Next year, a new semester-long elective will appear in the course catalog: Introduction to Linguistics. The course—open to 10th, 11th, and 12th graders—will offer an exploration of language development, as well as historical and scientific components of language. 

Introduction to Linguistics is a course designed by Sarina Fard ’20 and Andy Morin ’20 erupting from their interest in the study of languages. Last year, they teamed up with SHS Latin teacher John Van Way and SHS physics teacher Vincent Licciardello to create an independent study for linguistics. “We wanted to get to the fundamental root of why languages exist and the evolution of language throughout history,” said Fard. 

This year, they proposed another linguistics study and gained the interest of four other students. “We created a small class setting with many in-depth discussions through readings and through the exploration of the development, acquisition, and social stratification of language,” stated Morin. During Monday 7th period, the group of students and the two teacher advisors meet to discuss the readings due each week. 

Fard and Morin created the upcoming elective’s course curriculum over the summer. “We proposed readings that we very much enjoyed last year, as well as TED Talks that we would watch to enrich our discussions,” continued Fard. 

Be sure to check out this elective option when selecting your courses for next year!