pretty interesting class. two midterms. two easy paper assignments worth very little so dont try too hard. one final project. final. exams are relatively simple. multiple choice and free response. just go to class, listen and you'll be fine. dont need textbooks, just read the packets he passes out before the exams. MEMORIZE THEM! easy to get an A

Very simple class. Attendance isn't necessary,,he tells you when its necessary to come to class. He's a very nice guy, funny. Extremely helpful and as long as you read the lecture notes he hands out before the midterms/final, you'll be fine. Memorize them and you're straight, get an A. Doesn't hurt to let him know you're shooting for an A.

This guy is great! The topicas he discusses are quite interesting. His tests are easy just study the notes! Easy class

He is really interesting and extremely helpful as well as approachable.

Prof Simpson is great! His lectures are right on point and his exams test what he lectures. All you have to do is read through his provided lecture notes and you'll get an easy A.

He's a brilliant guy, super helpful, really nice, and extremely clear in his lectures. I recommend actually going to all of his lectures because they're really fun, and he's a funny guy. Also, it's really enjoyable to listen to his British accent--that doesn't hurt at all.

Prof Simpson has that next-door neighbor uncle sort of vibe. I saw him feeding squirrels once. He's brilliant, friendly, and helpful. Class is very interesting and the material is easy. Tests are exactly what's in the notes, super easy. Easy assignments/papers. I learned so much from this class. His British accent is delightful. Great class!

LOVE him and his class. Very helpful, engaging,&clear. Made linguistics exciting. Assignments/exams were very clear and straight from the lectures. No BS. TA were very helpful, enjoyed every minute of it! Surprisingly became my favorite class that semester and Im a Pol Sci major! I liked his very friendly/lets have a good time sort of vibe too

Very cool guy. He knows alot about Linguistics. The notes for each class are up on blackboard before class. He does go fast because each section has alot of material. Tests are almost straight from the uploaded notes; multiple choice & short answer. Pop quizzes are very easy. 3 big projects and 3 non-cumulative exams. Not too hard. Interesting.

class is not an easy A, but its an easy B/B+. 11 in-class quizzes, only 9 are counted, 2 assign. (essays) that are not that hard. final project, which is also an essay of 5-10 pgs (found topic little bit difficult), and 3 exams, including final, not cumulative. exams include M.C Qs, Short Ans. Qs, and T/F Qs. some effort is needed.

Excellent professor - even though it is a GE class that I had no interest in, he was able to engage my focus in which I learned tremendously about things I never knew about language(s). Class is EASY at first then becomes a little dry towards the end. One of the great professors on staff at USC. I did not put all effort into the class still got A-

I thoroughly enjoyed going to class and found Simpson's lectures easy to follow. The material is not difficult to learn if you put in a little effort.

The professor is knowledgeable and helpful. Course materials cover a variety of interesting stuff, which brings a lot of fun to the classroom. The lecture is easy to follow, and the professor sends students review notes before exams, which are really clear in mapping the exam.

THIS PROFESSOR IS AWESOME. ENOUGH SAID. (Read the textbook if you want to get an A) Decent amount of reading but they are really interesting

Professor Simpson made the class interesting, but the lectures got dull as the semester wore on. Your grade is dependent on the grading of your TA, but they are generally pretty fair. Overall, he was a good professor, and this class was a good choice for a ge 6.

Professor Simpson is a very good professor. He knows a lot of languages and is obviously knowledgable. I think the class is really interesting, because it applies to everyday life. The lectures are long, and there are occasional pop quizzes (everyone gets 100%). I recommend taking this class.

Simpson's lectures are interesting and funny. He is a really nice guy, but your grade depends completely on your TA. The TA's are all pretty cool, but I highly recommend having Alif Silpachai. Get ready to memorize EVERYTHING in the lecture notes for the tests.

