Information on writing assignments and referencing can be found in A Guide to Academic Writing in Linguistics. Housed in the historic Drostdy Barracks, the department is affiliated with the School of Languages and Literatures, the Department of Literary Studies in English, the Institute for the Study of African Englishes, the South African English Dictionary Unit and Amazwi. South African Literature Museum. The Guide to Academic Writing in Linguistics is an important handbook that explains our expectations of academic writing.
In the Rhodes University Linguistics courses we aim to provide an explicit South African focus and to use local languages and texts for exemplification. The program in Linguistics is designed to meet the needs of anyone involved in language and communication. Its task can be broadly defined as the exploration of language in its changing context in the light of contemporary language theory.
Our students have gone on to develop careers in the following fields and many more. Our staff have worked tirelessly to develop a world-class linguistics curriculum that places the student learning experience at the center and is committed to asynchronous learning and sensitive to the unique needs of students learning in the South African context.
GENERAL ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES
If you delay it for too long, it will be difficult to catch up: make use of the catch-up options built into the system. Make it social: Make sure you have someone you can talk to about problems and issues. This could be a study buddy, a friend, a family member, a study advisor or even a mental health professional.
Be equipped: Make sure you are properly equipped with a computer that can access the Internet, read PDFs, play audio files, etc. Although almost all learning materials can be used with a smartphone, it will be easier if you can view complex material on a larger screen and it will be easier to type your assignments etc. Stay connected: Make sure you have a suitable data plan in place (eg mobile, wireless or broadband data plan) that is suitable for your studies.
Depending on the module, each Linguistics 1 module is calculated to use from 500Mb at a cost of approximately R27.
STAFF-STUDENT LIAISON
DULY PERFORMED CERTIFICATES
It is your responsibility to contact the Department Administrator and complete a Leave of Absence (LOA) if you miss any assessment. Due to the many deadlines for submission of assignments, it is better to submit the assignment. The LOA should be submitted preferably within 1 week of the missed deadline and no later than the last day of instruction in the term (ie before the exam/grading period begins).
Assignments submitted after the deadline without prior permission will be penalized at a rate of 10% per day. Late submissions after the final date for submission of marks at the end of each semester will not be accepted, regardless of the reasons provided: in this case you must have either been granted an LOA or received a 0% . It is each student's responsibility to ensure that their marks on ROSS accurately reflect their assessment marks.
Please contact the teacher responsible for teaching the module as soon as the grades are published on ROSS. After the deadline for submitting grades to the Registrar Department, no grade changes will be made.
A WARNING ABOUT PLAGIARISM
Category A offenses are usually minor, first-time offences, for which the module lecturer may impose a point penalty of up to 50%. Category B offenses are more serious offences, such as second offenses or copying entire assignments. When evidence of this type of violation is found, the department's plagiarism committee meets to make a decision on disciplinary action, which may include assigning a grade of 0 to an assignment, or withdrawing the student's DP.
Category C offenses are extremely serious offenses, usually by third-year students or above, that can result in expulsion or some other harsh punishment. I recognize that plagiarism is academic theft and is wrong regardless of the presence or absence of a statement of plagiarism. Plagiarism occurs when people use another person's ideas, words, or intellectual property without properly referencing them.
I recognize that although it is acceptable (and even encouraged) to work together with other students (eg in a study group or in a tutorial), each student should write their own assignment and use their own words . I am aware that this assignment constitutes the work product of the Linguistics department and may be stored and used for auditing, educational and/or research purposes. However, in terms of the aforementioned policy, using even one sentence without full acknowledgment, as described below, constitutes plagiarism and is not acceptable.
As a student, you are trained to understand and adhere to the highest standards of ethics and integrity when writing essays and reports. It also includes Linguistics 1 for Education, a stream tailored to the needs of BEd (Foundation Phase) students. The course is designed to take into account the needs of students dealing with broader issues of language and communication.
It is also recognized as a teaching credit for post-Foundation Phase education if taken in combination with one course in the Department of Literature in English.
