Courses

BA in English Studies

  • Core courses

    • Introduction to Linguistics Lecture&Tutorial 1st year Term 2

    Course description
    This course introduces first year students of English to the basic notions and areas of linguistics. The classes cover the following topics: (i) animal commu-nication vs. human language; rule-governed systems of communication; (ii) language and thought, the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis; (iii) areas of linguistics and levels of linguistic description; (iv) sounds, phonemes, allophones;(v) phonological rules, minimal pairs; (vi) morph, morpheme, allomorph, morphological systems (vii) sentence types, sentences elements (viii) phrase structure rules and syntactic rules (ix) word meaning, sentence meaning (x) language universals and linguistic typology, Universal Grammar (xi) information structure vs. syntactic structure; (xii) speech acts and conversation, Gricean maxims.

    Course requirements and weighting
    Regular home assignments (30%), a short essay of 2,000 words (40%), end-of-term test paper (30%). The lecture concludes with a written exam (100%).

    Course material
    Fromkin, V.&R. Rodman&N. Hymes. 2003. An Introduction to Language. New York: Harcourt & Brace & Joannovich Publishers.
    Finegan, E. & D. Blair & P. Collins. 1997. Language. Its Structure and Use. Second edition. New York: Harcourt&Brace&Joannovich Publishers.
    Akmajian, A.&A.R. Demers&A.K.Farmer&R.M. Harnish. 1996. Linguistics. An Introduction to Language and Communication. Workbook. Selected parts. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press.
    Georgios Tserdanelis&Wai Yi Peggy Wong (eds) 2004. Language Files: Materials for An Introduction to Language and Linguistics. Ohio State University: Columbus. Selected parts.
    Radford, A. 2004. English syntax: an introduction Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
    Comrie, B. 1981. Language Universals and Linguistic Typology. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

    Syntax 1 Tutorial (2nd year) Term 1

    Course description
    This course introduces students to (i) basic clause structure (subject-predicate), (ii) the morphological properties of finite and non-finite verbs, (iii) the syntax and semantics of temporal and modal auxiliaries, (iv) the grammatical categories of verb phrases (agreement, tense, mood, aspect, voice, negation), (v) the classification of verbs according to their argument structure (vi) the semantic roles of arguments.

    Course requirements
    This course requires an intensive reading of the prescribed course material to be discussed and supported by exercises in class. The assessment is based on active participation, two test papers and a short essay of appr. 2,000 words on a topic related to the course.
    Course material
    Brinton, L. 2000. The Structure of Modern English: A Linguistic Introduction. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
    Guéron, J.&.L.Haegeman 2004. English grammar: a generative perspective. Oxford: Blackwell.
    Quirk, R. & S. Greenbaum 1972. A University Grammar of English. Essex: Longman.
    Radford, A. 2004. English Syntax: An Introduction. Cambridge: CUP
    Radford, A. 1997. Syntactic theory and the structure of English: a generative approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
    Radford, A. 1988.Transformational Grammar. A First Course. Cambridge: CUP.
    Comrie, B. 1973. Tense. Cambridge: CUP.
    Palmer, F. 1986. Mood and Modality. Cambridge: CUP.

    Syntax 2 Tutorial (2nd year) Term 2

    Course description
    Students who are enrolled in this course look at the morphological and syntactic properties of the NP. In particular, they investigate the constituent structure of the NP, the morphological properties of N (countability, reference, number, gender, case) and the syntactic forms of premodification and postmodification. Relative clauses, appositive clauses and complement clauses within the complex NP are analyzed, and functional categories (DP, QP, POSSP) within the NP are briefly discussed.

    Course requirements
    Active participation, two test papers, a short essay of 2,000 words.

