Outline

Overview

This unit of study equips students with some general tools for the close analysis of literary language. Grammatical concepts will be introduced and applied to the description of prose, poetry and drama, and students will explore the changing relations between form and meaning in English from the earliest times up to the present. A number of key strands in contemporary language study will also be presented, including semiotic theory, rhetoric and discourse studies and theorizations of the relationship between texts and subjectivity.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	ENGL1007
Academic unit
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	None
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Nick Riemer, nick.riemer@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Final Assessment Take-home assessment consisting of short-answer and essay questions opened	40%	Formal exam period Due date: 17 Jun 2021 at 23:59	1500wd equiv. Open from 15 June 0900hrs.
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	First exercise This exercise develops & tests understanding of concepts from weeks 1-5.	15%	Week 05 Due date: 02 Apr 2021 at 23:59	500 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Second exercise This exercise develops & tests understanding of concepts from weeks 1-8.	15%	Week 09 Due date: 03 May 2021 at 23:59	500 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Essay The essay develops your understanding of key themes of the unit.	30%	Week 12 Due date: 28 May 2021 at 23:59	2000 words
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

The first two exercises, jointly worth 30% of the total marks, develop and test grammatical concepts introduced in the first 8 weeks of the course. You are not expected to undertake any reading for the exercises other than the prescribed reading for each week of lectures and tutorials.

The essay is an independent research task in which you are asked to explore a single topic in depth. For this piece of work, it is not enough to limit yourself to the compuslory readings prescribed each week. Instead, you are expected to read widely around the topic, using as a starting point the works listed in the course bibliography. The essay is worth 30% of the total marks for the course.

The take-home exam tests your understanding of the entire content of the course. No research beyond the complusory set reading for the course will be necessary. The exam is worth 40% of the total marks for the course.

Assessment criteria

This Guide indicates broadly the qualitative judgments implied by the various grades which may be awarded. A more precise evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of individual essays will be provided in markers’ comments. These comments will take account of the different standards likely to be achieved by Junior and Senior students and, among Senior students, by second and third year students.

85%+ (High Distinction)

The work demonstrates a deep and intelligent understanding of, and individual engagement with material;
presents a very close analysis of focal texts or issues;
addresses a specific issue and develops an independent critical or theoretical argument successfully;
indicates awareness of complexities and qualifications in argumentation;
demonstrates careful thought about the critical, historical and/or theoretical context of the texts or issues;
provides evidence of wide-ranging reading;
is properly referenced and well-presented.

The writing is characterized by creativity, clarity, and independent insight. A High Distinction is distinguished from a Distinction by the work’s demonstration of awareness of subtleties, nuances, qualifications and a possible other case. Work which is awarded a mark of over 90% in Senior level units of study will often contain some publishable or potentially publishable elements.

75-84% (Distinction)

The work demonstrates an intelligent understanding of, and individual engagement with material;
analyzes focal texts or issues appositely;
addresses an issue and presents a well-argued, coherent case;
demonstrates careful thought about the critical, historical and/or theoretical context of the texts or issues;
provides evidence of reading beyond what is strictly required for the task;
is properly referenced and well presented.

The writing is characterized by individuality, clarity, and independent insight. A Distinction is distinguished from a High Credit chiefly by the quality of theoretical understanding and the range of intellectual enquiry it demonstrates.

70-74% (High Credit)

The work provides evidence of independent reading and thinking about focal texts or issues and their contexts;
shows some clear understanding of relevant critical and theoretical considerations and of the conceptual issues raised by a unit of study;
uses close critical analysis;
avoids summary;
indicates an intelligent attempt at a critical or theoretical argument;
is clearly and effectively written;
is well-referenced.

A High Credit is distinguished from a Low Credit chiefly by the extent of independent discussion of focal texts or issues, and by some obvious attempt to interpret the outcome of close analysis.

65-69% (Low Credit)

The work shows some understanding of relevant critical and theoretical considerations and of the conceptual issues raised by a unit of study;
demonstrates some independent reading and thinking about focal texts or issues and their contexts;
uses close critical analysis;
avoids summary;
attempts a critical or theoretical argument;
is clearly and effectively written;
is adequately referenced.

A Low Credit is distinguished from a High Pass by the extent of independent discussion of focal texts or issues, the clarity of the writing and the extent to which it attempts a more general critical and/or theoretical argument.

58-64% (High Pass)

The work gives some evidence of ability to attempt an independent argument and to structure material coherently;
demonstrates a genuine attempt at independent reading and thinking about focal texts or issues though the essay may contain some oversimplification or superficiality;
generally avoids summary, paraphrase or unsubstantiated assertion;
may sometimes present quotation for illustrative purposes merely, but does also present the outcome of some critical analysis;
is adequately expressed;
is adequately referenced.

