Universität Wien

141057 PS Language Diversity in Africa (2024S)

4.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 14 - Orientalistik, Afrikanistik, Indologie und Tibetologie
Continuous assessment of course work
Moodle

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 20 participants
Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

There is a lecture every Monday. The lecture sessions will include structured individual activities, structured group activities, and group discussions.

  • Monday 04.03. 11:00 - 13:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 4 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-10
  • Monday 11.03. 11:00 - 13:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 4 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-10
  • Monday 18.03. 11:00 - 13:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 4 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-10
  • Monday 08.04. 11:00 - 13:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 4 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-10
  • Monday 15.04. 11:00 - 13:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 4 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-10
  • Monday 22.04. 11:00 - 13:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 4 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-10
  • Monday 29.04. 11:00 - 13:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 4 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-10
  • Monday 06.05. 11:00 - 13:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 4 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-10
  • Monday 13.05. 11:00 - 13:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 4 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-10
  • Monday 27.05. 11:00 - 13:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 4 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-10
  • Monday 03.06. 11:00 - 13:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 4 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-10
  • Monday 10.06. 11:00 - 13:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 4 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-10
  • Monday 17.06. 11:00 - 13:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 4 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-10
  • Monday 24.06. 11:00 - 13:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 4 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-10

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

Course Description:
With approximately 7000 languages currently spoken in the world, what do they have in common? In what ways are they different? In this course, we will explore these questions, covering topics such as sound systems and patterns (phonology), the structure of words (morphology), the order of words in sentences (syntax), the study of meaning (semantics), the use of language in contexts (pragmatics) and more. Concepts such as question formation, subjects, objects, tense systems, and pronominal systems will be discussed. We will also look at sociolinguistic aspects such as language contact, shift, loss and revival, multilingualism, pidgins, and creoles as well as other emerging issues on language policy. Students will develop analytical skills as they consult published works and other resources to address these issues. Examples and data will be drawn from a wide range of languages from Africa and across the world. Student evaluations will be based on written and oral presentations in which they share their findings on a variety of topics.

Course Questions and Broad Learning Outcomes:
As we review the case studies,
we will explore the topics above, and related questions including:
 How are sound systems structured, and how do they vary across languages?
 How are words ordered in sentences in different languages?
 How is meaning interpreted in different languages?
 How are words formed in different languages?
 How do languages connect historically?
 How do languages change and influence one another in contact?
 How do the systems evolve into distinct dialects and distinct languages?

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
 Recognize how sound patterns affect the pronunciation of words in different languages and dialects, and creatively analyze samples of languages to identify new patterns.
 Identify different word order systems in languages.
 Analyze the morphological structure of words in different languages.
 Research the historical origins and connections between any languages, and interpret the linguistic classifications.
 Analyze the word order structure (syntactic) of different languages.
 Recognize what triggers phenomena such as language change and loss

Method:
Lectures take place every Monday. The lecture sessions will include structured individual activities, structured group activities, and group discussions.
Lectures will be mainly in-person. However, in unforeseen situations, we may adopt an online platform (e.g., zoom).

Assessment and permitted materials

15% Participation: 5% for attendance, 10% for participation in class
60% Assignments: short answer questions, problem-solving (4 assignments).
25% (group) presentation

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

Course expectations, policies, and student code of conduct:

 You are expected to attend all classes and actively participate. Your involvement is what brings meaning and makes this class a place of active
and engaging learning for you and others.
 You are expected to have read all assigned readings BEFORE class and do the assignments by their due date.
 Disruptive behavior in the classroom such as talking or chatting while the instructor or another student is contributing to the class will not be
tolerated. Maintain and demonstrate appropriate etiquette at all times. That is, avoid swearing, offensive language, nicknames, and heated
arguments involving personal attacks.
 We all come from different backgrounds, and we might have different opinions and views. It is therefore very important that we foster an
environment that is inclusive and respectful of all participants in the course, no matter what their background, beliefs, ethnicities, gender
identities, religious affiliations, abilities, or any other visible or non-visible differences. These should be expressed with respect and kindness.
 As an instructor, I will do my best to provide high-quality content delivery. Please alert me to any issues in my delivery — if I talk too fast or
quietly, go over time, or if something in my explanations is unclear.

Academic Honesty & Integrity and code of conduct:
There is a zero-tolerance policy on plagiarism at the University of Vienna and there are strict rules, which can lead to the following consequences:
• The course will be graded negatively (not just the performance that has been plagiarized).
• The course is marked as “not graded” but counts as a full exam. ...
• Forwarding the plagiarism case to the Dean (Studienprogrammleitung).
• Initiation of legal actions (which can lead to withdrawal of academic degrees)
• Negative reputation
All students are therefore expected to know, understand, and follow the codes of conduct regarding academic integrity. At the most basic level, this simply means submitting only original work done by you acknowledging all sources of information or ideas, and attributing them to others as required. This also means you should not cheat, copy, or mislead others. Any misconduct may lead to some or all of the above-listed penalties. The crux of all this is that DO NOT indulge in anything that constitutes cheating (e.g., wholesale copying of information from ChatGPT or other platforms). For information about plagiarism, please visit Plagiarism (univie.ac.at)

Examination topics

There will be no exam.

Reading list

Aronoff, M., & Rees-Miller, J. (Eds.). (2020). The handbook of linguistics. John Wiley & Sons.
Comrie, B. (2017). Languages of the world. The handbook of linguistics, 21-38.

Haspelmath, M., Dryer, M. S., Gil, D., & Comrie, B. (2005). The world atlas of language structures. OUP Oxford.
Hurford, J., Heasley, B., & Smith, M. (2007). Semantics: A Coursebook (2nd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/CBO9780511841668

Katzner, K., & Miller, K. (2002). The languages of the world. Routledge.

Mufwene, S., & Escobar, A. (Eds.). (2022). The Cambridge Handbook of Language Contact: Volume 2: Multilingualism in Population Structure (Cambridge Handbooks in Language and Linguistics). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/9781009105965

Mufwene, S., & Escobar, A. (Eds.). (2022). The Cambridge Handbook of Language Contact: Volume 1: Population Movement and Language Change (Cambridge Handbooks in Language and Linguistics). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.doi:10.1017/9781316796146

Pereltsvaig, A. (2020). Languages of the World: An Introduction (3rd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/9781108783071
Wilson, C., & Mihalicek, V. (2011). Language files: Materials for an introduction to language and linguistics. Columbus, UH: Ohio State University Press. https://linguistics. osu.edu/research/pubs/lang-files→ pages x, 49, 83.

Association in the course directory

PAS 1
PAS 2

Last modified: We 28.02.2024 15:26