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Unit outline_

LNGS2624: Grammar in the World's Languages

Semester 2, 2023 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

All languages can be used to build meanings of roughly equivalent complexity, but they often do this in very different ways. This core unit focuses on morphology and syntax, exploring the nature of these aspects of language, and showing how they are related to other aspects of language such as discourse and the lexicon.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit Linguistics
Credit points 6
Prerequisites
? 
6 credit points of 1000 level in Linguistics
Corequisites
? 
None
Prohibitions
? 
LNGS2602
Assumed knowledge
? 

None

Available to study abroad and exchange students

Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator Angus Wheeler, angus.wheeler@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s) Angus Wheeler, angus.wheeler@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Short release assignment Problem-based/short answer take-home assignment
40hr take home assignment.
40% Formal exam period
Due date: 22 Nov 2023 at 23:59
2000 wd equivalent.
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO5 LO4 LO3 LO2
Assignment Assignment 1
n/a
12% Week 04
Due date: 25 Aug 2023 at 23:59
500 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO4 LO5
Assignment Assignment 2
n/a
12% Week 06
Due date: 08 Sep 2023 at 23:59
500 words
Outcomes assessed: LO2 LO4 LO5
Assignment Assignment 3
n/a
12% Week 08
Due date: 22 Sep 2023 at 23:59
500 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO4 LO5
Assignment Assignment 4
n/a
12% Week 10
Due date: 13 Oct 2023 at 23:59
500 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO4 LO5
Assignment Assignment 5
n/a
12% Week 12
Due date: 27 Oct 2023 at 23:59
500 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO4 LO5

Assessment summary

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 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.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Late work is penalised at 5% per day late or part thereof, to a maximum of 10 days. Work submitted after 10 days will receive a mark of zero.

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.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

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 to morphosyntax Lecture (2 hr)  
Week 02 Morphological processes Lecture (2 hr)  
Week 03 Agreement and TAM(E) marking Lecture (2 hr)  
Week 04 Semantics and classification Lecture (2 hr)  
Week 05 Word classes Lecture (2 hr)  
Week 06 Constituency and phrase structure Lecture (2 hr)  
Week 07 Constituent order universals and the argument/adjunct distinction Lecture (2 hr)  
Week 08 Argument structure and alignment Lecture (2 hr)  
Week 09 Semantic roles and grammatical relations Lecture (2 hr)  
Week 10 Valency-changing devices Lecture (2 hr)  
Week 11 Complex constructions I Lecture (2 hr)  
Week 12 Complex constructions II Lecture (2 hr)  
Week 13 Beyond the sentence; Review Lecture (2 hr)  
Weekly Tutorials, Weeks 2-13. Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5

Attendance and class requirements

  • Attendance: Students are expected to attend all scheduled tutorials and seminars.
  • Lecture recording: All lectures will be recorded and may be made available to students on the LMS.
  • Preparation: Students should commit to spend approximately three hours’ preparation time (reading, studying, homework, essays, etc.) for every hour of scheduled instruction.

 

 

Assessment

Students are required to:

  • attend lectures and tutorials (or seminars);
  • participate in class discussion;
  • complete satisfactorily such written work, presentations and examinations as may be prescribed; and
  • meet the standards required by the University for academic honesty

 

Attendance requirements

Departments in the School of Humanities require satisfactory class attendance as part of participation in a unit of study. Attendance below 80% of tutorials/seminars without written evidence of illness or misadventure may be penalised with loss of marks. Students should be aware that non-attendance at 50% or more of classes without due cause is likely to result in them being deemed not to have fulfilled requirements for the unit of study; they thus run the risk of an Absent Fail result being returned.

 

Attendance at less than 50% of classes, regardless of the reasons for the absences, will automatically result in the student’s case being referred to the Discipline's examiners’ meeting for a determination as to whether the student should pass or fail the unit of study, or, if a pass is awarded, the level of penalty that should be applied. Students should not take a unit of study unless they can meet the above attendance requirement.

 

For further details see the Faculty of Arts Attendance Policy at:

http://sydney.edu.au/arts/current_students/policies.shtml

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

Information on readings can be found on Canvas.

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. exercise critical judgment in analysing the syntactic structures of languages of diverse structural types
  • LO2. engage in rigorous and independent thinking, through problem solving
  • LO3. exercise creativity and imagination in understanding and discussing the structure and functions of the syntactic structures of languages
  • LO4. demonstrate a deeper understanding of the central issues in syntax
  • LO5. demonstrate a solid grounding in syntactic theory and be able to use it independently to analyse syntactic structures of different languages.

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.

No changes have been made since this unit was last offered.

More information can be found on Canvas.

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.