UMNLinguistics

Why is it, with more than 7,000 languages spoken today, do humans continue to invent new languages? Some do so to correct perceived flaws, others to explore new linguistic possibilities, and still others to enrich the world-building for their imagined tales and heroes.

In this course you will learn about the inner workings of natural languages and use that knowledge to invent a language of your own. Will you imitate or deviate from the properties of natural languages? Is your invented language pleasant-sounding or harsh? Its sentences invitingly simple or mind-numbingly complex? Each week you will refine your language, and step by step you will find your way into the community of language inventors.

LING 1912: Invented Languages
Fall 2026 | M/W 2:30 – 3:45 pm
Freshman Seminar | 3 credits

UMN Languages Department of Anthropology, UMN UMN Psychology University of Minnesota English

The end of the school year is upon us! Linguistics students, join us on Friday to celebrate the semester's end and the 2026 graduating class!

Friday, May 1 | 3:30pm
Tate Hall 120

Join us on May 7 to celebrate the launching of the UMN Hmong Corpus and to showcase what the project team has accomplished this year!

Granted a Liberal Arts Engagement Hub residency, the UMN Hmong Corpus Project is a movement to create a digital library about the Hmong people, culture, and community, with an emphasis on the Hmong language.

Thu, May 7, 2026 | 5 - 7 PM
Liberal Arts Engagement Hub, Pillsbury Hall 120
310 Pillsbury Dr SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455

Please RSVP by April 27 to help with planning! z.umn.edu/hmoobcorpus

UMN Languages University of Minnesota, Department of Asian & Middle Eastern Studies Hmong Cultural Center of Minnesota

Linguistics Colloquium
April 24, 2026 at 3:30pm CST

This week's colloquium will feature short student presentations. Honors student Dante Rocío will present his thesis "Impact of Monolingual Language Ideology on Language Accessibility for Immigrants and Refugees in Modern-Day Minnesota" and Field Methods students (Keri Mueller, Charles Boddy, and Allison Moon) will present their research on Amharic semantics, morphology, and syntax.

Join us in Tate Hall 120 or on Zoom (details on https://cla.umn.edu/linguistics/research/colloquium-other-events)

Linguistics Colloquium
April 17, 2026 at 3:30pm CST

This week's colloquium will feature short presentations by the Institute of Linguistics Master's students. C̣aƞtemaza McKay, Nirnimesh Bhattacharjee, Charlie Boddy, Finnigan Lewis, and Sam Clarke will present on the research conducted in their Master's Plan B research projects.

Join us in Tate Hall 120 or on Zoom (details on https://cla.umn.edu/linguistics/research/colloquium-other-events)

So many facets of language analysis, so little time... But still, make time this Fall!

LING 5461
Conversation Analysis
Investigate language and learn how it shapes and is shaped by social interaction.
M/W 9:45 – 11:00am
3 Credits

LING 3900 / 5900
Topics: Linguistics of Storytelling
How do we tell stories to give meaning to our lives, and negotiate our changing identities and selves in the world?
MW 2:30 – 3:45pm
3 Credits

LING 1701
Languages & Society
What is the role of language in human social interaction and society?
LE: Race, Power, and Justice in the United States
Lecture: Tu/Th 9:45 – 11:00am
Remote Discussion: F 9:05 – 9:55am OR 10:10 – 11:00am
4 Credits

LING 3001/5001: Introduction to Linguistics
Delve into linguistics, the scientific study of the human capacity for language
LE: Social Sciences
In-Person: MW 9:45-11am, F 10:10-11am
Remote: MW 4:00-5:15pm, W 5:30-6:20pm
5001/Honors: MW 11:15 - 12:30pm, F 11:15-12:05pm
4 Credits

UMN Languages College of Liberal Arts | University of Minnesota

What are the relationships between language and social variables such as age, gender, and race? How does this affect policy? Find out this fall in LING 1701!

*Fulfills Race, Power, and Justice in the United States LE

LING 1701: Language and Society
4 Credits | Fall 2026 | No Prereqs!

Lecture: T/Th 9:45–11:00 AM
Remote Discussion: F 9:05–9:55 AM or F 10:10–11:00 AM


UMN Languages College of Liberal Arts | University of Minnesota

Linguistics Colloquium
April 10, 2026 at 3:30pm

Can a word's processing difficulty be derived solely from its contextual predictability? Dr. Arehalli will explore this question within the realm of natural language processing and large-scale datasets, with a focus on Garden Path (i.e., grammatically correct but misleading) sentences.

Join us in Tate Hall 120 or on Zoom (details on https://cla.umn.edu/linguistics/research/colloquium-other-events)

LING 3001(H)/5001: Introduction to Linguistics

The ability to acquire and use language is a biological trait of the human species. But what is language? How do children acquire this knowledge? Find out this fall!

Fall 2026 | 4 Credits
LE: Social Sciences | No prereqs

3001:
Section 001: In-Person: MW 9:45-11am, F 10:10-11am
Section 003: Remote: MW 4:00-5:15pm, W 5:30-6:20pm

Ling 5001/3001 Honors:
MW 11:15 - 12:30pm, F 11:15-12:05pm

Linguistics Colloquium
March 27, 2026 at 3:30pm

Dr. Kim's research focuses on the intersection of spoken and written language, such as how different scripts are represented and processed in the mind. Looking specifically at Korean Hangul and Hanja scripts, Dr. Kim asks, what can written Korean tell us about the relationship between written and spoken language, and what can we learn more broadly about human behavior and cognition through the cultural innovation of writing?

Upcoming
Apr 10: Suhas Arehalli, Macalester College

Join us in Tate Hall 120 or on Zoom (details on https://cla.umn.edu/linguistics/research/colloquium-other-events)