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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2024/2025

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences : Language Sciences

Undergraduate Course: Cognitive Linguistics (LASC10107)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences CollegeCollege of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) AvailabilityAvailable to all students
SCQF Credits20 ECTS Credits10
SummaryIn 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
- metaphor and metonymy
- 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.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Students MUST have passed: LEL2A: Linguistic Theory and the Structure of English (LASC08017)
Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesVisiting 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
Academic year 2024/25, Available to all students (SV1) Quota:  40
Course Start Semester 2
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 200 ( Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 196 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 50 %, Coursework 50 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment) Coursework 50% (2500 words) Exam 50%
Feedback Not entered
Exam Information
Exam Diet Paper Name Hours & Minutes
Main Exam Diet S2 (April/May)Cognitive Linguistics Final2:00
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. demonstrate an understanding of the principles of usage-based linguistics
  2. acquire the ability to compare cognitive linguistic frameworks with other accounts of language structure
  3. analyse both simple and complex sentences using the formalism of Word Grammar
  4. apply knowledge of cognitive linguistic principles to new data
  5. acquire a deeper understanding of principles of syntactic and semantic analysis
Reading List
None
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
KeywordsNot entered
Contacts
Course organiserProf Graeme Trousdale
Tel: (0131 6)50 3599
Email: Graeme.Trousdale@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMs Susan Hermiston
Tel: (0131 6)50 3440
Email: Susan.Hermiston@ed.ac.uk
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