| Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Unit Convenor
Annabelle Lukin
Contact via annabelle.lukin@mq.edu.au
|
|---|---|
| Credit points |
Credit points
3
|
| Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
LING109(P) or LING110(P) or LING120(P)
|
| Corequisites |
Corequisites
|
| Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
|
| Unit description |
Unit description
Grammar is the powerhouse of language. The grammar of language emerges over time, as people use language for the varied processes of living. This course will introduce you to the relationship of grammar and meaning, through understanding the three functions of language:- textual function: how we organise our language into coherent text in the many different contexts in which we interact- interpersonal function: how we enact our social relationships through language- ideational function: how we use language to construe our experience of the world around us, and the world inside us.The analysis you will learn about in this unit is used in many different fields of study, including computational linguistics, translation, literary studies, child language development, political and media discourse, the language of health professionals, the language of education, etc. This is a course for people who love language, or who understand that language is important to all aspects of human life.
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Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
| Name | Weighting | Due | Groupwork/Individual | Short Extension | AI assisted? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clause analysis | 10% | End of week 4 | No | ||
| Short assignment | 15% | End of week 6 | No | ||
| Long assignment | 50% | Friday week 13 | No | ||
| Examination | 25% | exam period | No |
Due: End of week 4
Weighting: 10%
Groupwork/Individual:
Short extension 3: No
AI assisted?:
A one paragraph description of the text, and a division of the text into clauses.
Due: End of week 6
Weighting: 15%
Groupwork/Individual:
Short extension 3: No
AI assisted?:
For this task, students will be given a short text to analyse. They will also write a brief (c.500) discussion of their findings, and relate the findings to the social function of the text.
Due: Friday week 13
Weighting: 50%
Groupwork/Individual:
Short extension 3: No
AI assisted?:
Students will analyse a text based on the four functions of language introduced in the course. The assignment will combine some analysis provided by the convenor, and some analysis the students do themselves. They use this analysis to write an essay on the meanings the text makes, and relate these meanings to the social activity of the text, the interactants, and to the organization of the flow of information in the text.
Due: exam period
Weighting: 25%
Groupwork/Individual:
Short extension 3: No
AI assisted?:
The examination is open book. It consists of 5 questions covering: clause analysis, transitivity, mood/modality, theme/rheme, logical relations.
The course has a two hour lecture, plus a one hour tutorial. If possible, we will include a Peer Assisted Learning session. The iLearn website contains self-paced online learning activities. The iLearn website also has ‘mini-lectures’ – short, prerecorded lectures on key concepts from the course, designed for students unable to attend some lectures. We also have a glossary of terms on the website. The218 iLearn site has a blog for students to write about language issues. This may be questions or comments, or links to interesting sites or articles about language and linguistics.
The table below has the unit schedule for this course. Please note that 'IFG' is a reference to the course textbook - An Introduction to Functional Grammar (3rd edition), by MAK Halliday and CMIM Matthiessen.
| Wk |
Lecture topics |
Reading for lecture |
Tutorial topics and exercises |
|
1 |
The architecture of language |
IFG Chapter 1: 1.1, 1.3, 1.4 e-Reserve: ‘Context of situation’, Halliday |
No tutorial
|
|
2 |
Towards a functional grammar |
IFG Chapter 2
|
Language in context Activity: Looking at text in context. |
|
3 |
Clause as message: language for creating coherent text 1 |
IFG Chapter 3 |
Units in language: formal and functional Activity: Constituency analysis. |
|
4 |
Clause as message: language for creating coherent text 2 |
IFG Chapter 3 |
Clause as message Theme analysis 1 |
|
5 |
Clause as exchange: language enacting social relationships 1 |
IFG Chapter 4 |
Clause as message Theme analysis 2 |
|
6 |
Clause as exchange: language enacting social relationships 2 |
IFG Chapter 4 |
Clause as exchange Interpersonal analysis 2 |
|
7 |
Clause as representation: language construing experience 1 |
IFG Chapter 5 |
Clause as exchange Interpersonal analysis 2 |
|
8 |
Clause as representation: language construing experience 2 |
IFG Chapter 5 |
The experiential function Experiential analysis 1 |
|
9 |
Above the clause: the clause complex |
IFG Chapter 7 e-Reserve: Using Functional Grammar Chapter 7 |
The experiential function Experiential analysis 2 |
|
10 |
Review of the three modes of meaning; spoken and written language |
e-Reserve: M.A.K. Halliday (1985) ‘Written language, lexical density’ |
Clause combining Activity: clause combining |
|
11 |
The sound of language – intonation as meaning making resource |
IFG Chapter 1 (1.1.1) Chapter 3 (3.5) These readings are optional – intonation analysis is not assessed in this course |
Text analysis Discussion and text analysis |
|
12 |
Language and society
|
e-Reserve: MAK Halliday (1978) “Language as Social Semiotic” |
Text analysis Discussion and text analysis |
|
13 |
Language in context; Language in education. |
e-Reserve: Williams “Children’s literature, children and uses of language description” |
Exam preparation Review past exam paper |
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