Last updated by tymon on 2012-09-11. Originally submitted by tomash on 2012-06-15.
The aim of this four-term course is to assist the participants in writing an M.A. thesis dealing with topics in English and comparative Polish-English syntax. A wide range of topics will be provided and the participants will have the opportunity to select the topic they feel most comfortable with. The participants are encouraged, though not obliged, to work within the framework of generative grammar and its recent stage: the Minimalist Program.
The course is divided into two equal parts: the formative one and the productive one. The first two terms constitute the formative stage; the participants undergo a thorough education in the field of linguistics. The mode of studies involves primarily mini-lectures presented by the Instructor and discussions of reading assignments, as well preparing presentations on primary literature.
The last two terms are devoted to the preparation of the M.A. thesis itself. Class instruction will be centered both round the issues pertinent to individual topics and general areas of interest including latest developments in the field.
Pre-requisites for the course: the successful candidate will be a B.A. diploma holder in English and will show keen interest in linguistics. Previous expertise in the field of theoretical syntax is welcome, though not necessarily required, as explicit teaching of English syntax and syntactic theory will start at a most accessible level.
Basic references:
Chomsky, N. 1995. The Minimalist Program. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press.
Greenbaum, G, and R. Quirk. 1970. A Student’s Grammar of English. Cambridge:CUP.
Ouhalla, J. 1995. Principles and Parameters. Oxford: Blackwell.
Wardhaugh, R. 1996. Understanding English Grammar. Oxford: Blackewll.
Canadian Literature in Transition
Prof. Agnieszka Rzepa
SEMINAR DESCRIPTION & REQUIREMENTS:
The aim of the seminar is twofold. First, the seminar will familiarize students with the Canadian literary tradition and major trajectories of change in Canadian literature from the second half of the 19th to the beginning of 21st century. Special emphasis will fall on the post-WWII prose. Second, the seminar will allow students to examine changes in the critical discourse on Canadian literature. Texts selected for discussion vary in style, subject-matter and focus, allowing students to appreciate the diversity of contemporary Canadian prose and literary criticism and theory. The course is reading-intensive.
Each student will be required to prepare an oral presentation on a selected topic, act as a discussion-leader, and write a research paper. Active participation in in-class discussions, as well as regular attendance, will also contribute to the final grade. Towards the end of the academic year the students will be asked to submit a tentative M.A. thesis project. All theses have to focus on problems related to Canadian literature, although topics based on comparative North American approaches will also be considered.
Successful candidates wishing to participate in the seminar should have thorough knowledge of the US literature at the undergraduate (B.A.) level (cf. the basic reading list at http://wa.amu.edu.pl/wa/node/2285), and an avid interest in literature that goes beyond basic undergraduate requirements. At the selection stage, familiarity with Canadian literature is desirable, but not required.
In this seminar, an attempt will be made to examine the usefulness of various dictionary types (e.g., monolingual, bilingual, semi-bilingual, thesauri) and forms (paper or electronic) in language production and reception. The role of dictionaries in teaching and learning English will also be investigated. The analysis of the benefits which learners of English can derive from dictionary consultation will be preceded by a comprehensive overview of dictionary structures and typologies. Students will become acquainted with methods of dictionary research. Reference skills, which are necessary to take advantage of the wealth of information offered by dictionaries, and reference needs, which typically motivate dictionary look-up, will be considered as well. Possible MA projects could include comparative and contrastive analyses of the ways in which certain aspects of language are treated in dictionaries, or investigation into the reference needs and skills of selected groups of dictionary users. Empirical analyses of dictionary usefulness for specific purposes, such as language reception or production, will be most welcome. The contribution of dictionaries to language pedagogy is another area of research which the participants of the seminar might wish to explore.
Candidates should have background knowledge in linguistics, genuine interest in dictionaries, words and (empirical) research.
Atkins, Sue B. T. and Michael Rundell. 2008. The Oxford Guide to Practical Lexicography. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Fontenelle, Thierry. (ed.). 2008. Practical Lexicography: A Reader. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Hartmann, Reinhard R. K. 2001. Teaching and Researching Lexicography. Harlow: Longman.
Hartmann, Reinhard R. K. (ed.). 2003. Lexicography: Critical Concepts. London – New York: Routledge.