    Course material
    Brinton, L. 2000. The Structure of Modern English: A Linguistic Introduction. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
    Guéron, J.&.L.Haegeman 2004. English grammar: a generative perspective. Oxford: Blackwell.
    Quirk, R. & S. Greenbaum 1972. A University Grammar of English. Essex: Longman.
    Radford, A. 2004. English Syntax: An Introduction. Cambridge: CUP
    Radford, A. 1997. Syntactic theory and the structure of English: a generative approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
    Radford, A. 1988.Transformational Grammar. A First Course. Cambridge: CUP.
    Roberts, I. 1997. Comparative Syntax. London: Arnold
    Giorgi, A. & G. Longobardi 1997. The syntax of noun phrases. Cambrdige, Mass.: MIT Press.

    Syntax 3 Tutorial (3rd year) Term 1

    Course description
    In this course, students get a general view of simple and complex sentences. They investigate finite, non-finite clauses and small clauses. The notion of predication is discussed and the syntax of non-finite predication is studied in detail.

    Course requirements and weighting
    Regular home assignments (20%), end-of term test paper (40%), a short essay of 10 pages (40%).

    Course material
    Brinton, L. 2000. The Structure of Modern English: A Linguistic Introduction. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
    Guéron, J.&.L.Haegeman 2004. English grammar: a generative perspective. Oxford: Blackwell.
    Quirk, R. & S. Greenbaum 1972. A University Grammar of English. Essex: Longman.
    Radford, A. 2004. English Syntax: An Introduction. Cambridge: CUP
    Radford, A. 1997. Syntactic theory and the structure of English: a generative approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
    Radford, A. 1988.Transformational Grammar. A First Course. Cambridge: CUP.
    Roberts, I. 1997. Comparative Syntax. London: Arnold
    Akmajian, A. & A.R. Demers & A. K.Farmer & R. M. Harnish. 1996. Linguistics. An Introduction to Language and Communication. Workbook. Selected parts. Cambridge, Mass. MIT Press.

    Syntax 4 Tutorial ( 3rd year) Term 2

    Course description
    Students enrolled in this course investigate the structure and meaning of simple, complex and compound finite clauses in English. The classes concentrate on the following topics: (i) classification of clauses according to their semantic content and syntactic function; (ii) syntactic criteria of subordination vs. coordination (iii) transformational rules applying in interrogative vs. non-interrogative clauses (iv) restrictive, non-restrictive and headless relative clauses, appositive clauses, comparative clauses (v) finite and non-finite adverbial clauses; (vi) the syntax of ellipsis; (vii) the role of existential, passive, extraposed and postponed elements in information structure; (viii) information structure in syntactic structure: the topic-comment articulation of clauses.

    Course requirements and weighting
    Active participation in classes, weekly reading set out in the schedule (10%); regular home assignments (20%); a short essay of appr. 2,000 words (30%); end-of-term test (40%).

    Course material
    Brinton, L. 2000. The Structure of Modern English: A Linguistic Introduction. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
    Guéron, J.&.L.Haegeman 2004. English grammar: a generative perspective. Oxford: Blackwell.
    Quirk, R. & S. Greenbaum 1972. A University Grammar of English. Essex: Longman.
    Radford, A. 2004. English Syntax: An Introduction. Cambridge: CUP
    Radford, A. 1997. Syntactic theory and the structure of English: a generative approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
    Radford, A. 1988.Transformational Grammar. A First Course. Cambridge: CUP.
    Roberts, I. 1997. Comparative Syntax. London: Arnold
    Akmajian, A. & A.R. Demers & A. K.Farmer & R. M. Harnish. 1996. Linguistics. An Introduction to Language and Communication. Workbook. Selected parts. Cambridge, Mass. MIT Press.


  • ELECTIVES

    • Comparative Syntax I: Word order and information structure (2001-2)
    Comparative Syntax II: The syntax of negative expressions (2003-4)
    Comparative Syntax III: The argument structure of causative and perceptive verbs (2005)
    Comparative Syntax IV: Principles and parameters (2006)
    Comparative Syntax V: Copular sentences and predication (2007)
    Comparative Syntax VI: Copular sentences in the Celtic languages (2010)
    Theories of the evolution of language (School of Philosophy, ELTE Budapest 2010-11)

    MA in English Language and Culture

    Comparative syntax: Copular sentences in the Celtic languages (elective course) Term 2 2009/2010

