Introduction to Linguistics 1 3301-L1ILG1
The course is intended as a course for BA students and is meant as an introduction to the study of language, both as a theoretical discipline and an area of knowledge with potential practical applications. The topics under discussion include:
1. Introduction: what linguistics is about; the origins of language, language as a sign system; the notion of a sign; types of signs (icon, index, and symbol); arbitrariness in language; iconicity and indexicality in language; language as a system of signs consisting of the lexicon and the grammar; subdomains of linguistics (phonetics and phonology; semantics and pragmatics; morphology and syntax)
2. Properties of language; animals and human language
3. The development of writing (pictograms, ideograms, and logograms; syllabic writing; alphabetic writing)
4/8. Morphology 1: means of expanding the lexicon of a language
5/6. Morphology 2: basic notions of morphology; morphological analysis of exotic languages
7/8. Morphology 3: Selected issues in English word-formation (exercises in word-segmentation and semantic paraphrasing; grammatical and semantic criteria for establishin the morphological structure of a word; the notions of a word-formation category and a word-formation type)
9. First language acquisition: imitation vs. language-construction; overgeneralization as an argument against the idea that language is acquired via imitation; the role of caretaker speech in first language acquisition; stages of acquisition; cquisition of the grammar and the lexicon.
10. Language, the mind, and the brain: mind vs. brain; how we can learn about knowledge of a language (slips of the tongue, tip of the tongue phenomena); how we can learn about language processing in the brain (Broca's aphasia, Wernicke's aphasia); how these results can be interpreted (the role of the left hemisphere, the roles of Broca's area and Wernicke's area, localization view).
Education at language level B2+.
Type of course
Learning outcomes
The aim of the course is to acquaint students with the basic knowledge about the English language and - in particular - about its morphology, about the origins of language, about language as a system of signs, about how human language relates to other animal systems of communication, about writing systems, about first language acquisition, and about language, the mind, and the brain. The next aim of the course is to acquaint students also with the basic notions and issues in modern linguistics, with the methodologies of linguistic investigation, with modern approaches and directions in the study of language, as well as to train students in the use of the basic linguistic terminology characteristic of the English studies and the basic methodologies of linguistic investigation.
The above knowledge and abilities are prerequisites for a participation in more advanced linguistic courses offered in the Institute of English Studies.
Education at language level B2+.
In class discussions students acquire skills of expressing their thoughts in a clear, coherent, logical and precise manner, with the use of language which is correct grammatically, lexically and phonetically.
Assessment criteria
The course takes the form of a discussion and practical exercises.
Classroom teaching and testing. This is, however, subject to change, depending on the current epidemic situation.
The basis for the final grade is the result of the written final test. The final grade may be higher than what follows from the results of the test thanks to the extra points that a student may score for the grade for the midterm test, as well as for the mean grade from three home assignments. Retake takes the form of a written retake test.
Attendance is obligatory. Up to 3 absences are accepted.
Bibliography
Yule, George. 2006. The study of language [3rd edn.]. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (chapters 1-3, 6-7, 13-14)
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: