The student will be able to: 1. Know and understand the main properties of human language. 2. Know the basic principles of linguistic variation. 3. Understand how languages are classified. 4. Identify prejudicies about language, particular languages and their varieties. 5. Know the main linguistic theories developed in the last three centuries. 6. Know the different areas of linguistic analysis. 7. Analize linguistic data and be able to use them in a linguistic argumentation.

1. Language as a human faculty . 1.1. The internal architecture of languages. 1.2. Properties of human language versus other animal communication systems. 1.3. Origins and acquisition of language. 1.4. Language and brain. 2. Linguistic variety 2.1. Interlinguistic variation. Classification of languages. Linguistic ecology and sustainability. 2.2. Language universals and cultural relativism. 2.3. Intralinguistic variation. Variation and change in languages. 3. Problems and methods in linguistic studies. 3.1. Linguistic studies from 19th century until present time. 3.2. Adequacy, argumentation and explanation in the study of languages 4. Levels of linguistic analysis.

The course will consist of Master Classes in which the main theoretical topic of the subject will be presented, and Tutorial Classes where learning activities such as the following will be conducted: - Comments on the course Reading and related activities. - Group work on different theoretical aspects of the course and the presentation of the result. - Exercises to be solved individually. Moreover, students will be expected to conduct the following autonomous activities: to complete the reading assignments indicated in Master Classes, to participate in the preparation of the group work to be presented in Tutorial Classes, and to individually prepare the exercises prior to each tutorial session.