Undergraduate Course: LEL2A: Linguistic Theory and the Structure of English (LASC08017)
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 8 (Year 2 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course presents a detailed discussion of aspects of the structure of Modern English in relation to some core elements of linguistic theory. |
| Course description |
The course explores the linguistic structure of Modern English in relation to some central issues in linguistic theory. The teaching is organised thematically, covering the phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics of English as the principal components of linguistic structure.
1. Phonology: introduces some key ideas from phonological theory within the broader context of the study of linguistic structure. Material will consider some of the main characteristics of the phonology of English and will present some of the central concepts in phonological analysis.
2. Morphology: explores some central aspects of the morphological structure of English words, examining some of the traditional elements of morphological analysis.
3. Syntax: presents syntactic properties of major constructions in English, including a thorough grounding in syntactic structure.
4. Semantics: develops a logical analysis of the meaning of English sentences and its relationship to syntactic structures.
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Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Visiting students should have at least 1 introductory level Language Science course at grade B or above for entry to this course. We will only consider University/College level courses. Relevant courses will be courses in Linguistics as an academic discipline. Courses that describe aspects of a given language as part of a Modern Foreign Languages degree will typically not provide students with an adequate background.
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| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2024/25, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 180 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 33,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 9,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
154 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Essay 1 worth 40%
Syntax assignment worth 35%
Semantics assignment worth 25%
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| Feedback |
Not entered |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Understand the structure of the phonological system of English and the theoretical issues that arise in its description and analysis.
- Understand the way that words are structured in English and other languages and the relations between morphology, phonology, syntax and semantics.
- Have an understanding of the foundations of syntactic and semantic analysis.
- Apply syntactic tests and formalisms to linguistic phenomena in English.
- Be able to critically assess different theoretical analyses of particular constructions
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Reading List
Bauer, Laurie. 2003. Introducting Linguistic Morphology (2nd edition; 1st edn. 1988). Edinburgh: EUP.
Carr, Philip. 2013. English Phonetics and Phonology: An Introduction (make sure you use this, the 2nd, edition). Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.
Carstairs-McCarthy, Andrew. 2018. An Introduction to English Morphology (2nd edition; 1st edn. 2002). Edinburgh: EUP.
Cruse, Alan. 2000. Meaning in Language: An Introduction to Semantics and Pragmatics. Oxford: OUP.
Giegerich, Heinz. 1992. English Phonology: An Introduction. Cambridge: CUP.
Hayes, Bruce. 2009. Introductory Phonology. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.
Kearns. Kate. 2000. Semantics. London: Palgrave.
Plag, Ingo. 2019. Word-Formation in English (2nd edition). Cambridge: CUP.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
This course covers a range of linguistic concepts and analysis techniques, providing students with the formal tools for dealing with these concepts. In tutorials, students continue developing their problem solving skills to complete puzzles, as well as employing good teamwork skills to work with their peers. They may also discuss linguistic concepts from readings, and they will continue developing their skills in critical analysis and discussion. In the assessments, students will need to show their knowledge of the course material, critically analyse it or apply their linguistic knowledge to complete exercises. For the essay, they will continue developing their written communication skills to convey their argument. For those doing the Unessay, they will develop their initiative, creativity and independence skills to complete their project.
Core skills gained on this course:
Critical thinking, critical analysis, deconstructing complex concepts, linguistic tools, making predictions, problem solving, critical discussion, written communication, formulating arguments, data analysis.
For those doing the Unessay:
Creativity, taking initiative, independence. |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Kajsa Djarv
Tel:
Email: kdjarv@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Kayla Johnson-McCraw
Tel: (0131 6)50 3440
Email: Kayla.Johnson@ed.ac.uk |
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