Course syllabus

 

 

 

University of Auckland

Centre for Pacific Studies

 PAC 302 PACIFIC LANGUAGE STRUCTURES 

Semester II, 2016

 

  

Lecturers: Dr Melenaite Taumoefolau, Rm 1O2H & Mirofora Mataafa, Pacific Studies

Telephone 373 7599 extn 85167 

Email: m.taumoefolau@auckland.ac.nz

Office Hours – Friday 12, Room 108, Pacific Studies

 

University of Auckland

Centre for Pacific Studies

 

PAC 302 Pacific Language Structures

 

Course Outline

An introduction to the comparative analysis of the sound systems and grammatical structures of Samoan and Tongan.  The course will focus on basic concepts in sound and spelling systems, morphology and syntax of the two Pacific languages.  Special focus will be on kinds of stress, possessive categories, and transitivity.  The course will help students understand how the languages “work” and may help students learn the languages. 

 

Students who have passed a stage II course in a language subject or in Linguistics are particularly suited to do this course.  It is not necessary for students doing this course to be fluent in the Pacific languages studied. 

   

Main Texts

Pacific Languages: An Introduction, by John Lynch

Samoan Reference Grammar, by Ulrike Mosel and Evan Hovdhaugen

Tongan Grammar by C.M. Churchward

PhD thesis of M. Taumoefolau, University of Auckland, 1998

  

Lecture Schedule

Week 1	2 lectures	What is a language? Two views. Analogy of Car – Engine + Function	Melenaite & Mirofora
Week 2	2 lectures	Historical comparative linguistics – Origins of Pacific languages	Melenaite & Mirofora
	Tutorial 1	Writing Exercise	Melenaite & Mirofora
Week 3	2 lectures	Segmental Phonology - Phonemes	Melenaite & Mirofora
	Tutorial 2	Writing Exercise	Melenaite & Mirofora
Week 4	2 lectures	Supra-segmental Phonology - Stress	Melenaite & Mirofora
	Tutorial 3	Writing exercise	Melenaite & Mirofora
Week 5	2 lectures	Orthography	Melenaite & Mirofora
	Tutorial 4	Writing Exercise	Melenaite & Mirofora
Week 6	2 lectures	Morphology – prefixes, suffixes, reduplications, and compounds	Melenaite & Mirofora
	Tutorial 5	Writing exercise	Melenaite & Mirofora
		MID SEMESTER BREAK
Week 7	1 lecture	Syntax – Lexical and grammatical particles - Nominal and Verbal Sts	Melenaite & Mirofora
	1 lecture	Word Classes	Melenaite & Mirofora
	Tutorial 6	Writing exercise	Melenaite & Mirofora
Week 8	2 lectures	Kinds of verbal sentences – transitive and intransitive	Melenaite & Mirofora
	Tutorial 7	Writing exercise	Melenaite & Mirofora
Week 9	1 lecture	Continue transitive and intransitive sentences	Melenaite & Mirofora
	1 lecture	Suffixed and unsuffixed verbs, roles of -Cia suffix and fa‘a- prefix	Melenaite & Mirofora
	Tutorial 8	Writing exercise	Melenaite & Mirofora
Week 10	2 lectures	Tense, aspect and voice	Melenaite & Mirofora
	Tutorial 9	Writing exercise	Melenaite & Mirofora
Week 11	2 lectures	Possessive Classification	Melenaite & Mirofora
	Tutorial 10	Writing exercise	Melenaite & Mirofora
Week 12	2 lectures	Summing up and exam revision	Melenaite & Mirofora
	Tutorial 11	Writing Exercise	Melenaite & Mirofora

 

PAC 302 Course Work and Examination

 

Coursework 50%

1. Tutorial Assessments – 20%. This will consist of eight writing exercises or tests done during tutorials.  Each writing exercise will be worth 10 marks. Raw marks for your six best tutorial tasks will be added up and converted to 20% of the course. 
2. Essays x 2 – 30% (15 marks each)

 

Examination 50%

Three hour exam, essay type questions (no multichoice questions)

 

Essays

 

Assignment 1 Due on 26 August by 4pm  

Write not more than 1500 words. Write the number of words at the end of your essay.

 

Write an essay explaining how historical linguists reconstruct related languages. Use Pacific languages to illustrate your answer.  

 

Assignment 2 Due on 7 October by 4pm

Write not more than 1500 words. Write the number of words at the end of your essay.

 

Write an essay describing transitive and intransitive sentences in either Samoan or Tongan.  Make sure you illustrate your answer.