lcl.enquiries@arts.monash.edu.au
http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/schools/lcl/
Room S423, fourth floor, South Wing, Menzies building,
Clayton campus
Telephone:
(03) 9905 2281 or (03) 9905 2223
All languages can be commenced at introductory level (except Polish) or at a
more advanced level (refer to the relevant language entry). Units in all
languages contain components of study of the relevant culture or society.
Students taking a language are strongly encouraged to take a major or minor in
Asian studies, European studies, linguistics, or comparative literature and
cultural studies. Students studying a language may apply to Monash Abroad for
grants to study in a country where the relevant language is spoken. As many
students as possible are encouraged to study at an overseas university for a
semester and credit that study towards their degree.
Research in the areas covered by the school is supported by the Centre for European Studies, the Centre for Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies, the Centre for South-East Asian Studies, the Japanese Studies Centre, the Language and Society Centre, and the Monash Asia Institute.
The School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics offers an interdisciplinary major sequence in Asian studies. It is available to all students and is of particular relevance to those studying an Asian language. It enables students to study issues across a range of Asian countries, cultures and societies and provides a broad comparative perspective across these areas of study.
The major in Asian studies draws on units in the School of Languages,
Cultures and Linguistics, which can be either Asian-focused or related
exclusively to an individual country or region such as China, Japan, Korea,
Southeast Asia, etc.
Units from other schools, such as politics, theatre studies, anthropology and
English, can be included if they have a strong Asian component. As the units
available vary each year, a current list of these units is available from the
school.
The Chinese studies program offers seven Chinese language entry points on the Clayton campus. Students will be placed in different entry points according to their language ability and their previous language studies. Students who have never studied Chinese should enrol in entry point 1. Students who have completed the second language stream of VCE Chinese, or the equivalent, should enrol in entry point 2. Students who have completed the first language stream of VCE Chinese, students who have additional Chinese language background, and native speakers who have completed a substantial part of their schooling in a Chinese educational system will be tested by the department and placed in an advanced entry point. Students who have completed a substantial part of their schooling in a Chinese educational system but lack proficiency in Mandarin should enrol in entry point 7 (Chinese for dialect speakers).
The convenor of the Chinese studies program retains the right to determine the proper stream for any particular student.
Once a student's place is determined, he or she will progress through the core language units in a designated stream. At each level, students have the alternative to enrol in an intensive in-country program as part of their stream component (see `Intensive In-Country Chinese Program' below). The first-year core language units can be located on the web at http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/current/coursework/study_areas/.
Summer semester
The Chinese studies program runs an intensive, in-country, fee-paying Chinese language study program at Shanghai International Studies University in China. Students can choose from either a three-week or a six-week program and are eligible to apply for Monash International Study Abroad Grants. The program offers formal language classes as well as one-on-one tuition, in addition to immersing students in Chinese culture and society. Intensive In-country Chinese Program units can be taken as part of any stream within the Chinese studies program, or as an elective for students from other programs. Students should consult the web page at http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/chinese/incountry for detailed information and must consult with the Chinese studies program before making application. Classes are offered at six language levels.
All Chinese language students are encouraged to enrol in Chinese studies or Asian studies units. These units have no Chinese language prerequisites and are open to students not studying Chinese language. Chinese and Asian studies units are taught in the school as well as in other schools of the Faculty of Arts and the Faculty of Business and Economics.
The classical studies program is designed to enable students to study the civilisations, cultures and languages of Ancient Greece and Rome. Students can take a first-year sequence in the civilisation and culture of Ancient Greece, or in Latin (at introductory or intermediate (post-VCE) level), or in Ancient Greek (at introductory or intermediate (post-VCE) level). This allows students to go on to complete:
Units under this heading are administered by the Centre for Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies and taught jointly by the School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics and the School of Literary, Visual and Performance Studies. The centre is an interdisciplinary teaching unit with responsibility for teaching and research in three main areas of work:
Comparative literature is the study of literary texts in ways that go
beyond particular national or linguistic boundaries. We study literary texts
written in other languages - especially Chinese, French, German, Russian and
Spanish - as well as in English. All texts are studied in English translation,
but the people teaching them will normally know the original as well.
