regardless of your major, if you like to learn how humans speak (without having to learn *gasp* IPA), give LING 115 a try.
About The Class
This class gives a comprehensive introduction to how language, society and culture interact with each other. I explored topics like:
What makes a language a ‘language’ vs a ‘dialect’? Max Weinreich gives a satisfying answer: “A language is a dialect with an army and a navy”. I learned how language can be a political tool, leveraged to unite or divide communities.
Codeswitching, accents, and multilingualism. We studied how people use AAVE and other variations of standard English.
“It’s, like, so lame, right?” Since the emergence of “valley girl talk” (think Kim Kardashian), women have been criticized for using “like”, uptalk, and vocal fry. What are the reasons for these speech patterns and how do gender roles impact its negative perception?
The Professor
Professor Andrew Simpson is enthusiastic about the material and is an engaging lecturer. He likes to add videos and modern examples to PowerPoint slides. If you’re lucky, he’ll entertain you with an anecdote from his travels. It’s a large class, but he’s available to answer questions or chat via email/office hours. He also provided study guides before big exams, which were a lifesaver.
Don’t just take it from me–read what other students had to say:
Read more at Professor Simpson’s ratemyprofessors page (spoiler: he’s rated 5/5).
Professor Mary Byram Washburn also teaches LING 115. I had her for another Linguistics class. She is straightforward, energetic, and a fast-talker. From what I heard from a friend in her class, the material is slightly different from Simpsons’ but they use the same textbook.
Grading Breakdown
Difficulty Level: 2/5
Most of your grade consists of 3 projects, two film comments, two midterms, and one final, all graded by the TA. There were also open-note pop quizzes as attendance checks, approximately every other week. The projects were research and essay heavy, but one cool assignment was creating the language policy of a pretend country. If you have a desire to be a pretend-president (or dictator, yikes), this is your chance. The midterm and finals were a mix of multiple choice, T/F, and short answer questions over specific details in the lectures. The material is not difficult to comprehend, but there are many examples from lecture to memorize. I used flashcards to keep track of them all.
The reading is written by Professor Simpson. Good news: he knows his stuff and most of the lecture covers book material. Bad news: he knows every detail about the material, so don’t try to BS test questions. Even though you don’t need to read the book, I read it cover to cover. Was it because I was an overzealous freshman? Yes. Was the book interesting and written in simple language? Also yes.
Takeaways
The first day of class, Professor Simpson taught about the Okinawan language, an indigenous Japanese language. Being Okinawan myself and having a grandmother who can speak this dying language, I was touched. If you are multilingual and/or speak a variation of English (e.g. Chicano English or AAVE), taking this class can help you learn more about your personal ties with language.
This was the first class I walked into as a freshman. It is the quintessential GE, perfect for transitioning from high school to college. It taught me how to work with TAs, study for college-level exams, and adjust to a lecture-style class. The class covers sociology, psychology, policy — also perfect for a freshman figuring out their major.
This class is useful! From an academic standpoint, it provides the foundation for linguistics, policy, and psychology classes. The next semester, I ended up taking LING 285: Human Language and Technology. From a personal standpoint, I learned about other countries and societies without leaving my seat. I reflected upon my beliefs about race, gender, and class. Fun facts from the lecture made for interesting “did-you-know”s at the dinner table. LING 115 also made me reflect upon my beliefs about race, class, and gender.
Take This Class If:
You are a Price, psychology, linguistics, or international relations major.
You are good at reading and memorizing terms and case studies (or love flashcards).
You are multilingual or have an interest in languages.
You want to be more ‘worldly’ without buying a plane ticket.
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