SEL2229 : Experimental Methods in Linguistics
- Offered for Year: 2024/25
- Module Leader(s): Dr Christine Cuskley
- Owning School: English Lit, Language & Linguistics
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 2 Credit Value: | 20 |
| ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
This course provides a broad overview of the foundational issues with respect to experimental methodology in linguistics. Lectures will cover theoretical and philosophical considerations, methodological approaches and issues, and tools used in data collection. By the end of the course, students will be able to critically evaluate experimental research in linguistics, from both theoretical and methodological points of view. Alongside this, students will learn the basic skills necessary for carrying out their own experimental research project, including experimental design, data wrangling, and statistical analysis.
Outline Of Syllabus
The course will focus on general philosophical, methodological, practical, and ethical issues that arise in the course of research in linguistics. Topics will include: science communication, the scientific method, computational approaches to language and linguistic research, null hypothesis testing, tools for collecting experimental data (online and in-lab), and basic data wrangling and statistics. The course will also introduce students to specific methods and tools allowing them to undertake survey-based or experimental research, and independently design their own experimental methods.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 11 | 1:00 | 11:00 | N/A |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 11 | 1:00 | 11:00 | N/A |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 42 | 1:00 | 42:00 | N/A |
| Guided Independent Study | Directed research and reading | 70 | 1:00 | 70:00 | N/A |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 11 | 1:00 | 11:00 | N/A |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 55 | 1:00 | 55:00 | N/A |
| Total | 200:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
Lectures present the module content.
Small group teaching will focus on practical tools, skills, and software used in data collection, analysis, and presentation.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practical/lab report | 2 | M | 30 | Data wrangling and analysis |
| Essay | 2 | A | 70 | 2000 word novel experimental design |
Formative Assessments
Formative Assessment is an assessment which develops your skills in being assessed, allows for you to receive feedback, and prepares you for being assessed. However, it does not count to your final mark.
| Description | Semester | When Set | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research proposal | 2 | M | Experimental design proposal |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The mid semester essay enables students to show applied knowledge of practical skills surrounding data wrangling and analysis learned during small group teaching.
The end-of-semester assessment consists of a methods proposal on which they will receive formative feedback prior to designing their own novel experimental methods. This will feed into the final essay which assesses the student's practical understanding of the general issues and ability to apply them creatively to their own novel experimental design.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- SEL2229's Timetable