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120225 SE MA Seminar - Focus: Functional and Cognitive Linguistics / Linguistics Seminar (2025S)
Fuzzy Grammar
Continuous assessment of course work
Labels
Registration/Deregistration
Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).
- Registration is open from Mo 10.02.2025 00:00 to Mo 24.02.2025 12:00
- Deregistration possible until Mo 31.03.2025 23:59
Details
max. 20 participants
Language: English
Lecturers
Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N
Course Content
The notion of categorization plays a crucial role in any approach to grammar, whether descriptive, generative, functional or cognitive: one cannot do linguistics without assuming the existence (in some form or other) of grammatical categories. What linguists disagree about, however, is the nature of those categories. Are they discrete and clear-cut, i.e. is category membership a matter of all or nothing? Or are grammatical categories blurred at the edges, with some members being better examples than others? And if the latter, is it always possible (and desirable) to determine category membership at all? In this course, key texts from philosophy, psychology, cognitive science, and linguistics will be studied to get a clearer picture of the kinds of vagueness inherent in (linguistic) categorization and the consequences of this vagueness for the study of grammar. In addition, attention will be paid to important work that is critical of the concepts of fuzziness and indeterminacy in grammar.
The aim of this course is to provide insight into the process of grammatical categorization, and in particular into the fuzzy nature of this process, by considering the criteria used for distinguishing grammatical (syntactic, semantic) categories (nouns, verbs, adjectives, prepositions; active vs. passive; coordination vs. subordination, etc.). Students will be made aware of the kind of criteria used for distinguishing linguistic categories and the problems involved in applying and evaluating these criteria.
- N Wednesday 19.03. 14:15 - 15:45 Seminarraum 6 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-22.A
- Wednesday 26.03. 14:15 - 15:45 Seminarraum 6 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-22.A
- Wednesday 02.04. 14:15 - 15:45 Seminarraum 6 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-22.A
- Wednesday 09.04. 14:15 - 15:45 Seminarraum 6 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-22.A
- Wednesday 30.04. 14:15 - 15:45 Seminarraum 6 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-22.A
- Wednesday 07.05. 14:15 - 15:45 Seminarraum 6 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-22.A
- Wednesday 14.05. 14:15 - 15:45 Seminarraum 6 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-22.A
- Wednesday 21.05. 14:15 - 15:45 Seminarraum 6 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-22.A
- Wednesday 28.05. 14:15 - 15:45 Seminarraum 6 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-22.A
- Wednesday 04.06. 14:15 - 15:45 Seminarraum 6 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-22.A
- Wednesday 11.06. 14:15 - 15:45 Seminarraum 6 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-22.A
- Wednesday 18.06. 14:15 - 15:45 Seminarraum 6 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-22.A
- Wednesday 25.06. 14:15 - 15:45 Seminarraum 6 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-22.A
Information
Aims, contents and method of the course
Assessment and permitted materials
Readings, classroom discussions, take-home assignment, presentation, individual research project
Minimum requirements and assessment criteria
Students will be assessed on the basis of
-a midterm assignment (20%)
-a presentation (20%)
-a seminar paper (60%).Active participation is required. Students are allowed to miss two sessions at most.To pass the course, each of these components need to be completed, and an overall average of 60 points (out of 100) needs to be obtained.Grading scale:
100-90 pts. 1
89-80 pts: 2
79-70 pts: 3
69-60 pts. 4
<60 pts: 5
-a midterm assignment (20%)
-a presentation (20%)
-a seminar paper (60%).Active participation is required. Students are allowed to miss two sessions at most.To pass the course, each of these components need to be completed, and an overall average of 60 points (out of 100) needs to be obtained.Grading scale:
100-90 pts. 1
89-80 pts: 2
79-70 pts: 3
69-60 pts. 4
<60 pts: 5
Examination topics
Students have to be able to show that:
- they are familiar with the notions introduced and discussed during the course;
- they can apply these notions to a topic of their choice;
- they are able to find a relevant topic for their research project, formulate pertinent research questions, find relevant additional literature and choose an appropriate methodology to address these questions
- they can compare and evaluate proposals from previous studies.
