Courses

• Term: Summer 2026 (Session I-A),  June 1-18, 2026
• Instructor: London Dixon
• Days & Times: Monday through Thursday, 4 days/week, 10:00 AM -1:30 PM
• Location: University of Maryland Campus, 2123 H.J. Patterson Hall
• Experiential Learning: 9 hours; sign-ups scheduled individually on weekends (June 6-7 and June 1-14), 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM; On-site at Planet Word Museum (925 13th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005)

(3 credits) Learning to communicate complicated scientific ideas in a simple, engaging way is central not only to success in scientific arenas, but also to professional and civic life more broadly. This course gives hands-on experience in science communication, focusing specifically on communicating about language science, or the study of how language is learned, used, and represented in the mind. Because of this focus, students will have the opportunity to develop their science communication skills interacting with visitors at Planet Word museum in Washington DC, a museum about words and language. In addition to practical skills, especially oral presentation skills, the course provides grounding in the scholarship, principles, and frameworks of science communication. Regardless of students’ future career paths or majors, the knowledge and skills gained in this course are highly transferable across domains and fields.

Because the course has no prerequisites in science communication or communication, nor in language science or linguistics, students will build their knowledge base through readings, class participation, and the process of creating the science communication projects throughout the course.

• Term: Fall 2026
• Instructor: TBD
• Days and Times: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3:30 PM - 4:15 PM

(3 credits) Recent developments in technology, from texting to Zoom, have created new environments for human language use. Examining how communication is changing in these environments highlights humans' endless linguistic ingenuity — ranging from new vocabulary and punctuation conventions to the use of hashtags, emoji and memes. At the same time, these linguistic innovations exemplify broader patterns of language change and diversity that have been documented and studied by language scientists. In this course, we will engage with the study of language variation and change through a survey of language use in different online environments, and will apply insights from linguistic research to analyze our own and others' language use in more nuanced ways.

Visit Testudo, UMD's student portal, for additional course information.

Course offered for summer 2024 semester. Registration has closed. 

• Term: Summer 2024
• Instructor: Charlotte Vaughn

(3 credits) Learn how to skillfully and confidently conduct language science research and engagement in a public setting. Course topics include research design, research ethics, science communication, and informal science learning. The experiential learning component involves significant weekly hours outside of class engaging in hands-on research and interaction with visitors at a museum about language in Washington, DC. Students must be able to commit to spending several hours per week at Planet Word during the term and must arrange their own transportation to and from the museum.

Recommended: Background in language science or related fields.

Visit Testudo, UMD's student portal, for additional course information.