How Do We Communicate?: Language in the Brain, Mouth

Paul Bloom · 56:30

This lecture provides a foundational introduction to the scientific study of language, covering core concepts like phonology, morphology, and syntax, essential for understanding subsequent topics.

Language, Generative Grammar, and the Cognitive Revolution (Killian Lecture)

Noam Chomsky · 1:39:32

Building on the introduction to language structure, this lecture delves deeper into generative grammar and the cognitive revolution, exploring the philosophical underpinnings of language acquisition.

Historical Linguistics

Norvin Richards · 1:15:51

Following an understanding of language structure and acquisition, this lecture introduces historical linguistics, explaining how languages evolve and diverge over time through various mechanisms.

Bernie Sanders and Noam Chomsky: Deciphering Foreign Policy Jargon

Noam Chomsky & Bernie Sanders · 2:08:11

Moving beyond language structure and evolution, this lecture applies linguistic analysis to real-world discourse, examining rhetorical strategies and power dynamics in political language.

Animals in Translation: A Conversation

Diana Reiss · 1:28:56

As a capstone, this lecture extends the principles of decipherment and communication analysis to interspecies communication, exploring criteria for decoding animal communication systems.