Bachelor of Arts Honours in Linguistic Studies

Purpose

The purpose of the Bachelor of Arts (BA) Honours in Linguistic Studies qualification is to enable learners to acquire a sophisticated, diverse and progressive range of professional linguistic skills coupled with an advanced theoretical foundation to enable them to not only successfully participate in the professional language industry, but also to critically reflect on the discipline and its role in society in a process of lifelong learning. The learners will acquire scientific insight into and knowledge of the linguistics of particular languages as well as the connections between related matters by means of an interdisciplinary approach. They will be able to identify and solve problems in a critical, integrative and creative manner and realise the need for life-long learning in order to deal critically with different methodologies and express a personal opinion on literature based on subject-specific and theoretical knowledge.

Rationale

This Bachelor of Arts Honours (BA Hons) Linguistic Studies qualification is intended to educate learners in the theory and practice of Linguistic Studies and thus to become a relevant role player and practitioner in the South African society. Graduates would be able to play an important role in solving problems in Linguistic Studies. This qualification is intended to assist relevant role players, such as potential employers, current learners and their parents, to understand the criteria determining job possibilities in the world of the languages and humanities, more specifically, in Linguistic Studies. The term 'generic' is used to indicate that the basic minimum of the outcomes as well as their associated assessment criteria has been identified. In keeping with the points of departure of the generic degrees project, the standards have been developed abstractly. The standard is not bound by discipline-specific knowledge, but rather by consensus on the depth and complexity of learning and competencies to be acquired by learners in such programmes of study.

This has the implication that a learner could build a learning programme at the appropriate level by using a wide variety of disciplines leading to the desired outcomes. In the construction of a specific study programme provision should be made for depth and that the level descriptors should be kept in mind very closely so as to allow a learner to proceed to more complex postgraduate work. This generic qualification standard proposes a minimum standard for the Bachelor of Arts Honours Degree in Languages and the Humanities consisting of at least 128 Credits within the 'general track' of the National Qualifications Framework (NQF.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

The institution accepts the principle underlying outcomes oriented, source-based and lifelong learning in which considerations of articulation and mobility play a meaningful role. The institution also underwrites the view that recognition of previous learning, obtained either by formal teaching programmes at this or another institution, or informally (obtained by experience), is an indispensable element in granting admission or credits with the aim of placing in a specifically chosen teaching-learning programme of the institution. In recognising previous learning, it deals with provable knowledge and learning that the applicant obtained by following formal teaching programmes or by experience. At all times the question will be what level of competence was reached, judged in the context of the exit level skills required for the contemplated teaching-learning programmes (or modules therein) or status for which the applicant is applying and not merely about the experience the applicant can prove. Recognition of previous learning takes place in terms of the relevant skills that the applicant demonstrated in the application with reference to the exit outcomes that should be reached in the chosen programme.

The institution accepts that the recognition of previous learning does and should take place within the normal, existing policy of admission, as well as the granting of credits to prospective or existing learners from this or another institution in a valid, creditable and reasonable way.

Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirement is

• A relevant Bachelor's Degree.

This qualification consists of elective modules at Level 8 totalling 128 Credits.

Modules

- Legal Latin, 24 Credits

• Afrikaans Teaching and Academic Literacy, 24 Credits.
• Language and Society, 24 Credits.
• Research Methodology and Research Paper, 32 Credits.
• Text Study and Text Linguistics, 24 Credits.
• Topics in English Linguistics, 24 Credits.
• Research Meth and Mini Dissertation: Lan, 32 Credits.
• Linguistic Theory, 24 Credits.
• Forensic Linguistics, 24 Credits.
• Linguistic Analysis and Corpus Linguistics, 24 Credits.
• Afrikaans Linguistics: Themes and Tendencies, 24 Credits.
• Academic Literacy, 24 Credits.
• Language and Technology, 24 Credits.
• Setswana Linguistics: Research Methodology, 32 Credits.
• Setswana: Linguistic Theory, 24 Credits.
• Setswana: Morphology and Phonology, 24 Credits.
• Translation at Sight and Translation Study, 24 Credits.
• Setswana: Syntax, 24 Credits.
• Setswana: Semantics, 24 Credits.
• Afrikaans Text Editing, 24 Credits.
• Applied Language Studies, 24 Credits.
• English Sociolinguistics, 24 Credits.

1. Demonstrate advanced scholarly and scientific knowledge and understanding of approaches to, as well as terms, concepts, facts, principles, rules and theories typical to Linguistic Studies at advanced level
2. Identify, analyse, and solve problems akin to Linguistic Studies in a critical and creative manner.
3. Control, apply, analyse, and integrate knowledge independently, as well as to evaluate it in a responsible and well-grounded manner.
4. Demonstrate competency as effective learners who understand the need for life-long Learning.
5. Report on research and communicate it in writing and orally, with the use of appropriate Information Technology (IT), to an audience of peers.
6. Critically evaluate ethics and practices akin to Linguistic Studies.
7. Articulate and communicate the value of being a competent and critical practitioner of Linguistic Studies within a vocational context as well as within a culturally diverse South African and world population.

Integrated Assessment

Continuous formative assessment ensures feedback to learners on progress towards the achievement of specific learning outcomes. Summative assessment focuses on the Exit Level Outcomes of the qualification and includes integrated assessments, among others a mini-dissertation, which assess the learners' ability to integrate the larger body of knowledge, competencies and attitudes that are represented by the Exit Level Outcomes, either as a whole or as components of the qualification. Integrated assignments focus on assessing whether the purpose of the qualification as a whole has been achieved, either in to or in the component parts of the programme of study and on the demonstration of applied competence. It is essential that a wide range of knowledge, skills, competencies and attitudes be integrated using innovative methods - and in the assessment of outcomes due recognition should be given to criteria and methods of assessment that assess these appropriately and adequately. The learners are further assessed through a written literature review and project reports, practical tests, oral presentations and final oral and written examinations to assess the holistic knowledge and interpretative skills of the learners.