Cultural studies is the study of literature in its political and social
contexts and in relation to other arts and media, for example the press, film
and television. We study the interrelationships between texts and codes, both
`artistic' and `popular' verbal and visual. We look at the connections between
social institutions like the international media conglomerates, cultural
technologies like printing and film and cultural forms such as the novel and
the soap opera.
Critical theory is an umbrella term for a whole series of contemporary
approaches to literary and cultural criticism, for example hermeneutics,
semiotics, post-structuralism, ideology critique, psychoanalysis, and so on.
Such theories are central to recent work in literary and cultural studies.
Although the emphasis varies from unit to unit, much of our work deals with all
three areas.
The English-in-use (EIU) program is designed for students whose first language is other than English. The course offers a range of units related to the study of English as a language of communication. Students explore a functional, theoretical and cultural approach to the English language while developing a variety of practical techniques that extend their communicative abilities in their language of instruction as well as within the broader social and cultural context. An important feature of the course is that all the units have been designed to acknowledge the students' second language relationship with the English language. This course is available to international and students from non-English-speaking-backgrounds who fulfil the Arts faculty second language entry criteria.
European studies is a field of knowledge about the past, the present and the possible futures of Europe: its peoples and nations, individually and in relation to each other; its cultures; its political and economic life; and the relationships that link Europe to the rest of the world.
A student undertaking European studies at Monash can expect to learn about
the contribution that European thought and culture have made to the shaping of
the modern world. European studies also pays attention to the Europe of today,
its evolution toward political, economic and cultural integration, and the
structures and processes that are involved in this evolution. Students are
encouraged to analyse, interpret, discuss and evaluate texts, both historical
and contemporary, that are representative of European ideas and culture.
At Monash, European studies is taught by the Centre for European Studies. The
centre is administratively a part of the School of Languages, Cultures and
Linguistics, but includes members from other Schools of the Faculty of Arts.
Students may take a major, a minor or individual units in European studies. At
fourth-year level, students may enrol for honours in European studies, or in
European studies combined with another approved discipline.
The centre offers a Diploma in European Studies and Graduate Diploma in
European Studies. At the graduate level, students may be supervised for the
degrees of MA or PhD by research in European studies.
It is recommended that students study a European language parallel to their
work in European studies. The following modern European languages are offered
by the School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics: French, German, Italian,
Spanish, Polish and Ukrainian. All may be studied from the post-VCE or the
beginners level, with the exception of Polish, which is available at post-VCE
level only.
Special pathways through the major in European studies are available, with
permission from the centre, to students wishing to specialise in Polish
studies, Russian studies or Ukrainian studies.
Students are encouraged to seek advice on their course and may make an
appointment with the director of the centre, Associate Professor Marko Pavlyshyn.
Monash units taught at the Monash University centres in Prato in Italy and in London may be counted for the European studies major, as well as the Diploma in European Studies or Graduate Diploma in European Studies with the centre's permission.
The School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics has contacts with many universities in Europe where Monash students study for credit. Grants for study in Europe are available through Monash Abroad. Students intending to undertake some study in Europe should consult with the centre.
The French studies program is designed to enable students to develop a high level of communicative competence in the French language (including translation skills and specialised registers such as business French), and a critical awareness of fundamental areas of French studies: literature, film, cultural studies and linguistics. Students will develop writing and research skills appropriate to advanced independent study.
The French studies program has four entry points through four first-year sequences, each comprising a first and second-semester unit (see the back section of this handbook for the full description of units). These entry points correspond to four levels of proficiency in the French language, ranging from absolute beginners to advanced proficiency. Students who have completed VCE French with a score above 30 or an equivalent qualification will normally enrol in Language level III: French studies 5 and 6. To ensure that students are placed in the most appropriate level in the light of their individual profile and the best outcome they can expect to achieve, students will undertake placement testing and, where applicable, provide a copy for their VCE results before the start of semester.
Students normally progress in second and third years through sequential language levels and complete option units in fundamental areas of French studies for the major in French studies. For details, students should refer to the `Areas of study' section on the faculty website at http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/current/coursework/study-areas/.
All students have the opportunity to participate in the Language Study Abroad Program in France or the francophone world. The French studies program has exchange agreements with the universities of Clermont-Ferrand II, Lyon III and Paris III for semester-length study abroad. It also organises the New Caledonia Study Abroad Program in the summer semester and provides for other summer-semester forms of study abroad. Grants for study abroad are available through Monash Abroad, to whom applications should be addressed.
