Suggested preparation: No specialist linguistics background is assumed.
About this course
Explore how language is structured and interpreted. MIT lectures introduce morphology, phonetics, syntax and semantics, connecting examples from language with methods of linguistic analysis.
Topics and lesson examples
- Lecture 2: Morphology, Part 1
- Lecture 6: Phonetics, Part 2
- Lecture 12: Syntax, Part 2
- Lecture 16: Syntax, Part 6
- Lecture 21: Semantics, Part 5
Course at a glance
| Provider | MIT |
|---|---|
| Platform | YouTube · MIT OpenCourseWare |
| Access | Free Video |
| Level | Beginner — WikiFree study-level assessment |
| Language | English |
| Available lessons | 24 |
| Video duration | 27h 6m · self-paced |
| Details checked | 10 October 2026 |
Preparation and study approach
Suggested preparation: No specialist linguistics background is assumed.
Follow the available videos in sequence, pausing to summarize the main argument or reconstruct a worked example. Keep a short list of assumptions, unfamiliar terms and questions to revisit. Additional reading, problem solving and practice will take time beyond the listed video duration.
Using this video classroom
Select a lesson from the list, or search for a topic. Previous and Next move through the sequence. You can mark lessons complete; progress is stored in this browser without a WikiFree account.
Free access and course scope
The public MIT OpenCourseWare videos in this classroom are free to watch. This listing provides the available playlist recordings, which may include selected lectures, recitations, demonstrations or supporting discussions rather than every component of the original campus course. Textbooks, equipment, software licenses, supervised labs, graded assignments and instructor feedback are not supplied by WikiFree. No purchase is required to watch the videos or use the note-based study approach above.
WikiFree independently organizes these resources for self-paced study. Watching does not award an MIT certificate, academic credit or admission to MIT.
Video provider and credit: MIT OpenCourseWare on YouTube. WikiFree titles, descriptions and cover artwork are independently prepared.
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Beginner
Compare course focus, level and study time
| Course | Level | Focus | Study time |
|---|---|---|---|
| This course — Free MIT Course: Linguistics: Language Structure, Sounds and Meaning | Beginner | Lecture 2: Morphology, Part 1 · Lecture 6: Phonetics, Part 2 · Lecture 12: Syntax, Part 2 | 27h 6m of video; practice time is additional |
| Free MIT Course: Creole Languages and Caribbean Cultural Identity | Intermediate | Guest lecture (2022): Unmaking and remaking community (part 1) · 7. Feedback to students who led class discussion · Ki sa ki enspire kou a (Inspiration for the Course) | 5h 31m of video; practice time is additional |
| The Sounds of English: Free Pronunciation Course | Beginner | English pronunciation · Phonetic symbols · Vowel sounds | 1h 21m of video; practice time is additional |
| Free MIT Course: Italian Language through Food and Cooking | Beginner | Lesson 1: Part 1 - Language Instruction · Lesson 4: Part 1 - Language Instruction · Lesson 7: Part 2 - Ingredients | 7h 35m of video; practice time is additional |
Provider: MIT. Videos play from the MIT OpenCourseWare channel on YouTube.
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