Very nice and has cool stories, makes lectures fun(attend!). 2 short film commentaries, 2 essays, 9 pop quizzes(super easy), 2 exams, a final, & final project. Tests are hard, u rlly need to study in advance and work for a good grade. TAs hold review sessions-go! Lecture Notes from bookstore are a must-have! Don't need course reader. RECOMMEND!

Professor Simpson is a great teacher. He's extremely well qualified, speaking about 15 or 16 languages. The class is an easy A is you show up, take notes, and study for the midterm and final. Participation doesn't count in discussion, and the papers are nothing grueling. I would definitely recommend this course as a GE 6.

Professor Simpson is awesome! Speaks 17 languages and is very knowledgable in his field. He makes lectures very interesting and the material is also intriguing. I looked forward to going to class and like to pull out random facts I learned in his lectures. Lots of studying needed for tests but As are definitely achievable! Overall great GE 6

Not super difficult, try and you should be fine. Study a lot for the tests because there is a lot of material. There's also random pop quizzes that are open note so show up and get easy points

I took this class for my GE requirement and Prof. Simpson was just awesome. He speaks many languages and his lectures are really interesting. If you show up to the lectures, do the pop quizzes (very easy) and read the course reader it is an easy A. Definitely recommend this course!

Simpson is great. This is a great GE take. Very easy to make an A and interesting material. The projects, too, are engaging and stimulating. Simpson is a delight.

Since he speaks so many languages, he intersperses examples from tons of different languages in the lectures to illustrate his points. He also has a good sense of humor. Lots of content (need to know examples for the tests), but not too difficult. Pop quizzes are just to give you points for coming to class. Very interesting and fun class.

Great class, lots of work though. Students, make sure you know when your final exam is because he got it wrong on your syllabus and the final study guide :( (he mixed our classes final exam date/time with his other sections).

Good professor, interesting materials, but the fact that there are tons of information from reading, for most of which you are required to memorize killed this otherwise interesting class. One of the hard GEs I've taken so far. If you are good at memorizing things and like reading, which most of the people don't, then ignore what I said.

He is very knowledgeable. He speaks many languages, and it is so fun to listen to his examples in class. To me, the class was very interesting and definitely worth taking. I learnt so much in this class. If you go to lecture, you don't have to read much. But attendance is not mandatory.

I have never worked this hard for a class in my entire life. The exams aren't necessarily hard, but half of the exams are short answer so you basically have to know the entire book. No escaping or bs'ing your way. Professor is awesome and material is very interesting. Don't take this class if you're taking 5 classes OR any other difficult classes.

Amazing Professor. His lectures made me want to attend every class. While you can read the book (the class notes), the lectures are a better way to learn the material. The class is very interesting and there are only a few assignments. However there are a lot of supplementary readings for tests.

BEST CLASS EVER. Professor Simpson makes a mandatory GE interesting. He is very knowledgeable about his field. There are a lot of papers and assignments, but if you study the course reader it is easy to do well

Professor Simpson was great, every lecture was so interesting and its true that they are the best way to learn the material. There is a lot of material to know in addition to 2 assignments, a final project, and two commentaries. But I personally did not think the class was hard at all, or required much time out of class. You will learn so much!

prof simpson is a very interesting and SUPER knowledgable guy. if you're interested in ling at all, this is a great GE. there's virtually no busywork (only papers/projects/exams), which is pretty nice, but his midterms are notoriously hard--definitely read the lecture notes. there are (very easy) pop quizzes for attendance, but you get 2 passes!

Professor Simpson is an incredible teacher and makes the class interesting and incredibly easy to follow; cares about the students and takes the time to answer any questions that the students have; really funny and even though there are pop quizzes, sometimes he'll give a warning in advance or help with some of the questions. Truly one of the best

Highly recommend taking this class. Very knowledgable, funny guy. Great way to get a GE out of the way. You really learn a lot of interesting stuff

Very well spoken. Has a large number of anecdotes that are very enjoyable to listen to. You watch some movies in class.

Attendance is mandatory because there are open-note "pop" quizzes almost every class, but they're easy points for sure. He's just super sweet and funny, and it's easy listening to him talk about something he is so passionate/knowledgable about. I think it's a good GE! Take it!