Programs in German studies are designed both for students wishing to specialise in German studies (language, linguistics, literature and their relation to culture and society), and for those requiring a broad education in the humanities and social sciences. The level-one units offer a general introduction to German language and culture. Practical language study and fundamental training in German culture and history is an integral part of the core units at every year level. Optional units, offered at second and third-year levels, offer opportunities for diversification and specialisation in the fields of German literature and culture, media studies, German linguistics and vocational German. These options are offered from level two onwards.
The core units are organised in streams, catering for different stages of
language proficiency. German can be studied from an absolute beginners stage up
to a stage of near-native language proficiency. Depending on the units taken at
level one, the sequences may lead either to an introductory minor or
major or to an advanced minor or major.
Students may also undertake further studies at honours level in German
linguistics and cultural studies. Students should contact the program director
for further advice.
All students have the opportunity to participate in the Language
Study Abroad Program in Germany, Austria or Switzerland. The German studies
program has links with more than a dozen universities in German-speaking
countries. Grants for study abroad are available through Monash Abroad, to whom
applications should be addressed. There are also a number of German government
scholarship schemes.
For more detailed information, contact Dr Axel Fliethmann, German studies
(building 11, room W315, email axel.fliethmann@arts.monash.edu.au).
The aim of language courses is to facilitate students' progress toward a high level of proficiency in the skills of written and oral comprehension, speaking and writing, on the basis of a good knowledge of the grammar of correct, standard Indonesian as well as an understanding of the social and cultural context of language-use. Students are encouraged to take available studies units and/or Javanese as options in order to complete their major. There are three streams in Indonesian language: (a) beginners, for those who have no previous knowledge of Indonesian; (b) intermediate, for those who have completed the second language stream of VCE Indonesian or its equivalent; and (c) advanced, for those with first language stream VCE Indonesian or other comparable background.
Note that the school reserves the right to place a student in the appropriate stream and that speakers of Malay are considered as being of comparable status to background speakers of Indonesian.
Students who wish to fast-track their language major in Indonesian and gain valuable, in-country experience may make use of the facility to take any one level (two six-point units) at Gadjah Mada University, in Yogyakarta, in intensive mode. Such courses take approximately six weeks and are held during the summer. These courses are only available on a fee-paying basis.
All Indonesian language students are encouraged to enrol in Indonesian studies or Asian studies units. These units have no Indonesian language prerequisites. Indonesian and Asian studies units are taught in the school as well as in other schools of the Faculty of Arts and the Faculty of Business and Economics. Units can be taken as part of the Indonesian language major, or as a separate major or minor in Asian studies.
The Italian studies program aims to assist students as they gradually develop their linguistic competence, both passive (understanding and reading) and active (speaking and writing). It also helps students to expand their knowledge of important areas of Italian culture: history, society, language, literature, film and theatre. There are four levels of language study: each level has a cultural component as well as a language component. Italian has three entry points, all of which lead to either a minor or a major sequence. Students who complete a major sequence with good results may undertake honours at fourth-year level.
Grants are available to second and third-year students who intend to study in Italy. Students have the possibility of attending intensive six-point units at first and second-year level at the Monash Centre in Prato. Eight-week courses (in consultation with the Italian Studies Program) are also available at the Universita' per Stranieri in Perugia, near Florence. Honours students are strongly encouraged to study for one semester in an Italian university (preferably Florence University) as part of their honours degree. They can apply for a Monash Abroad grant.
The Japanese studies program offers units in Japanese language and Japanese studies. A major and minor is available in both of these areas of study.
The program currently provides instruction in the Japanese language at six
levels, from beginners to advanced, catering for students ranging from
beginners to semi-native speakers. Students will be placed in classes
appropriate to their ability, which will vary according to their previous study
(at school and at other institutions) and their experience in Japan.
Once students' starting points are determined, they will progress through the
core language units sequence. For details, students should refer to the `Areas
of study' section on the faculty website at
http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/current/coursework/study-areas/. Within
the Japanese major, students can also take additional elective units in
language or in Japanese studies. Higher-level language study is available
through the honours and postgraduate programs.
Japanese is offered at the Clayton campus. Students attend weekly lectures and
tutorials, and learn through interacting with teachers and Japanese people in
and out of the classroom and through the use of information technology.
