Fundamentals Of Linguistics Mind And Meaning

AY2015/2016 Semester 1

This course introduces students to the uniqueness of human language as a communication system. Students will examine how language is learnt and the way our mind stores meaning and organises information. The topics include animal communication, biological foundation of human language, language acquisition, bilingualism and multilingualism, sign language and deaf studies, language impairment, word formation and the study of meaning. These concepts are illustrated by examples taken from a wide range of languages.