54
Glottology and Linguistics
UNIVERSITÀ DEGLI STUDI DI NAPOLI "L'ORIENTALE"
Overview
Date/time interval
Syllabus
Course Objectives
EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Students will have to demonstrate knowledge of the fundamental concepts of linguistic analysis with reference to the various levels of language structure (phonetic/phonological, morphological/lexical, syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic/textual). Students must also have acquired knowledge of the genealogical and typological classification of the world's languages, as well as the main aspects of the general and universal phenomenology of languages.
ABILITY TO APPLY KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
The course aims to provide students with the knowledge and methodological tools necessary for the following activities: description and identification of linguistic sounds; phonetic transcription; morphological analysis of complex/compound words; syntactic analysis of sentences; analysis and description of the main semantic characteristics of languages, especially with regard to the lexicon and the meaning relations between lexemes; recognition of the essential characteristics of textuality and communication; and, from a multilingual perspective, the ability to trace the world's main languages back to their linguistic families and structural types.
ADDITIONAL EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Independent judgment:
Students should be able to analyze, evaluate, and comment on language structures.
Communication skills:
The awareness acquired regarding language structures and the pragmatic and textual aspects of linguistic communication has an impact on the effective use of one's mother tongue and on the learning of additional languages, while also improving the ability to communicate effectively on the fundamental aspects of linguistic phenomenology.
Learning skills:
The course will provide students with a solid foundation on which to base further linguistic studies at a more advanced level and/or of a more specific nature (including the linguistic study of specific languages).
Course Prerequisites
Both attending and non-attending students (as well as working students) must have a good command of the Italian language.
Previous experience in reflecting on language (metalinguistic concepts) and knowledge of the fundamental categories of grammatical description would be useful.
Teaching Methods
The course consists of lectures organized into blocks corresponding to the different areas of linguistic analysis indicated in the course content. At the end of each block of lectures, exercises are proposed in which adequate space is dedicated to the acquisition, by the student, of skills and practical abilities such as, for example: knowing how to do a phonetic transcription, a morphological analysis, a syntactic analysis of phrases and sentences; being able to classify types of sentences; being able to understand the communicative functions that characterize specific utterances, and so on.
In addition, in accordance with the specific exam format, which is structured in written form, useful examples of questions concerning theoretical aspects of language analysis are provided.
The course is divided into 48 hours of lectures and 6 hours of practical exercises.
Assessment Methods
The exam consists of a written test containing both multiple-choice and open-ended questions.
The exam is composed of:
- 28 multiple-choice questions (1 point each)
- one open-ended question (maximum 6 points).
Both unanswered and incorrect answers are assigned 0 points.
The exam lasts a maximum of 50 minutes.
Language of the exam: Italian.
Assessment criteria: the assessment of the exam answers will take into account the ability to apply the acquired concepts and methods to the analysis of linguistic data at different levels: phonetic, morphological, syntactic, semantic, etc.
The assessment of the open-ended answer will take into account the completeness and relevance of the answer, the correct use of terminology, and the ability to move on from the analysis of specific linguistic data to general considerations and observations.
The assessment is expressed in thirtieths.
Texts
The reference texts are a manual and a collection of passages by authors and specific terms related to the discipline, useful for reinforcing and/or supplementing the understanding of topics described in the manual:
1) G. Graffi- S. Scalise, Le lingue e il linguaggio. Introduzione alla linguistica, Il Mulino, 2024.
2) C. Vallini, 1997. Orientamenti Linguistici. Atlante di materiali e citazioni, Napoli: Arte Tipografica (Downloadable from the University's Open Archive link: http://opar.unior.it/1920/).
The second text listed will only be used for certain parts.
During the course, the parts of the texts to be studied will be specified for each topic. Finally, at the end of the course, the final exam program will be provided with all the details on the parts to be studied.
Contents
Course title: General Linguistics
Topics:
1. Language, languages and communication;
2. Characteristics of human verbal language;
3. Phonetics and Phonology;
4. Morphology: word-formation, derivation and inflection;
5. Words in combination: phrases and clauses;
6. Phrase- and sentence-syntax;
7. Basic notions of semantics: homonymy, synonymy, polysemy, antonymy, hyponymy, metaphor and metonymy;
8. Basic notions of pragmatics;
9. Genealogical classification of the languages of the world;
10. Morphological and syntactic typology.
11. Language universals.
Course Language
Italian
More information
Due to the nature of the course and the specific assessment methods, attendance is strongly recommended.
It is also recommended that students obtain the reference text listed under point 1) in time for the start of classes.