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Introduction to Linguistics (ENG-201): Course Outline(ENG-201)

Linguistics is the scientific study of language, focusing on its structure, use, and meaning. It explores how languages function, evolve, and are processed by the human mind. Linguists analyze various aspects of language

Course description

The course provides a thorough grounding in current linguistic theory, introduces students to some important schools, and important trends in the development of academic linguistic thought. It also presents an overview of selected areas of micro- and macro-Linguistics. Above all this course aims at providing overall introduction to all the subbranches of Linguistics they study as separate courses to know their interrelationships and over-lappings. And particularly the relationship of Linguistics and English teaching will be explored through discussion of Applied linguistics.

Course objectives

  • Historical development of linguistic thought: Contributions of European, American and Islamic Scholars
  • Core linguistic concepts.
  • Micro areas of the study of human language and relevant fields of Linguistics.
  • Macro areas of the study of human language and relevant branches of Linguistics

Course contents

Unit-I

  • Linguistics and its Branches
    • Defining Linguistics
    • Is Linguistics a science?

Unit-II

  • Micro linguistics: The study of structural aspects of language
    • Phonetics and Phonology
    • Morphology and Syntax
    • Semantics and Pragmatics

Unit-III

  • Macro Linguistics: Study of functional aspects of language
  • Psycholinguistics
  • Sociolinguistics
  • Discourse Studies
  • Applied Linguistics and its subfields

Unit-IV

  • Historical Linguistics
  • Language Families
  • Language Change

Unit-V

  • History of Linguistics: Main schools of thought
  • Structuralism
  • The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis (Language, Thought & Culture)
  • The Descriptivists
  • The Prague School
  • Generativity
  • The London School
  • The Typologists

Unit-VI

  • Islamic and local perspectives
    • Contribution of Muslim linguists
  • Linguistics in Pakistan 

Textbooks

Teaching-learning Strategies

Teaching will be done through the lecture method with a combination of tasks/projects and presentations

Assessment and Examinations

Assessment will be done as per university/department policy.

Suggested Readings