LING 3020 - Perspectives on Language Variation & Change

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2025

This is the capstone course for the Linguistics Major. All languages vary internally in accordance with a range of parameters including the gender, age, social class, occupation, origins etc. of their speakers. Most languages have distinct regional and social varieties. They also vary according to the contexts in which they are used and the purposes for which they are employed. All living languages constantly change over time in response to innovations introduced by younger generations, technological change or contact with other languages or with other varieties of the same language. Drawing on descriptive and analytic skills developed during their undergraduate study of linguistics, students will undertake independent study of language variation and change, assembling their own body of data either through archival, library, internet research or field research.

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Course Details

Course Code	LING 3020
Course	Perspectives on Language Variation & Change
Coordinating Unit	European Languages, and Linguistics
Term	Semester 2
Level	Undergraduate
Location/s	North Terrace Campus
Units	6
Contact	Up to 2 hours per week face-to-face + 1 online lecture
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange	N
Prerequisites	At least 15 units of Linguistics Major courses
Assumed Knowledge	LING 1101, LING 1102
Restrictions	Available to students undertaking a Linguistics Major only
Assessment	Linguistic practical (eg comparative method or text analysis) 20%, Oral presentation 20%, Research report 60%

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Ian Green

This course will be taught by Dr Ian Green

Course Timetable

The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from .

Course Learning Outcomes

1	Understand the need for research ethics and the social and community impact of research activity and research output.
2	Collect and assemble a body of linguistic data for analysis
3	Understand the principles of sociolinguistic variation within a speech community
4	Understand how and why languages change over time
5	Apply the comparative method to a body of data drawn from a group of related languages
6	Apply a variety of analytic methods and approaches to a body of language data
7	Choose an appropriate method to analyse the body of data at hand
8	Communicate findings orally and in written form

University Graduate Attributes

This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

University Graduate Attribute	Course Learning Outcome(s)
Attribute 1: Deep discipline knowledge and intellectual breadth Graduates have comprehensive knowledge and understanding of their subject area, the ability to engage with different traditions of thought, and the ability to apply their knowledge in practice including in multi-disciplinary or multi-professional contexts.	3, 4
Attribute 2: Creative and critical thinking, and problem solving Graduates are effective problems-solvers, able to apply critical, creative and evidence-based thinking to conceive innovative responses to future challenges.	5, 6, 7
Attribute 3: Teamwork and communication skills Graduates convey ideas and information effectively to a range of audiences for a variety of purposes and contribute in a positive and collaborative manner to achieving common goals.	8
Attribute 4: Professionalism and leadership readiness Graduates engage in professional behaviour and have the potential to be entrepreneurial and take leadership roles in their chosen occupations or careers and communities.	1, 2
Attribute 5: Intercultural and ethical competency Graduates are responsible and effective global citizens whose personal values and practices are consistent with their roles as responsible members of society.	1, 2
Attribute 6: Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural competency Graduates have an understanding of, and respect for, Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander values, culture and knowledge.	.
Attribute 7: Digital capabilities Graduates are well prepared for living, learning and working in a digital society.	.
Attribute 8: Self-awareness and emotional intelligence Graduates are self-aware and reflective; they are flexible and resilient and have the capacity to accept and give constructive feedback; they act with integrity and take responsibility for their actions.	1, 2, 8

Learning Resources

Required Resources

Course Textbooks
There is no required course textbook.

Recommended Resources

Language Variation & Change:

Crowley, Terry & Claire Bowern (2010) An Introduction to Historical Linguistics. 4th edition. Oxford University Press.

Campbell, Lyle (1998) Historical Linguistics: an introduction. MIT Press.

Foley, WA 1997, Anthropological linguistics: an introduction, Blackwell Publishers, Cambridge, MA.

Jourdan, C & Tuite, K 2009, Language, culture, and society, vol. 23, Cambridge University Press.

Kiesling, SF 2011, Linguistic Variation and Change, 1st edn, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh.

Millar, Robert Mccoll; Trask, Larry (2015) Trask’s Historical Linguistics.3rd Edition. Routledge, London.

