Coronavirus information for applicants and offer-holders
We understand that prospective students and offer-holders may have concerns about the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. The University is following the advice from Universities UK, Public Health England and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
This course unit will provide an introduction to the conceptual, empirical and formal foundations of the study of meaning. We will look at how sentence meaning is composed from the meanings of the words it contains and how it relates to the situations in the world it describes. We will learn about the structure of the lexicon, lexical meaning relations, and the role of metaphor and metonymy in meaning extension. In addition, we will look at how context contributes to the resolution of lexical and structural ambiguity and the reduction of vagueness. Students will also be introduced to empirical approaches to the study of meaning.
Aims
The course unit aims to increase students’ awareness of the complexity of learning and analysing the meanings of lexical items and complex expressions, of cross- linguistic differences, and of methods of analysis in the field of semantics. It will serve as a foundation for more advanced study of both semantics and pragmatics.
Knowledge and understanding
Students will gain a detailed knowledge and understanding of the following essential semantic notions: (i) dimensions of meaning, (ii) compositionality, (iii) lexical meaning relations, (iv) ambiguity and vagueness,and (iv) the use of set theory in the study of meaning.
Intellectual skills
Students will develop intellectual skills of:
accuracy of analysis,
distinguishing between different dimensions of meaning, and
identifying logical relations between sentences
Practical skills
Students will develop practical skills of:
identifying different types of meaning in texts
using different sources of data,
providing concise and precise argumentation orally and in writing.
Transferable skills and personal qualities
Students will develop transferable skills of:
awareness of the communicative impact of word choice and choice of expressions,
argumentation using empirical evidence, and
awareness of cross-linguistic differences.
Employability skills
Other
The ability to discuss meaning differences between individual words and between utterances is relevant to a range of professions including language teaching, speech and language therapy, law, journalism, and any other career involving written texts, spoken argumentation, or intercultural communication. The analytical and problem solving skills developed in this class are a life skill that will be useful in any job.
Assessment methods
x2 online tests
50%
Exam
50%
Weekly exercise sheet
N/A (formative)
Feedback methods
Feedback method
Formative or Summative
Comments on students’ solutions to seminar exercises and their contribution to the seminar discussions
Formative
Feedback during individual consultation hours
Formative
Written feedback on assignments and instant feedback to Blackboard online quizzes
Formative and summative
Recommended reading
- James R. Hurford, Brendan Heasley & Michael B. Smith (2007), Semantics: A Coursebook, 2nd ed. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press).
- Thomas E. Zimmermann & Wolfgang Sternefeld (2013), Introduction to Semantics: An Essential Guide to the Composition of Meaning (Berlin: De Gruyter).
- Sebastian Löbner (2013), Understanding Semantics, 2nd ed. (London: Routledge).