LING225-25S2 (C) Semester Two 2025

Language and Social Justice

15 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 14 July 2025
End Date: Sunday, 9 November 2025
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Sunday, 27 July 2025
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Sunday, 28 September 2025

Description

How can we use linguistic evidence to solve crimes? What does linguistic analysis tell us about legal language? In this course, students learn how to use linguistics for forensic purposes. What can a piece of spoken or written language tell us about its authors? Can linguistic analysis expose inequalities in the legal system? What are the implications of using linguistic evidence for commercial or defense purposes?

How can we use linguistic evidence to solve crimes? Is there really such a thing as a ‘linguistic fingerprint,’ allowing us to categorically identify someone? What does linguistic analysis tell us about legal language? In this course, students learn how to use linguistics for forensic purposes. We ask:

1. What can a piece of spoken or written language tell us about its authors?
2. Can linguistic analysis expose inequalities in the legal system?
3. What are the implications of using linguistic evidence outside of the legal system?

Learning Outcomes

  • By the end of the course, students will:

  • Describe how we can apply linguistic analysis to forensic questions
  • Categorize the most types of linguistic evidence and their uses
  • Synthesize principles from the analysis of legal language
  • Evaluate the role of linguistic evidence outside of legal domains

      • University Graduate Attributes

      This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attributes specified below:

      Critically competent in a core academic discipline of their award

      Students know and can critically evaluate and, where applicable, apply this knowledge to topics/issues within their majoring subject.

Prerequisites

Any 15 points at any level from any subject.

Timetable 2025

Students must attend one activity from each section.

Lecture A
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Monday 10:00 - 11:00 E14 Lecture Theatre
14 Jul - 24 Aug
8 Sep - 19 Oct
Lecture B
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Thursday 13:00 - 15:00 A5 Lecture Theatre
14 Jul - 24 Aug
8 Sep - 19 Oct

Course Coordinator

Forrest Andrew Panther

Assessment

Assessment Due Date Percentage  Description
Reading/Lecture Quizzes 20% Five quizzes on the content of lectures and readings, across five weeks during the semester. Each quiz is worth 4% of the final grade, for a total of 20%.
Home/Classwork Assignment 1 10%
Home/Classwork Assignment 2 10%
Assessment 1 30%
Assessment 2 30%

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $894.00

International fee $4,100.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

Minimum enrolments

This course will not be offered if fewer than 20 people apply to enrol.

For further information see Language, Social and Political Sciences .

All LING225 Occurrences

  • LING225-25S2 (C) Semester Two 2025
  • LING225-25S2 (D) Semester Two 2025 (Distance)
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