    Course description
    This course investigates the syntactic and semantic properties of copular sentences in Scottish Gaelic, Irish, Welsh, Breton and in (non-Celtic) Polish within the Principles&Parameters branch of generative linguistic theory. To achieve this, a general outlook onto the theory of copular sentences will be made and an overview of X-bar syntax and the Minimalist Program will be given.
    Course requirements
    Regular participation, reading and interpreting the prescribed reading material, an end-of-term short essay (8-10 pages) on a chosen topic related to the course and an oral presentation of 15-20 minutes on a chosen article.
    Course material
    Adger, D. & G. Ramchand 2003. “Predication and equation”. Linguistic Inquiry 34: 325-360.
    Borsley, R. & I. Robers 1996. The syntax of the Celtic languages. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Selected parts.
    Bowers, J. 2001. ”Predication”. Baltin, M.& C. Collins (eds): The handbook of contemporary syntactic theory. Oxford: Blackwell. 299-333.
    Carnie, A. 2000. “On the definition of X0 and XP”. Syntax 3.2: 59-106.
    Carnie, A. & E. Guilfoyle (eds) 2000. The syntax of verb-initial languages. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Selected parts.
    Citko, B. 2008. “Small clauses: not so small and not all alike”. Lingua 118:261-295
    Doherty, C. 1996. “Clausal structure and the Modern Irish copula”. Natural Language and Linguistic Theory 14:1-46.
    Hendrick, R. 1996. “Some syntactic effects of suppletion in the Celtic copulas” Borsley, R. & I. Roberts (eds): The syntax of the Celtic languages. 75-97. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
    Heycock, C. 1994. “The internal structure of small clauses: new evidence from inversion.” Proceedings of NELS 223-258.
    Heycock, C. & A. Kroch. 1998. “Inversion and equation in copular sentences”. Alexiadou, A. & N. Fuhrhop & U. Kleinhenz & P. Law (eds):
    Papers in Linguistics 10: 71 87. Berlin: Zentrum fur Allgemeine Sprachwissen¬schaft.
    Koopman, H. &D. Sportiche 1991: “The position of subjects”. Lingua 85: 211- 258.
    McCloskey, J. 1996. “Subjects and subject positions in Irish”. Borsley, R. & I. Robers (eds) 1996. The syntax of the Celtic languages. 241-283 Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
    Rizzi, L. 1997. “The fine structure of the left periphery”. Haegeman, L. (ed.): Elements of grammar. Dordrecht. Kluwer. 281-337.
    Roberts, I. 1998. Comparative syntax. Chapter 1. London. Arnold.
    Roberts, I. 2005. Principles and parameters in a VSO language: a case study of Welsh. Chapter 1. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
    Tallerman, M. 2005. “The syntax of the Celtic languages” Cinque, G. & R. Kayne (eds): The Oxford Handbook of Comparative Syntax. 839-880. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
    Tallerman, M. 2009. “The syntax of bod”. Borsley, R. & M. Tallerman & D. Willis (co-authors): The syntax of Welsh. 255-263. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
    Zaring, L. 1996. “Two BE or not two BE: identity, predication and the Welsh copula”. Linguistics and Philosophy 19: 103-142.

    Current Trends in Linguistic Theory seminar core course (seminar)

    Course description
    Students get an insight in the latest results of linguistic theorizing and develop their intellectual skills by weighing and evaluating the various models of grammar. Some formal theories of grammar are surveyed (Minimalist Theory, Lexical-Functional Grammar, Head-driven Phrase Structure Grammar, Montague Grammar), the cognitive approach to grammar is discussed and finally, topical issues in anthropological linguistics are discussed.

