230520 Introduction to Linguistics (V) (WiSe 2006/2007)

Objectives and topics

The main objective of this lecture is to introduce systematic, scientific modes of thinking about language, and in particular about the English language and its use around the world.

Everyone is, in a way, an expert on language: everyone speaks a language. But knowing how to do something and knowing what one is doing are two quite different kinds of knowledge: it is harder to explain what one is doing than to show it.

Language activities are no exception. Try to answer the following questions, and then explain your answers to a young relative or friend:

1. What do you do with your tongue when you pronounce the "th" sounds in English? And where is your tongue located in your mouth when you say "Ah!"
2. What is the difference in the position of the verb in English sentences and in German sentences?
3. What are the main dialects in English and in German, and how do they differ from each other?
4. Which language is English most closely related to, German or French? How would you justify this conclusion?
5. How has English influenced German and how has German influenced English?
6. Which languages in Asia are English and German distantly related to?
7. Which languages in Europe are English and German not related to at all?
8. Why is English often called a "world language"?
9. Which varieties of English (in addition to the traditional dialects) will you come across in Britain?
10. How do British and North American Englishes differ?

The topics to be covered will include the history of English and how English relates to other languages, the sounds of various Englishes in different parts of the world, the way in which words are invented in English, and how this differs from German, how it is possible to produce - literally - infinite numbers of sentences correctly and still understand them, and how doing this in English differ from the way it is done in German, literary English and how it differs from everyday English, and how social interaction in English works.
Organisation and qualification

The class will take place as a lecture, with an accompanying tutorial. The lecture will include presentation phases and group work with exercises for discussion during the lecture. In order to get the full qualification of 3 credit points, the following is expected of all participants:

1. Regular attendance.
2. Production of a "Learner Diary" or "Portfolio" as follows:

• The portfolio will contain summaries of class materials, answers to exercises, illustrations and examples of relevant points, and a glossary of technical terms and definitions. Each participant must place the portfolio on his/her web site. If the participant does not yet have a web site, a web site must be created.
• The main reason for putting portfolios on a web site is to permit efficient checking and feedback by me.
• The portfolio must be formatted according to professional criteria using OpenOffice, MS-Word, or a similar word processor.
• The portfolio will be graded.

3. Successful end of term test performance.

See also

External comments page

http://wwwhomes.uni-bielefeld.de/~gibbon/Classes/Classes2006WS/IntroductionToLinguistics/