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ENG831Arts3 Unitsintermediate

Lexicology And Semantics Of English

This course provides an in-depth exploration of lexicology and semantics of English. It examines the challenges in doing semantics, the roles of syntax in sentence interpretation, and the application of logic in sentence interpretation, proposition, and entailment. The course also discusses the relationships between signs and their users, and the relationship between concepts and general thought, and thought and reality. It introduces students to formal semantics.

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26h
Study Time
13
Weeks
2h
Per Week
basic
Math Level
Course Keywords
SemanticsLexicologySyntaxLogicPragmatics

Course Overview

Everything you need to know about this course

Course Difficulty

Intermediate Level
Builds on foundational knowledge
65%
intermediate
➕
Math Level
Basic Math
📖
Learning Type
Theoretical Focus

Course Topics

Key areas covered in this course

1

Challenges in Semantics

2

Structural Ambiguity

3

Thematic Roles

4

Pronoun Interpretation

5

Propositional Logic

6

Speech Act Theory

7

Politeness

Total Topics7 topics

Requirements

Knowledge and skills recommended for success

ENG331: Introduction to Semantics

💡 Don't have all requirements? Don't worry! Many students successfully complete this course with basic preparation and dedication.

Assessment Methods

How your progress will be evaluated (3 methods)

assignments

Comprehensive evaluation of course material understanding

Written Assessment

tutor-marked assessments

Comprehensive evaluation of course material understanding

Written Assessment

final examination

Comprehensive evaluation of course material understanding

Written Assessment

Career Opportunities

Explore the career paths this course opens up for you

Linguist

Apply your skills in this growing field

Editor

Apply your skills in this growing field

Content writer

Apply your skills in this growing field

Speech writer

Apply your skills in this growing field

Communication expert

Apply your skills in this growing field

Industry Applications

Real-world sectors where you can apply your knowledge

EducationMediaPublishingAdvertisingPublic Relations

Study Schedule Beta

A structured 13-week journey through the course content

Week
1

Module 1: Syntax and Sentence Interpretation

2h

Unit 1: Challenges in Doing Semantics

2 study hours
  • •Read the introduction to semantics and its challenges
  • •Understand the challenges in defining meaning
  • •Identify obscurity, circularity, and superfluous components in definitions
Week
2

Module 1: Syntax and Sentence Interpretation

2h

Unit 2: Structural Ambiguity

2 study hours
  • •Identify structurally ambiguous constructions
  • •Analyze the constituent parts causing ambiguity
  • •Explain various readings of ambiguous constructions
Week
3

Module 1: Syntax and Sentence Interpretation

2h

Unit 3: Thematic Roles

2 study hours
  • •Explain thematic roles and their assignment
  • •Identify various thematic roles assigned by verbs
  • •Discuss the relationship between deep structure and thematic role assignment
Week
4

Module 1: Syntax and Sentence Interpretation

2h

Unit 4: Interpretation of Pronoun

2 study hours
  • •Explain how to interpret pronouns, reflexives, and pronominals
  • •Define C-Command and use it to interpret pronouns
  • •Examine how beliefs and attitudes affect pronoun interpretation
Week
5

Module 2: Sentence Relations and Truth

2h

Unit 1: Meaning and Logic

2 study hours
  • •Explain the term proposition
  • •Differentiate between a sentence and a proposition
  • •Analyze the truth of statements
Week
6

Module 2: Sentence Relations and Truth

2h

Unit 2: Propositional Logic

2 study hours
  • •Explain logical connectives and quantifiers
  • •Employ connectives and quantifiers in propositional logic
  • •Construct truth tables for logical statements
Week
7

Module 2: Sentence Relations and Truth

2h

Unit 3: Entailment

2 study hours
  • •Examine truth relations in entailment
  • •Apply truth-based definitions to semantic relations
  • •Draw composite truth tables for entailment
Week
8

Module 2: Sentence Relations and Truth

2h

Unit 4: Presupposition

2 study hours
  • •Employ logic in discussing presupposition
  • •Explain the pragmatic approach to presupposition
  • •Analyze presupposition and context
Week
9

Module 3: Meaning and Context I

2h

Unit 1: Deixis

2 study hours
  • •Define pragmatics and its focus
  • •Explain deixis and its types
  • •Give a pragmatic discussion of presupposition
Week
10

Module 3: Meaning and Context I

2h

Unit 2: Speech Act Theory

2 study hours
  • •Explain how words perform actions (locutionary, illocutionary, perlocutionary)
  • •Distinguish between what words mean and what speakers intend
  • •Identify felicity conditions for performative utterances
Week
11

Module 3: Meaning and Context I

2h

Unit 3: Indirect Speech Act

2 study hours
  • •Identify indirect speech acts
  • •Distinguish between direct and indirect speech acts
  • •Explain the reasons for using indirect speech acts
Week
12

Module 3: Meaning and Context I

2h

Unit 4: Politeness I

2 study hours
  • •Explain politeness and its principles
  • •Discuss the concept of face
  • •Show the difference between negative and positive face
Week
13

Module 3: Meaning and Context I

2h

Unit 5: Politeness II

2 study hours
  • •Discuss how to avoid face-threatening acts
  • •Explain politeness strategies for maintaining face
  • •Describe the maxims proposed by Leech

This study schedule is in beta and may not be accurate. Please use it as a guide and consult the course outline for the most accurate information.

Course PDF Material

Read the complete course material as provided by NOUN.

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Study Tips & Exam Preparation

Expert tips to help you succeed in this course

1

Create flashcards for key semantic terms (hyponymy, entailment, presupposition)

2

Practice drawing tree diagrams for structurally ambiguous sentences

3

Review thematic roles and verb classifications from Units 3-5

4

Study truth tables for logical connectives from Units 7-9 weekly

5

Create concept maps linking Units 3-5 database concepts

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