Credit Points 10

Legacy Code 101945

Coordinator Xiangdong Liu Opens in new window

Description Language is an integral component of human experience. This subject is designed to raise students' awareness of the nature, structures and functions of language and language use. Students will gain the conceptual tools to do basic analysis of language at the levels of phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics and pragmatics. By providing a basic understanding and appreciation of language from different perspectives, the subject establishes points of contact between language, the humanities, and beyond.

School Humanities & Comm Arts

Discipline Linguistics

Student Contribution Band HECS Band 1 10cp

Check your HECS Band contribution amount via the Fees page.

Level Undergraduate Level 1 subject

Equivalent Subjects LANG 2032 - Linguistics

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:

1. explain what language is and how it is used
2. analyse grammatical aspects of language;
3. demonstrate basic knowledge about language acquisition and processing;
4. describe and explain how languages differ and change over time;
5. apply fundamental concepts and appropriate theoretical knowledge to analyse data and the selected problem set.

Subject Content

- Introduction to language and linguistics: Rationale for studying linguistics; sub-disciplines of linguistics, other linguistics-related disciplines and their objectives;
- Grammatical aspects of language: phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics and pragmatics: the meanings of language;
- language and mind: language acquisition and processing.
- language and society: language in use and language change.
- language change over time