Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia
Vicerrectoría Académica y de Investigación
Syllabus of the Course Language forms and functions, Code 551019
1. Course Information
The course is part of the academic unit: Escuela de Ciencias de la Educación ECEDU
Academic degree level: Professional Training field: Disciplinar
Number of credits: 2 Course Type: Theoretical
Course designed by: Claudia Yuliana
The course has a re-Take exam
Ramírez Ospina
Course updated by: N/A
Date of design: Tuesday, December 1st,
Date of update: Tuesday, June 1st, 2021
2020
Course Description:
The course Language forms and functions is a two-credit course, is part of the obligatory
component of the disciplinary training field that in time is part of the core problem named,
competences in foreign languages as a means of incorporation in the global environment.
The course answers the problem question; “How to train competent teachers, in the command
of foreign languages according to the needs of the country, that contribute with their
integration in a globalized world?”. Accordingly, the learning outcomes corresponding to each
of the activities found in the course structure aim to provide an overview of English language
forms and functions. The learning outcomes focus on the study of English language forms and
functions that allows the student of the Bachelor of Arts in English as a Foreign Language to
familiarize with the strategic use of the language. This helps them to know, to learn and to
distinguish different patterns of language usage in daily practice in order to deepen in the
study of these elements as undeniable characteristics of the language itself.
In addition, this course is designed for students with little basis in linguistics, who wish to
further on acknowledging and understanding the structures of the language as tools of
knowledge. They are expected to tackle the language through the representation of its uses
1
and facilitate its learning and mastery of its writing. Students will get this knowledge of its
forms to establish a relationship between language and everyday use to develop their own
adequate language use through tasks. Therefore, the learning strategy proposed for this
course is Task-Based Approach (TBA) since it permits goal-oriented and meaning centered
activities. Collaborative and individual tasks are designed to facilitate students’ participation
in meaningful activities.
The course consists of two didactic units. The first unit relies on the theoretical generalities
of Language forms. The second unit focuses on the theoretical foundation of language
functions
2. Course Learning Purpose:
The course learning purpose is:
To provide the means so that students in the Language Forms and Functions class master
most content and tools that allow them to apply their knowledge to the appropriate use of
language, its correct usage as well as the distinction between the different structures of the
English language.
3. Learning Outcomes:
Learning outcomes:
At the end of the course the student will be able to:
Learning outcome 1: Identify the concepts, the foundations,
strategies and techniques necessary for the understanding of English forms and functions.
Learning outcome 2: Apply the concepts, the foundations, strategies and techniques
necessary for the understanding of English forms and functions.
Learning outcome 3: interpret texts for their own stance and thus show understanding of
English language forms and functions concepts and foundations.
2
Learning outcome 4: Show a systematic and accurate way to communicate his/her ideas
in English in regards to the topics of the course.
4. Learning Strategy:
The learning strategy of the course is: The approach proposed for this course is the Task-
Based Approach (TBA)
This learning strategy is based on: it permits goal-oriented and meaning centered activities,
which will enhance students’ cognitive processes of comprehension, meaningful production
and interaction in the target language about how English language is structured from the
linguistic point of view and how its components are related to each other in order to perform
different functions.
The Learning Strategy is organized in 6 Tasks
Task 1: Initial activity on parts of speech
Task 2: Quiz Unit 1 - Morphology
Task 3: Understanding language forms
Task 4: Identifying language functions
Task 5: Quiz unit 2 - Systemic functional linguistics.
Task 6: Final exam – Morphological analysis
5. Course Contents and Bibliographic References
Unit 1: English Language Forms
In this unit, the following contents will be addressed:
Defining language
Some notions about Morphology
Grammatical categories and semantic relations
To address the contents, the following bibliographic references are required:
3
McCabe, A. (2011). An Introduction to Linguistics and Language Studies. London: Equinox
Publishing Ltd. pp. 1-15. Retrieved from
https://bibliotecavirtual.unad.edu.co/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.asp
x?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=547849&lang=es&site=eds-
live&scope=site&ebv=EB&ppid=pp_1
Arwood, E. L. (2010). ‘Defining Language’, in Language Function: An Introduction to
Pragmatic Assessment and Intervention for Higher Order Thinking and Better Literacy.
