| School/Faculty/Institute |
Faculty of Law |
| Course Code |
HUM 312 |
| Course Title in English |
Forensic Linguistics |
| Course Title in Turkish |
Adli Dilbilimi |
| Language of Instruction |
EN |
| Type of Course |
Lecture |
| Level of Course |
Intermediate |
| Semester |
Spring |
| Contact Hours per Week |
| Lecture: 2 |
Recitation: |
Lab: |
Other: |
|
| Estimated Student Workload |
92 hours per semester |
| Number of Credits |
4 ECTS |
| Grading Mode |
Standard Letter Grade
|
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Expected Prior Knowledge |
none |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| Registration Restrictions |
Only Undergraduate Students |
| Overall Educational Objective |
To investigate the role linguistic analysis plays in the legal process. |
| Course Description |
The broad aim of this course is to give students an understanding of the role linguistic analysis plays in the legal process (Forensic Linguistics). One of the main goals of Forensic Linguistics is to provide a careful and systemic analysis of language. The results of this analysis can be used by lawyers, judges and jury members to help evaluate questions of guilt and innocence more fairly. Forensic Linguistics serves justice and helps people to find the truth when a crime has been committed. Forensic Linguistics is commonly divided into two major areas: written language; and spoken language. Written language looks at: transcripts of police interviews with witnesses and suspects; criminal messages used in cases of terrorist threat, suicide, kidnapping, blackmailing; and the examination of text material to answer questions about who may or may not have been the author. Written language examined by a Forensic Linguists can be in many different forms: phone messages, notes, handwritten letters, posting in social media, etc. Linguists who primarily investigate written language look at features such as spelling, sentence construction, word-choice, and punctuation, etc. Spoken language looks at the language used by interpreters during official interviews of witnesses, suspects, and victims; the language used by offenders or victims during a crime. The focus of this area is not simply what was said, but how it was said. Linguists who principally examine spoken language focus on accent, dialect, pronunciation, tone of voice, speed and rhythm of speech, etc. This course takes a case-based approach to analyze how crimes were solved based on: emojis; text message abbreviations; punctuation; pronouns; handwriting analysis; transcriptions of speech; variations between British and American English; semantics versus pragmatics; definite versus indefinite articles; narrative justifications; regional dialects; style guides; and ciphers. |
| Course Description in Turkish |
Bu dersin ana amacı öğrencilere dilbilim analizinin yasal süreçlerde oynadığı rolle ilgili bir fikir vermektir (Adli Dilbilim). Adli Dilbilimin temel amaçlarından biri dilin dikkatli ve sistematik bir analizini sunmaktır. Bu analizin sonuçları avukatlar, yargıçlar, ve jüri üyeleri tarafından suç ve masumiyete dair soruları daha adil değerlendirmek için kullanılabilir. Adli Dilbilim adalete hizmet eder ve bir suç işlendiğinde insanların gerçeği bulmasına yardımcı olur.
Adli Dilbilim genelde iki ana alana bölünmüştür: yazılı dil ve konuşulan dil. Yazılı dil; tanık ve şüphelilerle yapılan polis görüşmelerinin transkriptleri, terörist tehditler, intihar, kaçırma veya şantajda kullanılan suç içerikli mesajlar, ve yazarın kim olduğunu tespit etme amacıyla sorulacak soruların yanıtlanması için metnin incelenmesi ile ilgilidir.
Bir Adli Dilbilimcinin inceleyeceği yazılı dil çok farklı şekiller alabilir: telefon mesajları, notlar, elle yazılmış mektuplar, sosyal medya paylaşımları gibi. Esas olarak yazılı dille ilgilenen dilbilimciler imla, cümle yapısı, kelime seçimi, noktalama işaretleri gibi öğelere bakarlar.
Konuşma dili, tercümanların tanıklar, şüpheliler ve kurbanlar resmi görüşmelerde dinlenirken kullandıkları dile bakar; suçu işleyenlerin veya kurbanlarının kullandığı dile. Bu alanın odaklandığı mesele sadece ne söylendiği değil, nasıl söylendiğidir. Esas olarak konuşma dili inceleyen dilbilimciler, aksan, lehçe, telaffuz, ses tonu, konuşmanın hız ve ritmi gibi özelliklere bakarlar.
