The course aims to provide students with the basic methodological tools for the study of language. At the end of the course, students will be able to analyze sentences by describing their morphosyntactic structure and phonological, pragmatic, and semantic properties; they will also possess knowledge useful for understanding the dimensions of linguistic variation, language change, and the relationships between languages and between varieties. Students will acquire the fundamental knowledge necessary to continue their studies in the fields of linguistics, history of language, and classical and modern philology, as well as in the study of ancient and modern languages.
Course Prerequisites
Module B of General Linguistics may only be attended by students who have already taken Module A. The knowledge acquired in Module A constitutes a prerequisite for Module B
Teaching Methods
The course includes lectures supported by PowerPoint presentations projected in the classroom. Tutoring sessions will be organized to support the course. Students may be divided into small groups to take part in practical sessions for the written exam, deepening specific topics, or clarifying particular points explained during the lectures. Tutoring sessions will continue after the end of the classes, in preparation for the various exam sessions.
Assessment Methods
Written exam with multiple-choice questions and exercises relating to the topics covered in class and similar to those proposed during the tutorial activities.
Texts
– F. Strik Lievers, Linguistics and Languages, Rome, Carocci, 2020. – G. Inglese, S. Luraghi, Grammatical Categories, Carocci, 2023. For exercises: – S. Luraghi, A.M. Thornton, General Linguistics: Exercises and Self-Assessment, Carocci, 2024. – S. Luraghi, F. Venier, Exercises in Semantics and Pragmatics, Rome, Carocci, 2009. Additional materials will be indicated during the lectures and, when possible, made available on Kiro.
Contents
The course offers an in-depth exploration of various aspects already covered in the first module, in light of different linguistic theories. Several approaches to language analysis, both formal and functional, will be presented. The course will also examine how the different levels of linguistics (phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics) are analyzed and related to one another within different theoretical frameworks. Language will then be considered from a semiotic perspective, in relation to other communication systems and its specific features will be illustrated. The domains of morphology, syntax, and semantics will be treated in detail.
