The Secret Life of Language

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2015:

On campus

Total of 170 hours

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For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Objectives, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and the Disability Liaison Unit: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

Have you ever wondered how language actually works? Or how it can be that a 6 year-old child can know more about their native language than the most sophisticated computers? This subject is a practical introduction to the nature of human language which gives a conceptual framework for discussing language and provides the tools required to analyse and describe all of the world's 6000+ languages. Central areas of linguistics will be covered using data from languages from all over the world, including speech sounds, word structure, sentence structure, meaning, language learning, and language change.

Students who complete this subject will:

• Explore the general nature of human language
• Learn how language can be described and analysed
• Gain a conceptual framework for thinking about and discussing language.
• Develop simple analytic skills as applied to language
• Attain a broad overview of academic approaches to the analysis of language
• Develop foundational discipline-specific research skills in analysing and describing languages from around the world
• Become acquainted with the use of learning and research technologies (LMS, library) to solve linguistic tasks
• Engage in pedagogically led interactions in the classroom around problems and tasks in Linguistics
• Develop an understanding of linguistic, social and cultural diversity in the university and wider community

• 3 problem-solving assignments (equivalent to 2000 words total) distrubuted throughout the semester [50%]
• 2-hour exam (equivalent to 2000 words) during the examination period [50%]

This subject has the following hurdle requirements:

• Regular participation in tutorials is required with a minimum of 75% attendance.
• All pieces of written work must be submitted to pass this subject.

Assessment submitted late without an approved extension will be penalised at 10% per day and in-class tasks missed without approval will not be marked.

• An Introduction to Language (Australian edition) (Fromkin et al (eds)) Latest edition

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This subject potentially can be taken as a breadth subject component for the following courses:

• Bachelor of Biomedicine
• Bachelor of Commerce
• Bachelor of Environments
• Bachelor of Music
• Bachelor of Science
• Bachelor of Engineering

You should visit learn more about breadth subjects and read the breadth requirements for your degree, and should discuss your choice with your student adviser, before deciding on your subjects.

• be able to communicate knowledge intelligibly and economically.
• develop skill in critical thinking and analysis.
• gain skill in observation and attention to detail.
• develop skill in thinking in theoretical terms.

Formerly available as 175-105. Students who have completed 175-105 are not eligible to enrol in this subject.