Language is an integral part of our daily lives, our culture, and indeed of being human. Linguistics is the study of the structure and function of language, of how languages differ, of what they all share, and of the techniques and principles used when investigating any given language. Knowledge of linguistics is central to the study of languages (eg English, Australian Aboriginal languages, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Russian, Thai, Vietnamese etc.). Linguistics also offers students of anthropology, mathematics, philosophy, sociology, engineering, psychology 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 development of language policies in government and in education, and in the areas of business, professional and technical 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 grammatical forms of words (morphology), the organisation of words in sentences (syntax), the analysis of meaning (semantics), 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 subjects exploring varieties of English, historical and comparative linguistics, Aboriginal languages, discourse analysis, applied linguistics, psycholinguistics, first and second language acquisition, language and the sexes, linguistics for business, language in education and the structure of English.
Through the in-depth study of language, the Department of Linguistics aims to produce students who have acquired a range of cognitive, practical and interpersonal skills and abilities including:
Furthermore, the study of linguistics should provide students with analytical and problem-solving skills that can be transferred to other areas of study and knowledge. These include categorisation, problem identification, the ability to relate theory to practice, making judgement on accuracy, developing arguments to their conclusion, evaluating arguments and knowledge.
Since linguistics is linked closely to several other disciplines (eg sociology, anthropology, philosophy and psychology) students' acquisition of the linguistics knowledge base and methodology is beneficial to an understanding of these disciplines and makes it possible for students to engage in cooperative work with people from those disciplines.
Language being closely linked to culture, the study of linguistics enables students to develop not only knowledge of, but also a critical perspective on, a range of cultures, including Australian cultures.
At first-year undergraduate level (LIN1010 and LIN1020), students are expected to acquire an appreciation of the key areas of linguistics: phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics/communication, sociolinguistics, historical linguistics, psycholinguistics and applied linguistics, and to the methods of analysis relevant to each.
At second/third-year level, students will build on this foundation by specialising in particular areas of linguistics. Students majoring in linguistics are explicitly guided when selecting units. At least one designated core unit from each of three different areas must be included in a major, thus ensuring students acquire breadth as well as depth. In other second/third-year subjects, students can explore a particular theme or set of applications. These subjects serve to (1) consolidate the students' understanding of several different areas within linguistics, (2) help them see unifying threads, and (3) reinforce the relevance of the discipline to their current and future activities.
At fourth-year level, students (1) are responsible for the development and presentation of a research project (thesis) in a particular area of linguistics, (2) explicitly discuss theorising in linguistics, and (3) acquire specialist knowledge and skills to support or complement the above.
A major sequence normally consists of not less than LIN1010 and LIN1020 (first-year linguistics), sixteen points of linguistics at second-year level and twenty-four points of linguistics at third-year level. A minor sequence consists of LIN1010 and LIN1020 and sixteen points of linguistics at second-year level. It is expected that students who major in linguistics will have the experience of learning or acquiring a language other than their first language. This can be achieved by taking LIN2370/LIN3370 (Aboriginal languages of Australia) as part of their major sequence.
It will normally be expected that students majoring in linguistics will have passed at least one of the subjects from each of the following groups:
Students are encouraged to discuss their course structure or any other matter related to their linguistics study with the relevant year coordinator. In 1998 the coordinators will be:
The Linguistics department offers a postgraduate diploma program, an MA in Applied Linguistics, an MA in Linguistics and a PhD program. The department can supervise students in the areas of descriptive linguistics, applied linguistics, Australian Aboriginal languages, bilingualism, first and second language acquisition, discourse analysis, computational linguistics, dialectology, sociolinguistics, pragmatics, forensic linguistics, language and gender, language and race, and educational linguistics. For details of postgraduate courses offered by the department, please refer to the Arts graduate handbook for 1998.
Offered every year.
Coordinators: Dr Heather Bowe and Dr Mark Newbrook (first semester) and Dr Joanne Winter (second semester)
First year normally comprises LIN1010 followed by LIN1020. However a student may start linguistics in second semester by taking LIN1020 followed by LIN1010 the next year.
Coordinators: Dr Peter Paul (first semester) and Dr Edina Eisikovits (second semester)
Coordinators: Dr Peter Paul (first semester) and Dr Edina Eisikovits (second semester)
Coordinators: Dr Peter Paul (first semester) and Dr Heather Bowe (first and second semester)
There are four components in the fourth-year-level honours course. Students will take LIN4660, LIN4680, LIN4720 and LIN4740.