- they are familiar with the notions introduced and discussed during the course;
- they can apply these notions to a topic of their choice;
- they are able to find a relevant topic for their research project, formulate pertinent research questions, find relevant additional literature and choose an appropriate methodology to address these questions
- they can compare and evaluate proposals from previous studies.
Reading list
Basic reading:
Aarts, Bas, David Denison, Evelien Keizer & Geri Popova (eds) (2004). Fuzzy Grammar: A Reader. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Additional articles/chapters:
Aarts, Bas. 2007. Syntactic Gradience. The Nature of Grammatical Indeterminacy. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Chapter 7 (164-198).
Bolinger, Dwight L. 1963. It’s so fun. American Speech 38(3): 236-240.
Denison, David. 2010. Category change in English with and without structural change. In Elizabeth C. Traugott & Graeme Trousdale (eds), Gradience, Gradualness and Grammaticalization. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. 105-128.
Denison, David. 2013. Parts of speech: Solid citizens or slippery customers? Journal of the British Academy 1, p. 151-185.
Hollmann, Willem B. 2012. Word classes: Towards a more comprehensive usage-based approach. Studies in Language 36: 671-698.
Keizer, Evelien. 2004. Postnominal PP complements and modifiers: A cognitive distinction. English Language and Linguistics 8(2): 323-350.
Taylor, John R. 1994. Fuzzy categories in syntax. The case of possessives and compounds. Rivista di Linguistica 7: 327-345.All readings will be made available on Moodle.
Aarts, Bas, David Denison, Evelien Keizer & Geri Popova (eds) (2004). Fuzzy Grammar: A Reader. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Additional articles/chapters:
Aarts, Bas. 2007. Syntactic Gradience. The Nature of Grammatical Indeterminacy. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Chapter 7 (164-198).
Bolinger, Dwight L. 1963. It’s so fun. American Speech 38(3): 236-240.
Denison, David. 2010. Category change in English with and without structural change. In Elizabeth C. Traugott & Graeme Trousdale (eds), Gradience, Gradualness and Grammaticalization. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. 105-128.
Denison, David. 2013. Parts of speech: Solid citizens or slippery customers? Journal of the British Academy 1, p. 151-185.
Hollmann, Willem B. 2012. Word classes: Towards a more comprehensive usage-based approach. Studies in Language 36: 671-698.
Keizer, Evelien. 2004. Postnominal PP complements and modifiers: A cognitive distinction. English Language and Linguistics 8(2): 323-350.
Taylor, John R. 1994. Fuzzy categories in syntax. The case of possessives and compounds. Rivista di Linguistica 7: 327-345.All readings will be made available on Moodle.
Association in the course directory
Studium: MA 812 [2];
Code/Modul: MA 4, MA 5;
Lehrinhalt: 12-0496
Code/Modul: MA 4, MA 5;
Lehrinhalt: 12-0496
Last modified: Mo 27.01.2025 12:45
The notion of categorization plays a crucial role in any approach to grammar, whether descriptive, generative, functional or cognitive: one cannot do linguistics without assuming the existence (in some form or other) of grammatical categories. What linguists disagree about, however, is the nature of those categories. Are they discrete and clear-cut, i.e. is category membership a matter of all or nothing? Or are grammatical categories blurred at the edges, with some members being better examples than others? And if the latter, is it always possible (and desirable) to determine category membership at all? In this course, key texts from philosophy, psychology, cognitive science, and linguistics will be studied to get a clearer picture of the kinds of vagueness inherent in (linguistic) categorization and the consequences of this vagueness for the study of grammar. In addition, attention will be paid to important work that is critical of the concepts of fuzziness and indeterminacy in grammar.Course Aim
The aim of this course is to provide insight into the process of grammatical categorization, and in particular into the fuzzy nature of this process, by considering the criteria used for distinguishing grammatical (syntactic, semantic) categories (nouns, verbs, adjectives, prepositions; active vs. passive; coordination vs. subordination, etc.). Students will be made aware of the kind of criteria used for distinguishing linguistic categories and the problems involved in applying and evaluating these criteria.