Dr Valeria Sinkeviciute
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2026 (23/02/2026 - 20/06/2026)
- Study level
- Postgraduate Coursework
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Languages & Cultures School
SLAT7705 is an introductory course to the structure and uses of language. The course will develop familiarity with basic aspects of language as a code, including phonetics and phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics and the history of language development. There is a strong emphasis on applying the conceptual knowledge to real world language data. The data used will be primarily from English, but will also include other languages of the world.
Course requirements
Assumed background
This course assumes no previous knowledge of linguistics.
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
LING1000
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
The purpose of SLAT7705 is to cover the basic concepts in phonetics (speech sounds), phonology (sound structure), morphology (word structure), syntax (sentence structure), semantics (meaning) and pragmatics (meaning in discourse) as well as other areas of language study in order to better understand the role these elements play in language knowledge and use.
Examples and data analysed in the course come from various languages, including Australian Indigenous languages.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
critically reflect on the basic structures and functions of language
LO2.
apply knowledge of language to authentic linguistic data and issues
LO3.
critically review the relevant literature
LO4.
carry out a small-scale project regarding language change
LO5.
effectively communicate the understanding of the aspects of language structure, both in writing and verbally
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notebook/ Logbook |
Pre-seminar booklets
|
15% |
3/03/2026 - 19/05/2026
Due at 1 pm on Tuesdays (Weeks 2-5, 7-10 & 12) |
| Examination |
Exam 1 (Weeks 2-5)
|
30% |
1/04/2026
WEEK 6 |
| Examination |
Exam 2 (Weeks 7-10)
|
30% |
13/05/2026
WEEK 11 |
| Presentation, Project |
Language change project vodcast
|
25% |
9/06/2026 5:00 pm
End of Semester EXAM WEEK 1 |
Assessment details
Pre-seminar booklets
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Notebook/ Logbook
- Weight
- 15%
- Due date
3/03/2026 - 19/05/2026
Due at 1 pm on Tuesdays (Weeks 2-5, 7-10 & 12)
- Learning outcomes
- L02
Task description
In Weeks 2-5, 7-10 and 12, you will have pre-seminar activities to do before coming to class.
The activities will be discussed in the seminar based on the students' submissions to clarify mistakes and doubts. In total, there will be 9 booklet submissions during the semester.
Due date: Booklets need to be submitted via Blackboard by 1 pm on Tuesdays.
Marking is based on how much students have engaged with the activities, showing their work with the online materials and readings, not the correct answers.
Each booklet will be marked as follows:
1 mark - activities are done with thorough explanation provided, which shows the excellent engagement with and understanding of the online materials and readings
0.5 marks - answers are provided but only with some explanation of how it was done, which shows some engagement with and understanding of the online materials and readings
0 marks - only answers are provided with no or very limited explanation, which shows no to very limited engagement with and understanding of the online materials and readings
! Importantly, booklet submission is not linked to the seminar attendance, i.e. students can submit their booklet prior to the seminar, even if they cannot attend the seminar, e.g. because of illness.
Generative AI & MT Statement
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI and/or MT technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI and MT tools.
Submission guidelines
Via Blackboard link
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
No extensions are available for this assessment item. Students will have access to the booklet on a weekly basis and will have 6 days to complete it prior to the submission deadline. Each week after the submission deadline, students’ answers will be discussed in class. As such, this task is designed to support weekly student engagement with course content and support the sequential and progressive nature of their learning.
Exam 1 (Weeks 2-5)
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Examination
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
1/04/2026
WEEK 6
- Other conditions
- Secure.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L05
Task description
This is an in-class exam held during the Week 6 seminar.
The exam will be done on paper.
Duration: 90 minutes (+ 10 minutes planning time).
The problem set assesses understanding of the concepts and terms introduced in Weeks 2-5. It will be a combination of:
- multiple-choice answers,
- short answers and
- the practical application of the material to new linguistic datasets.
You will need up to 90 minutes to complete all the tasks. There will be no time to look for the answers.
