Course: Introduction to the Study of English

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Course title Introduction to the Study of English
Course code KAA/UJOO
Organizational form of instruction Lecture + Seminar
Level of course Bachelor
Year of study not specified
Semester Winter and summer
Number of ECTS credits 6
Language of instruction English
Status of course Compulsory
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)
  • Podlipský Václav Jonáš, Mgr. Ph.D.
  • Charvátová Petra, Mgr.
  • Rusnok Kristina, Mgr.
  • Šimáčková Šárka, Mgr. Ph.D.
  • Dančová Markéta, Mgr.
Course content
Lectures: 1. The language instinct, or, language is what people do: - Technical intro. Basic concepts. - What is language? Design features of human language. The functions of language. - Creation of language 1: The origin of language. How language may have started and why. How language is created and maintained by communities. - Creation of language 2: Language acquisition. Gaining language competence as an individual. - Principles of communication. Communication and the brain. 2. The language science, or, language is what linguists explore: - Modeling language. Building a descriptive (and explanatory) grammar. - Saussure's legacy. Concepts defined by the founder of modern linguistics. - Between Saussure and Chomsky. Prague school of linguistics - ideas to note. - Chomsky's generative linguistics. Basic concepts. Nativism vs emergentism. Seminars: Introduction to linguistics. Phonetics and phonology, sources of foreign accent. Morphology. Morphological typology. Word-formation. Nouns. Pronouns. Verbs. Syntax: traditional and generative analysis. Semantics and lexicology.

Learning activities and teaching methods
Lecture, Dialogic Lecture (Discussion, Dialog, Brainstorming), Work with Text (with Book, Textbook), Demonstration, Activating (Simulations, Games, Dramatization)
  • Attendace - 30 hours per semester
  • Preparation for the Course Credit - 5 hours per semester
  • Homework for Teaching - 65 hours per semester
Learning outcomes
This theoretical course comprises lectures and seminars. The purpose is to introduce the fundamentals of general linguistics as well as the basic linguistic characteristics of English (as compared mainly with Czech). The lecture deals with general linguistic topics (origins of language, its main functions, theory of the language sign, etc, see below). The seminar focuses in more detail on the different levels of language and its units.
Students will * get acquainted with the main goals of linguistics as a science * learn about the fundamentals of different language levels and of the corresponding linguistic disciplines * learn the basics of analyzing authentic language material
Prerequisites
No prior specialized knowledge is required. A good knowledge of English is necessary (teaching and the required readings are in English).

Assessment methods and criteria
Written exam, Student performance, Analysis of linguistic

Requirements for seminars: * Come to classes. (The number of absences permissible depends on your score reflecting presence and homework). * Do the week-to-week homework. Homework involves: reading texts, questions and exercises * Participate in seminar descussions. * Pass the midterm test and the final test. Requirements for lectures: * Come to classes (recommended). * Read the required and recommended literature (and study the required audio/video meterials) * Pass the final test.
Recommended literature
  • Crystal, D. The Cambridge encyclopedia of language.
  • Fromkin, Rodman & Hyams. An Introduction to Language.
  • Ohio State Uni. Language Files: Materials for an Introduction to Language and Linguistics.
  • Yule, George. (2017). The study of language.. Cambridge.


Study plans that include the course
Faculty Study plan (Version) Category of Branch/Specialization Recommended year of study Recommended semester
Faculty: Faculty of Arts Study plan (Version): English for Translators and Interpreters (2023) Category: Philological sciences 1 Recommended year of study:1, Recommended semester: -