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Lecturer(s)
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Lohrová Helena, Mgr. Ph.D.
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Course content
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1. Course Introduction; Linguistics as a Study; Research Areas of Linguistics; Universal Properties of Language. 2. Historical Linguistics. History of English, periods, influences. 3. Semantics I; Basic terminology; Meaning, compositionality. 4. Semantics II + Pragmatics I; Meaning vs context, H.P. Grice, Pragmatic principles, Speech acts. 5. Pragmatics II + Discourse I; Spoken vs written discourse (Introduction) 6. Discourse II; Register, interactional frames; Discourse analysis. 7. Revision, compulsory tutorial I. 8. Child Language Acquisition I; Development; Basic theories (Behaviorism, Nativism,...) 9. Child Language Acquisition II; Social interactionism; Language and the brain. 10. Second Language Acquisition I; Definition, basic questions and theories of SLA. 11. Second Language Acquisition II; Individual differences; SLA and foreign language teaching. 12. Revision, compulsory tutorial II. 13. Final Test
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Learning activities and teaching methods
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Monologic (reading, lecture, briefing), Dialogic (discussion, interview, brainstorming)
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Learning outcomes
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The course provides an introduction to the basic areas of linguistic study with a focus on English. Students are introduced to linguistics as a scientific discipline and gain an overview of its main subfields and the universal properties of human language. The course also presents the historical development of English and the major stages of its evolution. Attention is given to the fundamentals of semantics and pragmatics, including the relationship between meaning and context, Gricean principles of communication, and speech act theory. In the section on discourse, students explore the differences between spoken and written discourse, the concepts of register and interactional frameworks, and basic approaches to discourse analysis. The course further examines first language acquisition and the main theoretical perspectives on language development in children. Finally, students are introduced to key concepts in second language acquisition, including individual differences and the relationship between SLA research and language teaching. The course includes review sessions and a final test assessing students' understanding of the core linguistic concepts. The course follows the syllabus below; however, allows for unavoidable changes, which would be announced in advance.
Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to: explain key linguistic concepts and approaches introduced in the course and use appropriate linguistic terminology accurately; identify and analyse linguistic phenomena in language examples and apply relevant linguistic concepts to their interpretation; distinguish between related linguistic concepts and explain relationships between different aspects of language, including how language functions, changes and is acquired; formulate concise evidence-based linguistic explanations and interpretations, distinguishing observation from interpretation and supporting their analysis with relevant linguistic evidence. Students will also develop their ability to monitor their own understanding, identify areas requiring further study, and use feedback and academic resources to support their learning.
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Prerequisites
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Students will have studied general English to upper- intermediate level (B2 CEFR). In Week 1 of the course, students are provided with a detailed course outline and are guided on essential reading they will need to undertake as part of their coursework.
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Assessment methods and criteria
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Student performance assessment
Attendance (max. 3 absences) Active participation in class Reading of assigned texts (even in the case of absence) Preparation of assigned materials Final test (65% [případně 1 retake]) Specific details are available in the programme of the course published in Moodle in the first week of the semester.
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Recommended literature
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Crystal, D. The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language. Cambridge: CUP, 2003.
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Čermák, F. Jazyk a jazykověda. Přehled a slovníky. Praha: Pražská imaginace, 1997.
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Černý, J. Úvod do studia jazyka. Olomouc: Rubico, 2008.
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Fasold, R. a Connor-Linton J. (Eds.). An Introduction to Language and Linguistics (2nd ed.). Cambridge: CUP, 2014.
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