Sweetest man ever. so pure, passionate, and love his british accent. Really interesting material, double counts as a GE, and not too difficult. He usually writes his notes on the board as he speaks so the info is super digestible, but when he switches to slides its a little more difficult to keep up. Some cheesy old videos but overall great class

I love professor Simpson. I genuinely enjoyed every minute I had in his class. I looked forward to his class in the week and was always so interested in everything he taught. Tests are LONG!!!!! But he covers EVERYTHING in the lecture so youll never get that Ive never seen this before feeling. Quizzes are way to easy. Assignment are fun!

Professor Simpson's lectures are very insightful, and you will be amazed when he switches speaking different languages. If you do wish to learn something valuable and get good grades, be prepared to read his 400 pages textbook (for multiple times cuz the exams will test rote memorization). Otherwise if you just want an easy GE, p/np this class.

Prof Simpson is an incredibly smart and enjoyable professor who makes the class interesting and teaches you a lot. However, for a GE, be aware that there is a lot of work (3 papers, 2 midterms, final exam) and the exams are VERY long and require you to know information to a high level of detail. If you don't mind reading, it is easy to succeed.

Ling 115 is hands down one of the best GE's I've taken at USC. The assignments are pretty interesting so they don't feel like a pain. The tests are kinda tough since there is a lot of material and they are LONG. Prof. Simpson, however, covers everything you need in class and his lectures are actually not boring at all.

Professor Simpson provides an inspiring GE experience. Interesting and involving lectures aided by films and live experiments. Five short essays no longer than 5 pages. Two midterms and one final based on reading and lectures. Encourages students to share their own experiences. You need to work a little bit for an A, but it definitely worths it.

The few papers are very easy to get an A in and require minimal effort. The midterm and finals all have pretty long coverage and require a lot of reading, but if you look at the notes he provides for the exam and put in the work, the tests are quite easy. The lectures are basically exactly the same as what is in the textbook.

There's a lot of reading but it's well spaced out and the information is easy to digest. Honestly, I'm not fond of the GEB/GEC requirements but the reading in this class is fine. If you attend lecture you don't need to read that much, if at all. It's also an interesting class.

Andrew Simpson was a great professor! I really enjoyed taking his class (a lot more than I thought I would). However, it was a lot of work for a GE, but also more interesting than other GEs I have taken. Overall, I would recommend taking this class if you are interested in languages. If you want to get a good grade, reading the book is key.

Simpson is by far a solid choice for GE credit classes. Not much reading involved, easy pop quizzes every week, straightforward midterms and final, and not many papers to write. Lots of content to remember for the midterm and final, but definitely worth it. Very caring and kind too.

Don't listen to the other reviews - this is one of the best GEs at USC. Even if you don't know anything about linguistics, Simpson makes the lectures super interesting and engaging. An A is also definitely not hard to get - especially since this semester exams were open book, and you were allowed to work on the papers with classmates in groups.

Everyone's complaining about how fast he goes but that LITERALLY has nothing to do with him and everything to do with USC's condensed semester. Plus he sends out a summary of his lectures beforehand so all you need to do is take notes on the extra stuff he coveres. Content is super interesting, assignments are straightforward and exams are chill.

The condensed semester did make this class a bit more difficult. But, Professor Simpson is very accommodating and caring. He tries his best to keep the lectures entertaining through Zoom. He's very accessible outside of class and wants his students to succeed.

Professor Simpson is great. Interesting material, great sense of humor, and super accessible. Lectures definitely were fast paced, but you can't blame him for that given the condensed semester timeline. He listened to student concerns and adjusted assignments to accommodate the unique schedule. Exams are chill as long as you keep with your notes.

Lectures were content-heavy and a bit fast-paced but that's understandable given the condensed semester. Prof is passionate about what he does, funny, and also very caring about his students (he took out an assignment to accommodate our schedules). Pop quizzes are simple and exams are open-book (all the answers are in his lectures, too). Great guy!

