This course provides an introductory overview to the languages of the Pacific, extending from Timor in the west through the island of New Guinea out through Melanesia into Pacific Polynesia. It deals equally with the Austronesian languages which have arrived in the region some three millennia ago and the many Papuan languages whose presence in the region goes back much further in time and which are geographically focussed on the island of New Guinea with outliers in Timor, the Moluccas, and the Solomon Islands.

The emphasis is on giving an understanding of these very diverse language structures, an appreciation of the astounding linguistic diversity of the region (containing around a fifth of the world's languages), the cultural context of language function and structure, and the continuities between traditional languages and the emergent pidgins and creoles of the region (e.g. Tok Pisin, Bislama, Solomons Pijin and Melayu Papua). No previous exposure to linguistics or to Pacific languages is assumed.

Students completing this course will have:

a)Gained an appreciation of the indigenous languages of the Pacific, their diversity, significance, and cultural embedding, with exposure to both Austronesian and Papuan languages.

b)Have acquired asuitably flexible conceptual framework for the analysis of languages of a very different type to their own, and a basic understanding of the methods linguists use to analyse themc

c)The ability to communicate clearly and concisely about linguistic structures and conceptual systems different from those found in English

Tutorial attendance (10%)

Specific language profile for one “adopted” language (30%) [1500 words]

Three transcription and analysis problem/s (30%)  [2250 words equiv.]

Final Essay [individual or group options] (30%)   [1500 words]

The course is offered in semi-itensive mode and runs over 9 weeks, from week 5 of second semester.

First meeting is 19th August. There will be a main class on Wednesdays, 1300 - 1600 (1pm to 4pm), and a second class on Mondays, 1600 - 1800 (4pm to 6pm).