Modules


Term 1

Language and Thought: an Introduction to Argument Structure (Zoom/hybrid)

Wenkai Tay

What is the difference between “Dog bites man” and “Man bites dog”? How do we know that these two sentences describe different events in the real world? In this module, we will learn how language enables us to talk about the world around us, focusing in particular on how it helps us keep track of who does what to whom.

Prerequisites: No prior background in syntax or semantics is assumed.

Slides

Zoom link

  • Week 1: How do we think about the world around us? (event structure)
  • Week 2: What is the link between language and the real world? (linking theories)
  • Week 3: What information about the world does language encode? (predicate-argument structure)
  • Week 4: Why are linguistic theories so complicated? (decompositional/configurational approaches)
  • Week 5: How do we know if our linguistic theories are right? (case study: resultatives)


The Eye-tracking Method and its Application in Language Research

Yiling Huo

Eye-tracking allows researchers to gain insight into human cognition and attention, and is becoming a very popular tool in psycholinguistics. In this course, I will give you an introduction to the eye-tracking method and its application in research on reading as well as spoken language processing. For the last day I might get a chance to show you a demo experiment!

Slides

  • Week 1: Introduction to the human visual system and the eye-tracking method
  • Week 2: Reading
  • Week 3: Spoken language processing in a visual context
  • Week 4: Eye-tracking with electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
  • Week 5: Demo experiment (subject to lab availability) / Considerations in experiment designs


Term 2

Syntax: NPs and DPs

Boyan Yin

TBC

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Introduction to Morphology

Abdullah Almuhaysh

TBC

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Worlds of Possibilities: Intensional Semantics and Modality

Tim Jantarungsee

TBC

  • Week 1: tbc
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Issues in Pragmatics

Yolanda García-Lorenzo, Teru Konishi, Xinxin Yan

TBC

  • Week 1: tbc
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Topics in Experimental Pragmatics

Erying Qin, Shenshen Wang

TBC

  • Week 1: tbc
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Term 3

Seminar in Psycholinguistics and Neurolinguistics (Zoom/hybrid)

Kayla Chen

This seminar explores classic and contemporary trends in psycholinguistics, focusing on key topics such as language comprehension and production, speech perception, and bilingualism. Each lecture will involve the discussion of two to three influential papers, providing an interactive format to examine both foundational ideas and recent advances. This course is perfect for those eager to expand their understanding of how language is processed in the human mind and engage critically with key research.

Course format: Hybrid (Zoom/In Person)

  • Week 1: tbc
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  • Week 5: tbc