CQUniversity Unit Profile
SPCH12006 Linguistics
Linguistics
All details in this unit profile for SPCH12006 have been officially approved by CQUniversity and represent a learning partnership between the University and you (our student).
The information will not be changed unless absolutely necessary and any change will be clearly indicated by an approved correction included in the profile.
General Information

Overview

In this unit, you will study aspects of language form, content, and use to develop an understanding of morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. You will learn how these subsystems of language help us to understand and express meaning in communication and will apply your learning to analyse English words and sentences. You will study how people acquire language, and how language varies across individuals, communities, social environments, and cultures.

Details

Career Level: Undergraduate
Unit Level: Level 2
Credit Points: 6
Student Contribution Band: 8
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load: 0.125

Pre-requisites or Co-requisites

There are no requisites for this unit.

Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).

Offerings For Term 2 - 2024

Online
Rockhampton

Attendance Requirements

All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).

Class and Assessment Overview

Recommended Student Time Commitment

Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.

Class Timetable

Bundaberg, Cairns, Emerald, Gladstone, Mackay, Rockhampton, Townsville
Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney

Assessment Overview

1. Online Quiz(zes)
Weighting: 60%
2. Essay
Weighting: 40%

Assessment Grading

This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.

Previous Student Feedback

Feedback, Recommendations and Responses

Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.

Feedback from SUTE

Feedback

Students requested additional readings be set from the textbook.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the speech pathology team consider including both journal articles and textbook readings across the topics covered in the unit.

Feedback from SUTE

Feedback

The recorded lecture content and practical tutorials were engaging and supported learning.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the speech pathology team continue to include both recorded lecture content and weekly face-to-face tutorials that provide opportunity for students to apply and practice the concepts taught in lectures.

Unit Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
  1. Identify and analyse aspects of form, content, and use in simple and complex English words and sentences
  2. Describe how language develops and varies across time, speakers, communities, environments, and cultures
  3. Integrate a variety of evidence-based sources to support a claim related to language learning or diversity
  4. Cohesively and coherently communicate ideas using academic writing conventions


Alignment of Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Graduate Attributes
N/A Level
Introductory Level
Intermediate Level
Graduate Level
Professional Level
Advanced Level

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes

Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4
1 - Online Quiz(zes) - 60%
2 - Essay - 40%

Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes

Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4
1 - Communication
2 - Problem Solving
3 - Critical Thinking
4 - Information Literacy
5 - Team Work
6 - Information Technology Competence
7 - Cross Cultural Competence
8 - Ethical practice
9 - Social Innovation
10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures
Textbooks and Resources

Textbooks

There are no required textbooks.

IT Resources

You will need access to the following IT resources:
  • CQUniversity Student Email
  • Internet
  • Unit Website (Moodle)
  • CQ U library all other resources
Referencing Style

All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)

For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.

Teaching Contacts
Jodie Anderson Unit Coordinator
j.anderson3@cqu.edu.au
Schedule
Week 1 Begin Date: 08 Jul 2024

Module/Topic

What is Language? 

Introduction to Words and Sentences

Chapter

Readings are provided on Moodle.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 2 Begin Date: 15 Jul 2024

Module/Topic

Parts of Speech: Content Words

Chapter

Readings are provided on Moodle.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 3 Begin Date: 22 Jul 2024

Module/Topic

Parts of Speech: Function Words

Chapter

Readings are provided on Moodle.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 4 Begin Date: 29 Jul 2024

Module/Topic

Morphemes

Chapter

Readings are provided on Moodle.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Quiz 1 opens at 8:00am 1 August (Thursday)

Quiz 1 closes at 11:00pm 2 August (Friday)

Week 5 Begin Date: 05 Aug 2024

Module/Topic

Sentence Patterns of Language 

Chapter

Readings are provided on Moodle.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Vacation Week Begin Date: 12 Aug 2024

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 6 Begin Date: 19 Aug 2024

Module/Topic

Phrases and Clauses

Chapter

Readings are provided on Moodle.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 7 Begin Date: 26 Aug 2024

Module/Topic

Deixis and Reference

Speech Acts

Maxims of Conversation

Chapter

Readings are provided on Moodle.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Quiz 2 opens at 8:00am 29 August (Thursday)

Quiz 2 closes at 11:00pm 30 August (Friday)

Week 8 Begin Date: 02 Sep 2024

Module/Topic

Frames and Scripts

Coherence and Cohesion in Discourse

Narrative in Text

Chapter

Readings are provided on Moodle.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 9 Begin Date: 09 Sep 2024

Module/Topic

Language Learning and Change

Chapter

Readings are provided on Moodle.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Quiz 3 opens at 8:00am 12 September (Thursday)

Quiz 3 closes at 11:00pm 13 September (Friday)

Week 10 Begin Date: 16 Sep 2024

Module/Topic

Language, Culture, and Identity

Chapter

Readings are provided on Moodle.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 11 Begin Date: 23 Sep 2024

Module/Topic

Clinical Linguistics

Chapter

Readings are provided on Moodle.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Quiz 4 opens at 8:00am 26 September (Thursday)

Quiz 4 closes at 11:00pm 27 September (Friday)

Week 12 Begin Date: 30 Sep 2024

Module/Topic

No class. Use this time to finalise your essay for Assessment 2.