Bu ders vaka tabanlı bir yaklaşımla suçların nasıl emojiler, metin mesajı kısaltmaları, noktalama işaretleri, zamirler, el yazısı analizi, konuşma transkriptleri, İngiliz ve Amerikan İngilizcesi arasındaki farklar, anlam ve edim, belirli belirtme edatları ve belirsiz belirtme edatları arasındaki farklar, meşrulaştırıcı söylemler, bölgesel şiveler, stil kılavuzları ve parolalar sayesinde aydınlatıldığını analiz ediyor.
|
Course Learning Outcomes and Competences
Upon successful completion of the course, the learner is expected to be able to:
|
| Program Learning Outcomes/Course Learning Outcomes |
| 1) Thorough knowledge of the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, empirical findings, and historical trends in psychology. |
| 2) Understanding of and ability to apply essential research methods in psychology, including research design, data analysis, and data interpretation. |
| 3) Competence to use critical and creative thinking, skeptical inquiry and a scientific approach to solving problems related to behavior and mental processes. |
| 4) Understanding and ability to apply psychological principles, skills and values in personal, social, and organizational contexts. |
| 5) Ability to weigh evidence, to tolerate ambiguity, and to reflect other values that underpin psychology as a discipline. |
| 6) Internalization and dissemination of professional ethical standards. |
| 7) Demonstration of competence in information technologies, and the ability to use computer and other technologies for purposes related to the pursuit of knowledge in psychology and the broader social sciences. |
| 8) Skills to communicate the knowledge of psychological science effectively, in a variety of formats, in both Turkish and in English (in English, at least CEFR B2 level). |
| 9) Recognition, understanding, and respect for the complexity of sociocultural and international diversity. |
| 10) Recognition for the need for, and the skills to pursue, lifelong learning, inquiry, and self-improvement. |
| 11) Ability to formulate critical hypotheses based on psychological theory and literature, and design studies to test those hypotheses. |
| 12) Ability to acquire knowledge independently, and to plan one’s own learning. |
| 13) Demonstration of advanced competence in the clarity and composition of written work and presentations. |
Relation to Program Outcomes and Competences
| N None |
S Supportive |
H Highly Related |
| |
|
|
| |
Program Outcomes and Competences |
Level |
Assessed by |
| 1) |
Thorough knowledge of the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, empirical findings, and historical trends in psychology. |
N |
|
| 2) |
Understanding of and ability to apply essential research methods in psychology, including research design, data analysis, and data interpretation. |
N |
|
| 3) |
Competence to use critical and creative thinking, skeptical inquiry and a scientific approach to solving problems related to behavior and mental processes. |
H |
Exam,HW,Participation
|
| 4) |
Understanding and ability to apply psychological principles, skills and values in personal, social, and organizational contexts. |
N |
|
| 5) |
Ability to weigh evidence, to tolerate ambiguity, and to reflect other values that underpin psychology as a discipline. |
N |
|
| 6) |
Internalization and dissemination of professional ethical standards. |
N |
|
| 7) |
Demonstration of competence in information technologies, and the ability to use computer and other technologies for purposes related to the pursuit of knowledge in psychology and the broader social sciences. |
N |
|
| 8) |
Skills to communicate the knowledge of psychological science effectively, in a variety of formats, in both Turkish and in English (in English, at least CEFR B2 level). |
N |
|
| 9) |
Recognition, understanding, and respect for the complexity of sociocultural and international diversity. |
S |
Participation
|
| 10) |
Recognition for the need for, and the skills to pursue, lifelong learning, inquiry, and self-improvement. |
S |
HW,Participation
|
| 11) |
Ability to formulate critical hypotheses based on psychological theory and literature, and design studies to test those hypotheses. |
N |
|
| 12) |
Ability to acquire knowledge independently, and to plan one’s own learning. |
S |
Exam,HW
|
| 13) |
Demonstration of advanced competence in the clarity and composition of written work and presentations. |
H |
Exam,HW
|
| Prepared by and Date |
CAROLINE KURBAN , January 2024 |
| Course Coordinator |
AKTS1 |
| Semester |
Spring |
| Name of Instructor |
Öğr. Gör. CAROLINE KURBAN |
Course Contents
| Week |
Subject |
| 1) |
Introduction to Forensic Linguistics |
| 2) |
Emojis (Emoji are showing up in court cases exponentially, and courts aren’t prepared) |
| 3) |
Text Message Abbreviations (The Murder of Jenny Nicholls) |
| 4) |
Punctuation (The case of the $13 million comma) |
| 5) |
Punctuation (The Gary Weddel Case) |
| 6) |
Pronouns (Christian Doctor Fired for Refusing to Use Transgender Pronouns) |
| 7) |
Handwriting Analysis (The Death of Kurt Cobain) |
| 8) |
Transcriptions of Speech (The Exxon Valdez Disaster) |
| 9) |
Variations between British and American English (‘You’ve caused an international incident’: How my work mistake came back to haunt me) |
| 10) |
Semantics versus Pragmatics, Definite versus Indefinite Articles, Narrative Justifications (The Hanging of Derek Bentley) |
| 11) |
Regional Dialects, Style Guides (The Unabomber) |
| 12) |
Ciphers (The Unabomber) |
| 13) |
Closing Speeches |
| 14) |
Closing Speeches |
| 15) |
Project- or Product-focused Assessment Week |
| 16) |
Project- or Product-focused Assessment Week |