To summarize Simpson's class: apush 2.0. If you enjoy memorizing a book and writing a few papers, then this class is for you. If you enjoy critical thinking and discussing/debating material, this is NOT the class for you. As for Simpson himself, it's clear he loves linguistics which makes the material so much easier to learn.

It is very apparent Dr. Simpson loves linguistics and uses a lot of real life examples of personal stories to illustrate class concepts. This class was more work than I was anticipating, but if you follow the guidelines from the TAs and take good notes its pretty hard not to do well.

Lectures are asynchronous; discussion sessions are not mandatory. You don't need to the textbook to pass. All the info is on lecture PowerPoints. Papers are straightforward, but it gets tedious after a while. Love the man for canceling one the papers because of the shortened semester. Very understanding and respected.

super cool Prof; easy A. anyone who didnt get an A just didn't show up or pay attention. he even sends you notes before and the tests are based on lectures only. super interesting double counting GE too. only downside is lots of freshman in your class that will complain about not gettng an A

I absolutely loved LING 115! Definitely recommend for an interesting and easy GE. Prof. Simpson was accommodating when we felt there were too many assignments and truly wants the best for his students. Midterms are mainly based on lecture content and while he does go fast, everything is recorded for the online format so it is easy to go back.

Loved Ling 115 with Prof. Simpson this fall - took it online due to Covid. While the class is almost all lecture, the material is very interesting, and it's clear how much Prof. Simpson cares about linguistics. His passion makes the lectures more engaging. Would definitely recommend as a straightforward A and a super fun and interesting subject!

Professor Simpson is super knowledgeable about linguistics and it shows. The online lectures were kind of fast but not unmanageable and super helpful in understanding the information, and the tests were all open note. Overall a great and easy GE to take!

Dr. Simpson was super knowledgable and passionate which made the class more interesting. There's lots of assignments which is kinda annoying, but a large chunk is easy points. On the plus side, a poor test score can be overcome. Your grade entirely depends on your TA, so be careful who you end up with.

Favorite class as a first semester freshman, quizzes and tests all come straight from the lecture and they're open-book open-note. Humor shows through the lecture slides and stories, very chill and enjoyable class.

Professor Simpson's class is pretty easy as long as you study a little before the exams. The averages on the midterms were 86 and 87. The papers are also easy and straightforward. The content itself can be boring, but he actually does a pretty good job at making lectures interesting and engaging. Get a good TA since they grade the papers.

The class is soo interesting. I learned so many things about language that I've subconsciously wondered about for years. Truly an interesting class. Prof. Simpson is a great person. There are several assignments, and you go over quite a lot of material each lecture, so I'd say stamina is pretty important, even if the content isn't difficult

Fantastic professor. Fascinating class, and i was thoroughly engaged the whole time, and learned so much, even though I am from a different major and knew nothing about linguistics at all. it wasn't a hard class (i only got a B because I missed an assignment)! I wish he taught other classes at USC or I would definitely take him again. legend.

Professor Simpson is a great guy! This course is very content packed but I found everything pretty interesting and easy to understand. We had 3 exams and 3 papers/assignments this semester. Nothing was SUPER difficult if you put in the work and effort to prepare. Your TA grades everything but the professor was super accessible as well!

Super easy A. lectures are well paced, he gives out notes beforehand and even bolds vocab terms so you just have to listen and study them. Has a few papers you need to research but you can form groups so its really easy. Discussion and lecture arent mandatory.

Professor Simpson was by far my favorite prof this year! The topics in LING115 were super interesting and he explained them with fun stories and examples. He notified the class of pop quizzes far in advance and gave plenty of time to complete them. The discussion classes were optional but enlightening if you participate, Id recommend attending!

The professor explains things in a way that is easy to understand and relatively engaging, but very fast-paced and content-heavy. I found the course very interesting content-wise. The assignments and tests were very easy, and 95% of what is tested is straight from the lectures.

