The seminar introduces the main topics and methodology of language typology and with the topics interpreted as universal. It teaches the students to perceive the relevance of data, how to interpret the data and how to draw conclusions. The seminar is the basis of general functional and structural analysis of human languages and concentrates on the formal aspects of a language system not interpretation in detail). Main topics: (1) Typological classification (2) (Protho)typical concepts, Markedness (3) External and internal functions of a system (4) Grammaticalization (5) Universal characteristics of a human language (6) Language acquisition The topics are illustarted using examples of English, Czech and other languages. Significant attention is given to alternative analyses and a variety of hypotheses leading to future perspectives in research. Literature Required: Croft, W. Typology and Universals. Cambridge University Press, 1990. Recommended: Bach, E. & Harms, R. T. Universals in Linguistic Theory. London: Holt, Reinehart & Winston, 1972. Comrie, B. Language universals and linguistic typology: Syntax and morphology. Oxford: Blackwell, 1989. Cook, Vivian J. Chomsky's Universal Grammar. London: Blackwell, 1988. Greenberg, J. H. Some Universals of Grammar with Particular Reference to the Order of Meaningful Elements. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 1961. Hawkins, J. A Parsing Theory of Word Order Universals. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 1990. Jackendoff, R. & Pinker, S. The nature of the language faculty and its implications for evolution of language. Cognition 97 (2), 2005. Pinker, S. How The Mind Works. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1997. Pinker, S. The language instinct: How the mind creates language. New York: W. Morrow, 1994. Pinker, S., & Jackendoff, R. The faculty of language: What?s special about it? Cognition 95, 2005. Song, J. J. Linguistic Typology: Morphology and Syntax. Harlow, UK: Pearson Education (Longman), 2001. Song, J. J. (ed.) The Oxford Handbook of Linguistic Typology. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011. Whaley, L. J. Introduction to typology: The unity and diversity of language. Newbury Park: Sage, 1997. - and others individually depending on the focus of the course.
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