Undergraduate Course: Cognitive Linguistics (LASC10107)
Course Outline
| School | School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | In this course you will become familiar with principles of usage-based linguistics, an approach to language analysis that suggests that the structure of language is shaped by its functions, and that knowledge of language is organized like other aspects of knowledge. |
| Course description |
Research in Cognitive Linguistics considers how general human cognitive faculties (like our capacity to categorise, or our understanding of perspective) relate to our knowledge of language. In this course, you'll become familiar with the principles of cognitive linguistics and the central areas of inquiry in the field. These include subjects such as:
- language as a cognitive network
- usage-based approaches to language structure
- categorisation and prototypicality
- frequency effects and entrenchment
- frame semantics
- metaphor and metonymy
- subjectivity, deixis and viewpoint
- idioms and constructions
You will also learn a system of analysis that is consistent with the principles of cognitive linguistics, which is known as Word Grammar. Each week you'll learn more about the principles of Word Grammar, and how to analyse data using that framework. As you develop this skill, you'll learn more about the relationship between language and general cognition, and come to a better understanding of what our capacity for language tells us about being human.
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Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Visiting students should have completed at least 3 Linguistics/Language Sciences courses at grade B or above. We will only consider University/College level courses. |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- demonstrate an understanding of the principles of usage-based linguistics
- acquire the ability to compare cognitive linguistic frameworks with other accounts of language structure
- analyse both simple and complex sentences using the formalism of Word Grammar
- apply knowledge of cognitive linguistic principles to new data
- acquire a deeper understanding of principles of syntactic and semantic analysis
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
By taking the course, students will develop:
- skills of data analysis
- critical thinking skills
- the ability to organise and sustain a coherent argument
- skills in the identification of and solutions to key problems in linguistics |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Graeme Trousdale
Tel: (0131 6)50 3599
Email: Graeme.Trousdale@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Lynne Robertson
Tel: (0131 6)50 9870
Email: Lynne.Robertson@ed.ac.uk |
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