LIN / ANT 150 (3hrs): Introduction to Linguistics

LIN/ANT 150 introduces the social phenomenon of language: how it originated and developed, how it is learned and used, its relationship to other kinds of behavior; types of language (oral, written, signed) and language families; analysis of linguistic data; and social issues of language use. The course fulfills Division IV and cultural diversity requirements.

WFU/Vienna: Flow House – How Language Works is a program that introduces students to the underlying structures of human language as well as how language is used and varies across contexts. Through this unique study abroad program, Vienna, a multicultural metropolis that has long been a crossroads for languages and communities will serve as a living linguistics laboratory. We will study how language changes over time and space through exploring a range of both everyday locations and historical and cultural sites in Vienna, from fieldwork on linguistic borrowing at the Naschmarkt to learning about invented languages like Esperanto at the Austrian Natural Library. While no previous knowledge of languages other than English is required, this program will be a chance to connect with many languages of central Europe and beyond.  

Vienna is famous for music, through renowned musicians such as Mozart, Brahms, and Beethoven, who lived and worked here, and it is also home to many other wonderful artists and patrons of the arts.  Vienna’s best loved artist is Gustav Klimt, who was part of a vibrant artistic scene at the beginning of the 20th century visual art collections.  The city’s world class museums have collections that span prehistoric to contemporary art.  Vienna is a culturally diverse and vibrant city. It is home to the Vienna Boys’ Choir, the famous Lipizzaner stallions, and countless coffee houses (an integral part of Viennese life). Located in the heart of Europe, students may easily travel east to the Czech Republic, Poland, and Hungary and west to France, Italy, Spain, England, and Switzerland.

In 1998, Wake Forest purchased a three-story villa in Vienna. The acquisition was made possible through the generous donation of Vic and Roddy Flow of Winston-Salem and the House was named in their honor. Built in 1898, the house was formerly the office of the U.S. Consulate.

Flow House is situated in a northwest section of Vienna, one block from the Turkenschanz Park. Located in the prestigious 19th district, the area is well-known for its embassies, diplomatic residences, and distinguished private homes.

“WFU/Vienna: Flow House – How Language Works” is a program that introduces students to the underlying structures of human language as well as how language is used and varies across contexts. Through this unique study abroad program, Vienna, a multicultural metropolis that has long been a crossroads for languages and communities will serve as a living linguistics laboratory. We will study how language changes over time and space through exploring a range of both everyday locations and historical and cultural sites in Vienna, from fieldwork on linguistic borrowing at the Naschmarkt to learning about invented languages like Esperanto at the Austrian Natural Library. While no previous knowledge of languages other than English is required, this program will be a chance to connect with many languages of central Europe and beyond.  

Possible excursions/site visits are to: Naschmarkt, Melk and Mauthausen, Dürnstein

Dr. Jon Smart
Assistant Teaching Professor, Writing 
E-mail: smartjw@wfu.edu

Students will stay in the WFU property, the Flow House, which is situated in a northwest section of Vienna, one block from the Turkenschanz Park. Located in the prestigious 19th district, the area is well-known for its embassies, diplomatic residences, and distinguished private homes.

Flow House can accommodate sixteen students. There are five student bedrooms on the top floor. A classroom, spacious kitchen, library with state-of-the-art technology, dining room, and living room are located on the middle floor. The house is wired for Internet access and students may bring their laptop computers. A three-bedroom faculty apartment is on the first floor. The house contains separate laundry facilities for faculty and students.

NOTE: All students participating in the WFU Flow House program are required to live in program-provided housing. Housing accommodations you may have on campus do not automatically transfer to abroad and certain housing accommodations (single rooms and private bathrooms, for example) may not be available.

Possible excursions/site visits are to: Naschmarkt, Melk and Mauthausen, Dürnstein

– Good academic standing
– Interest in linguistics

The total cost of summer study abroad can be broken down into four categories:
Program Fee – Usually covers room, in-country travel, excursions, some meals and other costs associated with the program.
Tuition – Students on WFU summer programs pay WFU summer school tuition per credit hour. The summer 2025 rate is $950/per credit hour. 
Airfare (estimated) – Varies per location. Students are responsible for their own airfare unless otherwise noted.
Personal Expenses (estimated) – These will vary depending on the students’ spending habits, cost of living in the destination country, and the number of meals included in the program fee. This may also include visa fees, vaccinations, academic supplies/books and other miscellaneous daily expenses.

Fees are currently estimated for Summer 2026

Billed by Wake Forest:
Program Fee – TBD (estimated)
Tuition (3hrs) – $2,850
                      +
Personal costs (will fluctuate per student):
Airfare (estimated) – TBD
Personal Expenses (estimated) – TBD

Scholarships are available through the Center for Global Programs and Studies.

Scholarship deadline through Global Programs and Studies is February 1st. 

Passport Information
Students need to check their passport’s expiration date and ensure that it will be valid for at least 6 months after the program’s end date.

Students going on a summer program need to make sure their passport is valid through at least mid-February of the following year.

US passport holders who need to renew their passport should visit the U.S. Department of State’s passport website for information on this process.

Non-US passport holders who need to renew their passport should refer to their home country’s passport office.

Visa Information
If you are a US citizen, you most likely will not require a visa for your summer abroad program. If you do, details will be shared with you by GPS. Non-US passport holders should check with their host country’s embassy or consulate to find out if a visa is required for their program or not.

Summer 2026 Resident Professor:
Dr. Jon Smart
Assistant Teaching Professor, Writing 
E-mail: smartjw@wfu.edu

Claire Tynan
Study Abroad Advisor
Center for Global Programs and Studies
336-758-4072
tynanc@wfu.edu

House Address:
Flow House
Gustaf Tschermakgasse 20
1190 Vienna, Austria
Phone: 011-431-367-0740
Fax: 011-431-367-1442