English language 200 point program

Follow:

1. Handbook of English Language (200pt)
2. Handbook of Master of Applied Linguistics (MC-APLING)
3. Introduction of Master of Applied Linguistics

Note

The 200 point Master of Applied Linguistics program in all specialisations is only available to on-campus students.

For students completing the two-part thesis capstone in the final 100 points of the program, your study load is combined over these final two semesters (100 points). This means that in your final two semesters, you will complete the thesis parts 1 and 2 (18.75 points each, 37.5 points combined) plus five other 12.5 point subjects – three subjects in one of the semesters, and two in the other. This means that in one semester of the thesis capstone, students will complete a total of 56.25 points in their study plan, and in the other, 43.75 points (total of 100 points). This is not considered overloading, and no permission is required to add three 12.5 point subjects plus the 18.75 point thesis subject to your plan in a single semester. It is recommended that students doing the thesis take 3 subjects in the first half of their thesis capstone, and 2 subjects during the semester in which the thesis must be submitted, to allow time for preparing the thesis for submission. Note that if you have not completed Research in Applied Linguistics prior to the first semester of the thesis capstone, this must be taken concurrently with thesis part 1.

Compulsory subjects (25 pts)

Students must complete 25 points of compulsory subjects.

Concepts in Applied Linguistics (12.5)

Concepts in Applied Linguistics is a compulsory subject for all students on the Master in Applied Linguistics, and should be taken in the first semester of enrolment in the program. This introductory subject teaches students core concepts; current issues and debates; and diverse research methods in applied linguistics. It introduces students to the three principal specialisations of the Master program: Teaching English as a Second Language (TESOL); Language Testing; and English Language. It tracks the origins of these fields from their diverse theoretical inceptions, such as psycholinguistics, pedagogy and sociolinguistics, to their applications in various domains, including, for example, language teaching and learning; language assessment; and language policy and planning. It also shows how advancements in applied linguistics have been applied to real-world problems such as how to train language teachers; how to design fair and effective language tests; how to combat language discrimination; and how minority languages can be revived and maintained. The subject is an essential part of foundational study for the Master and prepares students for more specialised subjects on the program; for further independent research and study; and for professions in public service, teaching, translation and speech pathology.

Sociolinguistics and Language Learning (12.5)

In this subject, students will gain a systematic understanding of the relation between language and society and culture and its implications for language learning and teaching. The main topics covered include: Social, regional and stylistic variation and their consequences for the learning and teaching of English and other second languages; bi-multilingualism and diglossia; language, attitudes and identity; language policy, especially languages-in-education policy; cultural values in communication; and multi-modal communication, both online and non-verbal interactions.

Foundation compulsory subject (12.5 pts)

The Secret Life of Language (12.5)

Have you ever wondered how language actually works? Or how it can be that a 6 year-old child can know more about their native language than the most sophisticated computers? This subject is a practical introduction to the nature of human language which gives a conceptual framework for discussing language and provides the tools required to analyze and describe all of the world's 6000+ languages. Central areas of linguistics will be covered using data from languages from all over the world, including speech sounds, word structure, sentence structure, meaning, language learning, and language change.

Capstone subjects (choose 1 or 2)

Capstone 1: Minor Thesis (50 pts)

This capstone gives students an opportunity to integrate knowledge and research skills within the English Language specialization.

• Applied Linguistics Thesis Part 1 (18.75)

A minor thesis of 12,000 words on an approved research project.

• Applied Linguistics Thesis Part 2 (18.75)

A minor thesis of 12,000 words on an approved research project.

• Research in Applied Linguistics (12.5)

This subject provides an introduction to the range of approaches to research as practiced in applied linguistics in three main areas: (a) research paradigms, or the philosophical assumptions concerning knowledge and ethical considerations; (b) research approaches, or the designs for research that includes quasi-experiments, ethnography, discourse analysis, and action research; (c) data collection and analysis techniques, that include surveys, observation, interviews, introspection, and verbal report protocols. Working with these topics and completing assignments will prepare students to design research projects and to critique research in the field of applied linguistics.

Capstone 2 (25 pts)

This capstone gives students an opportunity to integrate knowledge and skills from the English Language specialization to real-world projects.

• Projects in Applied Linguistics (25)

This subject provides students with the opportunity to apply their disciplinary knowledge to a team-based practical project related to their chosen specialization (TESOL, Language Testing, English Language). Students will gain experience in co-designing and conducting a project, teamwork, and project evaluation. They will develop professional writing skills relevant to producing project proposals and reports, and professional presentation skills relevant to communicating project goals and outcomes to different stakeholders.

