The subject is taught in Spanish, so an adequate level of knowledge of this language is required, as well as fluency and correctness in oral and written expression.

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 capacity. 1.1. The internal constitution of languages. 1.2. Characteristics of human language versus other animal communication systems. 2. Language and cognition 2.1. Language and brain. 2.2. The origins of language. 2.3. Language acquisition. 3. Interlinguistic variation. 3.1. Classification of languages. 3.2. Linguistic universals. 3.3. Ecology and linguistic sustainability. 3.4. Language and culture. Linguistic relativism. 4. Intralinguistic variation 4.1. Variation and change in languages. 4.2. Different types of intralinguistic varieties. 4.3. The concepts of language and dialect. 4.4. Contact between languages: pidgins and Creole languages. 5. Problems and methods in linguistic studies. 5.1. Linguistic studies from the nineteenth century to the present day. 5.2. Adequacy, argumentation and explanation in the study of languages. 6. 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.