122223 SE Linguistics Seminar / BA Paper (2015W)
Information packaging
Continuous assessment of course work
Labels
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).
- Registration is open from We 16.09.2015 00:00 to Mo 21.09.2015 23:59
- Registration is open from We 30.09.2015 00:00 to Su 04.10.2015 23:59
- Deregistration possible until Sa 31.10.2015 23:59
Details
max. 21 participants
Language: English
Lecturers
Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N
Tuesday
13.10.
18:00 - 20:00
Seminarraum 6 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-22.A
Tuesday
20.10.
18:00 - 20:00
Seminarraum 6 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-22.A
Tuesday
27.10.
18:00 - 20:00
Seminarraum 6 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-22.A
Tuesday
03.11.
18:00 - 20:00
Seminarraum 6 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-22.A
Tuesday
10.11.
18:00 - 20:00
Seminarraum 6 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-22.A
Tuesday
17.11.
18:00 - 20:00
Seminarraum 6 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-22.A
Tuesday
24.11.
18:00 - 20:00
Seminarraum 6 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-22.A
Tuesday
01.12.
18:00 - 20:00
Seminarraum 6 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-22.A
Friday
11.12.
18:00 - 21:00
Seminarraum 6 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-22.A
Saturday
12.12.
09:00 - 13:00
Raum 5 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-17
Tuesday
15.12.
18:00 - 20:00
Seminarraum 6 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-22.A
Tuesday
12.01.
18:00 - 20:00
Seminarraum 6 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-22.A
Tuesday
19.01.
18:00 - 20:00
Seminarraum 6 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-22.A
Tuesday
26.01.
18:00 - 20:00
Seminarraum 6 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-22.A
Information
Aims, contents and method of the course
In this seminar we will explore the principles which govern the way that information is structured in English. More specifically, we will discuss the (i) notion of information status together with different classification systems of given and new information, (ii) preferred ordering principles, viz. the given-before-new principle and the end-weight principle, as well as (iii) the topic-comment distinction and how they interact with each other. We will also look at how these principles can explain the existence of so-called information packaging constructions and what the difference in use is between word order alternants such as: "John gave Mary a drink" vs. "John gave a drink to Mary", "John kissed Mary" vs. "Mary was kissed by John", "It is surprising that John went to London" vs. "That John went to London is surprising", etc.
Assessment and permitted materials
Participants will be assessed on the basis of their oral presentations, written research papers, and in-class participation. All presentations take place during a seminar conference on Friday 11 December (afternoon) and Saturday 12 December.
Minimum requirements and assessment criteria
Participants will...
- develop an understanding of the basic principles of information packaging in English and the use of information packaging constructions
- gain insight into different theoretical treatments of central notions of information structure
- conduct their own empirical investigation an gain insights into the methodology of corpus lingusitics
- develop a better understanding of the communicative functions of specific grammatical constructions and their close link to context and principles of pragmatics
- develop an understanding of the basic principles of information packaging in English and the use of information packaging constructions
- gain insight into different theoretical treatments of central notions of information structure
- conduct their own empirical investigation an gain insights into the methodology of corpus lingusitics
- develop a better understanding of the communicative functions of specific grammatical constructions and their close link to context and principles of pragmatics
Examination topics
The initial sessions will be used to introduce participants to the topic and help them develop their research questions. This introductory phase involves the discussion of articles and book chapters as well as practical work with computer corpora and other language data. The second phase of the course is reserved for individual project work. In the final phase participants will present their projects and findings in oral presentations and written research papers.
Reading list
Lambrecht, Knud 1994. Information Structure and Sentence Form. Topic, Focus, and the Mental Representations of Discourse Referents. Cambridge: CUP.
Prince, Ellen F. 1981. ‘Toward a taxonomy of given-new information’, in Cole, P. (ed.) Radical Pragmatics. New York: Academic Press, 223-55.
Birner, Betty Jean and Ward, Gregory 2001. ‘Discourse and information structure’, in Schiffrin, Deborah, Tannen, Deborah and Hamilton, E. Heidi (eds.) The Handbook of Discourse Analysis. Oxford: Blackwell, 119-37.
Wasow, Thomas 1997. ‘End-weight from the speaker’s perspective’, Journal of Psycholinguistic Research 26.3: 347-61.
Leech, Geoffrey 1983. Principles of Pragmatics. London: Longman.
Hawkins, John. A. 1992. ‘Syntactic weight versus information structure in word order variation’, Linguistische Berichte 4: 196-219.
Clark, H. H. and Haviland, S. E. 1977. ‘Comprehension and the given-new contract’, in Freedle, Roy O. (ed.) Discourse Production and Comprehension. Norwood, NJ: Ablex, 1-40.
Winkler, Susanne. 2012. The information structure of English, in: Krifka, M.; Musan, R. (eds.). The expression of Information Structure. Berlin: De Gruyter, 71-94.
Prince, Ellen F. 1981. ‘Toward a taxonomy of given-new information’, in Cole, P. (ed.) Radical Pragmatics. New York: Academic Press, 223-55.
Birner, Betty Jean and Ward, Gregory 2001. ‘Discourse and information structure’, in Schiffrin, Deborah, Tannen, Deborah and Hamilton, E. Heidi (eds.) The Handbook of Discourse Analysis. Oxford: Blackwell, 119-37.
Wasow, Thomas 1997. ‘End-weight from the speaker’s perspective’, Journal of Psycholinguistic Research 26.3: 347-61.
Leech, Geoffrey 1983. Principles of Pragmatics. London: Longman.
Hawkins, John. A. 1992. ‘Syntactic weight versus information structure in word order variation’, Linguistische Berichte 4: 196-219.
Clark, H. H. and Haviland, S. E. 1977. ‘Comprehension and the given-new contract’, in Freedle, Roy O. (ed.) Discourse Production and Comprehension. Norwood, NJ: Ablex, 1-40.
Winkler, Susanne. 2012. The information structure of English, in: Krifka, M.; Musan, R. (eds.). The expression of Information Structure. Berlin: De Gruyter, 71-94.
Association in the course directory
Studium: UF 344, BA 612
Code/Modul: UF 4.2.3-222, BA06.2
Lehrinhalt: 12-2222
Code/Modul: UF 4.2.3-222, BA06.2
Lehrinhalt: 12-2222
Last modified: Mo 07.09.2020 15:33