Elective subjects (112.5-137.5 pts/9-11 courses required, depending on the Capstone's choice)

For students with an ESL background:

• A maximum of 37.5 credit points of Foundation Elective subjects that must be taken in the first 50 credit points of the program
• Between 62.5 and 137.5 credit points of Graduate Elective subjects
• A maximum of 12.5 credit points of ESL Elective subjects

For students without an ESL background (applicable):

• A maximum of 37.5 credit points of Foundation Elective subjects that must be taken in the first 50 credit points of the program
• Between 75 and 137.5 credit points of Graduate Elective subjects

Foundation elective subjects

Second Language Learning and Teaching (12.5)

This subject considers how a second language is acquired, what factors explain why only some learners are successful in learning a second language, and how to best teach a second language. We begin by looking at a range of theories which present different perspectives on the process of second language acquisition. We then consider individual factors that may affect success in second language acquisition. These factors include age, aptitude, motivation and learning strategies. We examine approaches to second language instruction, focusing on the four macro skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing. Students are encouraged to reflect upon their own language learning experiences and explain these experiences by reference to the topics covered in the subject.

Syntax (12.5)

This subject is an introduction to basic concepts and methods of syntactic analysis and description. Emphasis is on practical analysis and description of a wide range of phenomena from a variety of languages. Students should become familiar with topics such as constituent structure, syntactic categories, grammatical functions (interface with morphology), thematic relations (interface with semantics), word order, multi-clausal constructions, including complement clauses, relative clauses and clause linking, and unbounded dependencies.

Language, Society and Culture (12.5)

This subject examines how social and cultural factors influence language, and the role language plays in structuring and representing social categories across cultures. It examines how society and language shape each other: how language represents and enables social interaction, and how social interaction influences the form of language. Specific topics to be covered include socially determined variation in language styles and registers, language varieties reflecting social class, gender and ethnic group. It also examines factors affecting language choice such as, bi- and multi-lingualism, and factors of language contact and change.

First Language Acquisition (12.5)

This subject is an overview of how children learn language - from before birth through the school years. We will study development across the core domains of language, including phonology, grammar, semantics and pragmatics. Throughout the subject, there is a focus on cross-linguistic comparison and grounding in relation to current theoretical models of language acquisition and cognitive and social development.

Semantics (12.5)

This subject is an introduction to the study of meaning, looking at the main linguistic approaches to the study of meaning, techniques of semantic analysis and argumentation, and problems of accounting for some selected areas of linguistic meaning. Topics include classical approaches to meaning, prototype semantics, cognitive linguistics, formal semantics and linguistic categorisation across languages.

Corpus Linguistics (12.5)

Corpus Linguistics is the computational analysis of real-life language use, drawing on databases of written, spoken or signed language. Corpus data reveals patterns in language that go beyond the standard assumptions of linguistic theory, and it is corpus data that forms the foundation of language technologies such as Google and AI. Students in this course will engage in hands-on workshops, learning how to use custom corpus software, as well as basic Python coding, to discover patterns in language. They will also be guided into the theoretical underpinnings of corpus linguistics – how it reflects the cognitive processing of language, and how it relates to theories of grammatical structure. This course does not assume any previous technical skills, but students must be ready to learn computational tools for exploring corpus data. Assessment will involve data exploration, presenting and discussing analyses, and written work.

Graduate elective subjects

Presenting Academic Discourse (12.5)

This subject focuses on the advanced language required for successful graduate study in English. In this subject students will develop critical approaches to researching, reading and writing. They will also develop the ability to plan and present confidently on a research topic and to write a literature review fluently and accurately. Particular attention is paid to grammatical and stylistic aspects of written and spoken academic discourse. Students write and present on a research topic that is relevant to their field of study.

Research in Applied Linguistics (12.5)

This subject provides an introduction to the range of approaches to research as practised in applied linguistics in three main areas: (a) research paradigms, or the philosophical assumptions concerning knowledge and ethical considerations; (b) research approaches, or the designs for research that includes quasi-experiments, ethnography, discourse analysis, and action research; (c) data collection and analysis techniques, that include surveys, observation, interviews, introspection, and verbal report protocols. Working with these topics and completing assignments will prepare students to design research projects and to critique research in the field of applied linguistics.

