Universidad de Jaén

1. INTRODUCTION

 

2. TRADITIONAL GRAMMAR

2.1. Introduction

2.2. The sound system

2.3. The grammar system: accidence and syntax

        2.3.1. Morphology:

                  2.3.1.1. Parts of speech: notional, morphological and functional definition

        2.3.2. Syntax:

                  2.3.2.1. Syntactic units: words, phrases, clauses, and sentences

                  2.3.2.2. Bipartite analysis of the sentence: subject and predicate

                  2.3.2.3. Definition of sentence elements: form and function

2.4. Representative traditional grammars of English and their authors

 

3. STRUCTURAL LINGUISTICS

3.1. Ferdinand de Saussure. Definition of structuralism

3.2. American structuralism

            3.2.1. Origins and historical background

            3.2.2. Bloomfield

                     3.2.2.1. The morpheme as the minimal unit of grammatical analysis

                     3.2.2.2. Immediate Constituents analysis

            3.2.3. Empiricism and behaviourism

            3.2.4. Predominance of form over meaning

            3.2.5. Definition of parts of speech

 3.2.5.1. Based on their morphological structure

 3.2.5.2. Based on their syntactic position: substitution test frames

           3.2.6. Sentence structure: patterns

           3.2.7. Some structural grammars of English and their authors

3.3. Conclusion: modern linguistics

 

4. GENERATIVE GRAMMAR

4.1. Historical background and connection with structuralism

4.2. Essentials of the theory

4.3. Origins: Syntactic Structures and Aspects Models

4.4. Basic concepts of Chomskyan linguistics nowadays:

       4.4.1. Universal Grammar

       4.4.2. The language faculty

       4.4.3. Competence

       4.4.4. I-Language and E-Language

       4.4.5. Principles-and-Parameters Theory      

4.5. Description of English syntax:

       4.5.1. Projections. Phrases and clauses.

       4.5.2. Intermediate and maximal projections. X-Bar Theory      

       4.5.3. Syntactic relations

       4.5.4. Phrase-markers and tree diagrams. Some examples      

4.6. Chomskys seminal monographs. Representative titles by other authors

 

5. SYSTEMIC FUNCTIONAL GRAMMAR

5.1. Halliday's conception of a systemic functional grammar. System and function

5.2. Origins of the theory: Firth, Malinowski, and the Prague School. Further development

5.3. Language and context:

       5.3.1. Context of culture: genre

       5.3.2. Context of situation: register

                 5.3.2.1. Field, tenor, and mode

5.4. Discourse semantics:

       5.4.1. Semantics: three types of meaning

       5.4.2. Discourse: the texture of texts: coherence and cohesion

5.5. Lexico-grammar:

        5.5.1. Clause structure and its three systems: transitivity, mood, and theme.

5.6. Outstanding Systemic Functional descriptions

The syllabus above will be developed by means of both theoretical and practical lessons. The former will be devoted to lectures on the contents of the programme. Students will also be requested to study a selection of bibliographical references specially chosen because of their relevance to the various subjects of the syllabus. In consequence, bibliography should become an essential, indispensable means to acquire a solid understanding of the concepts under study and gain new insights into them. This will eventually lead students to discover controversial areas which are worth deeper attention and may become the subject of further research.

            Practical lessons will include various tasks: grammatical exercises, analysis, and revision of particular bibliographical references related to each topic. All of these will prove essential instruments to assimilate grammar fully.

            Students are invited to attend tutorial sessions as a follow-up to the work done in the classroom or at home. This will provide them with an opportunity to solve problems, check their progress and organize their assignments.

Students with special educational needs should contact the Student Attention Service (Servicio de Atención y Ayudas al Estudiante) in order to receive the appropriate academic support

The exam paper will be intended to test the student's theoretical knowledge and practical understanding of the syllabus. Consequently, it will consist of the following:

            - Questions on the contents of the bibliographical references: definition with examples of basic grammatical concepts.

            - Grammatical test, including exercises of the type done in class.

            - Grammatical analysis of an English text.

 

The evaluation of the students' theoretical knowledge and practical training will be based on three criteria:

 

• 15% of the total mark will be obtained on the basis of their regular attendance at classes and active participation in them.
• 65% comes from the quality of the final exam taken by the students at the end of the semester.
• 20 % corresponds to the work done in the classroom (oral contributions and exercises) and the submission of assignments.