Professor Simpson was wonderful. He always let us know when pop quizzes would be and carefully explain what would be on tests. Assignment instructions were also well explained. Tests are really straightforward but you have to memorize a LOT. Also, he goes through content really quickly so it's up to you to keep up. Overall, a good GE to take

Professor Simpson is great! His lectures are a must go-to since the pop quizzes and midterm material covered is only from those. Even if you go through his slide notes, you miss crucial info from class. ALSO READ THE TEXTBOOK! A lot of information is only in the book and without reading you will miss a lot of points on midterms.

Really respected professor and super educational class. However, the workload is obscene for a 100-level GE course. Multiple papers, pop quizzes, long chapter readings, and you gotta memorize basically hundreds of pages of text to do well on the exams. Average grade is around a B. Take if you're interested in LING otherwise skip it.

Overall an okay GE to take. Class started off strong but got boring after a while. He just lectures and reads of powerpoint whole class but the subject is pretty interesting and he does tell some funny stories sometimes. I wish he could've made the class more interactive since you can tell his passionate about the subject. Overall okay GE to take.

Lectures were dry but the material is pretty interesting. If you study, you will get an A although average was a B. Papers really depend on your TA. Overall interesting class if you're interested in history.

Amazing class, totally changed my perspective on how we speak. Engaging lecturer that keeps your attention thru a 1.5 hr class, picks topics very well. The 3 projects + midterms + final can be a bit hard to juggle, but start early and it'll be fine. Studying textbook is not necessary but def helps for exams. Absolutely enjoyed this class.

Professor Simpson was a great professor that had all the information you needed on the slides. You didn't have to take notes because all of the slides were given to you. The textbook is exactly what is taught in lectures. Midterms and Final are what you would expect from studying the material. Overall an interesting and engaging class.

Lectures are super interesting if your interested in linguistics. He is extremely knowledgeable on the topic! Funny at times. Pretty straightforward, study hard for exams (lot of short answers). He posts the notes before, just add in extra notes/examples from the lecture and you will be fine. His British accent is a nice addition to the class.

Really made me more interested in the roles language plays in our lives and around the world! Gave summary slides for all the lectures and pop quizzes were open note. Midterms and final were a lot to memorize but graded pretty leniently, and the essays were all easy As if you followed instructions. Definitely recommend!!

Not an easy A but a straightforward A. Simpson is very knowledgeable and if you find history and psychology interesting, you'll enjoy this class. I got an A- on the 1st midterm with moderate studying, a B on the 2nd midterm with no studying, and an A on the final with a good amount of studying. Ended up with an A in the class so study.

Captivating teacher and content, just make sure you show up to class so you dont miss pop quizzes AND to discussion so your TA will appreciate that and be more likely to help you out. Quizzes are open note, tests are straight from the lectures (which he does not post so write everything down in the presentation thats not in the provided notes).

This is by far the most work I have ever had to do for a GE. 9 pop quizzes in class throughout the semester (have to be in person), 3 mini reflections on movies, and 3 papers ranging from 2-5 pages. Oh, and the 2 midterms and final exam. DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS EXPECTING IT TO BE AN EASY GE. It is straightforward but so much work.

The class is very interesting and Prof. Simpson is a great lecturer. The class is very reading heavy though, and I definitely wouldn't consider it an easy GE. Nevertheless, it was very interesting and I thoroughly enjoyed the class.

Great GE class with a likeable professor. Lectures are interesting, material is pretty easy, though there's quite a bit of reading (if you choose to do it). Easy pop quizzes and papers. Exams are fine, you just need to remember kind of a lot. Overall a really straightforward A if you just put in the work (which isn't that much).

I loved Prof. Simpson so much! Attendance is regulated by pop quizzes (around 1x/week) with 2 midterms and 1 final + a couple of assignments. He was SO funny and kind and the content was super interesting. Most of the material is emailed out but be sure to take notes on what he says in class. All grading is done by TAs so beware. Highly Recommend!!

