Modul II
Introduction to Linguistics
Ingo Bachmann, Tuesday 10-12, SE 005
This course is designed to provide an introduction to the study of language. Starting with general definitions and properties of language, we will then look at basic issues in the field of linguistics. The primary concern will be with the different levels of linguistics, i.e. phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics and pragmatics. Matters to be discussed include some of the major areas of linguistics, e.g. sociolinguistics, varieties of English, language change and language acquisition.
Students are expected to participate regularly and actively in the course. These are two prerequisites for taking the final exam. The exam is scheduled for 27/07/2010 and the resit for 27/08/2010.
The Reader (Reader 6 = Introduction to Linguistics) is available at Reckhammerweg 4.
Modul III or Grundstudium
Text Linguistics
Melanie Borchers, Wednesday 8-10, R12 R05 R69
Text linguistics is concerned with the analysis of linguistic regularities and constitutive features of texts. It has developed since the 1960s from structuralist foundations and has been integrated into the research of stylistics and rhetoric. This course will introduce you to the concepts of cohesion and coherence as well as intentionality, informativity, situationality and intertextuality. It will profoundly deepen your knowledge about texts and will enable you to apply this knowledge to them.
Preliminary reading: Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland (Any edition will do!)
The Cultural Lexicon
Kathrin Luckmann
Gr. 1: Wednesday 12-14 (Cultural Studies), R11 T04 C84
Gr. 2: Friday 12-14 (Linguistics), R11 T04 C84
Every culture and time in history has their unmistakable vocabulary, reflecting their view on the world. Words come in and go out of fashion and are constantly added to a cultural lexicon to adapt to and describe the changing world around it. Word formation processes, language ideology and semantic change are fields that deal with this and will make up the core of the seminar.
Modul IV or Grundstudium
Modul IV/1
Grammatical Variation
Ingo Bachmann, Tuesday 8-10, SE 005
We all know that it is possible to say either "the colour of my car" or "my car's colour". Most of us know that we can choose between "let's try to find a decent bar" and "let's try and find a decent bar". But do you know factors that determine which of the two variants is preferred? After clarifying what grammatical variation actually means we will attempt to answer this question.
Modul IV/2
Functional Linguistics (Lecture course)
Claudia Claridge, Wednesday 10-12, S05 T00 B42
The lecture introduces the approach to linguistics propagated by M.A.K. Halliday, which is known as functional-systemic linguistics. Besides an introduction to grammatical description within this model, the lecture will also present selected research by Halliday and others within this field. Aspects to be covered include the oral-written continuum, the language of literature and of science, textual cohesion, the role of intonation and information structure.
Historical Linguistics
Melanie Borchers, Thursday 8-10, R11 T06 C84
The introductory course provided you with the tools to work on the different levels and applications in the field of linguistics. This course will illustrate the effects of language change on all areas of language, illustrating this change by data from throughout the development of the English language. The attempts of various schools of linguists to describe, classify and explain these changes will be surveyed, and the implications of change for linguistic theory in general will be examined.
Modul IV
Migration Discourse (Cultural Studies)
Kathrin Luckmann, Thursday 12-14, R11 T04 C84
In this course we will learn about migration discourse from (oral and written) texts about, with and between migrants in Anglophone countries. At a time when mobility across borders becomes the rule, traces of this accelerated movement can be found in language and related social issues are publicly discussed. Therefore, multilingualism, language contact and multi-ethnic societies in general will additionally be focused on in the course of the seminar.
Modul VI or Hauptstudium
Language of Politics
Ingo Bachmann, Monday 16-18, R09 S04 B08
It has often been claimed that politicians use unclear language, full of metaphors. In this seminar we will take a linguistic perspective on some (famous) speeches by (equally famous) politicians to see what is special about them, but we will also analyse other political language use as in slogans, posters, manifestos and parliamentary debates. What we will always consider in such analyses is, of course, the socio-cultural background of the origin of such slogans, speeches, manifestos, etc.
Note: Also possible as a Cultural Studies seminar!
Salem Witchcraft Trials: Cultural and linguistic aspects
Claudia Claridge, Thursday 8-10, R11 T05 C84
The Salem Witchcraft Trials took place in the village of Salem in Massachusetts in 1692-93, during which more than 150 were arrested and almost 30 were convicted. The court proceedings are completely documented. In this course we will look at the social, cultural and cognitive conditions that made such a large outbreak of a witch hunt possible. An investigation of the courtroom interrogations and witness depositions will enable insights into the spoken language of the time and into rhetorical strategies used by both accusers and accused in pursuit of their aims. Additionally, we will have a look at contemporary commentaries on the events and at modern (re)writings, such as Arthur Miller's The Crucible.
Note: Also possible as a Cultural Studies seminar!
Modul VIII or Hauptstudium
Early Modern English
Claudia Claridge, Tuesday 16-18, R11 T05 C84
The seminar will deal with the period from around the end of the 15th century to the end of the 18th century. While the language by the 16th century had reached a recognizably 'modern' state, many important linguistic developments, such as the Great Vowel Shift, the rise of the do-paraphrase or the emergence of the full modal system, were still going on. This was also the time of standardization, visible most obviously in a host of publications on the English language, in particular dictionaries and grammars. In this course, we will chart the major developments, also by analyzing texts (among others by Shakespeare), and read some of the 'linguistic' literature of the time.
Interpersonal Communication: Letters through the ages
Claudia Claridge, Thursday 10-12, R11 T05 C84
Before the advent of the telephone letters were the only way for interpersonal communication over a geographical distance and thus they are attested throughout the history of English. We have official (political), business and private letters as sources, examples of which we will investigate in this course, looking at the kinds of public, formal etc. or private, informal, emotional language used in them. Letters are not only an entry-point into the minds of letter-writers, but also a mirror of social roles and behaviour; for the latter letter-writers of different status and educational levels (e.g. pauper letters) as well as letter-writing manuals are also of interest. Finally, letters have also played a role in literature (epistolary novels) or in journalism (the correspondent report).
Language (Use) and Culture in British Film and TV (Cultural Studies)
Patricia Sift, Tuesday 12-14, SM 102
What is it that distinguishes British drama and comedy from its English-speaking counterparts? To a high degree, it is the excentricity of its characters and the idiosyncrasy of its dialogue, which can be said to be a reflection of contemporary British culture. During this seminar, we will be learning to pinpoint the characteristics of figures, situations and dialogue in film and television that are quintessentially British, drawing on a wide range of audio-visual sources.
Modul XIV or Hauptstudium
Early Modern English
Claudia Claridge, Tuesday 16-18, R11 T05 C84
The seminar will deal with the period from around the end of the 15th century to the end of the 18th century. While the language by the 16th century had reached a recognizably 'modern' state, many important linguistic developments, such as the Great Vowel Shift, the rise of the do-paraphrase or the emergence of the full modal system, were still going on. This was also the time of standardization, visible most obviously in a host of publications on the English language, in particular dictionaries and grammars. In this course, we will chart the major developments, also by analyzing texts (among others by Shakespeare), and read some of the 'linguistic' literature of the time.