This course provides an introductory overview to the languages of the Pacific, extending from Timor in the west through the island of New Guinea out through Melanesia into Pacific Polynesia. It deals equally with the Austronesian languages which have arrived in the region some three millennia ago and the many Papuan languages whose presence in the region goes back much further in time and which are geographically centred on the island of New Guinea with outliers in Timor, the Moluccas, and the Solomon Islands.
The emphasis is on giving an understanding of these very diverse language structures, an appreciation of the astounding linguistic diversity of the region (containing around a fifth of the world's languages), the way linguistic evidence can help us understand te deep history of the region, the cultural context of language function and structure, and the continuities between traditional languages and the emergent pidgins and creoles of the region (e.g. Tok Pisin, Bislama, Solomons Pijin and Melayu Papua).
No previous exposure to linguistics or to Pacific languages is assumed.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
Students completing this course will have:
a)Gained an appreciation of the indigenous languages of the Pacific, their diversity, significance, and cultural embedding, with exposure to both Austronesian and Papuan languages.
b)Have acquired a suitably flexible conceptual framework for the analysis of languages of a very different type to their own, and a basic understanding of the methods linguists use to analyse them
c)The ability to communicate clearly and concisely about linguistic structures and conceptual systems different from those found in English
Other Information
The course is offered in semi-itensive mode and runs over 9 weeks, from week 5 of second semester.
Indicative Assessment
Specific language profile for one “adopted” language (30%) [2000 words]
Two transcription and analysis problems (30%) [1500 words equiv.]
Final Essay [individual or group options] (30%) [2000 words]
Final Quiz (10%)
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
One three hour meeting per week, taught in mixed lecture/ tutorial mode (with a coffee break in the middle)
Requisite and Incompatibility
You will need to contact the School of Culture History and Language to request a permission code to enrol in this course.
Preliminary Reading
Evans, Nicholas. 2010 Dying Words. Endangered Languages and What They Have to Tell Us. Wiley Blackwell.
Lynch, John. 1998. Pacific Languages: an Introduction. University of Hawaii Press is recommended.
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 1
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2015 | $2958 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2015 | $4350 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
