Charles Boberg - McGill University, Montreal, QC

Professor: Charles Boberg

Department: Linguistics

College: McGill University, Montreal, QC

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: LING320
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Good prof. Very tough grader. Make sure you provide significantly more detail than you think you need to on assignments, tests, etc. Extremely interesting lectures. The textbook is very helpful. Take good notes and you should be fine.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: LING325
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Professor Boberg really knows his stuff, but this makes exams very difficult. He is a professor that is really passionate about the topic he teaches, and he is always available to ask questions and help out. You really need to do the readings if you want to pass. Fair grader for papers - he wants you to succeed.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: LING425
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Taken a couple classes from this professor, Socioling and Historical Linguistics. Good lecturer, knows how to make the material accessible and interesting. Fair grader. Tests and homework assignments won't kill you but you've got to work for them. Most annoying thing is that he refuses to put grades (or anything else) online.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: LING325
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Lectures are great and the course is especially interesting if you are Canadian and can relate to the variables discussed. There's a heavy base in the history of Canada which is a little boring when you're from here and have learned it multiple times. This course is recommended for non-linguistics students too and the prof is very accommodating

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: LING320
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Really interesting lectures, but this prof posts no slides or anything online (not even grades... one of those teachers) and so if you don't go to class, you have to find someone who did to get your notes. His midterm is hard and he knows it. The final was much easier though, just make sure you know details. The topic is very interesting!

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: LING320
• Grade Received: C+
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Brace yourself for hard exams based on a lot of little details that you have to know by heart but content of class is clear and interesting

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: LING320
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

He's obviously great in his field, and I grew to love him even though he doesn't post anything online. I was willing to get up for this course (it was at 8:30). Midterm is sort of difficult, study the studies. Typing this a week before the final. The only thing I'm embarrassed about is that he's old, so he thinks gay is a gender ;;;

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: LING320
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

A great prof and really exciting, fascinating material! A lot of memorization for the midterm, but balanced out by two projects. The data collection assignment is an easy 100%. Overall: if you think you might be interested in language and society, definitely take this course!

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: LING425
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Took both 320 and 425. You can either listen closely in class or read the book - both provide almost the exact same material (though I consider the lectures pretty interesting and engaging, so it's easier to remember things and pick up on what he wants you to know). I personally found his exams pretty fair.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: LING425
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

The class is very interesting. Some of the assignments (I have one in mind) were veeeery long. The midterm was fair. Sure to get an A if you study well. The final, however was a slap in the face. The final's worth half of your entire grade. You have to know every single thing that he says in class for it. Really. Good luck. Take good notes

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: LING325
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

He makes a rather boring field (Canadian English) interesting enough. He gives old-fashioned lectures (no powerpoints, just him talking) so take notes and attend class. He is a really helpful and good lecturer, and nice person. Lots of readings-- the whole textbook plus supplementary course pack.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: LING320
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

A very interesting topic -- sociolinguistics -- spoiled by the person who teaches it. He treated me as though I were a child! I understand that I failed an exam because I had no time to study for it, but that gives you no reason to take me to your office and ridicule me for the answers I wrote. A very patronizing individual. Avoid at all costs.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: LING325
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Attend class, do your readings, ask questions and you'll do fine in this challenging but enjoyable class. Professor Boberg is wonderful and very helpful. He really tries to make sure everyone completely understands everything, and will repeat and reiterate things as many times as needed before people understand. A wonderful guy, take his class.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: LING320
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Sociolinguistics was VERY interesting. His lectures are always interesting and fun to listen to. A lot of people had trouble with the exams but I thought they were fair, as long as you go to class, read the textbook and study a bit you should be fine.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: LING325
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

While he can be awkward at times, he's a great prof. His lectures have a consistent structure and follow very closely to the textbook (this goes for Sociolinguistics, Historical Linguistics, and Canadian English). Awesome material and clear presentation, though tough tests until you get used to it.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: LINGLING
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Though difficult, information learned in his classes (if studied properly) is retained. You need a fully comprehension of the material, not just having read it, to do well. I recommend all his classes.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: LING425
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

If you like historical linguistics and puzzles, this class is for you. I do not like historical linguistics, so I brought the plague upon myself. That said, this course lays a solid foundation for a dead (but historically important) discipline. You have to know absolutely everything to do well, Boberg's exams and assignments are systematic.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: LING320
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Phenomenal prof. Very interesting course material, rather difficult exams. NOT a bird course.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: LING425
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

The Bobalobes is quite the prof. He has is own sense of how to run the class, and his own way of giving exams. His tests are distinctivly his: study the books and anything and everything from class. You must know everything. Otherwise you will fail. But he is a great prof- helpful and cheery. He also doesn't believe in the internet.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: LING320
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Boberg's an excellent lecturer. No Powerpoint slides, no nonsense. There was a good mixture of explanation and discussion. If you're interested in the class and choose your term paper/field study topic wisely, it's not difficult to get a very good mark.