LINGUIST 206 : Semantics and Pragmatics

Arts

2022 Semester One (1223) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

An introduction to a wide range of issues of contemporary relevance to the study of meaning. The semantics part includes topics in structural, truth-conditional and cognitive semantics. The pragmatics part covers some of the basic topics in pragmatics.

Course Overview

This course provides an introduction to a wide range of issues of contemporary relevance to the study of meaning. The semantics part selects topics from lexical, structural, and truth-conditional semantics. Topics to be covered may include word, sentence and utterance meaning, denotation, reference and sense, various sense relations, ambiguity and vagueness, and truth conditions/values. The pragmatics part deals with some of the central topics in pragmatics such as the domain of pragmatics, conversational implicature, conventional implicature and speech acts. 
 Course content schedules 
1 Denotation, reference and sense 
   What is meaning, denotation, intension, extension, reference, typology of referring expressions, types of reference, sense. 
Lyons Ch 3, Sec 10.1.  Cann Ch 1.  Huang Ch 6.Secs 6.1 and 6.2 
 
2 Ambiguity and vagueness 
   Ambiguity, typology of ambiguity (syntactic, lexical, scope, and other), tests for lexical ambiguity, vagueness, typology of vagueness. 
Cruse pp. 49-68. Kempson pp.123-132. 
 
3 Truth-conditional semantics 
Sentence, utterance, proposition, propositional content, compositionality, truth-value, truth-condition, entailment, truth-conditional semantics: strengths and weakness. 
Huang Ch 1. Secs 1.3. 
 
4 The domain of pragmatics  
    What is pragmatics, brief history of pragmatics, two main schools of thought, why pragmatics, context. 
Huang ch 1. 
 
5 Conversational implicature (I):  classical Gricean theory of conversational implicature 
   Co-operative principle and maxims of conversation, relationship between the speaker and the maxims, conversational implicatureO vs conversational implicatureF, GCI vs PCI, properties of conversational implicature.  
Huang Ch 2.  Secs 2.1.-2.2.  
 
6 Conversational implicature (II): neo-Griciean pragmatic theory  
   Horn’s typology of conversational implicature, Levinson’s typology,  interaction of conversational implicature. 
Huang Ch 2. Secs 2.1-2.2. 
 
7 Conventional implicature 
     What is conventional implicature? properties of conventional implicature, conventional vs conversational implicature. 
Huang Ch 2. Sec 2.5. 
 
8 Speech acts (I) 
Performative vs. constative, explicit vs. implicit performative, syntactic and semantic properties of explicit performative, Austin’s felicity conditions.  
Huang Ch 4 Secs 4.1 - 4.4. 
 
9 Speech acts (II) 
Locutionary, illocutionary and perlocutionary speech acts, Searle’s felicity conditions, typology of speech acts, indirect speech acts, politeness, speech acts and culture. 
Huang Ch 4. Secs 4.5 – 4.7. 
 
 
 
 

 

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: LINGUIST 100 or 103 Restriction: LINGUIST 302

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice
Capability 2: Critical Thinking
Capability 3: Solution Seeking
Capability 4: Communication and Engagement
Capability 5: Independence and Integrity
Graduate Profile: Bachelor of Arts

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Identify and describe basic semantic and pragmatic notions. (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 3.1 and 4.2)
  2. Express understanding of these notions through exercises and assignments (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 3.2, 4.1 and 4.2)
  3. Make predictions based on analyses and argumentation. (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3.2 and 4.2)
  4. Identify and analyse typologies and patterns of implicatures and speech acts (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3.1 and 3.2)
  5. Understand and critically evaluate theories of implicature and speech acts. (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3 and 5.2)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Coursework 50% Individual Coursework
Final Exam 50% Individual Examination

Next offered

Semester 1, 2023

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect 2 hours of lectures, a 1 hour tutorial, 5 hours of reading and thinking about the content and 2 hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

This course is not available for students studying remotely, outside Auckland or offshore in 2022.

All timetabled live lectures will be recorded and available via Canvas.

Attendance is required at scheduled lectures / tutorials

Due to their interactive nature, the tutorials will not be available as recordings.

Attendance on campus is required for tests and the exam.

The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

Learning Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Well-being always comes first
We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - for more information, look at this Canvas page https://canvas.auckland.ac.nz/courses/33894, which has links to various support services in the University and the wider community.

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course students may be asked to submit coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.

Published on 23/11/2021 08:06 a.m.