69584 - Language and Speech (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

After the course, students will have a deep knowledge of the key principles of the synchonic analysis of languages. Particular attention will be devoted to morphology and syntax. Students will be able to critically review the main notions of 'traditional grammar', starting from the notions of 'word' and 'part of speech' (Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives, etc.) and to set these notions in the context of a wide cross-linguistic variation. Students will also master the base concepts of linguistic typology.

Course contents

The course 'Lingue e linguaggio' is an advanced course of General Linguistics. The attendance of a basic course in Linguistics is requested. Students without a specific background competence in Linguistics are requested to study an Handook of linguistics. The contents of this course are not identical to those of a basic General Linguistics course. The course aims at critically present and review some crucial notions of 'traditional grammars' in a wide cross-linguistic perspective: the notion of rule, mistake, and exception, the notion of word, the notion of sentence, the notion of part of speech, thye notion of subject, the distinction between transitive and intransitive verbs, etc. It will be shown that phenomena which seems normal in Italian are cross-linguistically very rare and, on the contrary, that Italian does not realize linguistic category that are cross-linguistically widespread. And it will be shown that grammars usually understimate the degree of internal variation of languages. The reference framework will be that of linguistic typology. The above mentioned issues will be discussed reading and commenting articles of the scientific literature. The list of these articles will be uploaded to the website at the end of the course

Readings/Bibliography

Programme for students who regularly attend classes

12 cfu
- Basile, G. / Casadei, F. / Lorenzetti, L. / Schirru, G. / Thornton, A.M. (2010), Linguistica generale, Roma, Carocci
- Grandi, N. (a cura di) (2015), La grammatica e l'errore. Le lingue naturali tra regole, loro violazioni ed eccezioni, Bologna BUP
- lucidi delle lezioni e materiali disponibili sul sito www.grandionline.net/nicola/didattica
- articoli letti e discussi a lezione (i riferimenti si trovano nelle slides al punto precedente)
- Uno a scelta tra
Ferdinand de Saussure, Corso di linguistica generale, Roma-Bari, Laterza
Edward Sapir, Il linguaggio, Torino, Einaudi

6 cfu
- Basile, G. / Casadei, F. / Lorenzetti, L. / Schirru, G. / Thornton, A.M. (2010), Linguistica generale, Roma, Carocci (capp. 5-6-7-8-9)
- Grandi, N. (a cura di) (2015), La grammatica e l'errore. Le lingue naturali tra regole, loro violazioni ed eccezioni, Bologna BUP
- lucidi delle lezioni e materiali disponibili sul sito www.grandionline.net/nicola/didattica
- articoli letti e discussi nelle prime 30 ore di lezione (i riferimenti si trovano nelle slides al punto precedente)

Programme for students who do not attend classes
12 cfu
- Basile, G. / Casadei, F. / Lorenzetti, L. / Schirru, G. / Thornton, A.M. (2010), Linguistica generale, Roma, Carocci
- Grandi, N. (a cura di) (2015), La grammatica e l'errore. Le lingue naturali tra regole, loro violazioni ed eccezioni, Bologna BUP
- Magni, E. (2014), Linguistica storica, Bologna Pàtron
- one from the following list:
Ferdinand de Saussure, Corso di linguistica generale, Roma-Bari, Laterza
Edward Sapir, Il linguaggio, Torino, Einaudi

6 cfu
- Basile, G. / Casadei, F. / Lorenzetti, L. / Schirru, G. / Thornton, A.M. (2010), Linguistica generale, Roma, Carocci
- Grandi, N. (a cura di) (2015), La grammatica e l'errore. Le lingue naturali tra regole, loro violazioni ed eccezioni, Bologna BUP

Teaching methods

Lectures, discussion of scientific articles, power point presentations

Assessment methods

Oral exam

Teaching tools

Lectures, power point presentation, discussion of scientific articles and papers

Links to further information

http://www.grandionline.net/nicola/didattica

Office hours

See the website of Nicola Grandi