[Oct 5-16 (weeks 1 & 2)]
The WEB: using a browser, accessing sites, understanding URLs, using bookmarks, downloading pages and files; using search engines; logging in to the course WEB site.
E-mail: setting up an e-mail account, sending and receiving e-mail, using e-mail attachments
Language/Linguistics specific: finding linguistics WEB sites and Listservers (using link pages, search engines etc.)
[The exercises for Part A and B of unit 1 are due in by midnight October 16]
To access the course WEB site and send e-mail to the course presenter].
To find at least three linguistics WEB sites and one online linguistics journal; send e-mail detailing these to the course WEB site. Listings will be posted to the course WEB site.
Research: accessing library catalogues, inter-library loans, online bibliographic searches.
References: appropriate use of references (direct quotation, paraphrase, summary etc), citation, plagiarism.
To draw up a provisional bibliography for research into the differences between written and spoken language. Bibliography will include at least 6 references, at least two of which must be journal articles. Bibliographies to be submitted by e-mail.
[Oct 20-30 (weeks 3 & 4)]
The International Phonetic Alphabet and phonological transcription.
A brief overview of dialect description and sound variation.
A brief guide to field-based data collection: tape recording techniques, ethical issues, problems in eliciting 'casual' speech, transcription issues etc.
[Due midnight October 30]
Identifying some of the phonological features associated with regional accent variation. Some use of the the International Phonetic Alphabet will be required.
[Nov 2-13 (weeks 5 & 6)]
The identification of grammatical components; sentences, clauses, parts of speech, functional categories.
The 'traditional' and formal approaches to grammatical classes.
A brief introduction to the Systemic Functional notion of participants, processes and circumstances, and the structure of the nominal group.
[Due Nov 13]
Text analysis exercise - identification of constituents at the level of clause, group and phrase; comparison of class-based and function based analyses.
[Nov 16-27 (weeks 7 & 8)]
The principle of linguistic variation according to use and context of situation.
Grammatical versus lexical items.
Lexical variability: core versus non-core; specialist versus vernacular etc.
Grammatical complexity: co-ordination versus subordination, embedding.
Nominalisation
[Due Nov 27]
To collect a written and a spoken text which addresse the same subject matter. To analyse the two texts so as to identify the key linguistic features by which they might be distinguished.
[Dec 1-11 (weeks 9 & 10)]
The principle of linguistic variation according to the social identity/background (class, gender, ethnicity etc.) of the speaker.
Phonological, grammatical and lexical variation according to social identity.
[Due Dec 11]
To record examples of casual speech by speakers of contrastive social identities (class, gender, generation, ethnicity etc.)
To identify any linguistic markers of that social difference.
Units in the second semester will cover some or all of the following topics.
