Syllabus autumn 2014
Syllabus autumn 2014
Title
Linguistics: Language and Society, Master’s Programme (One-Year)
Swedish title
Lingvistik: Språk och samhälle, magisterprogram
Programme code
HALIN
Credits
60 credits
Programme establishment date
2013-10-17
Syllabus approval date
2013-10-23
Syllabus valid from
2014-09-01
Decision-making body
Faculty of Culture and Society
Entry requirements
- General eligibility for advanced level study
- The equivalent of English B / English 6 in Swedish upper secondary school.
- A bachelor degree in Linguistics or in a language subject with a linguistic orientation (such as Swedish linguistics, English linguistics, French linguistics, Spanish linguistics, Russian linguistics, Japanese linguistics, etc.). The bachelor degree must include a written report of an independent research project of 15 hp, or equivalent, within the main field of study.
Level
Advanced level
Organisation
The first two courses (Linguistics: Language Evolution and Change, Linguistics: Language and Power) focus on the main functions of language: to form and maintain social security and to negotiate power structures within a given society.
These are followed by courses on theory and methodology that include elements from both linguistics and the social sciences (Linguistics: Methods in Linguistics, Linguistic and Cultural Semiotics).
The second term begins with a course on construction grammar (Linguistics: The Shaping Force of and in Language), which is a current cognitive linguistic model directed at explaining the storage, production and comprehension of language.
At the same time, the Reading Course, Literature Review aims to allow students to focus on their chosen area for the Master's Thesis. The course is based on supervision in small groups, seminars where students give oral presentations and discuss relevant issues, as well as the writing of papers.
Finally, a Master's Thesis is written in the chosen area with supervision from both a linguist and a social scientist.
Below is a table of the courses and their placement within the programme:
Term 1
Linguistics: Language Evolution and Change
7,5 hp (LI610L)
Linguistics: Language and Power
7,5 hp (LI615L)
Linguistic and Cultural Semiotics
7,5 hp (LI620L)
Linguistics: Methods in Linguistics
7,5 hp (LI625L)
Term 2
Reading Course Literature Review
7,5 hp (LI630L)
Linguistics: The Shaping Force of and in Language
7,5 hp (LI635L)
Linguistics: Master’s (One-Year) Thesis
15 hp (LI650L)
The following courses are within the main field linguistics and are obligatory for a one-year Master's Degree in Linguistics at Malmö University:
• Linguistics: Language Evolution and Change (LI610L)
• Linguistics: Language and Power (LI615L)
• Linguistics: Methods in Linguistics (LI625L)
• Linguistics: The Shaping Force of and in Language (LI635L)
• Linguistics: Master’s (One-Year) Thesis (LI650L)
Contents
Semester 1, autumn 2014
LI610L, 7.5 credits (COMPULSORY)
No main field
LI615L, 7.5 credits (COMPULSORY)
No main field
LI620L, 7.5 credits (COMPULSORY)
No main field
LI625L, 7.5 credits (COMPULSORY)
No main field
Semester 2, spring 2015
LI630L, 7.5 credits (COMPULSORY)
No main field
LI635L, 7.5 credits (COMPULSORY)
No main field
LI650L, 15 credits (COMPULSORY)
No main field
Learning outcomes
Overarching targets for second-cycle courses and programmes (Higher Education Act 1:8-9)
Second-cycle courses and study programmes shall be based fundamentally on the knowledge acquired by students during first-cycle courses and study programmes, or its equivalent.
Second-cycle courses and study programmes shall involve the acquisition of specialist knowledge, competence and skills in relation to first-cycle courses and study programmes, and in addition to the requirements for first-cycle courses and study programmes shall:
• further develop the ability of students to integrate and make autonomous use of their knowledge
• develop the students' ability to deal with complex phenomena, issues and situations, and
• develop the students' potential for professional activities that demand considerable autonomy, or for research and development work.
Intended learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding
For a Degree of Master of Arts/Science (60 credits) degree the student shall:
• demonstrate knowledge and understanding in the main field of study, including both an overview of the field and specialised knowledge in certain areas of the field as well as insight into current research and development work, and
• demonstrate specialised methodological knowledge in the main field of study.
Competence and skills
For a Degree of Master of Arts/Science (60 credits) degree the student shall
• demonstrate the ability to integrate knowledge and analyse, assess and deal with complex phenomena, issues and situations even with limited information
• demonstrate the ability to identify and formulate issues autonomously as well as to plan and, using appropriate methods, undertake advanced tasks within predetermined time frames
• demonstrate the ability in speech and writing to report clearly and discuss his or her conclusions and the knowledge and arguments on which they are based in dialogue with different audiences, and
• demonstrate the skills required for participation in research and development work or employment in some other qualified capacity.
Judgement and approach
For a Degree of Master of Arts/Science (60 credits) degree the student shall
• demonstrate the ability to make assessments in the main field of study informed by relevant disciplinary, social and ethical issues and also to demonstrate awareness of ethical aspects of research and development work
• demonstrate insight into the possibilities and limitations of research, its role in society and the responsibility of the individual for how it is used, and
• demonstrate the ability to identify the personal need for further knowledge and take responsibility for his or her ongoing learning.
Local targets for the programme
Knowledge and understanding
On completion of the course the student shall
• demonstrate knowledge of relevant theories within the social sciences.
Degree
Master's Degree (120 credits)
Master of Arts with a Major in Linguistics (60 credits)
Additional information
Language of instruction: English
The language of instruction is English. The Reading Course Literature Review includes seminars which are normally held in English, but which can also be held in Swedish upon specific agreement between the teachers and the students. Such an agreement presupposes that the teacher and all students master Swedish.
The right to be assigned supervision after the term when the student was first registered for the Master's Thesis cannot be guaranteed.
To be registered for the second term of the programme, the student must have gained at least 22,5 credits from the first term of the programme.
The course syllabus states the entry requirements for admission to the next level within the programme.