Last Update: April 4, 2006

CLICK HERE FOR MORE NEWS [04/03]

ENG 236: SEMANTICS AND PRAGMATICS

 

YOU CAN DOWNLOAD

• OUTLINE AS A PDF-DOCUMENT
• SYLLABUS AS A PDF-DOCUMENT [final: APRIL 3]
• RESERVES AS A PDF-DOCUMENT

DESCRIPTION

The course aims to provide an understanding of the principles underlying the expression of meanings through language. It surveys basic topics in semantics such as sense and reference, lexical semantics and basic sense relations, semantics and grammar, simple logic. It also provides an introduction to pragmatics and the negotiation of interpersonal meanings in contexts of situation. [from the UCY undergraduate catalogue]

ASSESSMENT

Regular attendance is strongly advised! Besides the class lectures, you will be graded as follows:

1. one final exam covering the entire course (in-class)         (50%) [FINAL]
2. two sets of exercise assignments (to be typewritten)         (50%) [EXX-1] [EXX-2 plus ARTICLE]
3. presence & active participation in class throughout         (±xä)

The final will be held in class during the exam period and it will cover the entire course. Exercises are to be completed alone or with at most one fellow student (in which case both names must appear on the solutions); they must be typewritten. Cheating in any way will result in a failed course grade ã the same goes for any attempt of plagiarism, in which case the issue will go much further: I donπt accept even a hint of plagiarism! You better familiarize yourselves with the rules. (Last warning.)

READING

As last semester, all classes will follow the same pattern:

1. I will assign you readings,
2. which you will read for next class,
3. when I will lecture on that material.

Coupled with the fact that the material we will cover might be quite abstract and difficult at times, this also means: It is very important that you attend all classes (if you want to pass the course)! Classes will be crucial and equally crucial will be that you (try to) understand everything we do.

On the syllabus youπll find your reading assignments. Feel free to take a stab at all the exercises that are provided within an assigned reading unit; we will discuss some of them (and others) in class.

There is a required textbook which every student should have a copy of (available from Moufflon):

• Portner, Paul H.  2005.  What Is Meaning? Fundamentals of Formal Semantics.  Oxford: Blackwell.

I will also make available two supplementary readings on pragmatics in the form of photocopies.

SYLLABUS [select clickable class titles for handout-download]

January 24: CLASS 1 COURSE INTRODUCTION [HANDOUT OVERVIEW & SYLLABUS]	January 27: CLASS 2 Meaning [PHP:ß1.1-1.2/3-12]
January 31: NO CLASS ! BREAK FROM ME	February 3: CLASS 3 Truth-Conditions [PHP:ß1.3/12-25]
February 7: CLASS 4 Reference & Compositionality [PHP:ch.2/29-34]	February 10: CLASS 5 More Predicators [PHP:ßß3.1-3.4/40-49]
February 14: CLASS 6 Events, Sets & Functions [PHP:ßß3.5-3.6/49-59]	February 17: CLASS 7 Modifiers [PHP:chap.4/61-76]
February 21: CLASS 8 R-Expressions [PHP:ßß5.1-5.3/78-84]	February 24: CLASS 9 Reference [PHP:ß5.4/84-94]
February 28: CLASS 10 More Reference [PHP:ßß5.5-5.7/95-110]	March 3: NO CLASS ! BREAK FROM ME
March 7: CLASS 11 [NO CLASS !] General Quantifiers [work on EXX-1 & CLASS 13]	March 10: CLASS 12 [NO CLASS !] Quantification [work on EXX-1 & CLASS 13]
March 14: CLASS 13 [EXX-1 DUE] Quantification [summary] [PHP:ch.6/112-130]	March 17: CLASS 14 Contexts [PHP:chap.7/132-136]
March 21: CLASS 15 Tense [PHP:ß8.1/138-146]	March 24: CLASS 19 Propositional Attitudes [PHP:ch.9/161-175]
March 28: CLASS 20 Pragmatics [PHP:ch.10/176-197]	March 31: CLASS 21 Presupoositions [PHP:ch.10/176-197]
April 4: CLASS 22 Speech Acts [READING:PRAG-1]	April 7: CLASS 23 Maxims [HANDOUT]
April 11: CLASS 24 Inference & Formal Semantics [PHP:chs.11-12/199-217]	April 14: NO CLASS ! BREAK FROM ME
April 15-30: EASTER BREAK READING & PREPARATION	May 5: CLASS 25 [EXX-2 DUE: MAY 2, 10AM] COURSE REVIEW [ALL MATERIAL]
March 22: CLASS 16-18 [WED: 10.00-13.00] Aspect & Modality [PHP:ßß8.2-8.3/146-158]	May 13: 9.00-12.00h IN-CLASS FINAL EXAM

IF YOU WANT A COURSE REVIEW SESSION, PLEASE LET ME KNOW & WEπLL ARRANGE IT.