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Course specification
The current and official versions of the course specifications are available on the web at .
Please consult the web for updates that may occur during the year.

LIN5000 The Nature of Language

Semester 2, 2020 Online
Short Description: The Nature of Language
Units : 1
Faculty or Section : Faculty of Business, Education, Law and Arts
School or Department : School of Education
Student contribution band : National Priority - Teaching
ASCED code : 070115 - English as a SecLangTeach
Grading basis : Graded

Staffing

Examiner:

Rationale

To be able to teach languages, instructors need to understand:

  1. the main characteristics of syntax, phonology and other facets of language
  2. the systems which underlie each of these facets
  3. the relationship between each facet and the social and cultural context in which it is embedded.

Synopsis

Students will be introduced to the main characteristics of syntax, phonology and other facets of language, the systems which underlie each of these facets, and the relationship between each one and the social and cultural context in which it is embedded.

Objectives

The course objectives define the student learning outcomes for a course. The assessment item(s) that may be used to assess student achievement of an objective are shown in parenthesis. On successful completion of this course students should be able to:

  1. show an understanding of the main characteristics of syntax, phonology and other facets of language (Assignment 1, Assignment 2, Assignment 3, Assignment 4);
  2. show an understanding of the systems which underlie each of these facets (Assignment 1, Assignment 2, Assignment 3, Assignment 4);
  3. show an understanding of the relationship between each one and the social and cultural context in which it is embedded (Assignment 1, Assignment 2, Assignment 3, Assignment 4);
  4. develop their competence in scholarly writing, including the use of correct spelling, grammar, punctuation and bibliographic referencing conventions (Assignment 1, Assignment 3, Assignment 4).

Topics

Description Weighting(%)
1. What is language? 5.00
2. Brain and language 5.00
3. Morphology: the words of language 12.50
4. Syntax: the sentence patterns of language 12.50
5. The meanings of language 10.00
6. Phonetics: the sounds of language 10.00
7. Phonology: the sound patterns of language 12.50
8. Language acquisition 10.00
9. Language in society 12.50
10. Functional grammar 10.00

Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed

ALL textbooks and materials available to be purchased can be sourced from (unless otherwise stated). (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/textbooks/?year=2020&sem=02&subject1=LIN5000)

Please for alternative purchase options from USQ Bookshop. (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/info/contact/)

Fromkin, V, Rodman, R, Hyams, N, Amberber, M, Cox, F & Thornton, R 2017, An introduction to language: Australia and New Zealand Edition, 9th edn, Cengage, Melbourne.

Reference materials

Reference materials are materials that, if accessed by students, may improve their knowledge and understanding of the material in the course and enrich their learning experience.
Yule, G 2017, The study of language, 6th edn, Cambridge 精东传媒app Press, Cambridge, UK.
Whether you are on, or off campus, the USQ Library is an excellent source of information .

Student workload expectations

Activity Hours
Directed 精东传媒app 80.00
Independent 精东传媒app 85.00

Assessment details

Description Marks out of Wtg (%) Due Date Notes
ASSIGNMENT 1 20 20 12 Aug 2020
ASSIGNMENT 2 20 20 09 Sep 2020
ASSIGNMENT 3 20 20 07 Oct 2020
ASSIGNMENT 4 40 40 21 Oct 2020

Important assessment information

  1. Attendance requirements:
    It is the students鈥� responsibility to attend and participate appropriately in all activities scheduled for them, and to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration.

  2. Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
    To satisfactorily complete an individual assessment item a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks. (Depending upon the requirements in Statement 4 below, students may not have to satisfactorily complete each assessment item to receive a passing grade in this course.)

  3. Penalties for late submission of required work:
    Students should refer to the Assessment Procedure (point 4.2.4)

  4. Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
    To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course.

  5. Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
    The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the aggregate of the weighted marks obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course.

  6. Examination information:
    There is no examination in this course.

  7. Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
    Not applicable.

  8. 精东传媒app Student Policies:
    Students should read the USQ policies: Definitions, Assessment and Student Academic Misconduct to avoid actions which might contravene 精东传媒app policies and practices. These policies can be found at .

Assessment notes

  1. APA style is the referencing system required in this course. Students should use APA style in their assignments to format details of the information sources they have cited in their work. The APA style to be used is defined by the USQ Library's referencing guide at .

Other requirements

  1. Students will require access to e-mail and reliable Internet access to UConnect for this course.

Date printed 6 November 2020