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Part IIB

Theoretical and Applied Linguistics

 

LI5: Linguistic Theory

This paper is available for the academic year 2024-25.

The aim of the听Linguistic theory听paper is specifically to integrate the knowledge which Linguistics Tripos finalists acquire in their individual specialist linguistics papers and their general reading and thinking about language. It will thus be a true 'general' paper, whose purpose is to stimulate thinking about language and linguistic theory at a high level. All topics will therefore aim to do one or more of the following: to cross sub-disciplinary boundaries and/or to question them, to place the description of specific phenomena in the context of general linguistic theory, to raise questions of methodology common to more than one linguistic subdiscipline, to address the notion of linguistic theory, and to relate linguistics to its broader scientific and intellectual context.

Preparation will be primarily that for the specialist papers, with sessions in alternate weeks of the Michaelmas and Lent terms for Linguistics Tripos finalists.

Topics: 

More information is available from the Moodle course for this paper (link below).

Preparatory reading: 

Anderson S. and D. Lightfoot (2002)听The Language Organ.听海角社区 University Press. Fromkin, V. et al (2000)听Linguistics: an introduction to linguistic theory.听Oxford: Blackwell. Jackendoff, R. (2002)听Foundations of Language.听Oxford University Press. Newmeyer, F. (2005)听Possible and Probable Languages.听Oxford: OUP. Radford, A. et al. (1999)听Linguistics: an introduction.听海角社区:CUP. Smith, N. (1999) Chomsky:听Ideas and Ideals.听海角社区 University Press.

Teaching and learning: 

The paper's Moodle site can be found听.

Assessment: 

Assessment will be by an in-person written exam (2hrs), comprising of 2 essay questions.

Course Contacts: 
Prof Ian Roberts

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