Extremely informational, well presented, with questions that stimulate reflection. The optional reading material is food for thought. I hope to see more courses from the same professor and University.
I've taken a number of online courses on linguistics now, and this one was by and far the best. The material covered is indepth and engaging, and the professor's enthusiam makes the videos a delight.
por Ashlesha G
•very good learning material and presentation. It really helped me to get the introduction of linguistics. I would like to take more advanced courses on this subject from the same university. Please consider putting intermediate and advanced level courses too.
por Wanderer S
•This is my first course on Coursera. I always wanted to learn about different languages. This course is designed so well and the videos and study material provided are excellent. I thank the whole team for this excellent course. I really enjoyed this course.
por Randall A B I
•A great introduction to various aspects of the vast field of linguistics. The professor is very enthusiastic and the professional interviews are quite interesting and informative. Additionally, you get to study diverse languages spoken by native informants!
por Niloufar S
•I recommend this MOOC to all fans of linguistics, learning languages, and people who are interested in deeper understanding of what is indeed "a Language"! Special thanks to prof. dr. Oostendorp for his clear and kind way of transferring his vast knowledge.
por Max W
•An excellent well-rounded introduction to the field of linguistics. The students gets to learn about language in many facets, with a perfect mix of informational lectures, video discussions, and self-guided learning. Wonderful professor and great material!
por Fotios C
•Fantastic insight into the world of linguistics! Very high quality course. Professor van Oostendorp creates an atmosphere that makes learning fun. If you have an interest in evolution of languages and in etymology, this is the course you should take!
por Jan D
•I really liked the enthusiasm of the professor and Inge and Martin. The complementary interviews were also very interesting. As a post-journalism (and post-premaster) student, it was definitely beneficial for my sociolinguistic master program.
por Axel J B B
•This has been one of my favorite MOOCs. It is a bit harder than the average MOOC, but it's really worth the effort. Brilliant insights, thought-provoking concepts and a very friendly dynamic makes this course worth every minute spent on it.
por Hasan A C
•It extended my horizon and I gained so much insight into languages. I highly recommend you taking up this course. They also interview other linguists who are experts in their field every week. The professors' enthusiasm motivates you a lot.
por Yolanda L
•Great course! The professor is enthusiastic and very clear in his presentation, and they present the material in digestible, clear language. The course also did a good job prioritizing what to include in a short amount of videos. Thank you!
por Hanna a
•In spite of its name, this course serves much more than an introduction. It tackles the essential aspects of linguistics and provides solid foundations for any language enthusiast. A necessary course for anyone serious about linguistics.
por Dot
•Very informative course and a perfect introduction to linguitics. A bit difficult at times (sociolinguistics is not my forte, I suppose), but again - why study something too easy? :) I'd love to see more content, perhaps another course?
por Vasso C
•It was a great course. Professor Oostendorp was very very informative, so were his assistants.
I learned a lot of interesting things. The tests were slightly more challenging than I expected, but that makes the achievement even better!
por Juliethelena P Z
•It's a pretty nice course. I think is a really good way to learn something about linguistic for people who do not know a lot and is a good way of keeping practice for the ones that in some way have already acquire knowledge about it.
por RaHel
•Wonderfully made, gives you a strong basis on the subject, accessible to those with little to no background . The videos are interesting and clear, and examples are given from a variety of languages, and the course is very enjoyable.
por Jody B
•I really enjoyed this course. The information was clearly explained and I was able to review any material that I found difficult. The tests helped to embed knowledge and it was interesting reading other points of view on the forums.
por Cliona Y
•Great use of interviews of professors around the world with different backgrounds and studies, it shows how linguistics is applied. Clear examples used by informants, although I wish there were subtitles available for those videos.
por Sunny S
•A lot of materials are accessible in the course. It is obvious that professors have done a lot of preparation, so that the learning experience is really amazing. The course arises my interest for Linguistics. Highly recommended.
por Marty M M
•The best part of this course was the introduction of many useful resources: World Atlas of Language Structures, Ethnologue, Babel Magazine, etc. The lecturer and his assisting students are entertaining and easy to understand.
por Peter B
•A really excellent introduction to many aspects of linguistics (from the sound to the social level):
Kudos to the wonderful Marc van Oostendorp and his team!
But, beware dear reader: Some of the quizzes are really "tricky" :-)
por Claudia M
•This is my very first course in coursera and on linguistics and it won't be my last. This was very informative, with relevant examples and well developed videos. Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in linguistics.
por Rozana E M
•The perfect course to get into the fascinating world of languages. The content is precise and helpful, and the instructor very knowledgeable and charismatic. A must try for anyone interested in the field of Linguistics.
por Min-An C
•With interests in exploring knowledge about languages, this course is indeed fantastic introduction which not only tells about a systematic way to analyze languages, but also trigger my passion to know more and deeper!
por Josephine B M
•Very enjoyable course, at a good level for beginners but with enough content to hook your interest. Only thing to note is that some weeks are quite a lot more work than others which can make it difficult to schedule.
por Shubha N R
•Extremely informative course and well organized. I had a lot of fun learning and doing the assignments, especially the honors ones. I would definitely recommend it to anybody interested in languages and linguistics.