13049 - General Linguistics (1)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, the students will be familiar 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. Furthermore, they will acquire basic notions of sociolinguistics.

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, 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

• Berruto, Gaetano e Massimo Cerruti, 2017, La linguistica. Un corso introduttivo, Torino, UTET. (or prevoius editions)
  
• Berruto, Gaetano, 2004, Prima lezione di sociolinguistica, Roma, Laterza.

Students who are not attending classes should also study 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.

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 them.

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 consists of a written test (1h).

The test is divided in 3 parts:

I) 5 questions (maximum 2 points) with multiple choice, closed-ended answers or short definitions and examples. Maximum total: 10 points.

II) 3 exercices: IPA transcription of 2 words (maximun 4 points), morphological analysis of 2 words (maximum 5 points), syntagmatic tree of a short sentence (maximum 5 points). Maximum total: 14 points.

III) 2 open questions (maximum 4 points). For students who attende the class, the2 questions concern the volume "Prima lezione di sociolinguistica". For non-attending students, one question concerns the volume "Prima lezione di sociolinguistica" and the other the volume "Tutto ciò che hai sempre voluto sapere sul linguaggio e sulle lingue". The answers are evaluated based on the relevance of the answer to the question, the ability to synthesize and the property of language. Maximum total: 8 points.

The maximum total score is 32 (10 + 14 + 8) points. A score of 31 and 32 corresponds to 30 cum laude. The test is passed if at least 18 points are obtained.

 

It is essential to register for the written test through Almaesami. The results of the written exam are made public (on the internet) in the manner indicated before the exam.

 

Teaching tools

Slides and Virtuale tools.

Office hours

See the website of Silvia Ballarè