GENERAL LINGUISTICS

Academic year and teacher
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Versione italiana
Academic year
2017/2018
Teacher
LAURA BAFILE
Credits
12
Didactic period
Secondo Semestre
SSD
L-LIN/01

Training objectives

- knowledge of the essential properties of language as a faculty of human mind and as an instrument for communication;
- basic knowledge of the components of natural languages, of the principles governing their grammars and of the properties of interlinguistic variation;
- acquisition of basic tools for the analysis of natural languages and of the processes, both synchronic and diachronic, that affect the grammar and the lexicon.

Prerequisites

none

Course programme

The course is an introduction to the descriptive and formal study of natural languages. It will introduce theoretical and methodological tools of linguistic analysis, mainly relating to phonology and morphosyntax. Data concerning Italian and other European languages will be discussed. Some major points about the nature of language faculty and communication will be presented.

Didactic methods

Lectures, with students' participation aimed at developing and testing theory and practice.

Learning assessment procedures

The exam is a written test consisting of 10-15 open questions: some of them ask for a definition or a reflection about concepts treated in the course, others consist in solving problems concerning linguistic data. The test aims to assess the acquisition of basic linguistic knowledge and the ability to make elementary analysis of linguistic data. Students attending the course can also optionally take a midterm written test that refers to the first part of the course.

Reference texts

Nespor,M. e L.Bafile (2008) I suoni del linguaggio, Il Mulino: Introduzione + Capitoli 1-5.
Thornton, A.M. (2005) Morfologia, Carocci: Capitoli 1-4.
Further study material is available on the Course website in the folder "Materiale didattico".
Students who do not attend classes may ask the lecturer for a different textbook.