Quantitative Methods in Language Studies (12.5)

This is an introductory subject designed to enable students to acquire the basic tools necessary for critically reading about and carrying out quantitative empirical research in applied linguistics. Students will be given practice in the application of statistics in the analysis of data obtained from research and will be introduced to the use of computers with statistical packages to analyse data. Throughout, there will be a focus on the practicality and usefulness of the skills developed for the tasks of understanding research literature in Applied Linguistics, and of carrying out research in settings relevant to students. No prior knowledge of mathematics or of statistical procedures will be assumed.

Language Curriculum Design (12.5)

This subject adopts a language for specific purposes (LSP) framework to processes of language education. It begins from the premise that all language teaching involves the teaching of language for some specific purpose, and in some specific context. Working within an LSP framework, we look at a range of theoretical and practical approaches to needs analyses and to the design of programs and curricula. Approaches include corpus linguistics, genre theory, Systemic Functional Linguistics, and more socially critical approaches such as Academic Literacies. The subject will involve students collecting and analysing data (e.g. sample texts and interviews) to research the needs of learners and identify the discourses and practices of target communities in academic and professional contexts. Students will also participate in evaluating and developing LSP pedagogical materials and course curricula.

Language Program Evaluation (12.5)

In this subject, we examine different ways in which the value and/or success of language programs can be understood and measured, drawing on concepts and approaches to evaluation in applied linguistics as well as in the wider field of program evaluation. We consider the ways in which language policy agendas and stakeholder values and goals at various levels (macro-, meso-, and micro-levels) shape the design and implementation of language programs, and the impact this has on classroom practices, teachers, language learners, and language learning outcomes. We will draw on examples of various kinds of language program, including academic and other specific purpose language programs, heritage language programs, and indigenous language programs, to illustrate key concepts, ethical considerations, and practical steps involved in conducting evaluations of language programs.

Language Assessment (12.5)

Introduction to the theory and practice of language assessment in a range of second language contexts. Topics covered include testing listening, reading, writing, speaking, test analysis, construction and validation of language tests, classroom language assessment and alternative assessment practices. Students will be encouraged to develop solutions to language assessment problems relevant to their own work settings.

Second Language Acquisition (12.5)

This subject offers a survey of the principal topics currently addressed in the study of second language acquisition, and of the major research methods and paradigms used in such studies. Students should expect to be able to understand critical observation, description and analysis of second language learners and their language performance, the social and psychological aspects of second language learning situations, and the special characteristics of learner language.

English Phonetics and Phonology (12.5)

This subject focuses on aspects of the English sound system with particular focus on Australian English. Students gain a detailed understanding of the sound system of different varieties of English. The main topics covered include: phonetic analysis (vowel and consonant systems, phonotactics, stress and intonation) of selected English varieties including L2 varieties of English. Throughout the subject, material is drawn from different varieties of English, including English spoken by second language learners. This subject also provides the chance for training in the accurate perception and production of English speech, transcription, and an introduction to acoustic phonetic analysis.

Grammar in Use (12.5)

This subject explores the main areas of grammar, at the level of the word, the sentence and the text. Throughout the subject, material is drawn from across a range of contexts of use and varieties of English, including Standard English. Through seminars and practical application students gain a systematic understanding of the major features of English grammar, including morphology, syntax, and stylistics, with additional focus on the role of grammar in language use, and descriptive and methodological approaches to the analysis of grammar.

Second Language Writing (12.5)

The subject will introduce students to key theories of second language writing and composing processes and approaches to second language writing instruction. It will focus on issues that are pertinent to second language writing teachers such as assessing writing, the efficacy of different types of feedback on writing, and measures that can be used to investigate development in L2 writing.

Bilingualism (12.5)

This subject examines the phenomenon of bi/multilingualism from both individual and societal perspectives. It enables students to understand the language choices made by speakers in bilingual and multilingual settings, the role of language contact in language change, the relationship between language and cognition and the psychological and societal factors influencing language acquisition, language maintenance, and language loss. It also considers educational and political issues associated with bilingualism, and familiarises students with a range of institutional models whereby citizens can be encouraged to successfully learn and use two or more languages in their daily lives.

Transcultural Communication at Work (12.5)

One outcome of the globalisation of the Australian job market is the increasing need for transcultural communication skills in both the private and public sectors. Transcultural communication typically entails interaction in which one or more of the communicators use a second or third language. Successful transcultural communication requires not only a shared language but also strong intercultural awareness and skills. These include verbal skills such as how and when to use speech and silence as well as non-verbal skills knowing how and when gaze, gesture and body posture may differ across cultures. This subject will provide students with the tools to achieve successful transcultural encounters in professional settings. The delivery of the subject will include lectures with audio-visual materials, discussion sessions to deepen the students' understanding of theories of transcultural communication and their practical implications, and assignments that require an application of presented theories to the analysis of transcultural communication. Sponsored by the School of Languages and Linguistics and the Faculty of Arts' Asia Institute, this subject will focus on transcultural communication at the intersection of cultural, linguistic, ethnic, and religious boundaries. The subject will be taught by sociolinguistic and transcultural communication experts whose expertise ranges from multicultural and Aboriginal Australia, to Asia, the Middle East, Northern and Southern Europe, and the South Pacific.

