Professor Ilana Mushin
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2025 (24/02/2025 - 21/06/2025)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Languages & Cultures School
Introduction to basic concepts in modern linguistics relating to sentence structure and how meaning is encoded. No previous knowledge is assumed.
This course introduces students to Linguistics, which is the study of human language as an aspect of human cognition and social organisation. Despite enormous diversity across languages of the world, there are also features common to all languages. Linguists are interested in discovering the universal features of human languages, as well as accounting for variability across the world's languages. In LING1000 we focus especially on words and sentences: How can we describe their structure? How can we study their meaning and use? How do words and sentences change over time? How do children acquire the structure of their native language(s)? How does learning the structure of a second language differ from this? How do we study variation in the use and structure of words and sentences? How does the study of words and sentences help us understand the universal and variable features of human language?
Course requirements
Assumed background
No background knowledge of linguistics is assumed. Ability to speak at least one language natively and an open mind are highly recommended.
Course staff
Course coordinator
Lecturer
Professor Ilana Mushin
Dr Kathleen Jepson
Dr Janet Watts
Dr Alexandra Trueman
Mr Geoff Hall
Mr Nicholas Hugman
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
Tutorials will begin in Week 2.
Public holidays:
Alternative arrangements for affected students will be announced through the Blackboard site.
Class allocation:
In order to optimise the student experience, it may be necessary to reallocate students to a different class from their first choice. Before this happens, every effort will be made to enable students to voluntarily change into an alternative class that is suitable. Please note: Teaching staff do not have access to the timetabling system to help with class allocation. Therefore, should you need
help with your timetable and/or allocation of classes, please ensure you email hass.mytimetable@uq.edu.au from your UQ student email account with the following details:
- Full name,
- Student ID, and
- the Course Code
Additional information and support can be found here.
Aims and outcomes
The aim of this course is to introduce students to the discipline of Linguistics by covering basic concepts and issues to do with structure, meaning and use of words and sentences, language variation, language acquisition and language change.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Demonstrate a well-founded understanding of linguistics as a discipline and how it relates to and differs from other disciplines.
LO2.
Recognise elements of words, sentences and meaning which are common to all human languages as well as the ways in which languages may differ.
LO3.
Understand how people use words and sentences for social purposes, how they change over time, and how children acquire them.
LO4.
Engage in hypothesis testing, critical assessment of evidence and evaluation of modes of argumentation as applied to the analysis of words and sentences.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tutorial/ Problem Set |
Assessment 1 via Inspera
|
15% |
17/03/2025 - 18/03/2025
Assessment 1 will become available to students on Monday 17th March at 2:00pm and must be submitted by Tuesday 18th March at 5:00pm. Once you have begun the assessment, you will have 30 minutes in total to complete it, so you must begin by at least 4:30pm on 18th March. |
| Tutorial/ Problem Set |
Assessment 2 via download and TurnItIn
|
30% |
14/04/2025 - 17/04/2025
Assessment 2 covers material from weeks 4-6. It will be available from 9:00am on Monday 14th April and will be due for submission by 12:00pm on Thursday 17th April (i.e. prior to the week 8 lecture). |
| Tutorial/ Problem Set |
Assessment 3 via Inspera
|
15% |
12/05/2025 - 13/05/2025
Assessment 3 will become available to students on Monday 12th May at 2:00pm, and must be submitted by Tuesday 13th May at 5:00pm. Once you have begun the assessment, you will have 30 minutes in total to complete it, so you must begin by at least 4:30pm on 13th May. |
| Examination |
Final assessment
|
40% |
End of Semester Exam Period 7/06/2025 - 21/06/2025 |
A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.
Assessment details
Assessment 1 via Inspera
- Hurdle
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Tutorial/ Problem Set
- Weight
- 15%
- Due date
17/03/2025 - 18/03/2025
Assessment 1 will become available to students on Monday 17th March at 2:00pm and must be submitted by Tuesday 18th March at 5:00pm. Once you have begun the assessment, you will have 30 minutes in total to complete it, so you must begin by at least 4:30pm on 18th March.
- Other conditions
- Time limited.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L04
Task description
The Inspera worksheet will consist of multiple choice, multiple answer, drag-and-drop, and other simple format questions covering the material from the first three weeks of the course. The worksheet will become available on Monday March 17th at 2:00pm and will be due by 5:00pm on Tuesday March 18th, but must be submitted within a half hour's time once started. That is, you must start the worksheet by 4:30pm in order to have a full half hour of work time and not be marked late. You have 20 minutes to complete the worksheet, plus an extra 10 minutes leeway for technical difficulties, meaning you have 30 minutes in total.
STATEMENT ON AI & MT
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Hurdle requirements
This assessment must be attempted in order to receive a 4 or higher in this course.Submission guidelines
Via Inspera platform.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Assessment to be completed over a two day period. This maximum extension length will allow for provision of timely feedback and students' suitable progression with their sequence of learning and preparation for the following assessment submission.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Assessment 2 via download and TurnItIn
- Hurdle
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Tutorial/ Problem Set
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
14/04/2025 - 17/04/2025
Assessment 2 covers material from weeks 4-6. It will be available from 9:00am on Monday 14th April and will be due for submission by 12:00pm on Thursday 17th April (i.e. prior to the week 8 lecture).
