Module Code 單元編號 LIN4001 Module Title 單元名稱 LANGUAGE AND THE HUMAN FOOTPRINT Module Synopsis 單元概要 This course will examine how languages are shaped by human activities and how research about human activities is informed by the study of language data. The course adopts a diachronic approach and studies human language from an interdisciplinary perspective. Linguistic phenomena will be discussed in their historical contexts, with a focus on important human activities such as religion, migration, conquest and modernization. Through the study of these external factors on language change, students will learn to appreciate that language should not be viewed just as a set of static grammatical and pronunciation rules but realise that it evolves and reflects human culture and history. The Chinese language will be used as a starting point, and examples will be drawn from English and other familiar languages such as Japanese and Korean.