UNSW Handbook Course - The Linguistics of Signed Languages

The Linguistics of Signed Languages - LING2900


	Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
	School: Linguistics
	Course Outline: See below
	Campus: Kensington Campus
	Career: Undergraduate
	Units of Credit: 6
	EFTSL: 0.125 (more info)
	Contact Hours per Week: 3
	Enrolment Requirements:
	Prerequisite: LING1000 or LING1500
	Fee Band: 1 (more info)
	Further Information: See Class Timetable

Description

Introduces the fundamental structure of natural signed languages, covering the essentials of signed language phonology, morphology and syntax, and examining the important features of all these levels of structure. Compares the basic properties of signed languages with those of spoken languages in order to see in which ways signed languages are similar to spoken languages and in which ways they differ. Examines signed languages in terms of their acquisition as first and second languages, and some sociolinguistic issues that arise for users of signed languages.

Note: Students do not need to be able to sign in order to take this course.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this course, students should be able to:

Demonstrate an understanding of the principles and terminology of signed language linguistics
Demonstrate an understanding of the major trends in the linguistics of signed languages including their origins, strengths and weaknesses
Apply principles of general linguistics to the linguistics of a specific set of languages
Differentiate between natural and non-natural signed languages
Show an understanding of the nature of visual-spatial communication
Identify the role of particular features of signed language, such as space and non-manual marking.

Assessment

Assignment 1 - 20%
Assignment 2 - 20%
Test - 20%
Final essay (2000 words) - 40%

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