Admission requirements
There are no specific admission requirements.
Description
Which languages are spoken where? And which linguistic features do they show? These questions are at the basis of the course Languages of the World. In this course, you learn about linguistics and language diversity by make a linguistic tour around the world. On the one hand, you will gain insight into the distribution and diversity of the languages of the world and be introduced to salient features of particular languages and language families or areas, including the classification of languages based on genealogical and/or typological features, socio-historical information, as well as their endangerment or vitality status On the other hand, you will familiarise yourself with basic concepts in linguistics, which make it possible to speak about common phenomena in language. This is done on the basis of prominent linguistic phenomena in a number of (primarily non-European) languages, such as transitivity, ergativity and morphological complexity. All along the tour you are challenged to solve linguistic puzzles and discover generalisations.
Course objectives
By the end of this course students will be able to:
apply the basic concepts used in linguistics to a range of language structures;
provide a basic description of the world’s language diversity, including the genealogical and typological classifications;
find reliable information about different languages in the world (e.g. their classification, their vitality, their linguistic features, socio-historical information, bibliography);
recognise and describe a number of specific features of languages of the regions covered.
Timetable
The timetables are available through My Timetable.
Mode of instruction
There is a one hour lecture and a one hour tutorial per week.
Assessment method
The assessment consist of a midterm exam and a final written exam.
Weighing
Midterm exam (25%)
Final exam (75%)
The final mark for the course is established by determining the weighted average. To pass the course, the weighted average of the partial grades must be 5.5 or higher. .
Resit
In case of an insufficient final grade, students can take a resit of the final exam.
Exam review
How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organized.
Reading list
- Pereltsvaig, Asya (2021). Languages of the World: An Introduction, third edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Registration
Enrolment through My Studymap is mandatory
General information about course and exam enrolment is available on the website.
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar
For questions related to the content of the course, please contact the lecturer, you can find their contact information by clicking on their name in the sidebar.
For questions regarding enrollment please contact the Education Administration Office Reuvensplaats
E-mail address Education Administration Office Reuvensplaats: osz-oa-reuvensplaats@hum.leidenuniv.nl
For questions regarding your studyprogress contact the Coordinator of Studies
Remarks
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