Easy class, high quality lectures. It's not a class you must take, but if you're interested, go for it.
Professor is very funny and nice guy. Always likes to make us laugh and check that the "vibes" are good. Lectures are interesting material but can sometimes get boring. Midterm more dependent on lecture rather than reading. It's a very mindful and socially aware class. I really enjoyed it and it's an easy A if you pay attention in lecture :)
really easy class. either read the book or go to lecture theres no point doing both. the weekly quizzes are multiple choice no time limit and you can retake. the midterm and final are multiple choice and pretty easy. interesting lectures, funny stories. the content is easy too and interesting imo
As long as you pay attention to lectures and the quizzes/activities, you will pass the class with an easy A.
really nice guy, intersting class
I really like this professor, he gave an interesting perspective on linguistics and made it interesting even for those who aren't into linguistics. The class does get repetitive and is a lot like other LING classes. This is a very section-heavy class, but it was overall an easy A.
Professor Kennedy made every lecture entertaining and was very caring about his students. While this class was extremely easy, I relied a lot more on the book than the lectures to learn the material (but everyone is different!). I feel like I learned so much about not only linguistics, but the world as well. If you can, please take this class!
Bob Kennedy and Robert Kennedy are actually the same person. His lecture is very inspiring. The assignments are self-checked, which is easy to get full points. Exams take really small proportion because of pandemic. Although it is online, he did not raise the difficulty of the class, super nice and caring!
Pretty easy class during an online quarter. Easy to talk to, tells us stories during class. Material is pretty easy to understand and TAs are very helpful. Sections are mandatory but if you miss there is an assignment where you can make up the work. Midterm is not that bad and had no time limit. Overall def recommend.
Def fav prof at UCSB. Kennedy is a genuine guy and is passionate about what he's teaching. The material itself isn't difficult; show up to lecture and take good notes and there's no reason you need to do any of the readings. Midterm and final are fair + straightforward (MC and free-response). Easy and fun group project + only 4-5 hw assignments.
Take this class for the easy A and WRT req! Super friendly and generous professor. Lectures sometimes dull but good content. No reading needed, just attend lecture and take good notes. Grade solely based on 3 short homework assignments, a group project, a midterm, and a final. Do well on homework assignments, and you'll get the A! Bob is the GOAT!
His lectures can get boring, but when it's 9am, everything is boring. Very passionate about linguistics. I loved ling20, deciding to minor in TESOL because of that class. Assignment every week, straightforward midterm and final.
Assignments every week, after the midterm got significantly harder. Read the book to pass quizes. Attend lecture to pass the midterm and final. Midterm and final were fine but you need to study and everything is off the slides. You have to work for your grade, if you slack off it will show.
I took Ling20 with professor Kennedy in the fall of my 1st year. Overall the lectures were boring, but the professor was good. Online quiz every Tuesday and an online assignment (50% of grade) due every Friday afternoon. Midterm and final weren't super difficult if you study. Easy GE class but don't expect to be wowed by the material.
I liked Kennedy a lot as a person, however the class was a little more difficult than anticipated. But he is very good at answering student questions. 50% of your grade comes from weekly homework assignments that are relatively easy to complete if you understand the concepts. 20% midterm 20% final 10% online quizzes you take on the readings 1x/week
I changed my major and avoided several classes because of this guy. He doesn't care about his students, only enjoys hearing himself speak. Have fun spending hours memorizing useless info that isn't applicable to anything else but his boring class. Terrible.
I'd take a class with Kennedy again, but mainly because it was so easy. Truthfully, I just didn't enjoy his lectures. It's a cool class, but it felt like we didn't start covering real world issues until the last 3 weeks. The first weeks mainly involved him complaining about trivial linguistics issues. He's a nice guy, but the class wasn't for me.
I came in thinking I wouldnt have to try at all and that was a mistake lol. Its not hard but you do have to put in some effort. Theres 4 assignments (40%), 1 midterm (20%), group project (20%), & final (20%). The group project was not that bad it was easy (if your group is cool).
He is one of the easiest teacher in UCSB. Only four super easy assignments for whole quarter and each only takes like an hour or two to finish. Plus, the instructions are clear so students can write it easily even they don't attend the class.
Professor Kennedy is one of the best lecturers I have came across so far! He is funny, he is passionate about the subject making it easier to stay focused. He is also an approachable guy! Very woke. I reeeeaaaally recommend this class!!!!
Great teacher who clearly knows the stuff and is always making such an effort. The classes are interesting and sometimes even funny. His office hours were very helpful and interesting too and the assignments and midterms are easy. You'll get an A if you put a little effort in.
A kind and responsible lecturer. He talks about linguistic topics clearly and makes a great outline. Lecture slacks posted online. Maybe sometimes lectures are boring but that's because of the characteristics of linguistics itself. Heavy homework and heavy reading, but you can learn a lot. Actually, tests are not so hard.
Ling 20 covers a TON of info, but when it came to the midterm and final, we were tested on only a small portion of it. Tests/midterms are reasonable if you UNDERSTAND info; homework is graded very seriously. Although Dr. Kennedy can be a little monotone, he's an interesting and kind professor who cares about linguistics, so lectures are worth it.
I took this class as a GE thinking it would be easy but it was really difficult, not in terms of tests but in terms of content. This class has an excessive amount of material for an introductory class. Homework is 50% of your grade so it's a good idea to go to TA office hours and check your work. Tests are relatively easy.