LNGS3601: Semester 2, 2021

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Units LNGS3601 Semester 2 2021 [Normal day]

Unit outline_

LNGS3601: Semantics - Meaning, Reference and Mind

Semester 2, 2021 [Normal day] - Remote

Overview

Semantics deals with the meaning of words, phrases, sentences and texts, and the relations between those meanings. Our goal is to explore the diversity of ways in which meaning can be expressed linguistically in different languages, as well as of what constitutes evidence for meaning.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Linguistics
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	12 credit points at 2000 in Linguistics or 18 credit points at 2000 or 3000 level in English or Australian Literature
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	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	Essay n/a	50%	Formal exam period Due date: 23 Nov 2021 at 23:59	3000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Exercise 1 n/a	20%	Week 06 Due date: 17 Sep 2021 at 23:59	500 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Exercise 2 n/a	30%	Week 09 Due date: 15 Oct 2021 at 23:59	1000 words
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

Detailed information for each assessment can be found in the Canvas site for this unit.

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.

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.

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
Week 01	Opening assumptions I: languages, words, minds	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 02	Opening assumptions II: communication, behaviour, and kinds of meaning	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 02	Definition 1	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 03	Definition I: introductory issues	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 03	Definition 2 - isolating semantic meaning	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 04	Definition II: the meaning of verbs; lexical relations and componential analysis	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 04	Definition 3 - defining verbs	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 05	Polysemy and online meaning construal	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 05	Definition 4 - defining verbs continued	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 06	Meaning and logic	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 06	Meaning and logic	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 07	Meaning and categorization: classical categories, prototype categories and exemplars	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 07	Meaning and logic	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 08	'Cognitive' approaches to semantics	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 08	Categorization	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 09	The semantics of grammar: tense and aspect	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 09	Semantics of grammar: parts of speech	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 10	Semantic analysis and ethnocentrism I	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 10	Semantics of grammar	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 11	Semantic analysis and ethnocentrism II	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 11	Semantic analysis and ethnocentrism I	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 12	Semantic variation and change I	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 12	Semantic analysis and ethnocentrism II	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 13	Semantic variation and change II	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 13	Semantic variation and change	Tutorial (1 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: students 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 which 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 for 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 with the exception of the textbook can be accessed through the Reading List link on the Canvas site for this unit.

Required textbook: Nick Riemer, Introducing Semantics (Cambridge University Press, 2010)

A course bibliography with additional readings will be posted on the course webpage.

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. appreciate the complexity of meaning analysis in natural language and become familiar with some of the variety of options for its analysis
LO2. gain experience in presenting analyses of meaning and in distinguishing ‘sentence meaning’ from 'speaker meaning’
LO3. gain a fuller and more sophisticated understanding of the role that 'meaning' plays in explanations of language structure and use
LO4. understand a number of methodological and theoretical questions about the conduct of empirical enquiry into natural 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.

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

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

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