The professor is amazing and my TA was wonderful, but my god this class is a grind for a GE. The exams are straightforward but the content can get very specific so you need to study hard for an A. Also, the fact that an A is a 94 made everything stressful. The pop quizzes he gives out are really easy (basically attendance checks).

This class was very fun and a good GE B + G choice if you find linguistics interesting but don't want to pursue a degree in that field. There are 3 midterms ( a mix of MC, T/F, and short answer questions) over specific details in the lectures with pop quizzes after each topic, so don't skip. Prof. Simpson is fair, but you'll have to grind for an A.

I always looked forward to attending his lectures. LING 115 isn't an easy A, but manageable. I got 90% plus on all exams by starting to study 3 days before each exam. Grade based mostly on 2 midterms (25% each), and 1 final (25%). TAs give rubrics & grade fairly on essays. 9 pop-quizzes encourage you to attend lecture. Double counting GE (C & G)

Dr. Simpson was an awesome lecturer, and I found the content of LING 115 to be really interesting and useful. Attendance wasn't mandatory but there were quite a few (very easy and open book) pop quizzes that you don't want to miss. The assignments were straightforward and the tests were pretty easy (I studied for the final the day of and got an A).

Super entertaining lecturer and the class content is interesting. Pop quizzes are super easy (basically control F the lecture notes he provides). I never studied earlier than a day before the exams and passed easily. The assignments have a lot of requirements but basically do them and you'll do well in the class. Cannot recommend him enough.

He is a good professor that is accommodating. The exams are difficult and you basically need to memorize an entire textbook. It is a good double-counting GE which makes it so worth it. Do the textbook readings as far in advance as you can and you will do well. TA's are easy, so all you need to worry about is exams.

this class is a very fair double GE - i have zero background in linguistics and did just fine on the homework assignments, pop quizzes, and midterms with minimal studying. the course material was interesting and professor simpson worked hard to engage students. if you are willing to put in a single ounce of effort, take this class!

Pop quizzes are free points (just search through his lecture notes) as long as you attend class. Assignments are pretty easy as well, they're all doable in a few hours. But midterms (x2) and the final are very fact-based. You need to memorize almost everything from lectures PLUS textbook information. No cheatsheets! Easy B/B+, not the easiest A.

Pros: you learn something new Assignments are interesting Cons: 2 midterms and final are 12 pages long and entirely based on memorizing the textbook and lecture information

While LING115 was certainly interesting, I felt like it required too much effort for a GE- was this meant to be for linguistics students? It sucked that while the essays/projects were a bit difficult to write, our grades were largely based off of the midterms and final anyway. The readings are long but you can just skim through them and be fine.

Class is very difficult but he is an amazing professor. super considerate and knowledgeable about course materials. lots of memorization and readings for exams. attendance is necessary because he takes pop quizzes - don't take this class if you want an easy A. he is an amazing lecturer though. content is interesting if you pay genuine attention

Take this GE if you don't mind memorization. The topics were super interesting but your grade is mostly based on how well you can recall small details on exams. Get on your TA's good side and the writing assignments are fine (grades based on if you check rubric boxes, not how well you write). Txtbk reading is kinda optional but go to lectures.

only 3 assignments and midterm and final! Super easy for a GE. Lecture is long, but prof makes it engaging and funny. You will do well on midterm and final if you study the textbook and the supplemental reading questions. Really enjoyed class content, especially as a bilingual!

His classes are so interesting. I love listening to his little anecdotes in the middle of lecture. Everyone will have something to relate to. Exams require A LOT of memorization and are very long. 3 exams, 3 essays and 2 short assignments. It is annoying to study for the exams but the class makes it so worth it. Overall, really great professor!

Prof Simpson is a super cool guy who really knows his stuff. If you have a hard courseload you will find this class extremely challenging with all there is to memorize (I had to drop late in sem). Lectures moved really fast and it was super hard to keep up. But genuinely got me interested in LING and I hadn't been before, really fascinating topics.