    Course material
    Bowers, J.: “Predication”. Baltin, M.&C. Collins (eds): The handbook of contemporary syntactic theory. 299-333. Oxford: Blackwell 2001.
    Bresnan, J.&R.M. Kaplan: “Lexical-functional grammar: a formal system for grammatical representation”. Bresnan, J. (ed.): The mental representation of grammatical relations. 173-282. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press 1982.
    Brown, P. & S. C. Levinson 1987. Politeness: some universals in language usage. Cambdridge: Cambridge University Press
    Chomsky, N.: “The minimalist programme”. Hale, K. & J. Keyser (ed.): The view from Building 20. 1-52. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press 1993.
    Dancygier, B. & Sweetser, E. 2005. Mental space in grammar. Conditional constructions. Cambridge: Cambridge Universiyt Press.
    Dowty, D.: “Grammatical relations and Montague Grammar”. Jacobson, P.&G. Pullum (eds): The nature of syntactic representation. 79-130. Dordrecht: Reidel 1982.
    Foley, W. A.: Anthropological linguistics. Selected parts. Oxford: Blackwell 1997.
    Janssen, T.&G. Redeker (eds.): Cognitive linguistics: foundations, scope, and methodology. Chapter 1. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter 1999.
    Langacker, R. W.: Concept, image, and symbol. The cognitive basis of grammar. Chapter 1. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter 1990.
    Lieberman, P.: The biology and evolution of language. Chapter 14. Cambridge Mass.: Harvard University Press. 1984.
    Marantz, A.: “The minimalist program”. Webelhuth, G. & D. Lightfoot (eds): Government and Binding Theory and the Minimalist Program. 351-381. Ox-ford: Blackwell 1995.
    Radford, A.: English syntax: an introduction. Cambridge: CUP 2004.
    Roberts, I.: Comparative Syntax. London: Arnold 1997.
    Sells, P.: Lectures on contemporary syntactic theories. Stanford: CSLI Publications 1985.
    Tallerman, M.: Language origins. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2005.

    MA in American Studies

    Cultural and ethnic impact on present-day American dialects core course (seminar) Term 2 2009/2010

    Course description
    This course traces the various appearances of present-day American English, emphasizing the cultural-historical characteristics of its development. It studies the social-political reasons of the emergence of American English dialects; introduces students to the basic terms and notions of dialectology; surveys the major varieties of English; investigates some important differences between Standard American English and Standard British English; compares Standard American English with some characteristic American dialects by the help of dialect maps; highlights some important differences arising from the different cultural, educational and ethnic backgrounds but reflected on the level of vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation; finally, it gives an insight into the major phonological and syntactic characteristics of some English-based pidgin and creole languages.

    Course material
    Chambers, J. K & P. Trudgill & N. Schilling-Estes: The Handbook of Language Variation and Change. Oxford: Blackwell. 2002.
    Finegan, E. & D. Blair & P. Collins: Language: Its Structure and Use. 2nd Australian edition. New York: Harcourt, Brace, Joannovich 1992.
    Holm, J.: An Introduction to Pidgins and Creoles. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 2000.
    Hughes, A. & P. Trudgill: English Accents and Dialects: An Introduction to Social and Regional Variation in British English. London: Arnold. 1979.
    Kortmann, B. & E. W Schneider & C. Upton, & R. Mesthrie & K. Burridge (eds): A Handbook of Varieties of English. Berlin: Mouton. 2004.
    Kövecses, Z.: Bridge One: British and American English Differences for Learners of English. With Exercises. Budapest: Librotrade Kft. 2000.
    Mufwene, S , & J. Rickford & G. Bailey & J. Baugh (eds): African-American English: Structure, History and Use. London: Routledge 1998.
    Romaine, S.: Language and Society: An Introduction to Sociolinguistics. Oxford: Oxford University Press 2001.
    Wardhaugh, R.: Introduction to Sociolinguistics. Oxford: Blackwell. 1986.
    Wolfram, W.& N. Schilling-Estes: American English: Dialects and Variation. Oxford: Blackwell. 1998.
    Wolfram, W.&B. Ward (eds) 2006. American voices: how dialects differ form coast to coast. Oxford: Blackwell.

