Department: DH
Scientific area: Linguistics
Total contact time: 15
This course aims to develop students’ awareness of the distinctive characteristics of linguistic phenomena by providing, on the one hand, analytical tools for understanding the regularities of language and, on the other, opportunities to reflect on the linguistic issues encountered in everyday life. Particular emphasis is placed on the semantic-pragmatic, lexical, and sociolinguistic dimensions of language, which will subsequently be applied to the development of language-learning materials for the teaching of Portuguese.
1. Semantics
2. Lexicology
3. Enunciation and Pragmatics
4. Sociolinguistics
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
• Recognize the importance of linguistic knowledge for mastering the Portuguese language.
• Distinguish between the different levels of linguistic analysis and the theoretical concepts that underpin them.
• Understand the complementary nature of semantic, lexical, pragmatic, and sociolinguistic analyses.
• Identify the different types of semantic relationships between words.
• Classify speech acts and recognize them in authentic texts.
• Understand the principles governing discourse interaction.
• Distinguish between linguistic competence and communicative competence.
• Appreciate the role of language as a social phenomenon.
Topic 1 – Semantics
1.1 Meaning
Propositional content: reference, predication, and polarity
Temporal, aspectual, and modal values
1.2 Lexical Semantics
Lexical structure
Componential (semantic feature) analysis
Lexical meaning
Semantic relations between words
Topic 2 – Lexicology
2.1 Lexicon and vocabulary
2.2 Word-formation processes
2.3 Lexical enrichment of the language
Topic 3 – Enunciation and Pragmatics
3.1 Communication and discourse interaction
3.2 Deixis, dialogism, and polyphony
3.3 Speech acts: the typologies of Austin and Searle
3.4 Principles governing discourse interaction
3.5 Inferential processes in interpretation
Topic 4 – Sociolinguistics
4.1 Language as a social phenomenon
4.2 Language and the speech community
4.3 Linguistic variation and standardization
4.4 Language change
4.5 Linguistic competence and communicative competence
Austin, J. L. (1962). How to Do Things with Words. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Boyer, H. (1991). Éléments de Sociolinguistique: Langue, Communication et Société. Paris: Dunod.
Cruse, A. D. (2004). Meaning in Language: An Introduction to Semantics and Pragmatics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Duarte, I. (2000). Língua Portuguesa: Instrumentos de Análise. Lisbon: Universidade Aberta.
Gouveia, C. (1996). "Pragmática." In I. H. Faria, E. R. Pedro, I. Duarte & C. Gouveia (Eds.), Introdução à Linguística Geral e Portuguesa (pp. 383–419). Lisbon: Caminho.
Leech, G. (1983). Principles of Pragmatics. London/New York: Longman.
Lopes, A. C. M., & Rio-Torto, G. (2007). Semântica. Lisbon: Caminho.
Marques, M. E. R. (1995). Sociolinguística. Lisbon: Universidade Aberta.
Sanromán, Á. I. (1991). A Unidade Lexicográfica: Palavras, Colocações, Frasemas, Pragmatemas. Braga: Universidade do Minho.
Searle, J. R. (1969). Speech Acts: An Essay in the Philosophy of Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Vilela, M. (1994). Estudos de Lexicologia do Português. Coimbra: Almedina.
E-learning (fully online).
Assessment is conducted on an individual basis and consists of two complementary components:
• Continuous assessment, accounting for 60% of the final grade.
• Final assessment, accounting for 40% of the final grade.
Assessment will be carried out through a variety of activities, as specified in the course Learning Agreement.
A reading knowledge of English and French is recommended for consulting the course bibliography.