Universidade Nova de Lisboa

Universidade Nova de Lisboa

Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas

Introduction to Language Sciences

Code

711131043

Academic unit

Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas

Department

Linguística

Credits

6

Teacher in charge

Ana Monção Fernandes, Clara Nunes Correia, Helena Topa Valentim, Maria do Céu Caetano

Weekly hours

4

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

1. To recognize language as a cognitive activity;
2 To relate the concepts of ´language´ and ´languages´;
3. To acquire mechanisms that allow the description of natural languages;
4. To develop tools, aiming at the description and analysis of natural languages;
5. To establish points of difference and similarity between languages;
6. To be acquainted with the approach between sciences of language and other areas of knowledge (philosophy, psychology, sociology, literature, ...)

Prerequisites

None

Subject matter

1.Language as a cognitive activity: speaking / listening / understanding: a. The origins of language: from non-linguistic to linguistic evidence; b. how and why do we speak: the language faculty; c. the concept of language and the models of language acquisition;
2 Language manifestations: verbal language and sign language;
3. Natural languages: levels of linguistic analysis;
4. The description of natural languages a. language grammars: normative and descriptive grammars; b. norm and deviations: grammaticality, acceptability and agrammaticality;
5. Interdisciplinary approaches in Language Sciences

Bibliography

ARONOFF. Mark & Janie REES-MILLER (eds.) (2003). The handbook of linguistics, MA/Oxford: Blackwell Publishers
COSTA, João & SANTOS, A.L. (2002) A falar como os bebés. Lisboa: Caminho.
CRYSTAL, D. (2010) A Little book of Language. New Haven and London: Yale University Press.
FARIA, I. H. et al (orgs.) (1996). Introdução à Linguística Geral e Portuguesa. Lisboa: Caminho.
FROMKIN, V., RODMAN, R. & HYAMS, N. (2007) An Introduction to Language. Belmont: Thomson Wadsworth.
YAGUELLO, Marina. 
Les Langues imaginaires. Paris: Seuil, 2006.

Teaching method

This curricular unit is characterized by being a theoretical-practical level. Thus, from an initial schedule, to develop a balanced combination of theoretical and practical classes) is expected. At the beginning of the semester this information will be made available to students.

Evaluation method

As learning assessment, classroom tests (3) (quiz exams) will be presented, with the goal of assessment the learning of the different programmatic modules. These quizzes will have a weighting of 45% in the total evaluation of the Unit. Different types of autonomous work will also be proposed. These works, which are not mandatory, will support the work in class. The weighting of the work carried out will be 15% of the final grade. Finally, a final exam whose weight is 40%, will be proposed.

Courses