English Linguistics Matter (Optional)

Linguistics is a unique science dealing with various language and communication-related questions. It cuts across many other disciplines like psychology, education, history, philosophy, neurology and anthropology and sociology. Similar to any other science, it can help to solve concrete practical tasks like the best ways to teach children to read or computational problems. Study of linguistics also contributes to theory which helps us understand how we think, how our culture evolves and changes and how we can best use language to achieve what we want. Many people who enjoy English don’t necessarily love analysing text but they do appreciate and love the ‘music’ of language; the patterns, the intricacy. People who are drawn to linguistics seem to intuitively see the ‘miracle’ of it and how essential it is to our humanity. The study of language is the study of something beautifully human; something so stupendously impressive yet so familiar and common at the same time. In Linguistics, no matter how deeply debated a question remains, the fact will always stand that which we model and debate over, is what allows us to model and debate in the first place. Language is such an important part of humanity that to study it is to take a step towards understanding what it means to be a human; a normal, boring, wonderful and unique human.

TOPICS: • Language and languages • Speech vs. writing • Approaches to language: descriptive vs. prescriptive • Grammar and its parts • Arbitrariness

KEY SKILLS: Identification, observation and analysis of the following subsystems of language: • Syntax, Morphology, Phonology, Semantics and Discourse, Lexicology. • Application of linguistic theory to field data.

ASSESSMENT: • Research reports: analysing the evolution of English language, and how children acquire their language. • Investigation into the cultural impact of language choices. • Semester exam.