SEL3426 : Comparative Syntax: English in a cross-linguistic context (Inactive)
- Inactive for Year: 2024/25
- Module Leader(s): Professor Michelle Sheehan
- Owning School: English Lit, Language & Linguistics
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 2 Credit Value: | 20 |
| ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
This module gives students an introduction to comparative syntax, contrasting English with other languages. The content will be research-driven, based around recent publications on a specific topic in syntax and the focus will be on analysing data and constructing theory in this domain. The topic for 2023/4 will be questions.
Outline Of Syllabus
1. The basics: wh-movement, head movement and prosody
2. Question particles and pied piping (English vs. Tlingit)
3. Superiority and multiple wh-movement (English vs. German vs. Russian)
4. Successive cyclicity
5. Subject object asymmetries
6. Islands
7. Other extraction restrictions
8. Wh-in-situ and resumptive pronouns
9. Questions in signed languages
10 Signed languages and the theory of questions
11. Summary and assessment planning
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 11 | 2:00 | 22:00 | N/A |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 57:00 | 57:00 | N/A |
| Structured Guided Learning | Structured research and reading activities | 1 | 110:00 | 110:00 | N/A |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 11 | 1:00 | 11:00 | N/A |
| Total | 200:00 |
Jointly Taught With
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| SEL8689 | Minimalist Syntax: Data and Theory Building |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
Students will read core readings for discussion in lectures and complete analytical tasks for discussion in seminars each week. This will guide them to engage critically with published research and to test out theories empirically with controlled datasets provided first by the lecturer. As the module progresses, students will be encouraged to collect their own data and read more widely in relation to their chosen essay topic, guided by the lecturer.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research proposal | 2 | M | 15 | 1000 words: Students will submit a research proposal outlining their proposed final research project |
| Essay | 2 | A | 85 | Students will write a 3000 word essay on a topic of their choice related to module content, with guidance from the module leader. |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
Students will write an essay focusing on one of the topics covered in the module or something related to these topics. This will involve additional reading and may involve data collection and analysis in order to test one or more of the theoretical proposals discussed on the course. Students will first submit a plan for their projects to receive feedback on this from the lecturer and from peers. The research proposal and essay will be assessed separately and students will not be obliged to follow their original plan if they decide to change track, following feedback.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- SEL3426's Timetable