Norm and Deviation (Syntax and Semantics)

Objectives

1. To be able to analyze and describe in a rigorous way utterances that are in accordance with the linguistic norm and utterances that are not in accordance with the norm.
2. To identify several linguistic structures.
3. To know and to make a proper usage of the categories and the concepts used in linguistic analysis.
4. To develop a reflective knowledge of language.
5. To know and regularly use the instruments of linguistic normalization and other support instruments.

Program

1. Preliminary concepts: linguistic consulting, norm, linguistic variation, linguistic varieties, registers, linguistic error, linguistic community, linguistic normalization, linguistic normalization instruments, linguistic intuitions.
2. Theoretical and descriptive grammar elements: clauses (predicates and arguments), syntactic functions, subordination and coordination structures, ambiguity, deixis, vagueness.
3. Main areas under study: passive constructions, pronominal verbs; indeterminate reference relative clauses, coordination, argument structures, referential chains
4. Other areas being considered: ambiguity, negation, time, word order, lexically realized constituents and quotation processes.
5. Supporting instruments: grammars, vocabularies, dictionaries, handbooks, spelling guides and other instruments of normalization; spelling and grammar checkers, spelling converters, speech and text corpora, and websites.

Teaching Methodologies

Norma e Desvio (Sintaxe e Semântica) is a theoretical-practical course unit. It has an important theoretical component – which includes the presentation of the main theoretical concepts and categories – and a more practical component, where students are asked to solve multiple exercises of linguistic description and analysis.
Students are evaluated on the basis of the following mandatory assigned duties:
Linguistic analysis of 4 cases previously assigned by the lecturer, followed by its presentation in classroom – 20%;
Collecting and classification of cases, followed by its presentation in classroom – 20%;
Final essay to be written under the supervision of the lecturer – 40% – and its presentation in classroom – 5%.
Oral participation during classes and homework – 15%.

Bibliography

Array