THEORETICAL LINGUISTICS MOD.2

this course is designed for students of the Master course in Language Sciences.

The aim of this course is both theoretical and practical. Beside the presentation and discussion of the most important theoretical notions in generative and minimalist grammar, the students will receive teaching about research methods in Linguistics. The students will be required to show that they can use the theoretical notions in their own work, autonomously and creatively. the main topic of the course concerns the relationships between utterances and contexts, in particular special questions, the expression of feelings such as surprise and disapproval.
1. Knowledge and comprehension
Knowledge and understanding of the main properties connected with the interpretation of utterances cin specific contexts.
2. Ability of applying competence and comprehension
Being able to use the formal linguistic analysis instruments to describe the temporal and aspectual properties of utterances.
3. Judgment abilities
Showing of being able to develop hypotheses about the topics discussed in the classes.
4. Communicative abilties
to be able to write about the analyzed issues and to explain the basic hypotheses to the peer group.
5. learning abilities
to be able to identify and discuss the critical points with respect to written texts and specific linguistic varieties.

basic notions in generative linguistics.

The role of the speaker in the interpretation of utterances
the syntax-pragmatics interface
The epxpression of emotions: syntax prosody and gestures in sentences expressing surprise and disapproval.

Selected pages from the following texts:
Giorgi, 2010, About the Speaker, Oxford University Press-
Giorgi ,2016, On the temporal interpretation of certain surprise questions in SPRINGERPLUS, vol. 5
Giorgi, Alessandra; Sorrisi, Fabrizio, 2018, An Evaluative Head in Romance: The Palermitan Verbal Affix -vu in ANNALI DI CA' FOSCARI. SERIE OCCIDENTALE, vol. 52
Giorgi, Alessandra, 2018, Discourse, sentence grammar and the left periphery of the clause , Further Advances in Pragmatics and Philosophy, Springer, vol. 18, pp. 153-175
Giorgi, Alessandra, 2018, Ma non era rosso? (But wasn’t it red?): On counter-expectational questions in Italian , Selected papers from the 46th Linguistic Symposium on Romance Languages (LSRL), Stony Brook, NY, John Benjamins Publishing Company, Convegno: Linguistic Symposium on Romance Languages

The exam will include the writing of a brief essay (10 pages ca.). The student must define the topic of the essay with the professor. The essay must be turned in at least 4 days prior to the day of the examination. On the day of the examination the student will discuss the essay with the professor (15-20 min ca.). There might also be questions on the topics discussed in the lectures.

traditional classes.

Italian

written and oral