As a student enrolled in this unit, you will engage in a range of online and face-to-face learning activities, including readings, online activities, lectures and tutorials. Details can be found on the iLearn site for this unit.

In this Unit include lectures are given by a number of different staff members from the Department of Linguistics.

• There is a set textbook: An introduction to Language, by Fromkin, Rodman, Hyams, Amberber, Cox, and Thornton. Australia and New Zealand 10th Edition, South Melbourne, Vic: Cengage, 2021. Please note that the 10th edition of the unit textbook has had significant updates, and previous editions will not be reliable substitutes.  
• Lecture support material, assessment task instructions, and other relevant materials are uploaded to the LING1111 iLearn site. Lecture slides will be made available on the iLearn site.
• Students are expected to attend or listen to all of the lectures. Lectures are recorded and are available through ECHO360.
• The tutorial material is designed for students to practise the analytical techniques that have been covered in lectures and readings. Consequently, students who do not keep up to date with the lecture material will find themselves at a serious disadvantage in tutorials during the semester.  
• Each week students are expected to study the set reading, lecture content, and tutorial worksheet and come to their tutorial class well prepared.

Technology Used

Active participation in the learning activities throughout the unit will require students to have access to a computer or similar device.

Please see the unit schedule posted to the iLearn site.

Macquarie University recognises that artificial intelligence (AI), especially generative AI, is rapidly reshaping education and the modern workplace. As AI becomes increasingly accessible, the University and your teaching staff are committed to preparing you to use these tools effectively, ethically, and with strong professional judgment. Rather than restricting technology, the emphasis is on helping you understand when and how AI can be used to enhance productivity, support learning, and reflect real-world professional practice. Across your degree, we will support you to develop the critical thinking, adaptability, and values-based decision-making skills required to navigate evolving AI tools responsibly, including acknowledging their use appropriately.  You should always appropriately acknowledge when you have used AI tools within assessment tasks, including which AI tools you have used and how you have used them.

To provide clarity, Macquarie University uses a simple, two-tiered approach to AI in assessment:

AI Open assessments allow you to fully incorporate AI, reflecting authentic tasks where AI would normally be used in professional settings.

Observed with AI Optional assessments involve tasks where you either demonstrate essential knowledge without technology or show how you apply AI under supervision.

Across both categories, the goal is to ensure you build foundational knowledge, exercise sound judgment, and engage with AI in ways that uphold ethical, cultural, and university values.

Social inclusion at Macquarie University is about giving everyone who has the potential to benefit from higher education the opportunity to study at university, participate in campus life and flourish in their chosen field. The University has made significant moves to promote an equitable, diverse and exciting campus community for the benefit of staff and students. It is your responsibility to contribute towards the development of an inclusive culture and practice in the areas of learning and teaching, research, and service orientation and delivery. As a member of the Macquarie University community, you must not discriminate against or harass others based on their sex, gender, race, marital status, carers' responsibilities, disability, sexual orientation, age, political conviction or religious belief. All staff and students are expected to display appropriate behaviour that is conducive to a healthy learning environment for everyone.

In the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, professionalism is a key capability embedded in all our courses.

As part of developing professionalism, students are expected to attend all small group interactive sessions including clinical, practical, laboratory, work-integrated learning (e.g., PACE placements), and team-based learning activities. Some learning activities are recorded (e.g., face-to-face lectures), however you are encouraged to avoid relying upon such material as they do not recreate the whole learning experience and technical issues can and do occur. As an adult learner, we respect your decision to choose how you engage with your learning, but we would remind you that the learning opportunities we create for you have been done so to enable your success, and that by not engaging you may impact your ability to successfully complete this unit. We equally expect that you show respect for the academic staff who have worked hard to develop meaningful activities and prioritise your learning by communicating with them in advance if you are unable to attend a small group interactive session.

Another dimension of professionalism is having respect for your peers. It is the right of every student to learn in an environment that is free of disruption and distraction. Please arrive to all learning activities on time, and if you are unavoidably detained, please join activity as quietly as possible to minimise disruption. Phones and other electronic devices that produce noise and other distractions must be turned off prior to entering class. Where your own device (e.g., laptop) is being used for class-related activities, you are asked to close down all other applications to avoid distraction to you and others. Please treat your fellow students with the utmost respect. If you are uncomfortable participating in any specific activity, please let the relevant academic know.