Origins and Evolution of Language 2015

This is the webpage for the Honours/MSc course Origins and Evolution of Language, running in 2015/2016. We will add links to materials (lecture slides, readings, tutorials) to this page – you will only need to use Learn for pre-lecture quizzes, plus electronic submission of your assessed work.

Your friendly and dedicated teaching team

Kenny Smith (that’s me) is the course organiser and main lecturer. If you need to speak to someone about something, I should be your first port of call. Best way is to just grab me after class, or email me.

Marieke Schouwstra will be doing two guest lectures in weeks 7 and 9.

James is senior tutor for the course – he will be helping me prepare some materials, in addition to taking some tutorials. Carmen and Cathleen are the other tutors. All three of them are happy to receive emails with questions about the course materials or tutorial exercises.

Class times and venues

All the information is in the week-by-week timetable below – this will be updated as we go. We have lectures on Monday, 2.10pm-4pm, in Lecture Theatre 3, 7 Bristo Square.

You attend one tutorial per week, starting week 2 – this is the provisional assignment of people to tutorial groups, and details of venues. Apologies if you didn’t get one of your first choice slots, and let me know asap if you are down for a slot you can’t do. Note that attendance at tutorials is compulsory, and attendance will be taken.

In-class voting

We will be using Top Hat for in-class questions. Please register yourself (follow the University instructions page), and add yourself to the Origins class using the class code 736893.

Assessment

For undergraduates: assessment is a combination of an essay and an end-of-term exam. The essay: a 2000-word essay on one topic selected from the approved list (this linked document also includes important advice on what we expect your essay to be like), worth 50% of the course mark. Deadline: 27th November. The exam: a 2-hour exam, worth 50% of the course mark, to be held in the exam period at the end of semester 1 , exact date and venue can be obtained from the Examination Timetabling page (course code is LASC10031). Here are some sample exam questions.

For MSc students: A 3000 word essay, on a topic of your choice to be agreed with Kenny by 31st October, worth 100% of the course mark. Deadline: 3rd December.

For everyone: please consult this handy guide on how to write an essay, available on the PPLS student hub.

Course Materials

We expect you to do the readings before the associated lectures – we will assume you have done in class, and you’ll have to talk about them.

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Week 7

Week 8

Week 9

Week 10