College Credits for High School Students: MLSC250: Lol That's Not Funny: Language Change and Linguistic Creativity in Online Communication
January 29, 2025
Earn college credits this summer by exploring how language evolves in the digital world with MLSC250
Earn College Credits This Summer with MLSC250: Lol That's Not Funny: Language Change and Linguistic Creativity in Online Communication
The Maryland Language Science Center is excited to offer MLSC250: Lol That's Not Funny: Language Change and Linguistic Creativity in Online Communication to high school students through UMD's Terp Young Scholars Program!
Terp Young Scholars is a competitive, application-only, three-week summer program for high school students (rising 10th to 12th grade) at the University of Maryland. Academically talented students explore an academic interest, engage with faculty, and get a jump on the college experience while earning three university credits. Students select one three-credit course (in-person or online), attend daily classes, and earn university credits. The program is rigorous, running Monday to Friday, and requires full attendance. Note: there is no residential option.
See additional details below and apply now. Seats are limited!
For best consideration, apply by February 29th, 2025.
Application fees and deposits are waived for students who have previously attended Terp Young Scholars. Terp Young Scholars provides a limited number of need-based scholarships. Click here to learn more.
Course Description
MLSC250: Lol That's Not Funny: Language Change and Linguistic Creativity in Online Communication
Is “skibidi” already old-school? Fast-changing developments in technology, from TikTok to 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.
This course fulfills the following General Education requirement: Humanities (DSHU).
- Instructor: Emily Lord
- Session: July 14th, 2025 to August 1st, 2025
- Meets: Monday through Friday
- Time: 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
- Location: Tawes Hall, room 1105.
Package Option: Students who select a course offered through in-person instruction must participate via the Commuter Option. No housing is provided.
During this three-week program, academically talented students explore an academic interest, engage with faculty, and get a jump on college by earning three university credits. Apply now, seats are limited!