Sterkenburg, Piet van (ed.). 2003. A Practical Guide to Lexicography. Amsterdam – Philadelphia: John Benjamins.
The description of the course domain
In the theoretical part of the course, the attention will be paid to the principles of scientific work and writing. The students will be familiarized, in particular, with such notions as the field of academic activity, the scope of the investigative domain, the material object of study and its formal subject-matter as a set of relevant properties of the investigated object, the investigative perspective and the aspects of the investigated object, theory and method as constituents of a scientific discipline, as well as with techniques of collecting and eliciting the source material and the means of their presentation.
The seminar is addressed to those who intend to write their MA theses on verbal and non-verbal behaviors of people from the perspective of human linguistics. Students interested in analyzing the linguistic-communicational properties of task-and-means-oriented dialogs excerpted from authentic texts written in English (on the basis of literature and journalism) will search for various types of interpersonal relationships, starting from the properties of communicating selves, going through the observable elements making up various kinds of temporary and long-lasting communities and ending with the aggregation of the chains of communication participants in the structure of human society in general.
Select bibliography
Bois, Joseph Samuel 1966/1972. The Art of Awareness. A Textbook on General Semantics and Epistemics. Seventh printing. Dubuque, Iowa: Wm. C. Brown Co.
DeVito, Joseph. 1976. The Interpersonal Communication Book. New York: Harper and Row.
Downes, William 1984/1998. Language and Society. London: Fontana Paperbacks. /2nd edition. Cambridge, England, New York, NY, Melbourne, Australia: Cambridge University Press.
Goffman, Erving 2000 [1959] Człowiek w teatrze życia codziennego. Opracował i słowem wstępnym poprzedził Jerzy Szacki. Przeł. Helena Datner-Śpiewak i Paweł Śpiewak. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo KR [The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. Edinburgh, University of Edinburgh, Social Sciences Research Centre].
Posner, Roland 1988. “What is an academic discipline.” In: Regina Claussen, Roland Daube-Schackat (eds.), Gedankenzeichen. Festschrift für Klaus Oehler zum 60. Geburtstag.Tübingen: Stauffenburg, 165–185.
Posner, Roland 2003. “The relationship between individual disciplines and interdisciplinary approaches.” In: Roland Posner, Klaus Robering, Thomas a. Sebeok (eds.). Semiotics. A Handbook of the Sign-Theoretic Foundations of Nature and Culture. Volume 3. Berlin – New York: Walter de Gruyter, 2341–2374.
Yngve, Victor H(use) 1996. From Grammar to Science. New Foundations for General Linguistics. Amsterdam, Philadelphia: John Benjamins.
This seminar offers experimental pragmatic insight into processes underpinning comprehension of emotional meaning in communicative context. We will discuss experimental pragmatics accounts of contextualized meaning making, within the overarching framework picturing communication as a constant, constrained mind-reading process targeted at tapping speakers' intentions. Heuristics of meaning comprehension will be offered, mental/neural architecture underlying the inferential processes involved in communicative interactions will be explored. We will take a look at the brain-mind dynamics to learn how language and emotion interact in comprehension. How emotions impact language comprehension and navigate affective meaning processing, will be our special interest. The seminar will provide you with the most up to date experimental research investigating pragmatic issues at behavioral, mental and neural level.
The course is aimed at students who are keen on reading/discussing language-emotion issues, eager to experiment, and look forward to facing/solving statistical challenges. To successfully complete the course, participants will be required to attend classes regularly, complete reading assignments timely, actively participate in class discussion, present their research related progress twice per semester. Students are expected to formulate their research questions and present outlines of their M.A. theses by the end of the second term (1 MA).
Basic reading:
Bar, Moshe. (ed). 2011. Predictions in the Brain. Using our Past to Generate a Future. Oxford University Press.
Davis, Steven F. (ed). 2005. Handbook of Research Methods in Experimental Psychology. Blackwell.
Horn, Laurence R. – Gregory Ward (eds). 2006. The Handbook of Pragmatics. Blackwell.
Lewis, Michael – Jeanette M. Haviland-Jones – Lisa Fieldman Barrett 2008. (eds.) Handbook of Emotions. New York: The Guildford Press.
Mitchell, Mark – Janina Jolley. 2010. Research Design explained. Wadsworth.
