122043 PS Proseminar Linguistics 1 (2020S)

Building on the introductory module (STEOP), this course discusses the basics of academic writing and research methodology with the help of hands-on examples from English linguistics. In the course of the semester, students will become familiar with basic concepts. methods and fundamental problems in the field of English lexicon or lexical studies. They will individually choose one specific topic, develop and limit said topic, conduct desk research, and submit their findings in the form of a written (non-empirical) paper.

Further competencies acquired include:
• The basic principles and ethics of academic research
• Finding and evaluating academic sources
• The basic conventions of academic writing
• Selected resources and methods used in the study of the English lexicon and its usage

As this course builds on knowledge and skills acquired during the STEOP (Language Analysis and ISL1), knowledge of basic concepts and related terminology in the field of English linguistics will be taken for granted.
We suggest that students complete ISL2 before taking PS1 - Syntax, since many of the concepts used in the PS1 are discussed in the ISL2 lecture. We also strongly suggest that students have completed at least ILSS1 before taking this course.

AIMS:
Students will be able to carry out a guided literature-based research project on a topic in the field of lexical studies, building on knowledge acquired in the course.
METHODS:
Reading, discussions, peer-group interaction, in-class and homework exercises, lecturer input, autonomous research, feedback from lecturer.