LING202: The Structures of Language

This course is available to visiting students (ERASMUS, JYA etc) as follows:

  • Full Year (October to June) - 8 semester credits or 16 ECTS credits
  • Michaelmas Only (October to December) - 4 semester credits or 8 ECTS credits
  • Lent and Summer Only (January to June) - 4 semester credits or 8 ECTS credits.

Please note that visiting students who are at Lancaster for the full academic year must register for the full course. The Michaelmas Only and Lent and Summer Only options are only available to part-year visiting students.

Terms taught:

1 and 2

Aims and objectives:

Students should acquire or develop:

  • an understanding of the central concepts of modern linguistic theory in general and their application to the description of the structures of the world's languages;
  • an understanding of the extent to which the structure of language reflects the way it is used in acts of communication;
  • an understanding of explanations for the patterns of sound, morphological marking and syntactic organisation found in the world's languages;
  • the ability to analyse language data from languages other than English;
  • the ability to argue for and against rival theories of language structure;
  • independent critical thought and the ability to assimilate fast large amounts of unfamiliar materials and critically reflect on them;
  • general analytical competence (e.g. pattern matching skills);
  • effective research skills including the ability to use library and IT resources in the preparation of written work;
  • communication skills: the ability to communicate ideas well to others and participate in group discussions as well as the ability to write clearly and argue effectively;
  • general computer literacy;
  • effective time management.

Course description:

The course provides an introduction to the theoretical concepts required in the analysis of the structure of language, its sound systems, word-formation systems, sentence organisation, and how all these are put to use in the expression of meaning. You will learn to analyse the sound patterns of languages; their word-formation systems and their syntactic structures (i.e. the structure of phrases, clauses and sentences). You will also learn how linguists provide explanations for why languages are structured the way they are, given the functions they serve. It is expected that you will acquire a better understanding of the structure of English as a result of seeing how English differs from other languages. You will also have the opportunity of learning how to go about analysing different languages and what type of correspondences in form exist between them.

 

The course has a strong theoretical dimension. You will be introduced to various theoretical models. The emphasis is on functional syntax in Term 1 and generative approaches to phonology and morphology in Term 2.

TOPICS WILL INCLUDE:

Term 1

  • Functional syntax and the languages of the world
  • Grammatical relations: word order
  • Grammatical relations: case marking        
  • Grammatical relations: agreement marking
  • Grammatical relations: alignment; Basic reading
  • Animacy & definiteness
  • Changing grammatical relations: decreasing valency
  • Changing grammatical relations: increasing valency
  • Beyond the simple clause: subordination and coordination

Term 2

  • The Goals of phonology
  • Phonology: distinctiveness; rules, derivations and alternations
  • Features and feature geometry
  • Phonological processes
  • The syllable
  • Analysing word structure
  • Productivity in word-formation
  • Derivation, the lexicon and meaning
  • The morphology-syntax interface

Recommended reading:

Aronoff, M. and K. Fudeman (2005) What is Morphology . Oxford: Blackwell

Davenport, M. and S.J. Hannahs (1998 ) Phonetics and Phonology. London: Arnold

Gussenhoven, C. & H. Jacobs (2005) Understanding Phonology . 2 nd ed., London: Arnold

Haspelmath, M. (2002) Understanding Morphology . London: Arnold

Hayes, B. (2009) Introductory Phonology . Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell

Katamba, F. & J. Stonham (2006) Morphology . London: Macmillan

Ladefoged, P. (2001) A Course in Phonetics . New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich

Odden, D. (2005) Introducing Phonology. Cambridge: CUP

Payne, T. (2006) Exploring Language Structure. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Rocca. l. and W. Johnson (1999) A Course in Phonology. Oxford: Blackwell

Tallerman, T. (2005). Understanding Syntax . London: Arnold.

Whaley, L. (1998).  Introduction to Typology . Sage.

Restrictions:

None.

Compulsory for:

Linguistics (single and combined) majors must take this course in their second year.

Prerequisites:

At least one of the following at Part I: Linguistics, Sociolinguistics, English Language
(LING152, taught within Part I Linguistics, is highly recommended as preparation for this course).

Assessment:

Two assignments (10% Term 1, 10% Term 2), plus seminar group work (10% Term 1, 10% Term 2), plus exam (60%)

 

For further information contact Francis Katamba and Anna Siewierska .