General linguistics 15-JO-11

1. Introduction to the study of language: structural and non-structural levels of language, related research areas.
2. The origins of language and attitudes to language: early non-scientific ideas, anthropological and evolutionary theories, archeological data and language evolution.
3. Semiotics and the properties of language: sign, language as a system of arbitrary signs, onomatopoeia, the semiotic triangle, features of human language.
4. Semantics: lexical semantics, meaning in a naturalist, cognitive and behaviourist perspective, componential analysis, Natural Semantic Metalanguage and semantic universals, the Prototype Theory, semantic relations.
5. Pragmatics: language and context, presupposition, implicature, speech acts, face, linguistic politeness and impoliteness.
6. Discourse Analysis: functional linguistics, discourse as a structural level (text and textuality), as language in use (conversational analysis) and as social practice (CDA: language and power, language and identity).
7. Sociolinguistics: regional and social varieties of language, language dialect accent, sociolinguistic factors and variables, social networks, language standard.
8. Psycholinguistics and neurolinguistics: speech development, Critical Period Hypothesis, feral children, FOX2P, language and the brain, aphasia and speech errors, bilingualism.
9. Language contact: superstratum, consequences of language contact: code-switching, borrowing; pidginisation and creolization, language death.
10. Language change: diachronic linguistics, deistic, structuralist, evolutionary and cognitive approaches, sources and types of language change, grammaticalization, lexicalization and pragmaticalization.
11. Language and culture: language and thought, Sapir and Whorf hypothesis, colour terms, language universals.

Module learning aims

1. to outline the premises of language and linguistics and convey basic information related to the study of language, most important schools and research directions, methods and research methodologies as well as current trends and innovations; 2. to develop the ability to use various types of resources and data; 3. to direct Students towards potential further study in the field of linguistics (proseminars and seminars).

Information on where to find course materials

Platforma Moodle Library

Major

English philology

Cycle of studies

1st cycle

Module type

compulsory

Year of studies (where relevant)

Year 2

Course coordinators

Term 2018/SZ:

Małgorzata Fabiszak

Term 2021/SZ:

Anna Jelec

Term 2020/SZ:

Anna Jelec

Learning outcomes

After the course, students are able to:
1. Present and compare various linguistic approaches.
2. Define basic linguistic terms and notions.
3. Illustrate basic linguistic notions with examples.
4. Name most important contributors to the field of lingustics.
5. Use the basic theoretical tools and terms to analyze problems and examples.
6. Take informative notes in the lecture and organize material.
7. Be aware of the special nature of human communication and the controversies, as well as formulate own opinions.

Assessment criteria

Formative - post-lecture quizzes online on the Moodle platform.
Summative - written final exam (definitions, examples, people, open question)
Additional points for participation in research experiments conducted at the Faculty of English.

Bibliography

Fromkin, Victoria and Robert Rodman. 2003 [1974]. An introduction to language. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Wilson.
O’Grady, William et al. 2003. Contemporary linguistics. An introduction. London: Longman.
Crystal, David. 1997. The Cambridge encyclopedia of language. Cambridge: CUP.
Yule, G. 2006 [1991]. The study of language. Cambridge: CUP.

Additional literature:
Aitchison, Jean. 2008 (3rd edition). The articulate mammal. Cambridge: Routledge. (Chapt. 2)
Aronoff, Mark and Janie Rees-Miller (eds.) 2000. The handbook of linguistics. Oxford: Blackwell.
Bussmann, Hadumod. 1996. Routledge dictionary of language and linguistics. London: Routledge.
Crystal, David. 1995. The Cambridge encyclopedia of the English language. Cambridge: CUP.
Lewandowska-Tomaszczyk, Barbara (ed.) 1988. Ways to language. Łódź: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego.
Lyons, John. 1982. Language and linguistics. Cambridge: CUP.
Trask, R.L. 1995. Language. The basics. London: Routledge.
Trask,R.L. 1998. Key concepts in language and linguistics. London: Routledge.
Trask,R.L. 1997. A student's dictionary of language and linguistics. London: Routledge.

Additional information

Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system:

Description of 15-JO-11 in USOSweb