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Module

SEL1008 : The Nature of Language

  • Offered for Year: 2020/21
  • Module Leader(s): Dr Joel Wallenberg
  • Owning School: English Lit, Language & Linguistics
  • Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Semester 1 Credit Value: 20
ECTS Credits: 10.0

Aims

1. Investigate the nature of language
2. Come to an understanding of the various areas within the field of linguistics
3. Learn how the study of linguistics relates to other sciences, particularly neuroscience, evolutionary biology, and computation

Outline Of Syllabus

Topics will be drawn from the following:
1. How to think about language scientifically
2. Computation, mind, and language
3. Thinking about Language : Chomsky
4. Acquisition and Evidence
5. Writing a Language/Linguistics Essay
6. Language Change
7. Language and Populations (Creoles and Viruses)
8. Sociolinguistics, Variation and Memory
9. Animal Communication
10. Meaning and Communication
11. What it's all for: language in broader scientific perspective

Seminars will involve group discussion of issues raised in lectures, and there will be occasional additional sessions with the whole class to catch up on questions raised in the seminars and standard lectures.

Teaching Methods

Please note that module leaders are reviewing the module teaching and assessment methods for Semester 2 modules, in light of the Covid-19 restrictions. There may also be a few further changes to Semester 1 modules. Final information will be available by the end of August 2020 in for Semester 1 modules and the end of October 2020 for Semester 2 modules.

Teaching Activities
Category Activity Number Length Student Hours Comment
Structured Guided LearningLecture materials112:0022:00N/A
Guided Independent StudyAssessment preparation and completion151:3051:30N/A
Guided Independent StudyReflective learning activity284:00112:00N/A
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesDrop-in/surgery12:002:00N/A
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesDrop-in/surgery11:301:30Essay preparation
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesScheduled on-line contact time111:0011:00N/A
Total200:00
Teaching Rationale And Relationship

1. Lectures introduce students to knowledge outcomes.
2. Seminars develop these skills of analysis in greater depth.
3. Private study is an important part of the programme, requiring close reading of the materials both in advance of lectures and as a follow up to them.
4. Students will be an assignment intended to probe and expand the students' understanding of the concepts covered in lectures.
5. The written assignments are intended to teach scientific writing, progressively working up to longer and more complex pieces of writing throughout the semester.

Assessment Methods

Please note that module leaders are reviewing the module teaching and assessment methods for Semester 2 modules, in light of the Covid-19 restrictions. There may also be a few further changes to Semester 1 modules. Final information will be available by the end of August 2020 in for Semester 1 modules and the end of October 2020 for Semester 2 modules.

The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners

Other Assessment
Description Semester When Set Percentage Comment
Design/Creative proj1M40Students will formulate a hypothesis and create an experimental design that could test it.
Essay1A602000 words. Final essay assessed both for structure and content.
Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The creative exercise motivates students to think in terms of the scientific method, i.e. forming a hypothesis and designing an experiment to test it. The essay teaches how longer scientific essays are structured, and encourage students to creatively engage with the module material. Assessment by essay allows students to develop formal argumentation and presentation skills relative to the topics covered in the module. We will also be available for consultation and the discussion of essay outlines prior to the due date.

Reading Lists

Timetable