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Linguistics 3

Overview

Linguistics 3 completes our undergraduate offerings in linguistics, with an emphasis on producing graduates who are well-rounded linguists.  

Linguistics 3 features two modules taught concurrently, normally totalling 5 class meetings per week. 

For more information about our curriculum, please see the Student Handbook 2026.

The modules to be taught are listed below:

Phonetics and Phonology

Lecturer: Dr. William Bennett

This semester-long module introduces you to higher-level questions of linguistic theory and typology than those covered in previous years. This includes the following topics:

  • basic concepts of phonological theory and reasoning from phonological data
  • phonetics vs. phonology
  • fundamentals of metrical phonology
  • the typology of stress patterns and metrical foot structures
  • phonological typology as an area of study
  • Optimality Theory 

 

Psycholinguistics

Lecturer: Tracy Bowles

This module introduces you to the fast-developing field of the linguistics of literacy, with a specific focus on written language processing. This module covers some of the following topics: 

  • Language in Education in South Africa
  • Metalinguistic skills involved in reading
  • Factors affecting visual word recognition
  • Models of word recognition
  • Dyslexia

 

Systemic Functional Linguistics

Lecturer: Ian Sieborger

This module offers a deeper investigation of the Interpersonal Metafunction of language.  It includes:
  • The Mood System (Declarative, Interrogative and Imperative)
  • Affect (language used to express emotion)
  • Judgement (language used to evaluate people's behaviour)
  • Appreciation (language used to evaluate objects)
  • Graduation (language used to tone meanings up and down)

 

African Linguistics

Lecturer: Mbali Jiyane

This module offers an opportunity to students to explore more closely the complexity of the Bantu verbal morphology and its interaction with syntax. The goal of this module is to deepen students’ theoretical knowledge of complex predication through an examination of common syntactic processes as reflected in some Southern African Bantu languages. Topics include:

  • Interlinear glossing
  • Argument Structure
  • Grammatical Functions
  • Argument Structure-changing morphology
  • Grammatical Function-changing processes
  • Object marking and linguistic variation in Bantu

 

Critical Discourse Analysis

Lecturer: Sally Hunt

This module introduces you to how language is situated in cultural and contextual power dynamics.  This module includes the following:

 

  • What is Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA)
  • Central concepts: discourse, ideology and power
  • Theoretical underpinnings of CDA
  • Processesses and Participants
  • Modality: epistemic, relational and expressive
  • Intertextuality
  • Multimodality and social media 

 

Syntax

Lecturer: Prof. Mark de Vos

This module builds on the Language Structures module in first year, and explores the following topics:

  • constituent structure
  • Relationships between constituents: Binding; C-command; Merge; Move; Agree.
  • clause structure and argument structure
  • Phrase structure and X-bar Theory
  • Cross-linguistic similarities and differences
  • A derivational (Minimalist) approach to syntactic structure

 

To be announced

One additional module will be announced later in 2026.

 

 

For more information about Linguistics 3, please contact William Bennett.

Last Modified: Wed, 18 Mar 2026 11:23:52 SAST