Overview
Humans uniquely are the big-brained animals with language. Explore what language is, how your mind makes it happen, and thereby what it means to be human.
Soon we will talk to artificial minds: Minds that were created by human design, not natural evolution. In this paper, we will take perspectives from neuroscience, biological anthropology, literary studies, and computer science all to understand human language and, thereby, humans. What does our language ability tell us about how our minds differ from those artificial ones?
About this paper
| Paper title | Language, Brain, and Being Human |
|---|---|
| Subject | Linguistics |
| EFTS | 0.1500 |
| Points | 18 points |
| Teaching period(s) | Semester 2
(Distance learning)
Semester 2 (On campus) |
| Delivery mode | The Distance Learning offering of this paper is taught and assessed remotely |
| Domestic Tuition Fees ( NZD ) | $1,103.10 |
| International Tuition Fees | Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website. |
- Restriction
- LING 240
- Schedule C
- Arts and Music
- Contact
- Teaching staff
- Textbooks
All course materials available online.
- Graduate Attributes Emphasised
- Interdisciplinary perspective, Scholarship, Communication, Critical thinking, Teamwork.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes. - Learning Outcomes
- Summarise arguments from complex resources
- Differentiate theories of the human mind and language
- Propose a model of the human language faculty
- Assess and evaluate competing theories of language evolution
Timetable
Overview
Humans uniquely are the big-brained animals with language. Explore what language is, how your mind makes it happen, and thereby what it means to be human.
Soon, we will talk to artificial minds, minds that were created by human design, not natural evolution. In this paper, we will take perspectives from neuroscience, biological anthropology, literary studies, and computer science, all to understand human language and, thereby, humans. What does our language ability tell us about how our minds differ from those artificial ones?
About this paper
| Paper title | Language, Brain, and Being Human |
|---|---|
| Subject | Linguistics |
| EFTS | 0.1500 |
| Points | 18 points |
| Teaching period | Not offered in 2027 (Distance learning) |
| Domestic Tuition Fees | Tuition Fees for 2027 have not yet been set |
| International Tuition Fees | Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website. |
- Restriction
- LING 240
- Schedule C
- Arts and Music
- Contact
- Teaching staff
- Textbooks
All course materials available online.
- Graduate Attributes Emphasised
- Interdisciplinary perspective, Scholarship, Communication, Critical thinking, Teamwork.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes. - Learning Outcomes
- Summarise arguments from complex resources
- Differentiate theories of the human mind and language
- Propose a model of the human language faculty
- Assess and evaluate competing theories of language evolution