120012 VO Approaching English Linguistics (2023W)

What makes human language unique, how is it structured and acquired, what and where is ‘meaning’ and how do we manage to understand each other even though we rarely say (everything) we want to communicate? How can we describe the sounds and grammar of (varieties of) English, how have they changed throughout history, and how can we study contemporary English(es) to explore people’s beliefs and identities?

This lecture provides answers to these (and other) questions about the study of the English language, familiarizing students with basic notions in theoretical and applied linguistics. It is specifically tailored to students of the Erweiterungscurriculum ‘The World of English 1’ and offers an approachable overview of the various fields of linguistic enquiry.

The lecture will be streamed from C1 with the lecturer being present on site. The lecture hall is open for a limited number of people, while the rest can watch the stream during or after the lecture.