Monash University Education Handbook, 1997

GED3804

Education and the nature of language

Not offered in 1997

Lecturer-in-charge to be advised

12 points
* 3 hours per week
* First semester
* Clayton

Objectives Upon successful completion of this subject, students should be able to engage with various aspects of language in education, such as language, literacy and comprehension, language across the curriculum and schemes such as `Languages for Life'; understand the idea of intercultural understanding and the importance of `linguistic awareness' and `communicative competence' as keys to the notions of educability and community as preconditions for the development of individuality and identity in the Australian setting.

Synopsis This subject will introduce students to some of the principal topics, issues and problems that inform current philosophical approaches to the study of language. Such topics include a consideration of some theories about the origins of language (such as those of Chomsky and Sapir and Whorf); the relationship of language to thought, as well as language and `reality'; the idea of linguistic behaviour; theories of linguistic meaning and of `truth'; of reference, predication and synonymy; the relationship of utterance to speaker's intentions and linguistic context; language, mind and identity; speech acts, categoreal frameworks and the idea of intelligibility; language, translation and culture; aspects of language in education, such as language, literacy and comprehension; language across the curriculum; and `language for life'. Particular attention will be given to the idea of intercultural understanding and the importance of `linguistic awareness' and `communicative competence' as keys to the notions of educability and community as preconditions for the development of individuality and personal identity.

Assessment Essay (6000 words): 100%

Recommended texts

Cooper D E Philosophy and the nature of language Longman, 1978

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