Introductory description

This module expands on concepts introduced during ET118: Linguistics: Understanding Language in order to provide core knowledge and skills for students in all fields of language study. It aims to:
-Familiarise students with the phonetic, phonological, morphological, syntactic, and meaning systems of the world’s languages.
-Introduce methodologies from a range of linguistic disciplines to document, study, and analyse language data.
-Engage students in linguistic analysis within a language and cross-linguistically, both synchronically and diachronically.
-Introduce research about and approaches to subfields of linguistics, such as language acquisition and language change.

Module web page

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

Illustrative Weekly Syllabus
Autumn Term –topics include
Comparing and classifying world languages
Morphology
Nouns, pronouns and nominal categories
Verbs, verbal categories and other word classes
Syntax: Coding grammatical relations
Syntax: Alignment and marking
Syntax: Clause types and complex sentences
Morpho-syntactic change

Spring Term
Consonants and vowels
Phonological analysis
Suprasegmental features
Sound change
Perception
Meaning theories and theories of meaning
Reference
Implicature and speech acts
Metaphor

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Upon successful completion of this module, students should understand a number of topics in linguistics. Students should then be able to:• Describe phonetic, phonological, morphological, syntactic, semantic and pragmatic patterns of the languages of the world.• Label phonetic, phonological, morpho-syntactic, and semantic/pragmatic features of languages with disciplinary terminology.• Analyze raw linguistic data to determine features of a language or dialect.• Categorize changes in languages and dialects resulting from language internal and external factors.• Identify physiological structures and psychological factors relevant to language production, perception, and interpretation.• Propose appropriate methodologies to document and study language.• Discuss core theories, findings, and approaches from a range of linguistic disciplines.

Indicative reading list

Brown, P. & Levinson, S. C. 1987. Politeness: Some universals in language usage. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Burridge, K. & Bergs, A. (2016). Understanding language change. Routledge.
Grice, H.P. 1991. Studies in the way of words. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Haspelmath, M., & Sims, A. (2013). Understanding morphology. Routledge.
Kennedy, R. (2017). Phonology: A coursebook. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Labov, W. (1994). Principles of language change, vol. 1, Internal factors. Oxford: Blackwell.
Ladefoged, P. & Disner, S.F. (2012). Vowels and consonants (3rd edn). Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.
Ladefoged, P., & Maddieson, I. (2008). The sounds of the world’s languages (2nd edn). Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.
Lakoff, G. (2002). Moral Politics: How Liberals and Conservatives Think. University of Chicago Press.
Lycan, W.G. (2000). Philosophy of language: A contemporary introduction. London: Routledge.
Payne, T. E. (1997). Describing morphosyntax: A guide for field linguists. Cambridge, U.K: Cambridge University Press.
Tallerman, M. (2014). Understanding syntax. Routledge.
Velupillai, V. (2012). An introduction to linguistic typology. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing.
Whaley, L. J. (1996). Introduction to typology: the unity and diversity of language. London: Sage Publications.

View reading list on Talis Aspire

Research element

-Students complete an independently designed and directed small-scale research project.
-Students work from real-world linguistic datasets compiled from ongoing research.

Interdisciplinary

-Students practice foundational linguistic analysis skills that transfer to branches of psychology, cognitive science, speech pathology, language teaching and learning, literacy studies, and computational language processing and production.

International

-Students engage with datasets drawn from a wide range of languages, increasing cross-linguistic exposure and providing pathways to multilingualism.

Subject specific skills

1. Describe syntactic, morphological, phonological, phonetic, semantic and pragmatic patterns of the languages of the world.

2. Identify physiological structures and psychological factors relevant to language acquisition, production, perception, and interpretation.

Transferable skills

1. Analyse raw linguistic data to determine features of a language or dialect.

2. Categorize changes in languages and dialects resulting from language internal and external factors.

3. Write research-based work in a clear, informative, and structured way.

4. Communicate clearly in oral presentation and academic discussion.

5. Propose appropriate methodologies to document and study language.

6. Label morpho-syntactic, phonetic, phonological, and semantic/pragmatic features of languages with disciplinary terminology.

7. Discuss core theories, findings, and approaches from a range of linguistic disciplines.