The Japanese program has been active in developing exchanges and there are now agreements with 12 Japanese institutions. While each exchange has its own features, collectively they provide a wide range of opportunities for students to study in Japan. The credit arrangements vary and need to be clearly verified with the Japanese exchange program coordinator before a student can be assured of receiving credit. The units JPL2991/JPL3991/JPL3992 (Language study in Japan) and JPS2991/JPS3991/JPS3992 (Japanese studies in Japan) can be taken in Japan as a substitute for core courses in the Japanese language or in Japanese studies. The first semester of the honours year can also be spent in Japan. Students wishing to study in Japan are encouraged to take both Japanese language and Japanese studies units at the first-year level. A range of scholarships is available from the university and from the Japanese Government. For further information, students should consult the exchange program coordinator within the Japanese program.
The Japanese program currently runs a unique 10-week, fee-paying, in-country language study program with Ishikawa Prefecture. Students can complete two semesters of study (12 points) on an intensive basis. Students are eligible to apply for Monash International Study Abroad Grants. The program allows students to understand more about Japanese culture and society, as well as language. Students should consult the Japanese program for further information. The following level C Japanese language units can be taken as part of this program: JPL1370 Japanese 1C: part 1 (Kanazawa), JPL1380 Japanese 1C: part 2 (Kanazawa), JPL2370 Japanese 2C: part 1 (Kanazawa), JPL2380 Japanese 2C: part 2 (Kanazawa), JPL3370 Japanese 3C: part 1 (Kanazawa), JPL3380 Japanese 3C: part 2 (Kanazawa).
Japanese studies units are taught in English and most require no language prerequisites (with the exception of units in the linguistics stream). They are open to all students and may be taken as part of a major or minor in Japanese language or studies, as part of a major in Asian studies, or on their own.
Two units form the first-year sequence in Japanese studies: ASN1010 (Asian civilisations: cycle of empires) and JPS1090 (Understanding contemporary Japan). Together, these units provide a broad introduction to a number of aspects of Japanese culture and society, and the broader Asian context. After the first-year sequence, a variety of units are available in society, culture, and linguistics and communication.
The Korean studies program is designed for students who wish to acquire Korean language skills and understand Korean culture and society. The units offered are useful to students who aspire to a professional career in business or government, communication, education and other fields.
Korean language teaching incorporates interactive and online resources to
enhance learning and bring Korean culture to the classroom. Introducing Hangul,
a phonetic writing system, enables students to type in Korean from the beginner
level. Higher-level students are strongly encouraged to engage in online
discussion in Korean.
Korean language can be studied from the beginner level to the advanced level.
Focus is on the use of Korean in various genre areas such as business,
journalism, science, law, tourism. Socio-cultural aspects in these areas are
also explored.
Students may complete a major sequence and honours in Korean studies at the
Clayton campus. Students may also complete a minor sequence in Korean studies
combining units offered by the School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics
with units offered by other schools. Combined honours may be taken in the
School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics and another discipline.
There are two entry points in Korean language: (a) for those who have no
previous knowledge of Korean, and (b) for those who have completed VCE Korean
or its equivalent. Placement tests are required for those students who intend
to enrol in the higher level. The Korean language program will conduct the test.
All students are strongly encouraged to participate in the Language Study Abroad Program in Korea. The Korean studies program has exchange agreements with four prominent universities (Korea University, Pukyong National University, Pusan National University and Yonsei University) in Korea. Grants for study are available through Monash Abroad, to whom applications should be addressed. Third and fourth-year students may also apply for a Korean Government scholarship. Contact the program as early as possible for further details on study abroad possibilities.
All Korean language students are encouraged to enrol in Korean studies or Asian studies units. These units have no Korean language prerequisites. Korean and Asian studies units are taught in the school as well as in other schools of the Faculty of Arts and the Faculty of Business and Economics. Units can be taken as part of the Korean language major, or of a separate major or minor in Asian studies.
