SEL1008 : The Nature of Language
- Offered for Year: 2023/24
- Module Leader(s): Dr Rebecca Woods
- Lecturer: Dr Emma Nguyen
- Owning School: English Lit, Language & Linguistics
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
| Semester 1 Credit Value: | 20 |
| ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
Aims
Language is a fundamentally human behaviour that shares some features with communication systems in other animals. Practically all humans learn one or more languages and use them in their daily activities, in interaction and in thought. As language users we can speculate about the nature of language based on our own experiences, but experiences alone cannot lead us to insights into how language evolved, how we acquire it so quickly as young children, how it varies across communities and how that variation is constrained.
In this module you are introduced to a range of topics and open questions concerning language as part of human cognition. You are also introduced to a range of methods that can be used to interrogate these questions that complement human experience with scientific reasoning. You will also discover how topics in linguistics interface and interact with other disciplines of study such as psychology and computer science.
Moreover, this module inducts you into university-level study by foregrounding the academic skills and processes that underpin rigorous study at all levels and encouraging ongoing reflection on your own learning trajectory and skills/knowledge development.
Outline Of Syllabus
This module will cover topics including, but not limited to, the following:
- Child language acquisition (monolingual and bilingual)
- Adult second (and subsequent) language acquisition
- Language evolution
- Linguistic relativity and linguistic determinism
- Psycholinguistics (speech errors, mental representations and interaction with other cognitive processes)
- Language as a computational system
The module will also introduce a range of methods of conducting linguistic research, which may include, but are not limited to:
- Comparative approaches
- Fieldwork
- Corpus building/searching
- Behavioural experimental methods
- Ethnography
Finally, the module will guide you in accessing and familiarising yourself with:
- Canvas (the university VLE)
- The university library and academic skills support
- Academic and pastoral support within your home School
- Office360 (including the university cloud storage)
- University norms and culture
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 55:00 | 55:00 | N/A |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 11 | 2:00 | 22:00 | N/A |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 11 | 1:00 | 11:00 | N/A |
| Guided Independent Study | Reflective learning activity | 28 | 4:00 | 112:00 | N/A |
| Total | 200:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
Lectures are used, primarily, to impart subject content and provide a continuous point of contact between the module teaching team and all students throughout the module. Lectures focus on growing students’ knowledge base in linguistics and introducing students to new methods and approaches to language study.
Small-group teaching sessions, also known as seminars, are used to consolidate students’ understanding of the lecture and reading materials and to develop students’ skills in making sense of linguistic data, understanding academic writing and framing language investigations.
Guided independent study is used for the preparation of seminar exercises as well as for the preparation and completion of assignments.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Design/Creative proj | 1 | M | 40 | Anything but an Essay: Students will report on and review a linguistic study in a format of their choice (anything but an essay). 1000 words or equivalent. |
| Portfolio | 1 | A | 60 | A collection of participation, engagement and reflection activities completed throughout the semester. |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The Anything but an Essay evaluates Knowledge Outcomes 1-3 and Skills Outcomes 1-3. It permits students to demonstrate their developing understanding of how linguistic research is conducted and to present a detailed, specific critique of work that is new to them. However, it achieves these aims without requiring them to draw on academic writing skills that are not taught or developed on this module.
The Portfolio evaluates Knowledge Outcomes 4-5 and Skills Outcomes 1-5. Throughout the semester, students will complete self-reflective questionnaires on what they have learned and how, including uploading evidence of trying new activities and engaging with academic support. It is not expected that all students will evidence the same activities and/or types of engagement as they will evidence that which has been of most impact/benefit/use to them as an individual.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- SEL1008's Timetable