    Theories of the evolution of human language (elective course for MA students ELTE Budapest) Term 2 2009/2010

    Course description
    The issue of the evolution of human language is closely related to the emergence of Homo Sapiens. The traditional Darwinist view of evolution implies that language capacity meant an evolutionary advantage in performing synchronized group activities (foraging, hunting, butchering and storing meat, making tools and vessels). Other approaches view language capacity as a by-product of human evolution and not as the driving force of Man’s emergence from the animal world. Yet other aproaches take human language merely as a response given to environmental changes, i.e. as adaptation.
    This course gives an insight into the selectionist, adaptationist and exaptationist approaches to the theory of evolution, weighing the arguments for and against them. To achieve this, it integrates recent research and experimental findings of paleo-anthropology, neurophysiology, neurolinguistics and anthropological linguistics.

    Course requirements
    Reading the prescribed course material from week to week, active participation in class, one 15-20 pages essay related to the course. (Upper limit: 4,000 words)

    Course material
    Arbib, Michael 2005. “The mirror system hypothesis: how did protolanguage evolve?” Tallerman, M. (ed.) 2005. Language origins 21-48. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
    Bloom, Peter & Steven Pinker 1990. “Natural language and natural selection” Bahavioral and Brain Sciences 13.4: 707-784.
    Christiansen, Morten & Nick Chater 2008. “Language as shaped by the brain” Bahavioral and Brain Sciences 31: 489-558.
    Everett, Daniel 2005. “Cultural constrainsts on grammar and cognition in Piraha”. Current Anthropology 46.4: 621-646.
    Fitch, Tecumseh 2000. “Vocal production in nonhuman mammals: Implications for the evolution of speech”. The Evolution of Language: Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference 102-103
    Fitch, Tecumseh 2005. “The evolution of language: a comparative review”. Biology and philosophy 20: 193-230.
    Fitch, Tecumseh & Marc Hauser & Noam Chomsky 2005. “The evolution of the language faculty: clarifications and implications” Cognition 97: 179-210.
    Foley, William 1997. “The evolution of language”. Foley, William: Anthropological Linguistics 43-81. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
    Gould, Stephen Jay & R.C. Lewontin 1979. “The spandrels of San Marco and the Panglossian Paradigm” Proceedings of the Royal Society. London: Royal Society Press.
    Grant, Seth & Tomás Ryan 2009. “The origin and evolution of synapses” Nature 10: 701-712.
    Hauser, Marc & Noam Chomsky & Tecumseh Fitch 2002. “The faculty of language: what is it, who has it and how did it evolve?” Science 298: 1569-1579
    Kalant, Harold & Werner Kalow & Steven Pinker 1997. „Evolutionary psychology: an Exchange” The New York Review of Books 44.15: 1-8.
    Kirby, Simon 2007. ”The evolution of language”. Dunbar, R. & L. Barrett (eds): Oxford Handbook of Evolutionary Psychology 669-681. Oxford: Oxford University: Press
    Knecht, Stefan & al. 2000. ”Language lateralisation in healthy right-handers”. Brain 123: 74-81.
    Levin, H.S.& R.G. Grossman & P.J. Kelly 1976. ”Aphasic disroder in patients with closed head Injury” Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry 39: 1062-1079
    Lieberman, Philip 1984. “The evolution of speech: the fossil record”. Lieberman, Philip: The biology and evolution of language 287-334. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press.
    McAndrew, A. 2007. ”FOXP2 and the evolution of language”. Downloadable: http://www.evolutionpages.com/FOXP2_language
    Tallerman, Maggie 2005. ”Initial syntax and modern syntax: did the clause evolve from the syllable?” Tallerman, Maggie: Language origins. 133-153. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Supplementary course material
    Our primate cousins www.youtube.com
    Human evolution and missing links (Meet the family) www.youtube.com
    Neurons – how they work www.youtube.com
    Brain anatomy and functions www.youtube.com
    Brain lateralization www.google.com
    Lateralization and language. Video course by Jaap Murre. Dept. of Psychology University of Amsterdam. www.neuromod.org/course/local
    Genetic diversity www.youtube.com
    The human genome www.youtube.com
    DNA replication www.youtube.com



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