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 / Considerations in experiment designs


Term 2

Worlds of Possibilities: Intensional Semantics and Modality

Tim Jantarungsee

TBC

  • Week 1: Sinn und Bedeutung: An Introduction to Intensionality and Modal Logic
  • Week 2: What “must” and “can” must and can mean: Kratzer Modality and Ty2 Logic
  • Week 3: Measurement and Modality: Graded Modality and Dynamic Modal Logic
  • Week 4: A can-versation on ability: Research Seminar on “Ability”
  • Week 5: Intensionality: De re/De dicto and Propositional Attitudes


“Literal” Expressions and Their Uses

Yolanda García-Lorenzo, Teru Konishi, Xinxin Yan

There is a widely held belief that our language use is by default “literal”. At the same time, many cases of language use taught in Pragmatics deal with “non-literal” expressions and communication. Is there anything interesting to say about “literal” uses of language? This course aims to examine the concept of “literal” expressions and their uses in communication – questioning the very definition and distinction of this concept.

  • Week 1: What do we mean by “literal”? (Teru (tent.))

    This session introduces the concept of literal and non-literal uses of language and questions whether this distinction is really apt. Are metaphors really “non-literal”? What are “literal” uses, and are they useful at all in communication? The definitions and questions raised in this lecture should guide the rest of the course.

  • Week 2: Metaphor & Simile: Are they essentially the same? (Xinxin)

    In this session, we’ll take a step back and reconsider the commonly held assumption that metaphors and similes are interchangeable and essentially the same. Are metaphors implicit similes? Are similes hedged metaphors? Or could they be fundamentally different and only happen to be similar in some cases? Together, we’ll explore the arguments and empirical evidences supporting each perspective. The answer, as it turns out, may not be so straightforward…

  • Week 3: Irony, Lies, Mistakes: Exploring the Concept of Commitment (Yolanda)

    In this session, we will explore the distinctions between lies, irony, and mistakes—instances in which a speaker communicates something false. The discussion will centre on the concept of commitment and its critical role in distinguishing literal from non-literal uses of language.

  • Week 4: Irony (Yolanda)

    This session will delve into various theories of irony, examine the cues that signal ironic utterances, and explore the motivations behind using irony. Additionally, we will discuss whether the literal meaning of the utterance is processed during the interpretation of irony.

  • Week 5: Idioms, Proverbs and Interpretive Use (Teru)

    “You can’t put toothpaste back into the tube” “A rolling stone gathers no moss” – idiomatic and proverbial expressions like these express a situation that is semantically unrelated to the topic of the conversation on the surface yet communicate an important message that is structurally and logically connected to it. In this session, we examine the mechanisms of such expressions and the role “literal” meaning plays in their interpretation.


Topics in Experimental Pragmatics

Erying Qin, Shenshen Wang

TBC

  • Week 1: tbc
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  • Week 5: tbc


Syntax: NPs and DPs

Boyan Yin

TBC

  • Week 1: tbc
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Introduction to Morphology

Abdullah Almuhaysh

TBC

  • Week 1: tbc
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  • Week 5: tbc


Term 3

Seminar in Psycholinguistics and Neurolinguistics (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