ALX4110

General linguistics

This subject provides an introduction to the basic concepts of language and procedures in linguistic analysis. The subject covers the representation of sound in language (phonetics); the organisation of sounds in languages (phonology); the structure of words (morphology); the organisation of words in sentences (syntax); meaning (semantics); language change (historical linguistics); the function of language in use (pragmatics) and the social context for language use (sociolinguistics). The main objectives of this subject are to familiarise students with the fundamental tools of analysis which are essential for the linguistic applications discussed in other subjects of the MA in applied linguistics. The assessment components largely involve problem solving and the application of the concepts outlined in the subject.

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