Back
| Semester | spring semester 2023 |
| Course frequency | Irregular |
| Lecturers | Julia Landmann (julia.landmann@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | English lexicology as a field of study received little attention in the past but has become the focus of linguistic concern in the past few decades. Studies have been published on lexicological areas such as word-formation and semantics, lexical semantics, vocabulary, the mental lexicon, and words and their meaning. In this seminar, students will be introduced to essential approaches to lexicology and its underlying concepts. An overview will be given of the wide range of lexicographical resources available today, such as the "Oxford English Dictionary Online". Students will explore how these sources can be fruitfully used for many types of investigation to gain insights into linguistic phenomena at the lexical, semantic or pragmatic-contextual level of language. All participants will have the opportunity to perform research tasks and to present their findings in class. This seminar will also concentrate on one of the most fascinating aspects of language: phraseology. Comprising phrases and idioms such as 'to let the cat out of the bag' or 'to have butterflies in your stomach', phraseological units may render a speech or a piece of writing more expressive, vivid and picturesque. Due to their often unpredictable meanings and their implications, these items are considered problematic, especially for learners of English as a foreign language. The aim of this seminar is to give students a rounded picture of the inventory of idioms and phrases commonly used in English. Participants will be introduced to the most significant theoretical approaches to phraseology as a linguistic discipline. The focus will be on the functions of phraseological units in discourse. In addition, we will look at the insights these units may provide into the history of a speech community and its culture. |
| Learning objectives | At the end of this seminar students • can explain and apply essential approaches to lexicology and phraseology with their underlying concepts • can apply theoretical knowledge to empirical data • have gained experience in conducting their own research studies |
| Bibliography | Introductory reading: - Fiedler, S. 2007. "English Phraseology". Tübingen: Narr. - Jackson, H. & Zé Amvela, E. 2007. "Words, Meaning and Vocabulary: An Introduction to Modern English Lexicology". London: Continuum. A comprehensive reading list, as well as selected texts, will be made available on ADAM. |
| Weblink | ADAM |
| Admission requirements | This course is open to MA students of English and MSG Sprache und Kommunikation. |
| Course application | Please register for this course on services unibas.ch. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | Online, mandatory |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| wöchentlich | Wednesday | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday 22.02.2023 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Wednesday 01.03.2023 | 14.15-16.00 | Fasnachstferien |
| Wednesday 08.03.2023 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Wednesday 15.03.2023 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Wednesday 22.03.2023 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Wednesday 29.03.2023 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Wednesday 05.04.2023 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Wednesday 12.04.2023 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Wednesday 19.04.2023 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Wednesday 26.04.2023 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Wednesday 03.05.2023 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Wednesday 10.05.2023 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Wednesday 17.05.2023 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Wednesday 24.05.2023 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Wednesday 31.05.2023 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Modules |
Modul: English Linguistics (Master's degree subject: English) Modul: Forschungspraxis und Vertiefung (Master's degree program: Language and Communication) Modul: Sprache als System (Master's degree program: Language and Communication) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | active participation, oral presentation and a written assignment |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | as often as necessary |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Fachbereich Englische Sprach- und Literaturwissenschaft |