Associate Professor Rob Pensalfini
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2024 (22/07/2024 - 18/11/2024)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Languages & Cultures School
This course examines one Australian Aboriginal language in some detail, comparing it with other Australian languages and with English. Topics include the phonology and grammar, the way meaning is encoded, socio-linguistic variation and linguistic behaviour, language change, working with language speakers and historical documents. Both spoken and written language sources are studied.
This course may be cancelled if there are fewer than 20 enrolments.
This course will introduce students to First Nations languages by focussing on a particular language which in 2024 will be the Jingulu language of northern Australia. The course will be a staged reading of A Grammar of Jingulu (Pensalfini 2003) using Jingulu Texts and Dictionary (Pensalfini 2011) as an additional resource. We will be examining general issues in the description of First Nations languages as well as those specific to the Jingulu language, using a corpus of primary materials including recordings, transcriptions of texts and elicitation sessions.
Course requirements
Assumed background
This course is pitched at students who have completed the obligatory introductory linguistics courses and who have also completed LING2040 Morphology or are undertaking it in parallel. Knowledge of basic linguistic terms and concepts will be assumed, but no previous knowledge of Australian languages is assumed.
Prerequisites
You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:
LING1000 + LING1005 and two advanced (second or third) level courses listed in the Major/Double Major in Linguistics
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
LING2025
Course staff
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
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
a. Investigate the structure of one First Nations language in some depth.
b. Develop language analysis skills through the study of language data which can be applied to the examination of any language.
c. Learn how to compare languages with neighbouring and related languages.
d. Explore links between culture and language.
e. Extend knowledge of linguistic systems.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Know how to read and interpret descriptive grammars to gain an understanding of the language.
LO2.
Understand links between language and culture as exemplified in the data.
LO3.
Engage with both primary and secondary language materials.
LO4.
Understand the principles and challenges of undertaking grammatical description from primary language materials.
LO5.
Extend your knowledge to the understanding of other languages.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tutorial/ Problem Set |
Assignment 1: History, Kinship, Phonology
|
20% |
29/08/2024 5:00 pm
Submission via Turnitin. |
| Tutorial/ Problem Set |
Assignment 2: Morphology and Parts of Speech
|
20% |
3/10/2024 5:00 pm
Submission via Turnitin. |
| Tutorial/ Problem Set |
Assignment 3: Syntax
|
20% |
17/10/2024 5:00 pm
Submission via Turnitin. |
| Essay/ Critique |
Major Assignment
|
40% |
4/11/2024 5:00 pm
Submission via Turnitin. |
Assessment details
Assignment 1: History, Kinship, Phonology
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Tutorial/ Problem Set
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
29/08/2024 5:00 pm
Submission via Turnitin.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05
Task description
This assignment includes a number of problems on features of Jingulu sociolinguistics and phonology. It consists of short answer questions and problems, which students complete outside of class time and submit in class. Student can complete the assignment at any time, but may wish to wait until the week before it is due, as all the necessary topics will have been covered by then.
Statement on Generative 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.
Submission guidelines
The assignment to be uploaded via 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.
Answers to the assignment will be discussed in class 7 days after the due date. Therefore submission after this time is not possible.
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.
Assignment 2: Morphology and Parts of Speech
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Tutorial/ Problem Set
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
3/10/2024 5:00 pm
Submission via Turnitin.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L03, L05
Task description
This assignment includes problems in Jingulu morphology. It consists of short answer questions and problems, which students complete outside of class time and submit in class. Student can complete the assignment at any time, but may wish to wait until the week before it is due, as all the necessary topics will have been covered by then.
Statement on Generative 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.
Submission guidelines
The assignment to be uploaded via 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.
Answers to the assignment will be discussed in class 7 days after the due date. Therefore submission after this time is not possible.
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.
Assignment 3: Syntax
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Tutorial/ Problem Set
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
17/10/2024 5:00 pm
Submission via Turnitin.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L03, L05
Task description
Problems to be solved on Jingulu syntax. It consists of short answer questions and problems, which students complete outside of class time and submit in class. Student can complete the assignment at any time, but may wish to wait until the week before it is due, as all the necessary topics will have been covered by then.
Statement on Generative 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.
Submission guidelines
The assignment to be uploaded via 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.
Answers to the assignment will be discussed in class 7 days after the due date. Therefore submission after this time is not possible.
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.
Major Assignment
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Essay/ Critique
- Weight
- 40%
- Due date
4/11/2024 5:00 pm
Submission via Turnitin.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05
Task description
The assignment will be a 3000-word essay where students choose a topic from Jingulu grammar and put it in the context of other Australian languages. Topics and reading lists will be provided to students.
Statement on Generative 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.
Submission guidelines
The assignment to be uploaded via TurnItIn.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
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.
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.
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 |
|---|---|---|
Multiple weeks From Week 1 To Week 2 |
Not Timetabled |
NO CLASSES in week 1 or 2 During the first two weeks of semester, students should read A Grammar of Jingulu, which will be provided to them at the start of semester, noting any sections they do not understand or about which they wish to go into more detail. Do not be alarmed if you struggle to understand parts of this grammar, as we will be working through it in class. |
Week 3 (05 Aug - 11 Aug) |
General contact hours |
Introduction to History and Kinship Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L05 |
General contact hours |
Kinship exercise Learning outcomes: L02, L05 |
|
Week 4 (12 Aug - 18 Aug) |
General contact hours |
Phonology - overview of phonology Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L04, L05 |
General contact hours |
Transcription exercise Learning outcomes: L03, L04 |
|
Week 5 (19 Aug - 25 Aug) |
General contact hours |
Issues in Jingulu Phonology Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L04, L05 |
General contact hours |
Practice and questions in Phonology Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L04, L05 |
|
Week 6 (26 Aug - 01 Sep) |
General contact hours |
Parts of Speech Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L04, L05 |
General contact hours |
Practice exercises and discussion Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L04, L05 |
|
Week 7 (02 Sep - 08 Sep) |
General contact hours |
Nominals Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L05 |
General contact hours |
Discussion of Assignment 1 Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L04 |
|
Week 8 (09 Sep - 15 Sep) |
General contact hours |
Structure of the verbal system Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L05 |
General contact hours |
Practice exercises and discussion Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L04 |
|
Week 9 (16 Sep - 22 Sep) |
General contact hours |
Verbal inflection Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L05 |
General contact hours |
Practice exercises and discussion Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L04 |
|
Week 10 (30 Sep - 06 Oct) |
General contact hours |
Optionality and morphological hierarchies Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
General contact hours |
Practice exercises and discussion Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L04 |
|
Week 11 (07 Oct - 13 Oct) |
General contact hours |
Syntax - nonconfigurationality Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L05 |
General contact hours |
Discussion of Assignment 2 Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L04, L05 |
|
Week 12 (14 Oct - 20 Oct) |
General contact hours |
Syntax - subordination and non-verbal predication Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L05 |
General contact hours |
Practice exercises and discussion Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L04 |
|
Week 13 (21 Oct - 27 Oct) |
General contact hours |
Lexicography, Texts, and Data collection Learning outcomes: L02, L03 |
General contact hours |
Discussion of Assignment 3 Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L05 |
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.