FAQ for UNIL students

1. Which MA courses am I teaching in the coming year?

I currently teach courses in the English department centred broadly around four areas of linguistics:

  1. Grammar/syntax
  2. Psycholinguistics/digital methods
  3. Language change
  4. Language learning

I teach two alternating MA seminars: Topics in Digital Linguistics and Psycholinguistics.

Psycholinguistics provides an introduction to psycholinguistics for humanities students.

Topics in Digital Linguistics is a practical course on data-oriented linguistics that will give you tools to go on to independent research projects that use data and/or to understand recent advances in linguistics. It will also give you a good preparation for the Psycholinguistics course, as well as a good preparation for mémoire projects in linguistics. You can take the Psycholinguistics course without taking the Digital linguistics course, they are standalone courses.

If you are interested in doing a mémoire project with me, I recommend taking one or both of these MA courses.

2. Which BA courses am I teaching in the coming year?

My third year course is a syntax course. The focus alternates from year to year. Previous editions have focused on Grammatical Change and Multilingualism and Older Englishes. In summer 2024, this will be Topics in Syntax, and will mainly focus on synchronic syntax.

I teach a 2nd year BA and programme à options course on Second Language Learning and variation in English. The course starts with self-reflection on one’s own linguistic behaviour in English (as first, second or third+ language speakers), and uses this starting point as a stepping stone to explore how people learn English and what impact second language learning has on how the English language changes over time.

3. Can you do an MA project (mémoire) with me?
Yes, send me an email me at jessica.brown at unil.ch if you are considering doing an MA project with me. Briefly mention the year you are in, what you have studied (e.g., some titles of courses you’ve taken and the university you took them at) and what you would like to work on.