Super interesting class! Def recommend it if you're looking for a fairly easy gen ed class, but warning: you'll need to memorize stuff for midterms. The 2-3 assignments are easy, and discussion sections are very skippable (basically just review of the lecture). There's a textbook but you don't have to read it: his ppt notes are more than enough.

All of the contents in the exams are covered in lectures, but you won't remember them all by the final week, so you'll usually have to read four or five chapters of the textbook. The only bad thing is the threshold for A is kinda high (94%). A- is easy but A is not. And seriously I don't think the pop quizzes are much of a problem.

Professor Simpson's course material was very interesting, and you can tell he cares a lot about the subject. He does move through his lecture slides quite quickly, but he provides all of his materials. There are a number of pop quizzes, but they are easy and you can miss 2 of them. There are 3 straightforward assignments. Lots of reading required.

super funny professor. midterms are extremely content-heavy and there is A LOT of content so beware of that. if you have good study habits you should be good tho. attendance isn't mandatory since every lecture is recorded, but there are pop quizzes (which are open-note and super easy) so might want to go to class. made linguistics super interesting

great lecturer! The class did get boring around the end, but he did a great job making a GE interesting and accessible for everyone. Spent the perfect amount of time working on this class for a GE, enough to learn something but not so much work that it overwhelmed me.

Honestly prof is so knowledgeable and passionate which makes the class really engaging. TA Jack was also super helpful and made great study guides. The class is content heavy but its easy- just a lot of memorisation, which gets a little annoying around finals when you are cramming everything but if you pay attention and attend class you'll be fine

Prof Simpson's LING115 class is a challenge, but worth it. The lectures are engaging, and the content is fascinating. To succeed, memorize the textbook and attend class. unstuck AI is a great study tool to prep for exams.

someone wrote they spent the perfect amount of time working on this class for a GE, enough to learn something but not so much work that it overwhelmed me and I couldn't agree more. The course is genuinely really interesting, especially as a bilingual, and he's probably the best lecturer i've had at USC- prepared, organized, structured

A wonderful lecturer in Linguistics and provides many examples to concepts that he is explaining, making it easier to understand. The course is incredibly content heavy though so be prepared to take notes and write a lot during exams. Overall an interesting and overall easy GE to take, I recommend it for sure

People say that this course is a lot of work for a GE, but it isn't TOO bad. The material and lectures are super interesting, and the Prof is probably one of the best lecturers I've had at USC - organized, focused, and funny! He gives out notes which cover 95% of what's on the exam, but he does have pop quizzes so you have to show up to lectures.

I really appreciated Professor Simpson—passionate about linguistics and made it fun. The two midterms and final were manageable for an A but had plenty of content. Discussions felt pointless, but know your TA since they grade (go to lectures though!) I enjoyed 115 overall, but avoid it if memorization isn't your thing or you're after an easier GE.

Great professor and very interesting lectures. But tests are very hard, tedious, and require A TON of memorization. Don't need to go to discussion, however the materials are very helpful to prep. Start studying earlier than you think. Information is very dense and test questions ask for specifics that you need to pull from memory.

Amazing lectures. Very interesting content with anecdotes from himself. Uses a textbook he wrote for this course. Exams are tough. Lots of memorization (basically memorize the lecture notes and some additional details). Three four-page essays. Definitely take this class if you are interested in languages and cultures but not an easy A.

Always well prepared for lecture, man is incredibly knowledgeable about languages, different parts of the world, etc, and has a super pleasant chummy/old british accent which added some extra flavor to what otherwise could have been dry lectures. Learned a ton and little mannerisms and teaching choices made me laugh a lot. Assignments are reasonabl

Professor Simpson is a nice guy who is clearly passionate about linguistics. I found his lectures to be very dry, but there are random pop quizzes given at the end of class, so you need to attend all lectures. Everything's TA-graded, but everything was graded nicely. My TA Yue was amazing for LING 115 and greatly helped me throughout the semester!