SCHOOL OF LANGUAGES, LITERACIES & TRANSLATION

INSTRUCTIONAL PLANNING
SEMESTER I
ACADEMIC SESSION 2013/2014
A. COURSE INFORMATION
Course Code

LET 101

Course Title

Introduction to World Languages and Multilingualism

Lectures

Day
:

Tuesday

Time

9 am 9.50 am & 10 am 10.50 am

Place

D09:207/208

Tutorials

Wednesday, 11 am 11.50 am (Group 1)

12 pm 12.50 pm (Group 2), 1 pm 1.50 pm (Group 3)
Place: D09A:105

Coordinator/Lecturer :

Dr. Ghayth al-Shaibani

Lecturer

Dr. Manjet Kaur - manjeet@usm.my

No. of students

81

Credit Units

B. COURSE OBJECTIVES
At the end of the course, students will
1.
2.
3.
4.

have a background on language history and classification of languages

be exposed to major languages, lingua francas, official languages, and some Asian languages
be informed about the status and future of major languages
understand issues on multilingualism

5. identify varieties of English in Asia and the world

6. be introduced to ideology and power relations.
C. LECTURE SCHEDULE
WEEK/DATE
1
[09/09/13 13/09/13]

TITLE

NOTES

Course Outline:
World Languages
1) Language history
2) Genetic and typological classification
3) Major languages
4) Lingua francas and other languages of widespread
use
5) The UN official languages
6) Some Asian languages I
7) Some Asian languages II; the status and future of
major languages
Multilingualism
1) An introduction to multilingualism; issues in

multilingualism I
2) Issues in multilingualism II
3) World Englishes
4) The future of Multilingualism and world
Englishes
5) Language and ideology
6) Power relations
7) Artificial languages
World Languages: Introduction
1) Language history

Ancient languages

Language spread

2
[16/09/13 20/09/13]

World Languages

3
[23/09/13 27/09/13]

World Languages

4
[30/09/13 04/10/13]

5
[07/10/13 11/10/13]

6
[14/10/13 18/10/13]

2) Genetic and typological classification

Genetic classification
Typological classification

3) Major languages
Indo-European languages
Top ten languages
World Languages
4) Lingua francas and other languages of
widespread use
Lingua francas
Widespread languages
World Languages
Written test I
5) The UN official languages
English, Chinese, French,
Russian, Spanish and Arabic
World Languages
Hari Raya Haji
15 & 16/10/13 (Tue &
Wed)

6) Some Asian languages I

Malay
Iban
World Languages
7
[21/10/13 25/10/13]

Malaysia Day
16/09/11 (Mon)

7) Some Asian languages II; the status and

future of major languages

Some Asian languages II: Hindi and Tamil

The status and future of major languages

8
[28/10/13 01/11/13]

Multilingualism
1) An introduction to multilingualism

Definition of monolingualism, bilingualism, and

multilingualism
Issues in multilingualism from a global
perspective I:
- Multilingual communities
- Gender
- Ethnicity
- Nationality
9
[04/11/13 08/11/13]
10
[11/11/13 15/11/13]

Mid-Semester Break

Multilingualism
2) Issues in multilingualism from a global

perspective II:

11
[18/11/13 22/11/13]

12
[25/11/13 29/11/13]
13
[02/12/13 06/12/13]

Acquisition of multilingualism
Aspects of multilingualism
Settings of multilingualism
Benefits of multilingualism

Multilingualism

Assignment submission

3) World Englishes

Current debates
Asian Englishes
Multilingualism
4) The future of Multilingualism and world Englishes

Presentation on the
assignment topic

Multilingualism
5) Language and ideology

Written test II

Definitions of ideology

 Manifestation of ideology

14
[09/12/13 13/12/13]

Multilingualism
6) Power relations

Definition of power
Manifestation of power
15
[16/12/13 20/12/13]

16
[23/12/13 27/12/13]

Submission of
coursework grades

Multilingualism
7) Artificial Languages

Revision Week
Christmas 25/12/13 (Wed)
New Years Day 01/01/14 (Wed)

