Universidade Nova de Lisboa

Universidade Nova de Lisboa

Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas

Introduction to Language Sciences - 1st semester

Code

711131043

Academic unit

Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas

Department

Linguística

Credits

6

Teacher in charge

Carolina Silva, Joana Batalha, Maria do Céu Caetano, Maria Sousa Lobo Gonçalves

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 interaction between Language Sciences and other areas of knowledge (Philosophy, Psychology, Sociology, Translation, 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;
2. Language manifestations: verbal language and sign language;
3. Natural languages: levels of linguistic analysis;
a. The sounds of language: Phonetics & Phonology;
b. The structure of words: Morphology;
c. The structure of sentences: Syntax;
d. The study of meaning: Semantics;
4. Interdisciplinary approaches in Language Sciences.

Bibliography

Aronoff, Mark & Janie Rees-Miller (eds). 2003. The Handbook of Linguistics. MA/Oxford: Blackwell Publishers.
Crystal, David. 2010. A Little book of Language. New Haven and London: Yale University Press.
Duarte, Inês. 2000. Língua Portuguesa. Instrumentos de análise. Lisboa: Universidade Aberta.
Faria, Isabel Hub et al (orgs). 1996. Introdução à Linguística Geral e Portuguesa. Lisboa: Caminho.
Fromkin, Victoria; Robert Rodman & Nina Hyams, [2003] 2007. An Introduction to Language. Belmont: Thomson Wadsworth.
Mateus, Maria Helena M. & Alina Villalva. 2006. O Essencial sobre Linguística. Lisboa: Caminho.


Teaching method

From an initial schedule, that will be made available to students from the beginning of the semester, to develop a balanced combination of theoretical and practical classes is expected.

Evaluation method

As learning assessment, 2 classroom tests will be presented. These quizzes will have a weighting of 80% in the total evaluation of the Unit. Different types of autonomous work will also be proposed. These works will support the work in class. The weighting of the work carried out will be 20% of the final grade.

Courses