50-57% (Pass)

The work provides clear evidence of having read and thought about focal texts or issues;
attempts a coherent argument though there may be ellipses in argumentation;
uses some close critical analysis;
may paraphrase fairly extensively;
tends to use quotation for illustrative purposes only;
may tend towards generality in answering a question;
may present simplistic comment or unsubstantiated assertions;
is adequately expressed though there may be some weaknesses in this area;
may contain some referencing errors.

Below 50% (Fail)

Work may fail for any of the following reasons:

no evidence of having read the prescribed material closely;
sloppy, inconsistent presentation;
preponderance of paraphrase, mere plot summary or listing of superficial characteristics;
excessive use of quotation for illustrative purposes only, without any attempt at analysis;
excessive level of generality in answering a question;
inappropriate or obscure expression;
incoherent general structure;
inadequate referencing;
late submission of work without extension.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
-	No Description	Block teaching (36 hr)
Week 01	1. Englishes – diversity and uniformity in speaking ‘English’	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 01	2. The idea of a 'language' and 'grammar'	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 02	3. Grammatical thinking	Lecture (1 hr)
	4. Nouns and pronouns	Lecture (1 hr)
	Introductory tutorial	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 03	5. Grammatical prescription and the imposition of standards – dictionaries and grammars	Lecture (1 hr)
	6. Adjectives, prepositions, adverbs	Lecture (1 hr)
	Week 3 tutorial	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 04	7. Power and English: women, men and language	Lecture (1 hr)
	8. Verbs and verb phrases (a)	Lecture (1 hr)
	Week 4 tutorial	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 05	9. Power and English: the empire of English	Lecture (1 hr)
	10. Verbs and verb phrases (b)	Lecture (1 hr)
	Week 5 tutorial	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 06	11. Power and English: language in Australian society	Lecture (1 hr)
	12. Verbs and verb phrases (c)	Lecture (1 hr)
	Week 6 tutorial	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 07	13. Rhetoric, propaganda, language	Lecture (1 hr)
	14. Clause and sentence (a)	Lecture (1 hr)
	Week 7 tutorial	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 08	15. Clause and sentence (b)	Lecture (1 hr)
	16. Clause and sentence (c)	Lecture (1 hr)
	Week 8 tutorial	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 09	17. Old English (a)	Lecture (1 hr)
	18. Old English (b)	Lecture (1 hr)
	Week 9 tutorial	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 10	19. Middle English (a)	Lecture (1 hr)
	20. Middle English (b)	Lecture (1 hr)
	Week 10 tutorial	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 11	21. Early Modern English (a)	Lecture (1 hr)
	22. Early Modern English (b)	Lecture (1 hr)
	Week 11 tutorial	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 12	23. Word, meaning and metaphor (a)	Lecture (1 hr)
	24. Word, meaning and metaphor (b)	Lecture (1 hr)
	Week 12 tutorial	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 13	25. Contemporary ideologies of language	Lecture (1 hr)
	26. Recapitulation and preparation for the exam	Lecture (1 hr)
	Week 13 tutorial	Tutorial (1 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

You are expected to attend all lectures and tutorials.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

The readings listed below are compulsory, and must be completed before each lecture. With the exception of extracts from Collins and Hollo’s English Grammar: An Introduction (‘C and H)’, all readings are available through the ‘Reading List’ section of the course’s Canvas site. C and H should be bought: you will need it throughout the semester, and it will regularly be used for exercises in tutorials. Please make sure to buy the 3rd edition, not an earlier one. Students are recommended to buy the paper edition, which is available from Gleebooks at 49 Glebe Point Rd near the university, as well as by mail-order. An Ebook version is available for purchase on line for students who so wish.

Week 1

1. Englishes – diversity and uniformity in speaking ‘English’

R. Huddlestone and G. Pullum, ‘The aim of this book’ and ‘Prescriptivism, tradition, and the justification of grammars’, sections 1 and 2 of ch. 1 of The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language, Cambridge, CUP, 2002, pp. 2-11
P. Collins and C. Hollo, English Grammar. An Introduction, ch. 1 ‘Introduction’, skipping 1.5 and 1.6 (‘Constituent Structure’ and ‘Classes and Functions’).

2. The idea of a ‘language’ and ‘grammar’

David Crystal, ‘Grammatical mythology’, ch. 13 of The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language, Cambridge, CUP, 1995, pp. 190-195.
Ricardo Otheguy, Ofelia García and Wallis Reid, ‘Clarifying translanguaging and deconstructing named languages: A perspective from linguistics’, Applied Linguistics Review 6 (2015): 281–307. Note: this reading is an article from an academic journal. To read it, enter the title into the Fisher library catalogue and download the full article.

Week 2

3. Grammatical thinking.

C&H ch. 2, ‘A preliminary overview’

4. Nouns and pronouns

C&H ch. 3, ‘Nouns and Noun Phrases’

Week 3

5. Grammatical prescription and the imposition of standards

Brinton, L. J. & L. K. Arnovick. Early Modern English verbal constructions and Eighteenth-Century prescriptivism. Chapter 11 of The English language: a linguistic history. Don Mills, OUP, 2006, 357–379. Note: only the second half of this chapter, pages 357-379, is set for this lecture.

