MA Linguistics

The aim of this course unit is to lay the foundations of grammatical theory for members of MA/Diploma programmes who have little or no previous experience of linguistics, or whose skills are outdated. Drawing on constructions from English and other languages, the modules seeks to cover the basic concepts that underlie the modern study of grammar. The perspective adopted is issue-based and largely theoretically neutral. It thus makes a natural companion to course units in linguistic typology. It also sets the scene for further study into specific approaches to formal syntax.

The principal aims of the course unit are as follows:

• to lay the foundations of grammatical theory for members of MA/Diploma programmes who have little or no previous experience of linguistics, or who want to update their skills;
• drawing on constructions from English and from a variety of other languages, to cover the basic concepts that gave rise to the modern study of grammar;

to provide some insight into the issues which motivate specific approaches to grammatical theory, and thus to set the scene for further study into these approaches (e.g., LFG, Minimalist Syntax).

By the end of this course students will be able to:

• appreciate the range of grammatical constructions in English on which the standard constructs of grammatical theory are based;
• demonstrate an understanding of how these constructions compare with those found in other languages;

show some awareness of the (mainly empirical) issues motivating different approaches to the theory of grammar.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

• understand and apply the core concepts of grammatical analysis;
• operate with formal representations for syntactic, relational and semantic levels of description;
• show some familiarity with the issues motivating different approaches to grammatical theory.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

• understand independently new research, through reading book chapters and/or journal articles on the analysis of specific grammatical constructions;
• critically evaluate the argumentation underlying specific analyses and major proposals in grammatical theory;
• interpret data and assess it for completeness, coherency, and basic quality standards of linguistic research;
• evaluate and contribute to the debate on a range of issues in Linguistics that have clear relevance for society and our understanding of human communication and cognition, in particular the structure and description of human language and of particular languages.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

• recognize and explain a large number of the syntactic and semantic structures of the world's languages;
• apply current methods of data analysis to constructions in English and other languages, using theory-based representations.

By the end of this course, PGT students will be able to:

• by systematically working through set readings, acquire personal time and goal management skills;
• apply critical skills in a range of situations;
• enhance their problem-posing and problem-solving skills;
• develop abstraction skills;
• enhance their analytical skills

• Comments on in-class exercises; feedback on micro-teaching presentations.
• Generic feedback on the exam provided on BB following moderation. Individual feedback provided on request on a one-to-one basis.

The following can be useful reading. Specific chapters from one or different sources to be read in advance of the meetings will be announced well in advance of each week.

Dawson, Hope C., and Michael Phelan (eds.) (2016). Language Files. 12^th edition. Department of Linguistics. Columbus, Ohio: The Ohio State University.

Haegeman, Liliane (2006). Thinking syntactically: A guide to argumentation and analysis. Oxford: Blackwell.

Honda, Maya, and Wayne O’Neil (2008). Thinking linguistically: A scientific approach to language. Malden, Mass.: Blackwell Publishers

Kroeger, Paul R. (2004). Analyzing Syntax: A Lexical Functional Approach. Cambridge: CUP.

Kroeger, Paul R. (2005). Analyzing Grammar: An Introduction. Cambridge: CUP.

Larson, Richard (2010). Grammar as Science. Cambridge, Mass.: The MIT Press.

Radford, Andrew, Atkinson, Martin, Britain, David, Clahsen, Harald, and Andrew Spencer. (2009). Linguistics: An introduction. 2^nd edition. Cambridge: CUP.

More detailed recommended reading is provided for each topic.