LFU:online

Institut für Anglistik Institut für Anglistik, Pädagogische Hochschule Vorarlberg Pädagogische Hochschule Vorarlberg

Julia Davydova Julia Davydova

921058

609386E1a1
(Pädagogische Hochschule Vorarlberg)

VO Introduction to English Synchronic Linguistics (STEOP)

VO 2

2,5

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Englisch

The course aims to enrich students’ understanding of language generally and linguistics in particular. Its main objective is to provide preliminary support and guidance as they begin to familiarise themselves with this field of study and start to develop their first research projects. Upon completing this course, students will be expected 1) to have developed a good understanding of the main aspects of linguistic structure; 2) to have acquired thorough knowledge of the major issues debated in the main fields of linguistics (i.e. neurolinguistics, psycholinguistics, historical linguistics and sociolinguistics).

The lecture series provides a comprehensive survey of the study of language. In so doing, it introduces fundamental linguistic concepts and discusses some of the most hotly debated issues in the field. The course is subdivided into five main parts. Firstly, it will consider the origins of language and discuss the major differences between human languages and animal systems of communication. Secondly, the course will focus on the description of the main aspects of linguistic structure: phonology, morphosyntax, semantics and pragmatics. In the next step, the course will explore how language is organized and represented in the human brain followed by a discussion of first and second language acquisition. Finally, students will learn more about how language varies and how it changes over time. Particular emphasis will be placed on the discussion of regional and social determinants of language variation and change. We will also discuss how language attitudes, both implicit and explicit, affect the way people talk.

The students are expected to pass a final test upon completing this course.

Yule, George. 2018. The Study of Language, 6th edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Good command of English; Interest in language-related topics