Romaine, S 2023, Language in society: an introduction to sociolinguistics, 2nd ed., Oxford University Press, Oxford.

Saville-Troike, M 2003, The ethnography of communication: an introduction, 3rd ed., Blackwell, Oxford.
Trudgill, Peter & Jack Chambers (2001) The Handbook of Language Variation and Change. Wiley Blackwell.

Wardhaugh, R & Fuller, JM 2015, An introduction to sociolinguistics, Seventh edition., John Wiley & Sons, West Sussex, England.

Linguistic Field Work & Documentation

Bird, S and G Simons (2003) “Seven dimensions of portability for language documentation and description.” Language 79:557-582.

Bowern, Claire. (2015) Linguistic Fieldwork: A Practical Guide. 2nd Edition. Palgrave MacMillan, Basingstoke, UK.

Gippert, Jost & Nikolaus P. Himmelmann & Ulrike Mosel (eds). 2006. Essentials of language documentation.
Trends in Linguistics, Studies and Monographs 178, Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.

Healy, Alan (ed.) (1975) Language Learner’s Field Guide. Summer Institute of Linguistics, Ukarumpa, Papua & New Guinea.

Himmelmann, Nikolaus P. (1998) “Documentary and descriptive linguistics." Linguistics 36:161-195.

Seifart, Frank, Geoffrey Haig, Nikolaus P. Himmelmann, Dagmar Jung, Anna Margetts and Paul Trilsbeek (eds) (2012) Potentials of Language Documentation Methods, Analyses and Utilization, Language Documentation & Conversation Special Publication No. 3. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press

Journal: Language Documentation and Conservation

Some Introductory Linguistics Books:

Burridge Kate & Tonya N. Stebbins (2016) For the Love of Language: An Introduction to Linguistics. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Clark, John, Yallop, Colin and Janet Fletcher (2007) An Introduction to Phonetics and Phonology 3rd edition Blackwell Publishing, Malden, Oxford and Carlton, Victoria.

Crowley, T., Lynch, J., Siegel, J. & Piau, J. (1995) The design of language: an introduction to descriptive linguistics. Longman Paul: Auckland. [BSL 410 C953d]

Crystal, D. (2010) The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language 3rd Edition. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge. [BSL 403 C957c.2]

Finegan, E., Besnier, N., Blair, D., & Collins, P. (1992) Language: Its Structure and Use. (Australian Edition). Harcourt Brace Jovanovich: Sydney.

Fromkin, Victoria, Robert Rodman, Nina Hyams, Mengistu Amberber, Felicity Cox & Rosalind Thornton (2018) An Introduction to Language. Australia and New Zealand 9th Edition. Cengage Learning, South Melbourne.

McGregor, W. B. (2009) Linguistics: An Introduction. Continuum: London.

Payne, Thomas E. (2006) Exploring Language Structure: A Student’s Guide. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Learning & Teaching Modes

There is a one-hour online lecture & a two-hour face-to-face seminar in each teaching week of the semester.

Seminars are highly interactive, pivoting around student-led discussion of readings, in addition to small group problem-solving and linguistic research exercises. Students need to come to these classes having worked through any required preparatory material, and prepared to engage with the ideas and analyses being presented.

Seminar attendance is mandatory.

Workload

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

1hr lecture	12 hours
2hr seminar/workshop	24 hours
5hrs directed reading	60 hours
6hrs data collection, organisation & analysis	72 hours
6hrs assignment preparation	72 hours
6hrs project reading & research	72 hours
TOTAL	312 hours

Learning Activities Summary

	Lecture	Seminar Part 1	Seminar Part 2
Week 1	Perspectives, parameters, principles	Describing language variation #1	How to do this course - approaches & assessment
Week 2	Overview: sociolinguistics	Key readings in sociolinguistics	The research project
Week 3	Overview: anthropological linguistics	Key readings in anthropological linguistics	Reviewing literature
Week 4	Overview: language contact	Key readings in contact linguistics	Research ques

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