Institute of Linguistics unit Faculty and Graduate Students 2025
Institute of Linguistics
We explore the human capacity for language. We strive to expand understanding of this domain and to foster learning and research that applies this understanding to the betterment of speech communities. Our research bridges the gap between theoretical and applied linguistics in areas such as documentation and revitalization of endangered languages, the study of underrepresented languages, and language engineering.
Several students in a classroom. A young woman in the foreground is speaking and is lifting her hand with the palm up
PhD student Mskwaankwad presents at the Anishinaabemowin Teg conference
Two students sit in a cafe doing a recorded interview.
Pathways Within the Linguistics Major
Whether you're drawn to computational linguistics, community-based work, or language and cognition, there is a pathway for you.
Recent News
Presentation Slide: Voices of Belonging: Video Archive of Heritage Language Narratives in Minnesota
Heritage Language Project Documents First-Person Narratives & Creates Classroom Learning Opportunities
A new heritage language project, Multilingual Minnesota, documents the voices, languages, and cultural narratives of Minnesota’s heritage language communities.
Screen shot of You Tube video titled "67 Kid Full video (original)" with 6.1 million views
Yuen: They said ‘6-7’ — and somehow, so did I
Linguistics professor Claire Halpert is quoted in this Minnesota Star Tribune column.
Linguistics Spring 2026 Course Offerings List
Linguistics Spring 2026: Intro Classes, No Prerequisites
Spring 2026 you can choose among five intro-level Linguistics courses that have no prerequisites, most fulfill LE requirements.
Ling 3105 Language and Computers Teaser
New Course: LING 3105: Language and Computers
In this course you will explore how computers can represent, process, and organize language information, how this knowledge can enrich our lives, and potential pitfalls.
Ling 5731/8731: Variationist Sociolinguistics
New Course: LING 5731/8731: Variationist Sociolinguistics
New Course Alert! Take LING 5731/8731: Variationist Sociolinguistics Spring 2026, where you’ll finally get academic credit for eavesdropping.
Upcoming Events
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In-Person
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NACLO 2026: North American Computational Linguistics Olympiad
The North American Computational Linguistics Olympiad is a contest in which high-school students solve linguistic problems.