Discourse and Interaction (12.5)

This subject investigates the nature of spoken discourse and major approaches to analysing and understanding it; written discourse will also be touched on for comparative purposes. Students will develop their skills in the collection and transcription of spoken language data and in designing research projects in discourse analysis relevant to applied linguistics. A variety of discourse types and genres will be studied, with a focus on dialogic interaction. Theories and approaches covered will include pragmatics, conversation analysis, and critical discourse analysis.

Second Language Pragmatics (12.5)

This subject provides an overview of research in second language pragmatics. It covers research methods in second language pragmatics, learners’ developmental pathways, effects of individual learner differences and learning contexts on pragmatics learning, teaching and assessment of second language pragmatics, and pragmatics in the age of globalization.

Psycholinguistics (12.5)

This subject is a general introduction to psycholinguistics. We will study the ways in which language is represented and processed in real time and discuss the factors that enable us to comprehend and use the language. Topics include word processing, sentence processing, discourse processing, linguistic relativity, and non-literal language processing by monolingual and bilingual speakers. Practical training will be provided to familiarize students with a variety of tasks and techniques associated with this field. Students will learn to use the research techniques to design behavioural psycholinguistic experiments.

ESLA elective subjects

Professional Speaking Communication (12.5)

This subject is designed for graduate students who would like to improve their spoken English skills for professional contexts. It is aimed at speakers of English as an additional language.

Students who complete this subject will become familiar with Australian English pronunciation, will develop confidence and self-awareness, and will improve the clarity and fluency of their speech for use in professional communication. The content covers various aspects of pronunciation, such as individual sounds, sound combinations, syllables and word stress, rhythm, sentence stress, connected speech processes and intonation. Students will also improve their listening-discrimination skills, develop an understanding of the basic processes involved in speech production and gain practical knowledge about the communicative nature of sentence stress and intonation, especially as they apply to workplace settings.

Advanced Self-Editing (12.5)

The subject aims to improve students’ ability to edit their written texts in order to produce grammatically accurate and stylistically appropriate texts for professional purposes. The subject begins with a review of the most frequent errors in the writing of students who speak English as a Second Language, including errors in morphology, syntax, cohesion, and punctuation, and then considers the impact that such errors may have on meaning. In the second half of the subject, students engage in linguistic analysis of a range of work-place texts (e.g. short reports, media releases). The aim of this analysis is to identify the most salient grammatical and stylistic features that contribute to the clarity of the texts. Throughout the subject students will engage in identifying areas of concern in their writing (annotation), self and peer editing exercises, keeping logs of their progress, and using available online grammar resources.

Professional Literacies (12.5)

This subject aims to develop effective written communication skills for use in professional workplace contexts. It is designed for graduate students, who are speakers of English as an additional language. Given the wide range of professional workplaces and modes of writing found within these, this subject aims to help students reflect on the different contexts and interactions that are at stake in professional reading and writing. It will do this by teaching students techniques of text analysis to assist them in identifying the conventions of a variety of genres encountered in the workplace. Students will also develop skills in structuring and writing texts that respond appropriately and flexibly to a range of communicative purposes and audiences. Particular attention will be paid to workplace modes of writing (including promotional and hortatory text types), and to the processes of collaborative professional writing.

Intercultural Professional Communication (12.5)

This subject enhances students’ ability to communicate effectively and strategically in English-speaking professional settings in Australia and internationally. Students will acquire research-based discourse analytic tools to understand workplace cultures and norms of interaction, and develop practical skills in advanced spoken and email-based workplace interaction. Topics include opening and closing conversations, engaging in small talk, raising sensitive issues with peers and superior, making and responding to requests, complaints, and refusals from a position of strength and weakness, structuring short ad hoc speeches, participating in job interviews, and understanding cultural norms of humour, sarcasm and non-literal language use. There will be an emphasis throughout on intercultural differences and awareness raising of how cultural norms impact interaction.

Note: This subject is aimed at speakers of English as an additional language. It is not suitable for native speakers of English.