Ateneo - UPO

The Languages and Cultures course (60 hours, 12) examines the theoretical dimension of the study of language in depth, from the perspective of both Cognitive Linguistics (with a special focus on cognitive models of space and the figurative language) and Historical Linguistics in its relationship with Typology (with a special focus on the problem of comparison).

Advanced Historical Linguistics:

(1) Slides and other material uploaded on DIR.
(2) Napoli Maria. 2019. Linguistica diacronica. La prospettiva tipologica. Collana Studi Superiori. Roma: Carocci.
(3) For students who do not attend the course: chapter 1 (Obiettivi, metodi e strumenti della tipologia) from Grandi Nicola e Caterina Mauri. 2022. La tipologia linguistica. Unità e diversità nelle lingue del mondo. Roma: Carocci.
(4) For students who do attend the course: 2 papers to be chosen among those that will be made available on DIR (one of them will be discussed during the lessons). For students who do not attend the course: 3 papers to be chosen among those that will be made available on DIR.
(5) Chiara Fedriani and Maria Napoli. 2020. Se insegnare la legge di Grimm ti fa sentire un brontosauro. Un esperimento per una didattica partecipata. In: A. Sansò (ed.), Insegnare linguistica: basi epistemologiche, metodi, applicazioni, Atti del LIII Congresso della Società di Linguistica Italiana, Università dell’Insubria, 19-21 settembre 2019. Officina 21, Milano: pp. 131-146 (https://www.societadilinguisticaitaliana.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/009_Fedriani_Napoli_Atti_SLI_LIII_Insubria.pdf).

Cognitive Linguistics II level:
(1) Croft W. and Cruse D.A. (2010), Linguistica Cognitiva, Roma, Carocci, transl. by S. Luraghi
(2) Mosca M.: Un profilo statistico dei verbi di movimento in italiano parlato, in (http://opar.unior.it/336/1/La_comunicazione_parlata_3_-_vol._I.pdf) p. 47-66.

The primary goal is to lead students to tackle at least the main issues, problems and challenges related with the theoretical investigation of language in both the cognitive and diachronic dimensions (as correlated with the typological domain), in order to widen their understanding of the main mechanisms of cognitive process and language change, and their knowledge of different models of analysis of these phenomena.
A further, more advanced, aim is to develop students’ ability of applying theoretical and methodological principles to the survey of empirical data from various languages and to the examination of specific case studies, also carrying simple field research.
Finally, didactic methods for teaching Linguistics will be dealt with, taking the topics examined during the course as a starting point.

Advanced Historical Linguistics:

Students should have basic knowledge of general linguistics and mainly historical linguistics.
Those who have never taken an examination in historical linguistics must contact the teacher in advance for a syllabus supplement, consisting of an introductory textbook (or parts of it, for those who already have basic knowledge of general linguistics). Fulfillment of these requirements will be preliminarily assessed during the examination.

Cognitive Linguistics II Level:
Foundations of linguistics, with particular attention for the cognitive paradigm both chomskian and not. No knowledge of classical language is required, but the ability to discriminate the variety of linguistic forms is necessary.

Lectures, “Web didactic”, (DIR), workshops, field work. In the course of the lectures, the active involvement of students through the examination, discussion and presentation of linguistic data and case studies is also envisaged, in order to develop the ability to analyze language, the assimilation of didactic methodologies and communicative skills.

Students with physical disabilities, learning disabilities or special education needs can request specific services and tools via the Staff Sviluppo e Coordinamento Carriere e Servizi alle Studentesse e agli Studenti, consulting the University webpage: https://www.uniupo.it/en/services/services-students-physical-or-learning-disabilities
Students with disabilities, learning disabilities or special education needs, once they have contacted the University Staff, can refer to the tutor in charge of the course to define the examination modalities, concerning academic aspects.

The overall evaluation will take the final grades of the two exams into account and will be based on the assessment of the whole degree of insightfulness of knowledge, of the degree of autonomy in applying it and of the communicative skills, consistently with the mission and intended learning objectives.

Advanced Historical Linguistics:
The final exam consists of an oral examination lasting approximately 30 minutes, aimed at verifying the acquisition of knowledge and understanding of the relevant topics (those included in the objectives and the expected learning outcomes) and the use of appropriate scientific terminology through a 3-section structure: Sect. 1 = questions on theoretical aspects concerning the methodologies of analysis of historical linguistics and typology, with a focus on the concept of "comparison”; Sect. 2 = discussion of data on which to test both the theoretical and methodological knowledge acquired and the ability of applying it empirically (mainly on the basis of the material examined during the course and put on DIR); Sect. 3 = didactic methodologies for teaching linguistics.
The final evaluation will be based on the following criteria: use of appropriate scientific terminology = 10%; answers to questions from Section 1 = 40%; answers to questions from Section 2 = 40%; answers to questions from Section 3 = 10%.