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L04
Task description
This assessment item must be downloaded from Blackboard, and completed assignments must be uploaded to TurnItIn.
This problem set focuses on weeks 4-6 , and will consist mainly of problems related to syntactic trees.
STATEMENT ON AI & MT
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Hurdle requirements
This assessment must be attempted in order to receive a 4 or higher in this course.Submission guidelines
Submit through TurnItIn.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
This maximum extension length will allow for provision of timely feedback and students' suitable progression with their sequence of learning and preparation for the following assessment submission.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Assessment 3 via Inspera
- Hurdle
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Tutorial/ Problem Set
- Weight
- 15%
- Due date
12/05/2025 - 13/05/2025
Assessment 3 will become available to students on Monday 12th May at 2:00pm, and must be submitted by Tuesday 13th May at 5:00pm. Once you have begun the assessment, you will have 30 minutes in total to complete it, so you must begin by at least 4:30pm on 13th May.
- Other conditions
- Time limited.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04
Task description
The Inspera worksheet will consist of multiple choice, multiple answer, drag-and-drop, and other simple format questions covering the material from weeks 8, 9 and 10 of the course. The worksheet will be available until 5pm on Tuesday 13th May, but must be submitted within a half hour's time once started. That is, you must start the worksheet by 4:30pm in order to have a full half hour of work time and not be marked late. You have 20 minutes to complete the worksheet, plus an extra 10 minutes leeway for technical difficulties, meaning you have 30 minutes in total.
STATEMENT ON AI & MT
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Hurdle requirements
This assessment must be attempted in order to receive a 4 or higher in this course.Submission guidelines
Via Inspera platform.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Assessment to be completed over a two day period. This maximum extension length will allow for provision of timely feedback and students' suitable progression with their sequence of learning and preparation for the following assessment submission.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Final assessment
- Hurdle
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Examination
- Weight
- 40%
- Due date
End of Semester Exam Period
7/06/2025 - 21/06/2025
- Other conditions
- Time limited.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04
Task description
This is a centrally-administered examination scheduled during the examination period at the end of semester.
The final assessment will focus on material from weeks 11, 12 and 13. However, it will also cover material from the rest of the course (weeks 1-10).
All material in lectures, lecture slides, worksheets, self-paced EdX activities, and tutorials may potentially be included on assessment items.
STATEMENT ON AI & MT
This assessment task is to be completed in-person. The use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT) tools will not be permitted. Any attempted use of AI or MT may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Hurdle requirements
This assessment must be attempted in order to receive a 4 or higher in this course.Exam details
| Planning time | 10 minutes |
|---|---|
| Duration | 60 minutes |
| Calculator options | No calculators permitted |
| Open/closed book | Closed Book examination - no written materials permitted |
| Exam platform | Paper based |
| Invigilation | Invigilated in person |
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0 - 24 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 2 (Fail) | 25 - 44 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 45 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
Additional course grading information
Marking criteria and/or marking rubrics are available in the ‘Assessment’ folder in Blackboard for this course.
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
Additional information about learning resources can be found on the Edx site for this course.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Week 1 (24 Feb - 02 Mar) |
Lecture |
Language and communication Lecture and self-paced Edx activities Learning outcomes: L01, L02 |
Week 2 (03 Mar - 09 Mar) |
Lecture |
Word classes Lecture, tutorial and self-paced Edx activities Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04 |
Week 3 (10 Mar - 16 Mar) |
Lecture |
Morphemes Lecture, tutorial and self-paced Edx activities Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04 |
Week 4 (17 Mar - 23 Mar) |
Lecture |
Constituency Lecture, tutorial and self-paced Edx activities. Assessment 1 is due this week. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04 |
Week 5 (24 Mar - 30 Mar) |
Lecture |
Phrases and Clauses Lecture, tutorial and self-paced Edx activities Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L04 |
Week 6 (31 Mar - 06 Apr) |
Lecture |
Clause Types and Functions Lecture, tutorial and self-paced Edx activities Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04 |
Week 7 (07 Apr - 13 Apr) |
Lecture |
Pragmatics Lecture and tutorial Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L04 |
Week 8 (14 Apr - 20 Apr) |
Problem-based learning |
No Classes (lectures or tutorials) Assessment 2 is due this week. Learning outcomes: L02, L04 |
Week 9 (28 Apr - 04 May) |
Lecture |
Semantics Lecture, tutorial and self-paced Edx activities Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Week 10 (05 May - 11 May) |
Lecture |
Language change Lecture, tutorial and self-paced Edx activities Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Week 11 (12 May - 18 May) |
Lecture |
Language varieties and variation Lecture, tutorial and self-paced Edx activities Assignment 3 is due this week. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Week 12 (19 May - 25 May) |
Lecture |
Week 12: First language acquisition Lecture, tutorial and self-paced Edx activities Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Week 13 (26 May - 01 Jun) |
Lecture |
Week 13: Second language learning Lecture, tutorial and self-paced Edx activities Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.