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Unit of study_

LNGS2611: Language in Indigenous Australia

Semester 1, 2021 [Normal day] - Remote

The unit of study examines the Indigenous languages of Australia. How many languages are there? What do they sound like and how are words and meanings structured? We explore how language reflects the society that uses them and the physical environment. We will also see that new Aboriginal languages have emerged, apparently moribund languages have been gaining strength and distinctive Aboriginal ways of talking have survived and influenced English. Students will be exposed to language through Indigenous guest lecturers and will undertake exercises that highlight issues of cross-cultural communication and aspects of language use in different social situations.

Unit details and rules

Unit code LNGS2611
Academic unit Linguistics
Credit points 6
Prohibitions
? 
None
Prerequisites
? 
24 credit points
Corequisites
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

None

Available to study abroad and exchange students

Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator Myfany Turpin, myfany.turpin@sydney.edu.au
Guest lecturer(s) Tracey-Anne Cameron, tracey.cameron@sydney.edu.au
Jakelin Troy, jakelin.troy@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s) Isabel O'Keeffe, isabel.okeeffe@sydney.edu.au
Myfany Turpin, myfany.turpin@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Assignment 4 x Assignment
40% Progressive 500 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO4 LO5 LO8
Assignment Essay
n/a
40% Week 13
Due date: 03 Jun 2021 at 23:59
4000 words
Outcomes assessed: LO5 LO6 LO7
Participation hurdle task Participation
participation in weekly orals and lectures
20% Weekly Weekly
Outcomes assessed: LO2 LO3
hurdle task = hurdle task ?

Assessment summary

  • Project 1: each student will be assigned one week during the semester when they will be responsible for writing a critical review of the required readings, as well as raising discussion points about them and leading in-class discussion. You must write an assessment with two sections: (1) a review of the recommended articles, summarising the basic argument of the article, with reference to the extra readings, and expressing your own assessment of the article and how it connects to your own interests and (2) three specific discussion questions to be presented during the discussion period of the seminar.
  • Project 2: this assessment will consist of two parts: 1. Transcription and analysis of some language material; 2. Brief research report on a language.
  • Essay: essay topics will be provided during the semester in lectures and on Canvas. Students who wish to choose their own topic must consult the lecturer first.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a High distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a Distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name

Mark range

Description

High distinction

85 - 100

 

Distinction

75 - 84

 

Credit

65 - 74

 

Pass

50 - 64

 

Fail

0 - 49

When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

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.

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.

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 Introduction. ow many Australian languages are there? Are they related? How many are still spoken and where? In what contexts are they used? Students will be assigned into one of four oral groups. Lecture (2 hr) LO1
Week 02 Sounds and writing systems. What do they sound like and how are they written? We consider phonology, orthography, phonotactics and stress patterns. Lecture (2 hr) LO2 LO3
Week 03 Land, social groupings & place names: The vocabulary for social groups, territorial units, place names and personal names. Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO6 LO7
Week 04 Grammar: Parts of speech (nouns, verbs, pronouns, adverbs), Grammatical relations (Subject, Agent, Object), case marking, ergativity. Lecture (2 hr) LO4 LO6
Week 05 Grammar: morphology. The structure of words and their parts (stems, roots, prefixes, suffixes), morpho-phonology, morpho-syntax, polysynthesis. Lecture (2 hr) LO6 LO7
Week 06 The language of Kinship. Kinship systems and terminology and their reflection in grammatical structures. With guest linguist Joe Blyth. Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO7 LO8
Week 07 Multilingualism and alternate registers: Polite ways of talking, sign language and verbal art. Lecture (2 hr) LO5
Week 08 Dictionaries: Noun classes, semantics, vocabulary, the thesaurus and uses of dictionaries. Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO4 LO7
Week 09 Language revitalization: Why revive a language and how can it be done? Case study with guest Gamilaraay education lecturer Tracey Cameron. Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO8
Week 10 New languages. Creole varieties and mixed languages. Lecture (2 hr) LO4 LO5
Week 11 Working with Indigenous languages. Who benefits from linguistic research? The relationship between researcher and the researched: power relationships, ways of collaborating, community control. With guest linguist and Ngarigu woman Prof. Jakelin Troy. Lecture (2 hr) LO7 LO8
Week 12 Language in Education. Australian languages in schools and universities; bilingual education and the role of formal education and language maintenance. With guest Dr. Susan Poetsch. Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO6 LO7
Week 13 Language and the Law. How knowledge (or lack of knowledge) of Aboriginal languages affects Aboriginal people in the legal system; the role of language in Native Title and Parliament. With guest Dr Michael Walsh. Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO5 LO6 LO8

Attendance and class requirements

  • Attendance: According to Faculty Board Resolutions, students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are expected to attend 90% of their classes. If you attend less than 50% of classes, regardless of the reasons, you may be referred to the Examiner’s Board. The Examiner’s Board will decide whether you should pass or fail the unit of study if your attendance falls below this threshold.

  • Lecture recording: Most lectures (in recording-equipped venues) will be recorded and may be made available to students on the LMS. However, you should not rely on lecture recording to substitute your classroom learning experience.

  • Preparation: Students should commit to spend approximately three hours’ preparation time (reading, studying, homework, essays, etc.) for every hour of scheduled instruction.

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

All readings for this unit can be accessed on the Library eReserve link available on Canvas.

  • Recommended textbook: Walsh, Michael J. & Colin Yallop (Eds.). (1993). Language and Culture in Aboriginal Australia. Canberra: Aboriginal Studies Press.
  • Recommended textbook: Dixon, R.M.W. 2002. Australian Languages: their nature and development. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Recommended textbook: Nordlinger, Rachel & Harold Koch (Eds.). (2014). The Languages and Linguistics of Australia: A Comprehensive Guide. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton.
  • Recommended textbook: Hobson, J., Lowe, K., Poetsch, S., Walsh, M. (Eds.). (2010) Re-awakening Languages: theory and practice in the revitalisation of Australia’s Indigenous languages. Sydney University Press, Sydney.

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.

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

  • LO1. analyse and appreciate the roles of Australian Indigenous languages in contemporary Australian society
  • LO2. understand the various Australian language spelling systems and their rationale
  • LO3. be able to pronounce words in various Australian language orthographies correctly
  • LO4. demonstrate knowledge of phonological, grammatical structures and semantic properties of one or more Australian Indigenous languages
  • LO5. articulate understanding of the context of language contact in Australia with respect to multilingualism, pidgins, creoles, mixed languages and varieties of Aboriginal English
  • LO6. effectively communicate about a range of topics related to Indigenous languages in Australia
  • LO7. critically use texts and other resources (from academia or the media) to develop and sustain ideas about Indigenous languages and their roles
  • LO8. understand, describe and apply ethical considerations regarding working with Indigenous people when conducting research on their languages and cultural practices.

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
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

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

Changes were made to the 2019 version by Myfany Turpin

Disclaimer

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

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