Modiwl QXL-1116:
Introduction to Meaning
Introduction to Meaning 2023-24
QXL-1116
2023-24
School of Arts, Culture And Language
Module - Semester 2
20 credits
Module Organiser:
Alan Wallington
Overview
The course will cover topics such as the following, in a foundational manner:
What is meaning?
- Word meaning and sentence meaning.
- Concepts and Mental representations.
- Sense and Lexical relations (homonymy, polysemy, synonymy, antonymy, hyponymy, meronymy). WordNet.
- The semantics of Adjectives, Nouns and Verbs
- Tense and Time.
- Modality and Mood
- Sentence Relations, Truth and Logic. Set Theory
- Entailment and Presupposition
- Pragmatics & the Cooperative Principle
- Speech Act Theory
- Literal versus non-literal meaning.
Assessment Strategy
-threshold -D: Student has achieved the minimum acceptable standard of understanding and/or knowledge in all the learning outcomes. Student can demonstrate a minimum level of understanding of the basic concepts and be able to apply them to data with some degree of accuracy.
-good -B: Student has achieved a better-than-average standard of understanding and/or knowledge in all learning outcomes, and has a clear and accurate understanding of concepts; ability to apply concepts to data critically and thoughtfully; evidence of wide reading and clear and accurate reference to source materials; free from misunderstanding and errors of content; free from irrelevant material.
-excellent -A: Student has achieved a thorough standard of understanding and/or knowledge in all learning outcomes; or student has demonstrated an exceptional level of achievement in one or more learning outcomes together with a good overall standard: student has achieved a thorough understanding of the subject, both in terms of content and theory; student is able to apply concepts clearly and accurately; substantial evidence of critical and original thought and analysis; clear, logical argument; high level of communicative competence; free from irrelevant material and errors of spelling and punctuation; evidence of extensive reading beyond basic texts and clear and accurate references to source material.
Learning Outcomes
- Students will be able to do basic analysis of language data for pragmatic content, functions and strategic goals/objectives.
- Students will be able to do basic analysis of language data for semantic content, functions and relationships.
- Students will know basic terminology, concepts and techniques for the semantic and pragmatic analysis of language.
- Students will understand at a basic level a wide range of phenomena studied by those language scientists working in the sub-fields of semantic and pragmatics.
Assessment method
Other
Assessment type
Crynodol
Description
Take home analysis 1
Weighting
20%
Due date
01/03/2024
Assessment method
Other
Assessment type
Crynodol
Description
Take home analysis 2
Weighting
20%
Due date
03/05/2024
Assessment method
Essay
Assessment type
Crynodol
Description
Take home assignment: Two 1000 word essays from a choice of essays
Weighting
60%
Due date
23/05/2024