69318 - General Linguistics (D)

Academic Year 2018/2019

  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Bologna
  • Corso: First cycle degree programme (L) in Foreign Languages and Literature (cod. 0979)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, the students will be familiar with the history of linguistics as a discipline and with the main theoretical models in modern linguistics. The course will provide the students with the basic notions and procedures for linguistic analysis, as well as with the appropriate terminology for the study and description of the main levels of analysis (phonetics and phonology, morphology and the lexicon, syntax, semantics, pragmatics) from a basically synchronic perspective. At the end of the course, the students will know how to classify the languages of the world genealogically into language families and groups; they will also acquire basic notions in the field of linguistic typology, including the search for language universals. Finally, the students will be acquainted with the different subdisciplines of linguistics and the most recent developments in the field.

Course contents

Since this is an introductory course, it is not required to have prior knowledge on the subject. The course is designed to provide students with the theoretical and methodological tools to understand and analyze human language and languages. First, the main models of linguistic and non linguistic communication will be compared; human language and its main properties will be discussed.Then, we will consider the various levels of linguistic analysis, using examples from Italian and other languages. We will address phonetics, phonology, morphology, vocabulary, syntax, semantics and pragmatics. In the third part of the course, we will focus on variation; students will be provided with theoretical tools to describe both intralinguistic and interlinguistic variation.

Readings/Bibliography

Books

  • Berruto, Gaetano e Massimo Cerruti, 2017, La linguistica. Un corso introduttivo, Torino, UTET. (or prevoius editions)
  • Grandi, Nicola, 2014, Fondamenti di tipologia linguistica. Nuova edizione, Roma, Carocci. (or previous editions)
  • Berruto, Gaetano, 2004, Prima lezione di sociolinguistica, Roma, Laterza. (from page 1 to 133)

Students who are not attending classes should also read the following book (recommended for all students, but optional for those attending classes):

  • Masini, Francesca e Nicola Grandi, 2017, Tutto ciò che hai sempre voluto sapere sul linguaggio e sulle lingue, Bologna, Caissa Italia.

Further resources

The slides will be published every week on the e-learning website. It is highly recommended to read them - both for those who attend the class and for those who cannot attend.

Teaching methods

The course is mainly based on traditional lectures. Data from different languages will be presented in both a theoretical and an empirical perspective.

Assessment methods

The exam is designed to assess the level achieved by the student in the understanding of the theoretical tools provided during the course and their application to real language data.

The assessment of the knowledge and skills acquired will be done through a written test consisting of 30 questions, to be carried out within 2 hours. The written questions consist of definitions, closed questions, open questions, exercises based on the analysis of data from different languages.

The course topics will be: phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, the general notions concerning languages, the dimensions of language variation, the theoretical reflections on linguistic diversity.

The evaluation will be based on:

  • the number of correct responses, making it possible to partially correct answers
  • formal and exhibition adequacy
  • expressive clarity and the ability to organize the argumentation

An excellent rating will be given to those who show that they have a thorough knowledge of the program, expressive and expository mastery, precision in data analysis and in the use of specialist terminology, critical thinking skills.

Intermediate evaluations will be given to those who show that they have studied, but will restrict to a partial knowledge of the issues addressed, will use the terminology loosely, and will show themselves insecure in the data analysis.

Sufficiency will be given in the presence of a mnemonic studio, partially incomplete, that reveals a poor command of the terminology and basic concepts of the language, along with an imprecise and inaccurate analysis of data.

The assessment will be insufficient in the presence of significant deficiencies, inability to argue a theoretical discussion and / or properly analyze the data

Office hours

See the website of Silvia Ballarè