LING 150C: Languages of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific

Overview

This course is an introduction to the languages of Hawai’i and the broader Pacific region. The topics covered include linguistic evidence for the prehistoric settlement of the Pacific islands (this may also involve some reference to Pacific archaeology), principles of historical change, the organization of linguistic systems of sound and grammar, the social use of language, language and education, language maintenance and revitalization, language contact and shift, pidgins and creoles, and language endangerment and documentation.

LING 150C has been approved for both Writing Intensive (WI) and Hawaiian, Asian and Pacific Issues (H or HAPS) focus. In order to receive WI and H credit, students must satisfy the specified course requirements, including the written assignments.

Textbook and Course Materials

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course students will:

• understand the breadth of linguistic diversity found in the Pacific region
• understand similarities and differences among languages of the Pacific in terms of their structure, demographics and use
• be able to describe how the study of language informs our understanding of culture, history, migration, and politics in the Pacific
• understand the relationships between different groups in the Pacific through language contact
• be able to independently carry out research regarding language in the Pacific region
• be able to describe in formal prose aspects of language structure and use in the Pacific

Materials

The main text for the course is a collection of readings edited by Hiroko Sato and Joel Bradshaw, entitled Languages of the Pacific Islands: Introductory Readings. A pdf version can be accessed here. 

Syllabus

The course syllabus is available as a GoogleDoc at [https://go.hawaii.edu/rtx].