Language is everywhere, with an importance far beyond mere communication. Indeed, language serves as a historical record, a complex part of human cognition, a means of expression and a marker of identity. As an author, how can you use the full potential of language in building your story world? The aim of this course is to provide an in-depth introduction to all the relevant branches of linguistics, from the building blocks of grammar– phonetics, phonology, morphology, and syntax– to the many ways in which languages and linguistic communities behave and evolve.