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LN4030: HISTORICAL (SOCIO)LINGUISTICS (2024-2025)

Last modified: 19 Sep 2024 08:16


Course Overview

Language change is an absolute reality. It happens to real people in real contexts. This course will provide you with an advanced but practical sense of the mechanisms by which language changes. A strong Sociolinguistic element will also give you the opportunity to perceive how change is brought about by processes connected to class, gender and ethnicity.

Course Details

Study Type Undergraduate Level 4
Term First Term Credit Points 30 credits (15 ECTS credits)
Campus Aberdeen Sustained Study No
Co-ordinators
  • Professor Robert M. Millar

What courses & programmes must have been taken before this course?

What other courses must be taken with this course?

None.

Are there a limited number of places available?

No

Course Description

This course expects little more from you at the beginning than curiosity and some basic knowledge of linguistics. By the end of the course, however, you will have an advanced understanding of the mechanisms of Historical Linguistics, coupled with the greater insight we can gain through the application of Sociolinguistic ideas to this understanding, since this introduces variables such as class, gender and ethnicity into your analysis.

You will ‘get your hands dirty’ with data in the exercise.

While most exemplification of change will be derived from English and related languages, we will also be considering other language families, including Na-Dené, Bantu and Polynesian.

The course will be assessed in a range of ways which will suit your particular skills.


Contact Teaching Time

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

Teaching Breakdown

More Information about Week Numbers


Details, including assessments, may be subject to change until 30 August 2024 for 1st term courses and 20 December 2024 for 2nd term courses.

Summative Assessments

Oral Presentation: Group

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 10
Assessment Weeks 17 Feedback Weeks 18

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Feedback

Duration: 15 mins

Feedback will be provided through  TurnItIn, soon after the presentation  

Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ConceptualAnalyseBy the end of the course, students will be able to apply their understanding of the principles of Historical Linguistics to practical analysis.
ConceptualApplyBy the end of the course, students will be able to perceive their understanding of the principles of Historical Linguistics through the lens of Sociolinguistics.
ConceptualUnderstandBy the end of the course, students will have an advanced understanding of the principles of Historical Linguistics.
ReflectionApplyBy the end of the course, students will be able to apply their understanding of Historical Linguistics and its Sociolinguistic critique to an understanding of prejudice, equality and inequality.

Essay

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 50
Assessment Weeks 18 Feedback Weeks 21

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Feedback

Feedback will be provided via. TurnItIn  

Word Count 3000
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ConceptualAnalyseBy the end of the course, students will be able to apply their understanding of the principles of Historical Linguistics to practical analysis.
ConceptualApplyBy the end of the course, students will be able to perceive their understanding of the principles of Historical Linguistics through the lens of Sociolinguistics.
ConceptualUnderstandBy the end of the course, students will have an advanced understanding of the principles of Historical Linguistics.
ReflectionApplyBy the end of the course, students will be able to apply their understanding of Historical Linguistics and its Sociolinguistic critique to an understanding of prejudice, equality and inequality.

Tutorial/Seminar Participation

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 10
Assessment Weeks Feedback Weeks

Look up Week Numbers

Feedback

Feedback will be provided through TurnItIn  

Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ConceptualAnalyseBy the end of the course, students will be able to apply their understanding of the principles of Historical Linguistics to practical analysis.
ConceptualApplyBy the end of the course, students will be able to perceive their understanding of the principles of Historical Linguistics through the lens of Sociolinguistics.
ConceptualUnderstandBy the end of the course, students will have an advanced understanding of the principles of Historical Linguistics.
ReflectionApplyBy the end of the course, students will be able to apply their understanding of Historical Linguistics and its Sociolinguistic critique to an understanding of prejudice, equality and inequality.

Practical Exercise

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 30
Assessment Weeks 13 Feedback Weeks 16

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Feedback

Word Count: 1,500

Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ConceptualAnalyseBy the end of the course, students will be able to apply their understanding of the principles of Historical Linguistics to practical analysis.
ConceptualUnderstandBy the end of the course, students will have an advanced understanding of the principles of Historical Linguistics.

Formative Assessment

There are no assessments for this course.

Resit Assessments

Essay

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 100
Assessment Weeks 44 Feedback Weeks 45

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Feedback Word Count 4000
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
Sorry, we don't have this information available just now. Please check the course guide on MyAberdeen or with the Course Coordinator

Course Learning Outcomes

Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ConceptualUnderstandBy the end of the course, students will have an advanced understanding of the principles of Historical Linguistics.
ConceptualAnalyseBy the end of the course, students will be able to apply their understanding of the principles of Historical Linguistics to practical analysis.
ConceptualApplyBy the end of the course, students will be able to perceive their understanding of the principles of Historical Linguistics through the lens of Sociolinguistics.
ReflectionApplyBy the end of the course, students will be able to apply their understanding of Historical Linguistics and its Sociolinguistic critique to an understanding of prejudice, equality and inequality.

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