You are allowed to use the course materials (coursebook, seminar slides and your notes), but that does NOT mean that you are allowed to copy-paste your answers from the slides or any sources. If you do, you will receive 0 marks for those questions, as that will not show your understanding of the course content, and it might be considered plagiarism leading to the consequences outlined in the UQ academic integrity policy.
Generative AI & MT Statement
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.
Exam details
| Planning time | 10 minutes |
|---|---|
| Duration | 90 minutes |
| Calculator options | No calculators permitted |
| Open/closed book | Closed book examination - specified written materials permitted |
| Materials | You are only allowed to use the course material (coursebook, seminar slides, booklets and your notes on them), but that does NOT mean that you are allowed to copy-paste your answers from the slides or any sources. |
| Exam platform | Paper based |
| Invigilation | Invigilated in person |
Submission guidelines
This is an in-person, paper-based assessment task.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
Exam 2 (Weeks 7-10)
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Examination
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
13/05/2026
WEEK 11
- Other conditions
- Secure.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L05
Task description
This is an in-class exam held during the Week 11 seminar.
The exam will be done on paper.
Duration: 90 minutes (+ 10 minutes planning time).
The problem set assesses understanding of the concepts and terms introduced in Weeks 7-10. It will be a combination of
- multiple-choice answers,
- short answers and
- the practical application of the material to new linguistic datasets.
You will need up to 90 minutes to complete all the tasks. There will be no time to look for the answers.
You are allowed to use the course materials (coursebook, seminar slides and your notes), but that does NOT mean that you are allowed to copy-paste your answers from the slides or any sources. If you do, you will receive 0 marks for those questions, as that will not show your understanding of the course content, and it might be considered plagiarism leading to the consequences outlined in the UQ academic integrity policy.
Generative AI & MT Statement
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.
Exam details
| Planning time | 10 minutes |
|---|---|
| Duration | 90 minutes |
| Calculator options | No calculators permitted |
| Open/closed book | Closed book examination - specified written materials permitted |
| Materials | You are only allowed to use the course material (coursebook, seminar slides, booklets and your notes on them), but that does NOT mean that you are allowed to copy-paste your answers from the slides or any sources. |
| Exam platform | Paper based |
| Invigilation | Invigilated in person |
Submission guidelines
This is an in-person, paper-based assessment task.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
Language change project vodcast
- Online
- Mode
- Oral
- Category
- Presentation, Project
- Weight
- 25%
- Due date
9/06/2026 5:00 pm
End of Semester EXAM WEEK 1
- Other conditions
- Student specific.
- Learning outcomes
- L03, L04, L05
Task description
Format: Video podcast (your face must be visible)
Length: 10-12 minutes
You will need to carry out a small-scale project on language change and present it in a form of a video podcast.
The aims of this project are to:
- Discuss research on a selected topic from a historical perspective;
- Present and compare the historical data with the present-day data research.
The project includes 2 steps:
1. Research on historical data: You will be provided with a list of readings and will need to choose one as your project's key reading. You will make a choice in the Week 7 seminar on a first-come, first-served basis (through a live document).
2. Research on present-day data: Once you know your topic (based on the reading in (1)), you will need to find a reading that deals with the same topic in the present-day language use. The data discussed in the publication can come from any language.
Generative AI & MT Statement
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI and/or MT technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI and MT tools.
Submission guidelines
Submit online via Blackboard link.
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. Course grade description: Does not show understanding of the structure of language |
| 2 (Fail) | 25 - 44 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Shows minimal understanding of the structure of language |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 45 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: Shows limited understanding of the structure of language |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Shows functional understanding of the structure of language |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Shows proficient understanding of the structure of language |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Shows advanced understanding of the structure of language |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Shows exceptional understanding of the structure of language |
Additional course grading information
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
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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 13 |
Seminar |
Seminar Learning outcomes: L01, L02 |
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 for Students Policy and Procedure
- AI for Assessment Guide
- Recording of Teaching Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.