Universität Wien

120226 SE MA Seminar - Focus: Functional and Cognitive Linguistics / Linguistics Seminar (2020S)

Introduction to Cognitive Grammar

10.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 12 - Anglistik
Continuous assessment of course work
Moodle

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 18 participants
Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Thursday 05.03. 14:00 - 16:00 Seminarraum 6 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-22.A
  • Thursday 19.03. 14:00 - 16:00 Seminarraum 6 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-22.A
  • Thursday 26.03. 14:00 - 16:00 Seminarraum 6 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-22.A
  • Thursday 02.04. 14:00 - 16:00 Seminarraum 6 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-22.A
  • Thursday 23.04. 14:00 - 16:00 Seminarraum 6 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-22.A
  • Thursday 30.04. 14:00 - 16:00 Seminarraum 6 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-22.A
  • Thursday 07.05. 14:00 - 16:00 Seminarraum 6 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-22.A
  • Thursday 14.05. 14:00 - 16:00 Seminarraum 6 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-22.A
  • Thursday 28.05. 14:00 - 16:00 Seminarraum 6 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-22.A
  • Thursday 04.06. 14:00 - 16:00 Seminarraum 6 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-22.A
  • Thursday 18.06. 14:00 - 16:00 Seminarraum 6 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-22.A
  • Thursday 25.06. 14:00 - 16:00 Seminarraum 6 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-22.A

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

The aim of this course is to acquaint students with the basic principles of Cognitive Linguistics, as well as with some of the most important cognitive models and approaches, so that they can apply one of these models to (certain areas of) the English language.

Cognitive Linguistics was developed during the 1970s and 80s by a group of linguists who were dissatisfied with the then prevailing generative enterprise and now forms one of the main paradigms in linguistics, with adherents from all of the world and from many different of backgrounds (functional and descriptive linguistics, psycholinguistics, pragmatics, discourse studies, etc.). It offers an innovative approach to the study of language and mind, seeking to formulate the cognitive principles that motivate the structure of language. Although over the years a number of different cognitively-based approaches and models have been developed, they all shared the following basic assumptions.

In this course we will:
(i) Discuss of a number of influential papers to trace the origin and development of the cognitive approach to language description and to become familiar with its underlying principles and the most important basic concepts and terminology.
(ii) Discuss a number of topics of special interest for cognitive linguistics, such as conceptual structure and organization, the relationship between language and thought, the experiential and pragmatic background of language-in-use, the issue of embodiment, figurative language (metaphor and metonymy), prototypicality and systematic polysemy
(iii) Apply the theory of Cognitive Grammar (as developed by Ronald Langacker) to some core areas of the English language.

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COVID-19: Any changes to the methods or assessment criteria necessitated by the current Corona situation will be communicated directly to students via moodle.
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Assessment and permitted materials

Students will be assessed on the basis of a midterm assignment, a presentation and a seminar paper, all of which have to be handed in on time. Regular class attendance (max. two absences), active participation and preparation are required.

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

Course evaluation is based on:
Midterm assignment: 20%
Research proposal: 20%
Seminar paper: 60%

Students need to attain an average score of 60% to pass

Grading scale:
0-59.9% = 5; 60-69.9% = 4; 70-79.9% = 3; 80-89.9% = 2; 90-100% = 1

Examination topics

Readings, exercises, classroom/forum discussions, individual research project

Reading list

Günther Radden & Rene Dirven, 2007. Cognitive English Grammar. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Dirk Geeraerts (ed.), 2006. Cognitive Linguistics: Basic readings. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.

Association in the course directory

Studium: MA 812 [2]; UF 344
Code/Modul: MA 4, MA 5; UF 4.2.3-222
Lehrinhalt: 12-0368

Last modified: Mo 07.09.2020 15:20