APG5046 - General linguistics - 2019

Language is infinitely creative, yet governed by a set of rules that speakers learn consciously and subconsciously. This unit focuses on making our implicit knowledge about language more explicit. It does this through the two-pronged approach of introducing terminology and notation systems for talking about language structures, and applying this knowledge to real-world language problems. Through a focus on phonetics and phonology (the sounds of speech) and morpho-syntax ('grammar') the unit gives students deeper insight into the workings of English, while also introducing data from a range of other languages for the purposes of comparison. Students also reflect on how utterances are given meaning (semantics and pragmatics) and the importance of contextual factors in determining whether an utterance is grammatically correct or appropriate.

Upon successful completion of the unit, students should be able to:

1. describe the fundamental concepts and tools of analysis used in linguistics and applied linguistics;
2. utilise linguistic analysis techniques to interpret a range of data sets;
3. explain and appropriately use discipline-specific technical terms and notation conventions introduced in the unit;
4. apply linguistic insights to everyday experience.

Within semester assessment: 100%

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 288 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. A unit requires on average three/four hours of scheduled activities per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.

See also Unit timetable information

Applied linguistics