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LING450 The Design of Language

Updated: 02 February 2010
Credit Points 6
Offering
Responsible Campus Teaching Period Mode of Study Online Level
Armidale Semester 1 On line E - Wholly online unit
Intensive School(s) None
Supervised Exam There is no UNE Supervised Examination.
Pre-requisites candidature in a postgraduate award
Co-requisites None
Restrictions LING100 or LING102
Notes None
Combined Units None
Coordinator(s) David Penn (dpenn@une.edu.au)
Unit Description

This unit is about the structure of human language, and about how languages work as systems of communication. Drawing on examples from English and other languages, students learn the basic analytical concepts and skills needed to understand and describe the internal design of human languages in general. That is, they learn to analyse sound systems, word formation and sentence patterns using standard techniques of phonemic, morphological and syntactic analysis. There is an emphasis on problem-solving and data analysis. Web access is essential.
Prescribed Material
Mandatory 		Text(s):

Note: Students are expected to purchase prescribed material

An Introduction to Language
ISBN: 9780170178259
Fromkin, V. and others, Cengage Learning 6th ed. 2009
Text refers to: Semester 1 , Online
Recommended Material
Optional 		Text(s):

Note: Recommended material is held in the University Library - purchase is optional

Phonetics: An Interactive Introduction. (CD) Version 2.1
ISBN: NICK1
Reid, N., School of Behavioural, Cognitive and Social Sciences 2004
Text refers to: Semester 1 , Online
Disclaimer Unit information may be subject to change prior to commencement of the teaching period.
Assessment
Title Exam Length Weight Mode No. Words
Assignment 1 30%
Assessment Notes
Analytical report on large data set from unknown language
Relates to Learning Outcomes (LO) and Graduate Attributes (GA)
OL: 1-5 GA: 1, 2 and 6
Assignment 2 20%
Assessment Notes
Timed online examination
Relates to Learning Outcomes (LO) and Graduate Attributes (GA)
OL: 1-5 GA: 1, 2 and 6
Morphology 10%
Assessment Notes
Short answers and data analysis
Relates to Learning Outcomes (LO) and Graduate Attributes (GA)
OL: 4 GA: 1, 2 and 6
Phonetics 10%
Assessment Notes
Short answers and data analysis
Relates to Learning Outcomes (LO) and Graduate Attributes (GA)
OL: 1 and 2 GA: 1, 2 and 6
Phonology 10%
Assessment Notes
Short answers and data analysis
Relates to Learning Outcomes (LO) and Graduate Attributes (GA)
OL: 1 and 2 GA: 1, 2 and 6
Semantics 10%
Assessment Notes
Short answers and data analysis
Relates to Learning Outcomes (LO) and Graduate Attributes (GA)
OL: 3 GA: 1, 2 and 6
Syntax 10%
Assessment Notes
Short answers and data analysis
Relates to Learning Outcomes (LO) and Graduate Attributes (GA)
OL: 5 GA: 1, 2 and 6

Learning Outcomes (LO) Upon completion of this unit, students will be able to:
  1. recognise and describe the most common sounds found in human languages and the international symbols used to represent them;
  2. analyse and describe the sound systems of particular languages;
  3. describe the problems of analysing meaning; apply componential and reductive paraphrase analysis;
  4. analyse and describe how words are formed, and how certain words or parts of words function to produce meaning; and
  5. analyse and describe how words are combined to make phrases and phrases combined to make sentences, in English and other languages of the world.

Graduate Attributes (GA)
Attribute Taught Assessed Practised
1 Knowledge of a Discipline
Linguistic concepts and analytical techniques are taught in lectures, study notes and readings, practised in tutorial and online exercises, and assessed via worksheets and all assessment tasks. 		True True True
2 Communication Skills
Students' involvement in this unit will encourage students to find, organise, and present information effectively; and to construct coherent and well reasoned arguments in their assessments. 		True True True
3 Global Perspectives
The unit content includes a good deal of information on languages situations around the world, and about the nature of the world's languages (with special emphasis on Asia, the Pacific, Australia, and Europe). 		True
4 Information Literacy
Since the unit is offered entirely online, students will have ample opportunity and motivation to develop skills and confidence in this domain. 		True
5 Life-Long Learning
This unit provides the opportunity for you to identify, evaluate, and implement personal learning strategies and study skills that will be valuable throughout your life. 		True
6 Problem Solving
The assessment and general approach emphasises logical analytical-style problem solving to linguistic issues. Students are required to solve data based problems critically and intelligently in their assessment tasks. 		True True True
7 Social Responsibility
This unit will develop your intercultural awareness and give you a sense of the relationships that hold between language and social organisation. We hope that the ability to make connections between language use and wider socio-political issues makes you more socially responsible. 		True True
8 Team Work
The participation in online forums is intended to build teamwork confidence and collaborative skills in extending the group's knowledge and in dealing with shared problems. 		True
   

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