Pidgins, creoles, and mixed languages emerge under conditions of intense contact between speakers of different languages. Along with challenging traditional ways of thinking about language relationships and classifications, the study of contact languages offers unique insight into how language is represented in the mind and the process of acquisition. In this introduction to the field, students will learn about the history and structure of a range of contact languages, as well as theories about their genesis. They will also gain practical experience with linguistic analysis and read contemporary literature highlighting current issues in the field. Languages studied vary from year to year, and in the past have included Michif, Singlish, China Coast Pidgin, Caribbean and Indian Ocean Creoles, Nigerian Pidgin, among others.