London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Retrieved from
https://bibliotecavirtual.unad.edu.co/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.asp
x?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=387929&lang=es&site=eds-
live&scope=site&ebv=EK&ppid=Page-__-12
Leech, G. N. (2006). A Glossary of English Grammar. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University
Press. Retrieved from https://bibliotecavirtual.unad.edu.co/login?url=https://search-
ebscohost-
com.bibliotecavirtual.unad.edu.co/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=169615&lan
g=es&site=ehost-live&ebv=EB&ppid=pp_5
McCabe, A. (2011). ‘Language and Mind’, Chapter 4 in An Introduction to Linguistics and
Language Studies. London: Equinox Publishing Ltd. pp. 169-231. Retrieved from
https://bibliotecavirtual.unad.edu.co/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.asp
x?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=547849&lang=es&site=eds-
live&scope=site&ebv=EB&ppid=pp_169
Brinton, L. J., & Brinton, D. (2010). ‘The internal structure of words and processes of word
formation’, Chapter 4 in The Linguistic Structure of Modern English. Amsterdam: John
Benjamins Publishing Co. pp. 79-112. Retrieved from
https://bibliotecavirtual.unad.edu.co/login?url=https://search-ebscohost-
com.bibliotecavirtual.unad.edu.co/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=333441&lan
g=es&site=ehost-live&ebv=EB&ppid=pp_79
Mattiello, E. (2013). ‘Chapter 3 Abbreviations’ to ‘Chapter 6 Minor phenomena’, in Extra-
grammatical Morphology in English: Abbreviations, Blends, Reduplicatives, and
Related Phenomena. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton. pp. 64-209. Retrieved from
https://bibliotecavirtual.unad.edu.co/login?url=https://search-ebscohost-
com.bibliotecavirtual.unad.edu.co/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=544037&lan
g=es&site=ehost-live&ebv=EB&ppid=pp_64
Brinton, L. J., & Brinton, D. (2010). ‘Grammatical categories and word classes’, Chapter 5 in
The Linguistic Structure of Modern English. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing
Co. pp. 113-142. Retrieved from
https://bibliotecavirtual.unad.edu.co/login?url=https://search-ebscohost-
com.bibliotecavirtual.unad.edu.co/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=333441&lan
g=es&site=ehost-live&ebv=EB&ppid=pp_Cover
4
Brinton, L. J., & Brinton, D. (2010). ‘Lexical semantics’, Chapter 6 in The Linguistic Structure
of Modern English. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Co. pp. 143-183.
Retrieved from
https://bibliotecavirtual.unad.edu.co/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.asp
x?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=333441&lang=es&site=eds-
live&scope=site&ebv=EB&ppid=pp_143
VIMEP (2020). Instructivo para la usabilidad de Normas internacionales de citación APA 7a
Edición. Retrieved from
https://repository.unad.edu.co/static/pdf/Norma_APA_7_Edicion.pdf
VIOs Unit 1 – Morphology and grammatical categories
Plazas Bello, P. (31,01,2019). Morphology. [Video File]. Retrieved from:
http://hdl.handle.net/10596/23813
Ramirez, C. Y. (2021). Grammatical categories. [Video File]. Retrieved
from: https://repository.unad.edu.co/handle/10596/38956
Unit 2: English language functions
In this unit, the following contents will be addressed:
● The study of language functions
● Systemic functional linguistics
To address the contents, the following bibliographic references are required:
Arwood, E. L. (2010). ‘The study of language functions’, in Language Function: An
Introduction to Pragmatic Assessment and Intervention for Higher Order Thinking and
Better Literacy. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Retrieved from
https://bibliotecavirtual.unad.edu.co/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.asp
x?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=387929&lang=es&site=eds-
live&scope=site&ebv=EK&ppid=Page-__-42
Givón, T. (1993). English Grammar: A Function-based Introduction.
Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company. Retrieved from
5
https://bibliotecavirtual.unad.edu.co/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.asp
x?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=435330&lang=es&site=eds-live&scope=site
McCabe, A. (2011). ‘Systemic functional linguistics’, in An introduction to Linguistics and
Language Studies. London: Equinox Publishing Ltd. pp.101-135. Retrieved from
https://bibliotecavirtual.unad.edu.co/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.asp
x?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=547849&lang=es&site=eds-
live&scope=site&ebv=EB&ppid=pp_101
McCabe, A. (2011). ‘Functional linguistics’, in An introduction to Linguistics and Language
Studies. London: Equinox Publishing Ltd. pp. 365-367. Retrieved from
https://bibliotecavirtual.unad.edu.co/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.asp
x?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=547849&lang=es&site=eds-
live&scope=site&ebv=EB&ppid=pp_365
VIO Unit 2 – Systemic Functional Linguistics
Moreno Cervera, L. (31,01,2017). OVI - Unit 2 - Systemic Functional Linguistics. [Video
File]. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10596/10835
6. Organization of Weekly Academic Activities and Course Evaluation Plan
Initial Moment
Task 1- Initial activity on parts of speech.
To be developed from week 1 to week 2
This responds to the learning outcome: 1
The activity is to reflect on linguistics and identify and explain parts of speech.
Evaluation of the Task 1- Initial activity on parts of speech.
Initial moment evaluation
The evaluation criteria for this activity are: Write a deep reflection about linguistics, explain
parts of speech and analyze sentences to show the parts of speech.
The highest score for this activity is 25 points, corresponding to 5% of the course
evaluation.
6
Intermediate Moment
Task 2 – Quiz Unit 1 – Morphology.
To be developed from week 3 to week 4
This responds to the learning outcome 4
The activity is to present a quiz to get familiar with morphology concepts.
Evaluation of Task 2 – Quiz Unit 1 – Morphology.
The evaluation criteria for this activity are: the score obtained in the quiz.
The highest score for this activity is 60 points, corresponding to 12% of the course
evaluation.
Task 3 – Understanding language forms.
To be developed from 5 to week 8
This responds to the learning outcome 3
The activities are to explain the concept of morphology and explain and exemplify the
grammatical categories, and semantic relations.
Evaluation of Task 3 – Understanding language forms.
The evaluation criteria for this activity are: explain morphology, ten grammar categories and
eleven basic semantic relations, include accurate definitions and examples of the grammar
categories and semantic relations through an online magazine.
The highest score for this activity is 115 points, corresponding to 23% of the course
evaluation.
Task 4 – Identifying language functions.
To be developed from week 9 to week 12
This responds to the learning outcome 3
The activities are to identify, explain and exemplify different types of language functions.
Evaluation of Task 4 – Identifying language functions.
The evaluation criteria for this activity are: answer the questions, consolidate a single
collaborative contribution about the study of language functions, social intention functions,
7
and expanded functions, present original examples, design an online Genially presentation
with all the required sections.
The highest score for this activity is 115 points, corresponding to 23% of the course
evaluation.
Task 5 – Quiz Unit 2 - Systemic functional linguistics.
To be developed from week 13 to week 14
This responds to the learning outcome 3
The activity is to present a quiz to explore the systemic functional linguistics.
Evaluation of Task 5 – Quiz Unit 2 - Systemic functional linguistics.
The evaluation criteria for this activity are: the score obtained in the quiz.
The highest score for this activity is 60 points, corresponding to 12% of the course
evaluation.
Final Moment
Task 6 – Final exam on word formation.
To be developed from week 15 to week 16
This responds to the learning outcome 4
The activity is to create a video on word formation processes.
Evaluation of Task 6 – Final exam on word formation.
The evaluation criteria for this activity are: Select a word and a sentence in the forum,
design a ppt presentation and a video including high-quality contents of the word
morphological analysis and the word-formation process identification. Also, include the
definition, types, and examples of the word-formation process identified.
The highest score for this activity is 125 points, corresponding to 25% of the course
evaluation.
7. Teacher’s Support
To develop the course activities, you will have the support of a teacher or tutor.
8
The teaching support strategies of the Language forms and functions course are mainly
based on the follow-up to the activities established from the individual and collaborative
activities in the forms of synchronic and asynchronous accompaniment. Likewise, the
activities will be reinforced with educational resources such as OVIs.
● Virtual Campus E-mail
● Collaborative Forums
● Skype Sessions
● Online Conference Sessions or Web Conferences
