| Course title | Language Universals and Typology |
|---|---|
| Course code | KAA/LUTY |
| Organizational form of instruction | Seminar |
| Level of course | Bachelor |
| Year of study | 2 |
| Semester | Winter and summer |
| Number of ECTS credits | 4 |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Status of course | Compulsory-optional |
| Form of instruction | Face-to-face |
| Work placements | This is not an internship |
| Recommended optional programme components | None |
| Course availability | The course is available to visiting students |
| Lecturer(s) |
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| Course content |
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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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| Learning activities and teaching methods |
Dialogic Lecture (Discussion, Dialog, Brainstorming), Work with Text (with Book, Textbook), Demonstration
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| Learning outcomes |
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The seminar introduces the main topics and methodology of language typology and with the topics interpreted as universal. It teaches the students to percieve the relevance of data, how to interpret the data and how to draw conclusions. The seminra is base of general functionl and structural analysis of human languages and concentrates on the formal aspects of a language system not interpretation in detail).
A wider understanding of the universal characteristics of human language. |
| Prerequisites |
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The students should attend the course in Introduction to Language. The working language in the seminar is English and the students are expected to master basic terminology describing English grammar.
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| Assessment methods and criteria |
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Essay
The course is created for the programm of (English) philology and General linguistics. |
| Recommended literature |
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| Study plans that include the course |
| Faculty | Study plan (Version) | Category of Branch/Specialization | Recommended semester | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): English Philology (2020) | Category: Philological sciences | 3 | Recommended year of study:3, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): English Philology (2019) | Category: Philological sciences | 3 | Recommended year of study:3, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): English Philology (2019) | Category: Philological sciences | 3 | Recommended year of study:3, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): English for Translators and Interpreters (2019) | Category: Philological sciences | 3 | Recommended year of study:3, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): English Philology (2015) | Category: Philological sciences | 2 | Recommended year of study:2, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): English Philology (2024) | Category: Philological sciences | 3 | Recommended year of study:3, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): English Philology (2024) | Category: Philological sciences | 3 | Recommended year of study:3, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): English Philology (2024) | Category: Philological sciences | 3 | Recommended year of study:3, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): English Philology (2019) | Category: Philological sciences | 3 | Recommended year of study:3, Recommended semester: - |