Course Details in 2023/24 Session

Module Title	LC Introduction to Linguistics A: Science of Language
School	Lan, Cult, Art Hist & Music
Department	Modern Languages
Module Code	09 37020
Module Lead	Alice Corr
Level	Certificate Level
Credits	10
Semester	Semester 1
Pre-requisites
Co-requisites	LC Introduction to Linguistics B: language change and variation - (09 37021)
Restrictions	None
Contact Hours	Lecture-5 hours Seminar-10 hours Guided independent study-85 hours Total: 100 hours
Exclusions
Description	What is a language and where do languages come from? What differentiates human communication systems from dolphin, parrot or even bee communication? How do babies acquire language, and why is it so much more difficult for adults to learn another language? What happens to children if they are raised by animals, or in captivity, isolated from the rest of human society? What is going on the brain of bilinguals, and what happens if they have a stroke and lose their speech? This module will focus on debating and answering questions like these by adopting a scientific approach to the study of the human language ability and human languages themselves. Through studying language acquisition, change, animal communication and the human mind/brain, students will encounter linguistic facts which challenge our common perceptions of ‘language’ and ‘languages’. Armed with this new knowledge and the methodologies of linguistics, students will use the scientific method to explore how language manifests itself in our everyday experiences. By the end of the module, students will be able to articulate the significance of the languages they know, as well as those they do not, for our understanding of the human mind, human interaction, and our linguistic past and future.
Learning Outcomes	By the end of the module students should be able to: identify the key characteristics of the human language ability, as distinct from other (animal) communication systems; show comprehension of the ways in which language(s) can vary; identify and analyse misconceptions regarding language (‘language myths’), using an evidence-based (‘STEM’ skills) approach; discuss in writing the different ways in which language manifests itself in different aspects of human experience.
Assessment	37020-01 : Portfolio of evidence in English, 2000 word equivalent : Coursework (100%)
Assessment Methods & Exceptions	Assessment: 1 x portfolio of evidence in English, 2000 word equivalent (100%). Reassessment: Resubmission of failed element(s) in the Supplementary session
Other
Reading List