LG212-5-AU-CO:
Analysing the structure of English
2016/17
Language and Linguistics
Colchester Campus
Autumn
Undergraduate: Level 5
Current
15
-
Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
LG219
BA QX31 Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL),
BA QX41 Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) (Including Foundation Year),
BA QX51 Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) (Including Placement Year),
BA QXH1 Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) (Including Year Abroad),
BA QQ13 English Language and Linguistics,
BA QQ15 English Language and Linguistics (Including Placement Year),
BA QQ16 English Language and Linguistics (Including Foundation Year),
BA QQ3D English Language and Linguistics (Including Year Abroad),
BA QQ23 English Language and Literature,
BA QQ24 English Language and Literature (Including Foundation Year),
BA QQ32 English Language and Literature (Including Year Abroad),
BA QQ35 English Language and Literature (Including Placement Year),
BA Q100 Linguistics,
BA Q101 Linguistics (Including Year Abroad),
BA Q102 Linguistics (Including Foundation Year),
BA Q103 Linguistics (Including Placement Year),
BA RQ93 Modern Languages and English Language,
BA RQ99 Modern Languages and English Language (5 Years Including Foundation Year),
BA RQ91 Modern Languages and Linguistics,
BA RQ98 Modern Languages and Linguistics (5 Years Including Foundation Year)
This module investigates a range of key grammatical constructions in English, building on analytical concepts introduced in the first-year modules (particularly LG102) and applying them to English. The emphasis is on description rather than a particular theoretical approach. Nevertheless it provides students with a solid foundation for tackling more theoretical options in English linguistics, such as those in linguistic theory and more advanced descriptive syntax, as well as for 'capstone' projects on topics related to English grammar. Teaching and assessment will have a practical orientation, and will centre around the analysis of linguistic examples rather than discussion of theoretical models. Some attention will be given to the subtleties of meaning expressed by various linguistic structures, of the kind often focussed on in EFL instruction.
Aims:
* to stimulate interest in grammar as an object of intellectual inquiry rather than a set of rules to be learnt
* to give students a sound understanding of the principal areas of English grammar
* to equip students with analytical skills and concepts appropriate to the study of grammar
* to enable students to make effective use of reference sources (e.g. dictionaries and pedagogical grammars) and to evaluate them critically
Learning Outcomes:
1. Sound understanding of key areas of English grammar.
2. Clear understanding of grammatical terminology and analytical concepts.
3. Application of problem-solving skills to data from English.
4. Ability to construct data in order to formulate and test potential generalisations.
No information available.
No information available.
No additional information available.
One weekly 2-hour lecture.
Lecture-style presentation will be interspersed with other activities to promote student-participation: opportunities to ask questions; short exercises for students to discuss in small groups; review of self-assessment exercises which students are asked to prepare in advance.
Syllabus:
1. Words; classes; Lexemes vs word-forms, clitics; affixes; compounds;
meaning relations (homonymy, hyponymy, polysemy, …); words and phrases.
2. Verbs; inflected forms and functions; grammatical relations; complements vs modifiers; argument structure; alternations; phrasal verbs; passive voice.
3. Auxiliaries. NICE properties; tense, aspect, modality.
4. The nominal system; Nouns: proper vs common; countability; inherently plural nouns; Determiners & reference: definite/indefinite; generic; (non)specific; Pronouns & determiners; Adjectives: adnominal/predicative function; gradability.
5. V+ing and V+en forms; different functions; verb, noun, adjective; diagnostic tests; constructions with gerunds and past participles.
6. subordinate clauses; finite clauses, as complements and modifiers ('subordinating conjunctions'); non-finite complements; control vs subject-raising; for … to infinitives; 'tough' constructions; gerund complements.
7. Wh-questions; Direct and indirect questions (WH-movement); unbounded dependencies, pied-piping; Infinitival questions.
8. Relative clauses and related constructions; Finite relatives (restrictive/non-restrictive) – WH-movement analysis, that (relative pronoun or complementiser?)
Infinitival relatives; Cleft and pseudo-cleft constructions; Comparative constructions.
9. in-class test.
10. Syntactic structure, cohesion and meaning; information structure; scope, polarity sensitivity.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
| Coursework |
Exercise 1: 1500 words |
|
30% |
| Coursework |
Exercise 2: 1500 words |
|
30% |
| Practical |
In-Class Test |
|
40% |
Exam format definitions
- Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
- In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary,
for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.
Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.
Overall assessment
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Mike Jones
Dr M. Jones, Office: 4.208, Tel: 01206 872231, Email: majones@essex.ac.uk
Yes
No
No
No external examiner information available for this module.
Available via Moodle
Of 40 hours, 40 (100%) hours available to students:
0 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s).
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