Human Language And Theoretical Perspectives

In this course participants will explore in-depth the principles of the different

linguistic theories with emphasis on those unique aspects among different

theorists. Part of the course will involve a historical linguistic review using

contemporary critical lenses to study the canonical contributions of writers like

Noam Chomsky and Michael A. K. Halliday. Participants will be expected to

critique the different linguistic theories and categorize them according to their suitability in their own immediate language use contexts.

Course Objectives

1)   Widen participants knowledge base of key linguistic theories

2)   Encourage participants to identify possible theories to guide their research projects

3)   To offer participants' an opportunity to broaden their application of linguistic perspectives to other disciplines such as education

4)   Increase participants' critiquing skills while taking informed stances

5)   Develop an understanding of the possibilities of combining theories in a single study

Course Learning Outcomes

Participants will be able to:

1)   Confidently and critically evaluate different linguistic theories

2)   Apply linguistic theories to critique selected texts

3)   Demonstrate knowledge of the historical background to the development of linguistic theories

Make valid choices of relevant linguistic theories for the research