6. Adjectives, prepositions, adverbs

C and H ch 5. ‘Adjectives, Adverbs, Prepositions and Associated Phrases’

Week 4

7. Power and English: women, men and language

Anne Curzan, ‘Nonsexist language reform and its effects’, ch. 5 of Fixing English. Prescription and Language history, Cambridge, CUP, 2014, pp. 114-136.
Coates 2004; Coates, J. Quantitative Studies. Chapter 4 of Women, Men and Language. 3ed. Routledge, 47-69.

8. Verbs and verb phrases (a)

C and H ch. 4 ‘Verbs and Verb Phrases’

Week 5

9. Power and English: the empire of English

Ngugi wa Thiong’o, ‘The language of African literature’, in Decolonising the Mind. The Politics of Language in African Literature. Harare, Zimbabwe Publishing House, 1981, pp. 4–33.

10. Verbs and verb phrases (b)

As for lecture 8.

Week 6

11. Power and English: language in Australian society`

‘Language loss’ and ‘Language Use at the Roper River Mission’ sections of John W. Harris, Northern Territory Pidgins and the Origin of Kriol, Canberra, 1986, pp. 305-310.
Diana Eades, ‘Features of Aboriginal English communicative style’, ch. 4 of Courtroom Talk and Neocolonial Control, Berlin, Mouton, 2008, pp. 91-118.

12. Verbs and verb phrases (c)

Alan Cruse, Meaning in Language, 3ed, OUP 2011, pp. 297-307 (sections 15.1-15.3.5 inclusive)

Week 7

13. Rhetoric, propaganda, language

George Orwell ‘Politics and the English language’ (1946), in Sonia Orwell and Ian Angus (eds) The Collected Essays, Journalism and Letters of George Orwell. Volume IV. London, Secker and Warburg, 1968, pp. 127-140.
Noam Chomsky, ‘Notes on Orwell’s problem’, in Knowledge of Language: Its Nature, Origin and Use, New York, Praeger, 1986, pp. 276-287.

14. Clause and sentence (a)

C and H ch. 6, ‘Clause Structure and Clause Type’

Week 8

15. Clause and sentence (b)

As for lecture 14.

16. Clause and sentence (c)

Annabelle Lukin, David Butt and Christian Matthiessen, ‘Reporting war: grammar as”covert operation”’, Pacific Journalism Review 10 (2004), 58–74

Week 9

17. Old English (a)

Barber, Charles, ‘Old English.ch. 5 of The English Language: A Historical Introduction.Cambridge: CUP, 1993, 100–126.
Hughes, Geoffrey, ‘The foundations of English and the formation of the base register, ch. 2 of A History of English Words, Oxford, Blackwell, 2000.

18. Old English (b)

As for lecture 17.

Week 10

19. Middle English (a)

Smith, J., ‘Middle English’, ch. 4 of Essentials of Early English, 2ed, London, Routledge, 2005, pp. 90–121.
Millward, C., ‘Middle English’, A Biography of the English Language.Fort Worth: Holt, 1988, 141–191

20. Middle English (b)

As for lecture 19.

Week 11

21. Early Modern English (a)

Curzan, A. and M. Adams, ‘History of English: Old to Early Modern English’ [excerpt], ch. 13 of How English Works: A Linguistic Introduction, New York, Pearson, 2006, pp. 458–476.
Brinton, L. J. & L. K. Arnovick. ‘Early Modern English Syntax’, excerpt of ch. 11, ‘Early Modern English verbal constructions and Eighteenth-Century prescriptivism’, of The English language : a linguistic history. Don Mills: OUP, 345–356.

22. Early Modern English (b)

As for lecture 21.

Week 12

23. Word, meaning and metaphor (a)

Nick Riemer, ‘Meaning in the empirical study of language’, chapter 1 of Introducing Semantics, Cambridge, CUP, 2010, pp. 1-43.

24. Word, meaning and metaphor (b)

As for lecture 23.

Week 13

25. Contemporary ideologies of language

Roy Harris 1987, ‘The Grammarians’ Paradise’, chapter 5 of The Language Machine, 95-123.

26. Recapitulation and preparation for the exam

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. An understanding of the diversity of English language in its different contexts of use
LO2. Competence in the basic grammatical and linguistic description of English texts.
LO3. Appreciation of some of the different considerations underlying the choice of a theory for this purpose
LO4. Familiarity with the principal characteristics of the different stages of English linguistic history
LO5. Facility in independently researching questions relating to English language

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Students' impressions of the course, as expressed both during and after the semester, allow us to fine-tune various aspects of teaching and assessment. The current shape of the course is the result of many years' feedback from both students and staff. Please don't hesitate to raise any concerns you have with your tutor or the lecturer during the semester itself. Doing so will let us act on feedback while the course is still running, rather than at the end when it is too late.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

ENGL1007: Englishes: Language Society Text Time

Semester 1, 2021 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect