Ateneo - UPO

INTRODUCTION TO GERMAN LINGUISTICS: DIACHRONIC AND SYNCHRONIC PERSPECTIVES

Kotin, Michail (2005), Die Sprache in statu movendi: Sprachentwicklung zwischen Kontinuität und Wandel, Heidelberg: Winter Verlag.
Berg, Kristian (2023), Wort - Satz - Sprache: eine Hinführung zur Sprachwissenschaft, Tübingen: Narr.

Pittner, Karin (2025), Einführung in die germanistische Linguistik, Bielefeld: UTB.
McColl Millar, Rbert (2025), Linguistic contact and language change: an introduction, New York et al.: Cambridge University Press.

The course aims to reinforce and develop students' knowledge about the phonetic, morphs-lexical and syntactic characteristics of German language from a synchronic point of view (linguistic manifestations of contemporary German) as well as from a diachronic perspective (language changes during the centuries). Students should acquire the proper terminology in order to describe the different linguistic phenomena in oral and written texts.

Base knowledge of German language (B1 level)

Frontal lessons. Explanation of different topics and concrete application through exercises.

Students with physical disabilities, Learning Disabilities or Special Education Needs can request specific services and tools via reference office 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.

Written test consisting of two main parts: open questions (6-8 questions) and 1/2 exercises. The skills in identifying and describing the main phonetic, morpho-lexical and syntactic traits of German language are tested through the open questions as well as the exercises, in which students have to identify and describe the given structures and different phenomena from a synchronic and diachronic perspective. The skills in expressing judges and comments are tested through the answers to the open questions. Students are requested to comment and compare different phenomena in written and oral productions. The skills in studying in a proper way are tested through the answers to the given questions. Students should show their competence in linking different issues together and demonstrate that they have read and studied the suggested bibliography.

The first part of the course offers an introduction to the phonetic, phonological, morphological, syntactic uses of the today's German language. The second part proposes a diachronic description of German with particular attention to the main historical-linguistic phases.

Knowledge and understanding: 1) Knowledge of the main traits of German language 2) Knowledge of the main linguistic theories 3) Knowledge of the main historical periods of German language Applying knowledge and understanding: 1) Identifying and describing phenomena and structures of German Making judgements: 1) Making judgements about the frequency and the use of phenomena in German Communication: 1) Using the proper scientific terminology to describe German language and its characteristics Learning skills: 1) Joining abstract theories with their concrete application in description of authentic uses in different texts 2) Learning and deepening different topics on his own