THEORETICAL LINGUISTICS

This course is designed for the students of the third year of the BA program in Languages, Civilization and the Science of Language. The goal of this course are: the development of the ability of autonomous critical thinking and the ability of using the correct methodological instruments for a linguistic analysis of specific aspects of language.

The main goal of this course is a better understanding of the main issues addressed in the General Linguistic course. I will discuss complex syntactic structures and the most recent linguistic theories, as for instance the Minimalist Theory In particular I will illustrate the main issues connected with the temporal interpretation of utterances and their realization in different register of spoken language and narrative styles.
1. Knowledge and comprehension
Knowledge and understanding of the main properties connected with tense and aspect in the various registers and narrative styles.
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.

General Linguisitcs mod.1. Basic notions of general linguistics.

The syntax of subordinate sentences.
Temporal and aspectual properties of various predicate types.
The interaction between syntax and temporal interpretation.
Narrative styles and temporal interpretation.
Tense and aspect and the expression of emotions, for instance surprise.

In the lectures I will illustrate topics discussed in the following texts:
Giorgi & Pianesi, 1997, Tense and Aspect, Oxford University Press
Giorgi, 2010, About the Speaker, Oxford University Press
Giorgi, Alessandra 2016, On the temporal interpretation of certain surprise questions in SPRINGERPLUS, vol. 5
Giorgi, Alessandra 2015, Free Indirect Discourse and the Syntax of the left periphery , Sentence and Discourse, J. Guéron (Ed.) Oxford, Oxford University Press, pp. 232-255
Alessandra Giorgi; Sona Haroutyunian On the Temporal and Aspectual Value of the Modern Eastern Armenian Aorist: a comparative Perspective in ARMENIAN FOLIA ANGLISTIKA, vol. 12, pp. 151-177

Written examination. the candidate will answer 5 open questions in 1h. the questions will be about the topics discussed in the lectures.

this course will be taught with a traditional frontal classes

Italian

written