Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
The course will initiate students to the descriptive study of modern languages within the context of their family; it will also consolidate and advance their understanding of the principles of language change.
On successful completion of this course, students should:
- be familiar with the grammatical structures of the adopted language (Hiw);
- be familiar with the typological profile of Oceanic languages, in domains such as phonology, morphology, syntax, semantic structures;
- be able to situate the historical development of Oceanic languages within the broader history of the Asia-Pacific region;
- be able to analyse raw linguistic data (whether from the language of reference or from other languages), and articulate analytical hypotheses in both synchronic and diachronic perspectives.
Other Information
This is an advanced linguistic course focusing on the Austronesian (AN) language family, with a particular focus on its Oceanic subgroup. Austronesian is the world's largest language family in terms of geographical spread, spanning more than half the globe: from Madagascar to Easter Island, and from Taiwan to New Zealand. This vast and diverse language family is also one of the best documented. It includes both major world languages with millions of speakers, like Indonesian and Tagalog, and tiny Oceanic languages spoken on a remote island with only a couple of hundred speakers. During the course students will learn about features of the grammars of selected languages of the family; comparative phonology, morphology, syntax, vocabulary; reconstruction of aspects of the proto-language; language change and cultural history; and recent developments and current typological and theoretical issues in Austronesian linguistics.
This is a co-taught course. Any cap on enrolments in one course applies to both courses combined.
Indicative Assessment
1. Two problem-sets illustrating linguistic analyses to concrete data
(20%, LOs 1,4), with 1-2 pages of data calling for 2-3 pages of
analysis.
2. A short critical summary of 1000 words of a journal
article, which addresses a significant issue in Austronesian linguistics
(15%; LOs 1, 2,3).
3. A 20 minute oral presentation on a selected topic, possibly developed to become a research essay topic (10%; LOs 2,3,5, 6,7).
4. Attendance and participation in class discussions (5%; LOs 6).
5.
A research essay, 2000-2500 words, which can either be an original
investigation and analysis of some aspect of an Austronesian language,
or a comparative study of a particular property across Austronesian
languages (50%, including 20% draft, 5% peer-review report, and 25%
final revised version; LOs 1,2,3,4,5,6,7). Graduate students attend joint classes with undergraduates but may
expect more rigorous assessment and additional assignment work, tailored
to the student's interests.
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
32 contact hours (lectures/tutorials) over the course of the semester.
Requisite and Incompatibility
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 1
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2021 | $3630 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2021 | $5580 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.