Faculty of Translation And Interpreting

Course Syllabus

2015­2016 Academic Year

Language Seminar ­ English (22566)

Degree programme: Degree in Translation and Interpreting / Degree in Applied Languages

Year in the programme: Third

Term: Third

Number of ECTS credits: 4

Hours of student dedication to the course: 100

Course type: Elective

Plenary session teacher: Janet DeCesaris

Language of instruction: English

1. Course presentation

Title of the Seminar for 2015­2016: English Lexis: Structure, use, distribution, and

representation

English lexis considers English words and other elements that make up English

vocabulary. In this class we will address the following questions, among others:

What is in a word? What are words, and what is not a word? How many words

does English have? How and why do words change? What does knowing a word

mean? How do words work in unison to make meaning? How do words and

expressions become entries in dictionaries? What constitutes ‘standard vocabulary’

in English and who determines what is standard and what is not? How much does

vocabulary differ from place to place in the English­speaking world? The workload

will include background readings and videos, and problem­solving analysis of data.

This class is taught entirely in English, and written assignments must be

completed in English.

1. Competencies to be attained

G.1. Ability to analyze and synthesize G.2. Ability to analyze situations and solve problems

G.4. Ability to search for documentation and information sources G.10. Oral and written communication in native and foreign languages G.13. Ability to work individually and in a group G.19. Motivation for quality E.3. Oral and written command of at least one foreign language E.4. Knowledge of foreign cultures and civilizations E.5. Specialized knowledge in one or more thematic fields As a result of taking this class successfully, the student will be able to:

Identify the characteristics of word meaning Describe how words change meaning over time Describe how words work together to create meaning Use dictionaries of English proficiently and according to purpose Efficiently search for information on usage and especially usage problems in English

Demonstrate command of some advanced phraseology in English 1. Course contents

Brief overview of the external history of English lexis.

Basics of word structure and word­formation in English.

Basics of lexical semantics and word meaning.

Lexical relations and semantic grouping of vocabulary. What synchronic and diachronic thesauruses tell us about English and English­speaking cultures.

The birth, life, and death of words: how and why English vocabulary changes.

Words working together: Collocation and phraseology.

Idioms and clichés: Are idioms really fixed expressions? What constitutes a cliché, and how can I avoid using one?

Lexis and varieties of English: Dialect differences.

Lexis and register: formal and colloquial vocabulary, jargon, slang.

Lexis and usage: What constitutes standard vocabulary? Trusted sources of information on usage.

Putting words to good use: rhetoric and style. Purposeful use of lexis: English in advertising; the role of vocabulary in shaping a national identity.

Dictionary representation of English lexis: prescriptivism vs. descriptivism; importance of frequency; usage and dictionaries; dialectal forms in standard dictionaries.

1. Evaluation and reassessment

3 graded written assignments: 45% total, 15% each

1 group oral presentation with written summary: 15%

Attendance and class participation: 10%

Final exam during official exam period: 30%

Evaluation Reassessment

Evaluation activities

Percentage of the final mark

It can / cannot be made up

Percentage of the final mark

How is it made up?

Requisites and observations

3 written exercises (G.1, G.2, G.4, G.19, E.3, E.4, E.5)

45% (15% each)

Yes, with special conditions*

45% By doing 3 additional exercises, to be handed in during the July exam period

*Can only be made up if handed in during the quarter on time and received a grade below 5

1 group oral presentation with written summary (G.10, G.13. G.19, E.3)

15% No ­ ­ ­

Attendance and participation (G.10, G.13, E.3)

10% No ­ ­ ­

Final exam (G.1, G.10, G.19, E.3, E.4, E.5)

30% Yes, with special conditions**

55% By taking the exam in the July exam period

**Can only be made up if taken in June and the exam receives a grade below 5

1. Methodology: training activities

Class attendance is required.

Plenary sessions: Class lectures. Students will often have readings to do before the session. Readings will be made available on Aula Global.

Seminar sessions: Discussion of exercises prepared outside class. Group presentations.

Outside class: Required readings and videos in English; weekly exercises based on material from class presentations, readings and videos, including multiple choice questions, essay questions, and problem­solving based on analysis of data.

1. Basic course bibliography

Bryson, Bill. 2000. The Mother Tongue: English and how it got that way. New York: William Morrow.

Burrell, Brian. 1997. The Words We Live By. New York: Free Press. Hanks, Patrick. (ed.) 2008. Lexicology. (6 volumes). London: Routledge. Knowles, Elizabeth. 2010. How to Read a Word. Oxford: OUP. McCrum, Robert; Macneil, Robert; Cran, William. 1992. The Story of English. London: Faber and Faber.

Michel, Jean­Baptiste, et al. 2011. Quantitative Analysis of Culture Using Millions of Digitized Books. Science 331:176­182.

Moon, Rosamund. 1998. Idioms and Fixed Expressions. Oxford: Clarendon Press. Oxford English Dictionary Online. [www.oed.com] Steinmetz, Sol & Kipfer, Barbara Ann. 2006. The Life of Language: The Fascinating

Ways Words are Born, Live & Die. New York: Random House.