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Written Assessment Due: Week 12 Friday (4 Oct 2024) 9:00 am AEST
Review/Exam Week Begin Date: 07 Oct 2024

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Exam Week Begin Date: 14 Oct 2024

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Assessment Tasks

1 Online Quiz(zes)

Assessment Title
Online Quizzes

Task Description

Task Description

You will have 4 online quizzes across the term. Each quiz may have a different total number of points, but all quizzes will contribute equally to your Assessment 1 grade, with each quiz being worth 15 of the 60 total marks. This means that if on quiz 1, you achieve 20/30 points, your grade will be recorded in the gradebook as 10 for that quiz.

 

Each quiz will cover content from your recorded lecture material, your tutorials, interactive online content (i.e., H5P activities) and your readings. There are 4 quizzes in total. These quizzes are scheduled for Week 4, Week 7, Week 9, and Week 11. The quizzes will open at 8am on Thursday of the week for which it is scheduled and close at 11pm on Friday. A schedule is provided for you on Moodle.

 

Once you start the quiz, you will have one hour to complete it.

 

This is a must-pass assessment task. This means you must achieve a total grade of 30/60 across the four quizzes this term in order to pass this assessment task and meet the requirements of the unit.

 

 


Number of Quizzes

4


Frequency of Quizzes

Other


Assessment Due Date

Your quizzes are available via Moodle.


Return Date to Students

Results will be returned within two weeks after the closure of each quiz.


Weighting
60%

Minimum mark or grade
This is a must-pass assessment task. Students must receive a minimum pass grade of 50% (30/60) to pass. This minimum grade is required for the total (i.e., combined) grade across the four quizzes, not for each individual quiz.

Assessment Criteria

Quiz questions will include closed-type questions (e.g., Multiple choice, matching) and short answer questions. Points assigned are identified for each question. You will attain points for questions answered correctly.


Referencing Style

Submission
Online

Submission Instructions
The quizzes will be available in Moodle for the timeframes specified in the task description. Once you start the quiz, you will have one hour to complete it.

assessmentOutcome
  • Identify and analyse aspects of form, content, and use in simple and complex English words and sentences
  • Describe how language develops and varies across time, speakers, communities, environments, and cultures


assessmentGradAttribute

2 Essay

Assessment Title
Written Assessment

Task Description

You are required to submit a formal descriptive essay (i.e., written paper) on linguistic characteristics in relation to one of the four topics outlined below.  The main goal of your essay is to persuade readers of a particular position or perspective (i.e., your thesis statement) using scholarly evidence to support your reasoning. 

 

Essay topic choices:

  • Assessing the language capabilities of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples (choose to focus on either children or adults)
  • Assessing the language capabilities of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse individuals (choose to focus on children or adults)
  • Language difference versus language disorder in children who are multilingual
  • Language differences based on gender

This is a must-pass assessment task. You must achieve a minimum pass grade of 50% (20/40) to pass this assessment and meet requirements of the unit.

 

The full task description including a detailed rubric will be provided on Moodle.


Assessment Due Date

Week 12 Friday (4 Oct 2024) 9:00 am AEST

Your essay needs to be submitted via Moodle.


Return Date to Students

Exam Week Friday (18 Oct 2024)

Your essay will be graded and returned to you within 2 weeks of submission.


Weighting
40%

Minimum mark or grade
This is a must-pass assessment task. Students must receive a minimum pass grade of 50% (20/40) to pass.

Assessment Criteria

Your essay will be graded according to two criteria:

 

1. The first criterion focuses on the content of the written essay in relation to linguistic characteristics, including:

  • The strength of the thesis statement and the context of the introductory paragraph
  • The strength of the claims/ideas used to support your thesis statement in the body paragraphs
  • The ability to analyse and integrate quality information to form a comprehensive and cohesive argument

This criterion is worth 60% of the written assessment grade.

 

2. The second criterion focuses on academic writing style and conventions including:

  • The overall structure of the essay (e.g., sequencing of ideas across and within the paragraphs of the essay)
  • The application of learned class information related to language content (e.g., word choice), form (e.g., syntax, proper use of morphemes such as plural versus possessive ‘s’; proper use of verb tense), and use (e.g., coherence and cohesion in narrative text).
  • The application of APA 7 formatting and referencing

This criterion is worth 40% of the written assessment grade.


Referencing Style

Submission
Online

Submission Instructions
Assessment must be uploaded to Moodle by the due date/time.

assessmentOutcome
  • Integrate a variety of evidence-based sources to support a claim related to language learning or diversity
  • Cohesively and coherently communicate ideas using academic writing conventions


assessmentGradAttribute

Academic Integrity Statement

As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.

Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.

When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.

Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.

As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.

What is a breach of academic integrity?

A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.

Why is academic integrity important?

A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.

Where can I get assistance?

For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.

What can you do to act with integrity?