Students

LING1121 – Language Myths and Realities

2022 – Session 1, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

Download as PDF
Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Joe Blythe
joe.blythe@mq.edu.au
Adam Smith
adam.smith@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
This unit explores some common misunderstandings about language, and introduces students to a range of linguistic topics such as historical linguistics, language evolution, writing systems, and gesture. The unit showcases what linguists do outside of academia and provides practice in analysing real linguistic data.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Compare societal perspectives about language with findings from current linguistic research.
  • ULO2: Demonstrate some basic theoretical and technical knowledge about some sub-disciplines of linguistics.
  • ULO3: Demonstrate an understanding of how language data is collected for the purpose of linguistic research.
  • ULO4: Apply basic theoretical and technical linguistic knowledge to the analysis of language data.
  • ULO5: Critically discuss a myth about language in light of linguistic realities using standard written English discourse.

General Assessment Information

All requests for special consideration, including extensions, must be submitted via ASK.mq.edu.a u and provide suitable supporting documentation.

 

Late Assignment Submission

  • Late submissions without an extension will receive a penalty of 3% of the total mark available for the assessment task per day including weekend days (i.e. this is 3% of the total marks possible for the task – NOT 3% of the marks the student received. For example, if the assessment task is worth 100 marks and the student is two days late their mark for the task is reduced by 6 marks.)

  • Late submission of an assessment task without an extension will not be accepted at all after the date on which marked assessment tasks have been released to the rest of the class. Any student with unsubmitted work at this date will receive a mark of 0 for the assessment task.

  • Extensions will only be given in special circumstances, and can be requested by completing the Special Consideration request at ask.mq.edu.au and providing the requisite supporting documentation.

  • Extensions that will result in submissions after the assessment task has been returned to the class will require a separate assessment task to be completed at the unit convenor's discretion.

  • For more information on Special Consideration, see the university website https://student s.mq.edu.au/study/my-study-program/special-consideration\

  • If a student fails the unit due to non-submission of an assignment or non-attendance at an exam, an FA grade will be applied in accordance with the University's Assessment Policy.

  • Unit convenors have the discretion to determine whether or not students should fail a unit on the basis of lateness penalties alone if other learning outcomes of the unit have been met.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Etymology and Meaning 20% No Week 3
Writing Systems Quiz 10% No Week 7
Language data analysis 20% No Week 10
Major Essay 50% No Week 13

Etymology and Meaning

Assessment Type 1: Problem set
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: Week 3
Weighting: 20%

 

You will be provided with a set of words. These will form the basis of two tasks. The first involves finding the oldest and newest definitions of the word, according to the OED. The second task involves searching online for examples of the words in context. One of the words that has been investigated will then be the subject of a discussion of how its meaning has changed over time and what factors might account for this change.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Compare societal perspectives about language with findings from current linguistic research.
  • Demonstrate some basic theoretical and technical knowledge about some sub-disciplines of linguistics.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of how language data is collected for the purpose of linguistic research.
  • Apply basic theoretical and technical linguistic knowledge to the analysis of language data.

Writing Systems Quiz

Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: Week 7
Weighting: 10%

 

You will complete an online quiz which focuses on topics covered in the unit about writing systems. This will involve deciphering ancient scripts and identifying types of writing system, as well as demonstrating an understanding of key terms.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate some basic theoretical and technical knowledge about some sub-disciplines of linguistics.
  • Apply basic theoretical and technical linguistic knowledge to the analysis of language data.

Language data analysis

Assessment Type 1: Problem set
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: Week 10
Weighting: 20%

 

You will be required to collect or collate data relating to a particular area of linguistics that has been discussed in the unit. You will use this data to analyse the validity of a hypothesis about language use.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate some basic theoretical and technical knowledge about some sub-disciplines of linguistics.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of how language data is collected for the purpose of linguistic research.
  • Apply basic theoretical and technical linguistic knowledge to the analysis of language data.

Major Essay

Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: Week 13
Weighting: 50%

 

This is the main piece of assessment for the unit. You will be provided with a list of essay questions on iLearn, which relate to content across the unit, and you will choose one of these for your essay, which should be of no more than 1500 words, and must appropriately use academic sources to support your argument.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Compare societal perspectives about language with findings from current linguistic research.
  • Demonstrate some basic theoretical and technical knowledge about some sub-disciplines of linguistics.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of how language data is collected for the purpose of linguistic research.
  • Critically discuss a myth about language in light of linguistic realities using standard written English discourse.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

This unit is taught through 2 x 1 hour lectures each week and 1 x 1 hour tutorial.

All lectures will be delivered online, either live or pre-recorded, and will be available at the times stated in the University timetable. Most tutorials will be on-campus, but a limited number of online tutorials will also be provided.

There is no textbook for this unit. All readings are available through the Leganto reading list, accessible via the iLearn page.

Unit Schedule

A weekly schedule will be available on iLearn. Topics that will be covered include:

  • Etymology and Meaning

  • Historical Linguistics

  • Speech and Articulation

  • Folk-linguistics

  • Constructed Languages

  • Myths and realities about linguistic jobs

  • Language and artificial intelligence

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via AskMQ, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Unit information based on version 2022.03 of the Handbook