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Handbook 1997 : Faculty of Arts : Linguistics and Applied Linguistics
The study of Linguistics and Applied Linguistics provides an understanding of language - its synthesis, acquisition and subtleties of usage. It involves a systematic investigation of the various aspects of language while drawing on other disciplines such as anthropology, psychology, philosophy, sociology and computer science. A knowledge of Linguistics and Applied Linguistics is particularly useful to students of language.
The skills acquired by studying Linguistics and Applied Linguistics are relevant to language teachers, curriculum designers, language evaluation and assessment experts, speech pathologists, lexicographers, interpreters and translators, lawyers, engineers of knowledge systems and speech synthesis, designers of natural-language interfaces for computers, and to any occupation which requires the ability to express oneself clearly, to solve novel problems and present their solutions in a clear and accessible form.
There are no specific prerequisites for entry to Linguistics.
Second and third-year Linguistics subjects have specific prerequisites which must be met.
Separate majors are offered in Linguistics and Applied Linguistics. Entry to either major requires the completion of at least 12 points, and preferably 25 points, of first year LAL (Linguistics and Applied Linguistics) subjects. Students who take Communication Across Cultures (175-108) should take an additional first-year LAL subject if planning a major in either Linguistics and must take an additional one if doing a major in Applied Linguistics. Students with excellent grades in other first-year subjects may apply to the department for permission for special second-year entry.
A major in Linguistics or Applied Linguistics requires the completion of five subjects at second or third-year level (a total of 83.3 points).
The Applied Linguistics major requires the completion of at least two of the following core subjects:
175-200/300 First Language Acquisition
175-201/301 Second Language Learning and Teaching
175-202/302 Discourse
175-203/303 English Language Literacy
The remaining subjects are selected from the list of core subjects, Computational Linguistics, Grammar of English, Language and Culture, Language and Gender, Language in Aboriginal Australia, Language in Society, Phonetics and Phonology, Semantics, and South East Asian Languages. Linguistics subjects offered by the Modern Languages departments may be included in the major, subject to departmental approval.
In the five LAL subjects they choose, students taking a major in Linguistics are strongly advised to include at least two of the following subjects: Phonetics and Phonology, Semantics, Formal Syntax.
Students considering fourth-year Honours in Linguistics should select their second and third-year subjects carefully (see Entry to Honours below). Intending Honours students are encouraged to take additional LAL subjects at second and third-year level, to a maximum of ten semester subjects (a total of 167 points). Where students take only five second or third-year subjects, special care need to be taken to ensure that the subjects chosen provide adequate preparation for the thesis topic.
Fourth year Honours is available in Linguistics. Entry requires the completion of all the requirements for the pass degree and normally an average of at least H2A grade in the best five of the student's second and third-year LAL subjects. Combined Honours students who do not intend to do their fourth-year thesis in Linguistics may be admitted with an overall grade of H2B in their best five Linguistics subjects.
To qualify for entry to Honours, students must include certain 'core' units in their second and third-year subjects:
Students primarily interested in General Linguistics must include three units from:
Phonetics and Phonology;
Semantics;
Syntactic Description and Typology;
Formal Syntax.
Students primarily interested in Sociolinguistics must include:
Language in Society;
Phonetics and Phonology, Syntactic Description and Typology, Semantics, Formal Syntax, Grammar of English;
at least one unit from: Language in Aboriginal Australia, Language and Gender, Discourse, and Language and Culture.
The normal program for the pure honours fourth year is four semester subjects plus a thesis. At least two special fourth year seminars are offered annually on topics which vary from year to year. Fourth year students are required to take at least two of these seminars among their four subjects. The other subjects can be selected from the 300/400-level subjects.
The expected length of the thesis is approximately 12,000 words. Students are expected to work steadily on the thesis throughout the year.
For administrative purposes, Pure Honours fourth year students should enrol with the Arts Faculty in the following subjects:
175-472 Linguistics Honours Thesis
At least two subjects chosen from the following Honours seminars (check with the Department to see which seminars are offered in a particular year before enrolling):
Up to two subjects chosen from the department's 300/400 level offerings.
Combined Honours students enrol in two coursework subjects (33.3 points):
At least one subject chosen from the following Honours seminars (check with the department to see which seminars are offered in a particular year before enrolling):
and up to one subject chosen from the department's 300/400 level offerings;
and if undertaking the research thesis in Linguistics:
175-472 Linguistics Honours Thesis
Students who complete a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Linguistics and Applied Linguistics at the level of H2A or above may apply for entry to the Postgraduate Diploma in Arts (in either Linguistics or Applied Linguistics).
Students who complete Honours in Linguistics at the level of H2A or above may apply for entry to the Master of Arts (Linguistics). Entry to the Master of Arts (Applied Linguistics) is available through the Postgraduate Diploma).
Contact:
Department of Linguistics and Applied Linguistics
University of Melbourne
Telephone: (03) 9344 5488
175-105 Introduction To the Study of Language I 175-106 English: Its Structure and History 175-107 Introduction To the Study of Language II 175-108 Communication Across Cultures
Prerequisites: Entry to these subjects requires the completion of at least 33.3 points of Linguistics at 2nd/3rd year level, in addition to specific prerequisites as specified on each subject.
116-450 Topics in French Syntax and Semantics 175-472 Linguistics Honours Thesis 175-402 Linguistics 4A 175-403 Linguistics 4B 175-406 Linguistics 4C 175-407 Linguistics 4D
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Handbook 1997 : Faculty of Arts : Linguistics and Applied Linguistics
Status: OFFICIAL 1997 Last Modified: Wednesday March 12 3:36 pm SGML to HTML Conversion: Information Technology Services Authorised by: Academic Registrar Email Enquiries: Course_Information@registrar.unimelb.edu.au
Copyright © University of Melbourne 1997.