The exam will be passed successfully if the final grade is equal to or higher than 18/30. To achieve 18/30, students must be familiar with the main theoretical issues relating to the diachronic investigation of languages from a typological perspective and be able to analyze relevant linguistic data at least at a basic level. To obtain a higher mark, students must demonstrate autonomy of judgment, consistent argumentation and depth of analysis. Exams may be passed with a full grade (30/30) “cum laude” in the case of high accuracy in all answers.

Cognitive Linguistics II Level:
The final test consists into an interview of about 30'. The interview starts with the discussion on a subject chosen by the student (about 10'). If the student has written a personal research thesis the interview will continue with a discussion on the thesis, otherwise it will include two more question on subjects chosen by the teacher. The examination will be passed if the student will have reached ht emote of at least 18/30. To the final evaluation contribute 1) the ability to speak fluently of the required subjects (20%), 2) the mastering of the fundamentals of the discipline (50%) and 3) the ability to express motivated personal opinions on the different subjects of the discipline (30%).

The course examines different notions and theoretical aspects in the domain of Historical linguistics and Cognitive Linguistics, also by means of case studies.

Advanced Historical Linguistics:

1. Introduction: historical linguistics, diachronic approach and old synchrony.
2. The typological approach and the functional model.
3. The study of the past in the light of the present: the problem of language comparison (from a synchronic and diachronic perspective).
4. Variation and language change: case studies.
5. Synchronic and diachronic explanations in historical linguistics and typology.
6. Didactic methods for teaching linguistics.

Cognitive Linguistics II Level:
Unit 1 (2 hrs): Cognitive linguistics, one
name many souls; relations with Cognitive
Science
Unit 2 (1 hrs): Chomsky and the theories of
language and of human mind
Unit 3 (1 hrs): the reaction against
chomskian formalism
unit 4 (2 hrs): the basis of cognition:
perception and "embodiment";
Unit 5 (2 hrs): categorization; Rosch’s
prototypes.
Unit 6 (2 hrs): The representation: mental
spaces, image schemas, frames
Unit 7 (1 hrs): FrameNet project
unit 8 (1 hrs): Form and content; a quasi-
saussurian approach
Unit 9 (2 hrs): cognitive grammars
unit 10 (2 hrs): cognitive theory of
metaphor; figurative language
Unit 11 (2 hrs): the most important projects on metaphor: MML, MetaNet, CMR
Unit 12 (1 hrs): universalism vs. relativism
Unit 13 (2 hrs): the basic metaphor, space (and time)
unit 14 (2 hrs): space language
Unit 15 (2 hrs): verbal and non-verbal
language.
Unit 16 (2 hrs): Cognitive vs. neural
approach
Unit 17 (2 hrs): Theoretical vs. corpus-
based approach
Unit 18 (1 hrs): field research on spatial
language; collection of spontaneous and
elicited language samples.
Unit 17 (2 hrs): elaboration of the
collected materials and discussion.
Free discussions will be held during the
course after Units 5, 7, 11, 14.

Advanced Historical Linguistics:

To achieve a basic level of knowledge and skills students are required to show what follows:
Knowledge and understanding:
- to know and understand the theoretical issues and main aspects related to the historical and diachronic analysis of languages using a typological approach;
- to be acquainted with didactic methods for teaching Historical Linguistics and General Linguistics.

Ability to apply knowledge and understanding:
- to be able to apply the learned notions to the analysis of different case studies on languages (or language stages) of the past and/or their development;
- to be able to discuss problems related to diachronic and synchronic comparison;
- to be able to plan teaching activities concerning Historical Linguistics and General Linguistics.

Autonomy of judgment:
- making evaluative judgments regarding the diachronic data examined at least at a basic level.

Communicative skills:
- to know how to use specific scientific terminology in a coherent and appropriate manner, in order to set up a clear and insightful account of the relevant topics and the linguistic data examined.

Learning ability:
- to widen knowledge of theoretical and methodological notions in the field of Historical Linguistics, while enhancing their skills in the empirical analysis of data drawn from specific languages, at least with regard to some exemplary case studies concerning the combination of diachronic and typological approaches.
In order to achieve a more advanced level, students are required to show what follows:
- to be able to apply knowledge and understanding by grasping the complex implications between the study of languages of the past and their typological characterization in the light of the languages of the present;
- to show sound judgment in the insightful evaluation of specific linguistic phenomena and changes from both a typological and diachronic perspective;

- to develop communicative skills at a high level, in order to use exclusively specific scientific terminology and to provide a clear, well structured and consistent account of relevant topics;
- to combine the learning of theoretical notions with the direct observation of diachronic data from ancient and modern languages, acquiring the ability to interpret such data and being able to place different types of phenomena and/or changes in a typological framework.

Cognitive Linguistics II Level:
Students will acquire knowledge of the foundations of cognitive semantics, typological aspects of languages and principal processes of grammaticalisation. They will be able to identify the theories and the processes studied and to give examples. They will recognise the structures analysed during the course and to derive implications. They will be able to carry simple field research. They will explain organically the phenomena studied during the course and to identify logical connections. They will be able to read general texts and scientific articles (also in English).