Linguistics is the study of the structure and function of language and the uses of language in communication including written, spoken and `cyber' contexts. Linguistics explores how languages differ, what they all share, and provides the techniques and principles to be adopted in the analysis and description of any given language. In addition, the linguistic study of language and language use in socio-cultural contexts contributes to our understanding of identities, social and cultural organisation, multiculturalism and multilingualism, institutions and power, as well as the creative functions of language in texts and discourses. Knowledge of linguistics is central to the study of languages (eg English, Australian Aboriginal languages, Chinese, French, German, Greek, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Spanish). Linguistics also offers students of anthropology, mathematics, philosophy, sociology, engineering, psychology, law, and computer science, useful insights into the nature of language in their particular area of interest. Examples of the practical applications of linguistics include communications within organisations, communications interfaces with electronic systems, the preparation of materials for language teaching, the documentation of endangered languages, the development of language policies in government and in education, and in the areas of business, professional and technical communication, tourism and intercultural communication and speech therapy.
The first year provides students with an introduction to the nature of
language, including the manner in which sounds are produced and represented
(phonetics), the organisation and relationship of sounds in language
(phonology), the forms and structures of words (morphology), the organisation
of words in sentences (syntax), the analysis of meaning (semantics and
pragmatics), language change (historical linguistics) and language variation
and the uses of language in social contexts (sociolinguistics).
In the second and third years, the areas of syntax, semantics, pragmatics,
phonetics, phonology, and sociolinguistics are developed on a general and
comparative basis and there are also units exploring varieties of English,
historical and comparative linguistics, Aboriginal languages, discourse
analysis, applied linguistics, psycholinguistics, first and second language
acquisition, language and gender, intercultural communication, multiliteracies
in English and the structure of English.
Linguistics also offers a fourth-year honours program which combines coursework
and a 24-point research thesis as the foundation for postgraduate research
degrees.
Several linguistics units are offered by off-campus learning or by a combination of online resources and face-to-face teaching contact. These units are usually available in the same semester as the on-campus delivery of the unit. The access to online resources and off-campus learning allows for flexibility and face-to-face class commitments are kept to a minimum. Alternative arrangements include the use of the Monash Portal and electronic group discussion programs. In addition to the online or print resources, students can access tutorial support by telephone, fax and email. These basic resources are supplemented by optional one-day workshops, usually held on a Saturday. The intention is that the flexible learning program should make linguistics units available to students whose work or other commitments make it difficult for them to attend regular classes on campus. The following units can be undertaken on-campus, or through flexible mode using online resources: LIN1010 (The language game: why do we talk the way we do?), LIN1020 (Describing and analysing language and communication), LIN2/3310 (Semantics: meaning in human languages), LIN2/3330 (Pragmatics strategies for communication), LIN2/3570 (The analysis of discourse: texts, narrative and society).
For more details on flexible learning units, contact the linguistics program or visit the website at http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/ling/.
Polish is offered as an advanced program to students who have passed VCE Polish or can demonstrate an equivalent level of competence. Students may take two years of Polish to construct a minor in Polish studies. With permission from the Centre for European Studies, students with a minor in Polish studies may complete a major in European studies. Units in Polish studies introduce students to modern Polish literature and culture and the political and economic life of Poland today while developing their competence in the written and spoken language.
The minor in Russian studies comprises units on Russian, Soviet and post-Soviet literature, culture, society and cinema. Texts are studied in English. Pathways through the major in European studies are available with permission from the Centre for European Studies.
Ukrainian is offered in a beginners and advanced stream. Both can be taken for one, two or three years. Students may achieve a minor or major in Ukrainian studies. Both streams feature composite units, which aim not only to develop students' competence in the written and spoken language, but also to introduce them to modern Ukrainian literature and culture and the political life of the Ukraine today. Pathways through the major in European studies are available with permission from the Centre for European Studies. Honours and postgraduate study are available.
Programs in Hispanic studies are suitable for students wishing to specialise in the discipline, and for those requiring a broad education in the humanities. Language study is a compulsory part of Spanish/Hispanic studies and is designed to enable students to develop a high level of communicative competence (including specialised registers and translation skills). Optional units, covering Spain and Spanish America, are introduced from the second year, and aim to develop a critical awareness of fundamental areas of Hispanic studies: linguistics, literature, cultural theory and civilisation. All programs develop writing and research skills appropriate to advanced independent study.
Students are strongly encouraged to participate in the Language Study Abroad Program in Spain or Hispano America. The Hispanic Studies Program has exchange agreements with three outstanding universities (Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain and Tec de Monterrey, Mexico. Students should contact the program as early as possible for further details on the units they may take abroad.
For details of the following courses, see `Outline of undergraduate studies' earlier in this section.
Previous page | Next page | Section contents | Title and contents