Language and Mind

Language and Mind is a Cognitive Science class taught by Jay Trudeau.

Course Description
The use of symbolic language is one of the most complex achievements of the human mind, and yet is built on the most basic cognitive structures of perception and memory. Some consider language to be the pinnacle of human achievement or even a defining feature of humanity, but many basic questions remain unresolved. Why do we always tend to hear what we want to hear? Is language necessary to relate and connect to other people? Do the words we use really structure how we think? This course will explore the principles of psycholinguistics and what mental representations of language can teach us about the mind more broadly. Prerequisite: Some prior coursework in cognitive science or linguistics.