First year Linguistics and English Language at Sussex

29 October 2004Lynne Murphy

First year Linguistics and English

Language at Sussex


Two degree subjects

English Language

•no particular A-levels req’d

•ABB/360 tariff points (3A, 1AS)

•single major

•joint major

• English Education Studies

• European Humanities

• French, German, Italian, Spanish*

• Film Studies • (English) Literature

• Linguistics • TESOL

•major/minor

• Film


Linguistics•no particular A-levels req’d•BBB/340 tariff points (3A, 1AS)•single major•joint major

• English Language

• Cognitive Science


• Contemporary European Studies

• European Humanities

• Philosophy • TESOL•major/minor

• Cognitive Science



Two core course offerings* = English Language & Linguistics joint degreebold = double weighted or year-long courses

English Language

Year 1: The Making of English*

Language & Style

Current Soc’l Issues in EL*

Year 2: Structure of EL I: Grammar

Structure of EL II: Semx/Prax

(x2 opt) Socio, Psycho & Cogn Lx*

Year 3: Modern English Pronunciation

English World Wide*

(x2 opt) Psycho, Discourse, Cogn

Research project

LinguisticsYear 1: Approaches to Meaning*

Approaches to GrammarApproaches to PronunciationLanguage in Society

Year 2: Grammar*Semantics and Pragmatics*Phonology*

(x2 opt) Socio, Psycho or Cogn Lx*Year 3: Linguistic Typology(*)

Historical Linguistics*(x 2 opt)Psycho, socio, discourse,

cogn*Research project


Challenges we face

• All 1st year (& many subsequent) courses include non-majors• All EL/Lx students don’t take same courses, due to joint prgrms • Mix of students w/ & w/o EL A level (both degrees)

• Results in some ‘review’ for A level takers

• Little uniformity of bkgrnd knwldg, even for those w/ EL A lvl• General student fear of ‘science’, ‘grammar’, ‘maths’• General student ignorance of notions like ‘noun’, ‘passive’ etc.• Lack of academic skills appropriate to uni level• Offering two full programmes w/ only 6 permanent faculty• Recent increases in intake, shift to larger teaching groups


Tackling the challenges

• 1st year Lx courses integrate descriptive, theoretical and applied

approaches to lexical semantics, grammar & phonology

• 1st year EL courses emphasise links to literature & social issues

—following familiar ground from most A-level experiences

• Original research tackled from the start (e.g., Adopt-a-Word)

• Portfolio assessment, including written work, presentations,

course participation, etc. Where possible, including

feedback/revision of written work.

• Institution of ‘skills curriculum’ (including ‘remedial’ grammar)

• Fantastic associate tutors


The skills curriculum

• Sponsored by small University Teaching/Learning Devt grant

• Identify academic, professional, & subject-specific skills needed

• ID appropriate places in curriculum for delivery of skills teaching

• Develop seminar/tutorial/handbook materials for skills T/L

• Develop interest/enthusiasm/commitment/confidence in teaching

skills


Skills to be delivered in Year 1

• Planning/giving presentations*• Dictionary awareness/skills, using OED on-line*• Peer-editing*• Referencing, plagiarism avoidance, web literacy(*)• Word processing for Grammar (Lx 1, EL 2)• Word processing for Phonology (Lx 1, EL 3)• Part-of-speech workshop*• Essay writing (*) (Lx through writing/feedback/revision)• (Negotiating group work)


For more information…

http://www.sussex.ac.uk/linguistics/1-3.html

First year Linguistics and English Language at Sussex

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