Immerse yourself in the essential building blocks of language study: phonetics, phonology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. You will be introduced to a range of technical and formal mechanisms for analysing and describing language and gain the skills to analyse and understand the intricate structures of communication.
You will be provided with analytical tools for understanding and constructing arguments about linguistic structure. Through being provided with a conceptual framework for description and analysis, you will gain a deeper understanding of language. You will also gain insight into how you can apply the theoretical concepts you are learning to your own communication.
The module is not rooted in any one theoretical tradition, and you will gain awareness of some of the key areas of debate and consensus in linguistics. Having studied this module, you will be able to take subsequent modules that extend your theoretical knowledge and allow you to apply your understanding to areas of language study such as teaching, clinical linguistics and literary analysis.
Lectures: 16 hours.
Workshops: 16 hours
Spring
Written
Problem set 1 (1000 words). Assessment Details: Data analysis and short answer questions (40%).
Written
1500 words Problem set 2 (1,500 words). Assessment Details: Data analysis and short answer questions (60%).
Reassessment Method: Single instrument 100% written assessment (1500 words)
The University is committed to ensuring that core reading materials are in accessible electronic format in line with the Kent Inclusive Practices. The most up to date reading list for each module can be found on the university's reading list pages: https://kent.rl.talis.com/index.html
On successfully completing the module, students will be able to:
1. Explain and use the basic terminology of language analysis.
2. Use formal tools such as the International Phonetic Alphabet to represent linguistic data
3. Describe the linguistic characteristics of language data, such as phonetic features, parts of speech or illocutionary force
4. Explain the effect of language use in social, political and discourse contexts, including variation
5. Characterise the nature of theory, and what constitutes an explanation.
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