17
18
EXAMINATION PERIOD
19

20

INTER-SEMESTER BREAK

D. REFERENCES

Lyovin, A. V. (1997). An introduction to the languages of the world. Oxford University Press.
(Call no. P371.L991.1997 at Lib.1)
Moseley, C. & Asher, R.E. (1994). Atlas of the worlds languages. London. Routledge.
(Call no. G1046. E3A882.2007 ffr at Lib.1)
Katzner, K. (2002). The languages of the world. London. Routledge.
(Call no. P201.k19.2002 at Lib.1)
Maurais and Morris (Eds.) (2003). Languages in a globalised world. UK. Cambridge.
Call no. P119.3.L287. 2003 at Lib.1
Comrie, B. (2009). The Worlds Major Languages. (2nd ed.). Routledge. [e-book/USM library]
Austin, P. K. (2008). 1000 languages: the worldwide history of living and lost tongues. London:
Thames & Hudson.
Holm,J (2000). An Introduction to Pidgins and Creoles. Cambridge University Press.
Pavlenko, A.; Blackledge, A.; Piller, I. & Teutsch-Dwyer, M. (2001). Multilingualism, second
language learning, and gender. Berlin. New York. Mouton.
Tosi, A. (1984). Immigration and bilingual education. Pergamon Press.
Altarriba, J. & Heredia, R. R. (2008). An introduction to bilingualism: principles and processes. New
York. London. LEA
Anne-Marie de Mejia (2002). Power, Prestige and Bilingualism: International Perspectives on Elite
Bilingual Education. Multilingual Matters Ltd, Great Britain. (Call no.: LC3719 D376 2002)
Baker, Colin (1993). Foundations of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism. Multilingual Matters
Ltd, England. (LC3715 B167)
Cenoz, Jasone & Genesee, Fred (eds) (1998). Beyond Bilingualism: Multilingualism and
Multilingual Education. Multilingual Matters Ltd, Great Britain. (LC3715 B573)
Creese, A. & Martin, W. P. (2003). Multilingual classroom ecologies. Multilingual Matters.
Coulmas, F. (2005). Sociolinguistics: The study of Speakers Choices. New York: Cambridge
University Press.
Eckert, Penelope & McConnell-Ginet, Sally. (2003). Language and Gender. Cambridge University
Press, United Kingdom. (P120 S48E19 2003)
Khoo, Rosemary; Kreher, Ursula; Wong, Ruth (eds). (1994). Towards global Multilingualism:
6

E.

COURSE EVALUATION
COURSE WORK (40%)

Mode

Percentage

Written Test I
Assignment
Presentations
Written Test II

5%
20%
10%
5%
40%

COURSE WORK

Deadline

Week 5
Week 11
Weeks 12, 13, 14 & 15
Week 13

Notes:

1. Written Tests: for 45 minutes

2. Assignment (pair work 2 students): to choose from the given topics covered in the lectures
(Week 1 Week 15) and write an essay not more than10 pages.
3. Presentations: each student has to make presentations on the topics covered in the lectures during
the tutorials and also to make a presentation on the assignment topic in Weeks 12, 13, 14 & 15.
Final Examination

(60% )

Students will answer 4 questions out of 5 or 6 two from Section A and 2 from Section B.
F. TUTORIAL SCHEDULE
WEEK/DATE
2
[16/09/13 20/09/13]
3
[23/09/13 27/09/13]
4
[30/09/13 04/10/13]
5
[07/10/13 11/10/13]

6
[14/10/13 18/10/13]

TUTORIAL QUESTIONS

All groups: Discuss how language started and spread taking into
consideration extinct and living languages.
Group 1: Discuss how languages are classified.
Group 2: Discuss the first top 5 languages.
Group 3: Discuss the second top 5 languages.
All groups: Discuss various lingua francas with examples.
Group1: Elaborate on English and Chinese in terms of structure, meaning,
and use with examples.
Group 2: Elaborate on French and Russian in terms of structure, meaning,
and use with examples.
Group 3: Elaborate on Spanish and Arabic in terms of structure, meaning,
and use with examples.
Group 1: Discuss Malay language in Malaysia and the region.
Group 2: Discuss Iban language with examples.
Group 3: Discuss any other language in Malaysia.

7
[21/10/13 25/10/13]
8
[28/10/13 01/11/13]

Group 1: Elaborate on Hindi and Tamil loanwords in Malay with examples.

Group 2: Elaborate on the future of Malaysian languages discussed above.
Group 3: Discuss any other Asian language of interest.
1. Discuss multilingual communities in terms of gender, ethnicity, and
nationality in the context of Malaysia
2. Discuss multilingual communities in terms of gender, ethnicity, and
nationality in the context of Singapore
3. Discuss multilingual communities in terms of gender, ethnicity, and
nationality in the context of Australia

9
[04/11/13 08/11/13]
10
[11/11/13 15/11/13]

11
[18/11/13 22/11/13]

Mid-semester Break

1. Discuss the acquisition of multilingualism,

2. Discuss the aspects and settings of multilingualism
3. Discuss the benefits of multilingualism.

1. According to "The Decline of the Native Speaker," a paper David

Graddol published in the International Association of Applied
Linguistics Review, the proportion of native English-speakers in the
world population can be expected to shrink over the century 19502050 from more than 8 to less than 5 percent. Discuss.
2. The consensus among those who study these things is that
Internet traffic in languages other than English will outstrip Englishlanguage traffic within the next few years. Discuss.
3.If a language becomes global, is it there for ever?

12
[25/11/13 29/11/13]

Assignment topic presentations - Dr.Ghayths group

13
[02/12/13 06/12/13]

Assignment topic presentations Dr.Manjet group

14
[09/12/13 13/12/13]

Assignment topic presentations Dr. Ghayths group

15
[16/12/13 20/12/13]

Assignment topic presentations Dr. Manjets group

16
[23/12/13 27/12/13]

Revision Week