RUCONNECTED
It can be taken as an independent unit or (in the Faculties of Humanities, Commerce and Natural Sciences) as the first credit in a three-year major in Linguistics.
SLACK: AN ONLINE TEACHING AND DISCUSSION FORUM
Do not use your Gmail or any other email address as you will not be able to access our resources. Once you've signed up, you'll need to access the Linguistics 1 resources on the following page: rulinguistics1.slack.com.
DESCRIPTIONS OF LINGUISTICS 1 MODULES
The aim of this module is to deepen students' knowledge of some key concepts in formal linguistics (i.e. phonology, morphology and syntax) through the lens of African languages. This module equips students to analyze texts in the media in order to uncover the ideologies they encode.
PROGRAMME OUTLINE FOR LINGUISTICS 1
CLASS MEETINGS
You are encouraged to engage with the instructor during the Slack interaction, but because of our commitment to asynchronous learning, you can engage at any time during the week. We encourage you to log in during the day, but because of our commitment to asynchronous learning, you can engage at any time during the week. Success in the course depends on serious engagement with lectures, prescribed manuals (these are provided by the department), participation in class discussions, and completion of written assignments, tests, and other assessments.
ASSESSMENT DATES AND DEADLINES
DP REQUIREMENTS
CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS PRIZE
FOR EDUCATION
DESCRIPTIONS OF LINGUISTICS 2 MODULES
The aim of this module is to offer students the opportunity to explore the connections between the central subfields of linguistics – phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics – and to examine how rules that apply in one domain depend on rules that apply in another domain. It is often the case that these fields are studied independently of each other, giving the impression that they may indeed be independent. We hope that by the end of this module, some of the connections that exist between the different areas will have become apparent.
This is a practical module which presupposes that the student possesses an introductory knowledge of linguistics and basic terminology in the relevant subfields. This module will be an opportunity for students to make connections between language knowledge and knowledge gained through service in the Makhanda community at a local school. This module aims to increase your understanding of language acquisition, particularly second language acquisition and language learning.
This module takes a closer look at the grammatical aspects of the Systemic Functional language model, introduced in the module Language in the media in the first year.
PROGRAMME OUTLINE FOR LINGUISTICS 2
DP stands for "duly performed" and refers to the amount of work each student must complete before being allowed to write exams. Subminimum: Students who obtain a mark of less than 35% for the assessments of the first semester must deregister for the course unit.
THE VIVIAN DE KLERK PRIZE
COURSE COORDINATOR
COMBINED ENGLISH STUDIES 2
For 2021, students should expect each module to have 1 or 2 recorded video and/or audio lectures for each module and 1 or 2 Zoom meetings, chats or other activities for each module.
RUCONNECTED AND ONLINE LEARNING
DESCRIPTIONS OF LINGUISTICS 3 MODULES
This module introduces students to the rich and interesting linguistics of sign languages and explores the similarities and differences between them and spoken languages. This module will be an opportunity for students to make connections between language skills and insights gained through service in the Makhanda community at a local school, and to apply their language skills in a real-world context. This module introduces you to issues of linguistic theory and typology at a higher level than those covered in previous years.
This module introduces you to the rapidly developing field of literacy linguistics, with a particular focus on written language processing. This module introduces you to the phenomenon of code-switching within the South African context and in relation to urbanization. Another aspect of this module involves the investigation of pidgins and creoles, particularly the circumstances in which they arise and develop.
PROGRAMME OUTLINE FOR LINGUISTICS 3
THE BRANFORD PRIZE
COMBINED ENGLISH STUDIES 3
POSTGRADUATE PROGRAMME
COMPULSORY MODULES
ELECTIVES
In addition, the students will prepare a research report on a subject to be mutually negotiated, taking into account the research and/or teaching interests of the department, e.g. For more information on the specific entry requirements for each postgraduate course, module descriptions, etc., please refer to the postgraduate handbook, available online at this link, or contact the postgraduate coordinators, Kelly Kilian (k.kilian@ru.ac.za) and Dr. Will Bennett (w.bennett@ru.ac.za).
PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION
PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION FOR ACCOUNTANTS
