ATS1339 · Linguistic structure and language diversity

Overview

There are 7,000+ living languages in the world, each of which have their own structures, communities of users and cultures. In this unit we explore this diversity. Drawing on data from English and a range of other languages, we investigate the grammatical life of words — how they are built (morphology), how they are used to form larger units (syntax), and how this knowledge can be applied to experiences both inside and outside the education setting. As part of this, we explore issues around intercultural communication, multilingualism and multilingual societies, as well as areas such as language and globalisation and language endangerment. We also consider the role of cognitive and cultural constraints in shaping language forms and the processes by which languages develop and change.

Areas of study: Linguistics and English language

Offerings

Assessment

The Handbook does not list a final examination among the assessment items. That is not a guarantee there is none.

Within semester assessment: 100%

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Requisites

The Handbook lists no prerequisite, corequisite or prohibition for this unit.

Learning outcomes

1. identify the structural building blocks of human language;
2. apply the analytical tools acquired in the unit to examine the structure of sentences in a range of languages;
3. describe how cognitive and cultural factors affect language structures and their interpretation;
4. discuss the major linguistic, ideological, sociocultural and pedagogical implications of the global spread of English;
5. discuss the applications for knowledge gained in the unit in applied fields, such as language acquisition and forensic linguistics.

Workload

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.

Student experience, not official rules. Nothing here changes what the Handbook says.