Noveck, Ira – Dan Sperber (eds.). 2004. Experimental Pragmatics. Palgrave.
MA Seminar in English Literature:
“The Battle of/for Books: Between the Center and the Margins from the Middle Ages to the Present”
Prof. dr hab. Liliana Sikorska
Jonathan’s Swift’s highly acclaimed work The Battle of Books (1704) illustrates the ideological struggle between ancient learning and modern science. Ever since its publication, the images set in the King’s Library (at the time of the origin of the text housed in St. James’ Palace) of the books’ literal fights remind us that battles of ideas are part and parcel of our culture. From the postmodern struggle between high and low literature, the margins and the center, through the binary opposition of right and left wing politics to clashes of civilizations (for example that of Christianity and Islam) our culture embodies a constant tug of war between binary oppositions.
Accordingly, the following four semesters will be devoted to the study of medieval and contemporary literary and cultural texts. The classes will be organized around the four major discourses that frame contemporary literary criticism: postmodern literary theory, politics, philosophy and geography. The works selected for in-class analysis will represent different types of literary prose: religious writing, travelogues, autobiographies as well as novels. Placing the texts in their historical and literary context will afford the basis for our debates, while the texts themselves should provide both enjoyment as well as education.
Requirements
1. An Outline of the MA thesis at the end of the first semester
2. Introduction and Chapter One is a requirement for the completion of the seminar at the end of the second semester (the end of I year).
Pre-requisites:
B.A. in English or American literature
Candidates must be familiar with the texts from the English literature reading list (Year One and Two) as well as with selected texts from the supplementary list.
Description of the seminar: The aim of this seminar is to lead students towards a M.A. thesis devoted to the discussion of a selected aspect of the history of the English language. The main focus will be on periods of radical change, their causes, nature, and course. Alternatively, projects studying the historical development of non-standard varieties of English will also be welcome. Thus a wide range of possible research projects is possible, provided they focus on language no later that the nineteenth century. Some suggested research areas are the influence of language contact on various subsystems of English, developmental tendencies in English phonology, morphology and lexicon in a wider perspective, or studies of selected linguistic variables in a text of the student's choice. Any of the contemporary methodological approaches (sociolinguistic, dialectal, structural, cognitive and others) may be employed. Original research based on authentic data analysis will be required, and any connection with the subject matter of the student's B.A. thesis will not be permitted. In the course of the seminar students will be expected to read and critically comment on scholarly publications in the field of historical linguistics, English as well as general. A draft version of the first chapter will be expected to be handed in by the end of the spring semester as signature requirement.
Requirements: A potential candidate is expected to display general familiarity with linguistic theory and in particular with key issues pertaining to the history of the English language.
Selected bibliography:
Mugglestone, Lynda (ed.). 2006. The Oxford history of English. Oxford: OUP.
van Gelderen, Elly. 2006. A history of the English language. Amsterdam: Benjamins.
van Kemenade, Ans — Bettelou Los (eds.). 2006. The handbook of the history of English. London: Wiley-Blackwell.
Opis seminarium: Celem tego seminarium jest przygotowanie studentów do napisania pracy magisterskiej poświęconej wybranemu zagadnieniu z zakresu historii języka angielskiego. Motywem przewodnim będą okresy gwałtownych zmian, ich przyczyny i przebieg. Projekty zorientowane na badanie historii niestandardowych odmian języka angielskiego również będą mile widziane. Oznacza to, że uczestnicy seminarium cieszyć się będą sporą swobodą w wyborze tematu pracy, o ile dotyczyć ona będzie języka nie późniejszego niż dziewiętnastowieczny. Możliwe zagadnienia badawcze to na przykład wpływ kontaktu językowego na wybrane podsystemy języka angielskiego, tendencje rozwojowe w historii angielskiej fonologii, morfologii i słownictwa jako część bardziej globalnych procesów, czy analiza wybranych zmiennych językowych w samodzielnie wybranym tekście. Szczegółowy temat pracy zależy od zainteresowań studenta, podobnie jak wykorzystany model teoretyczny opisu języka (na przykład socjolingwistyczny, dialektologiczny, strukturalny). Od uczestników seminarium oczekiwane będzie przeprowadzenie oryginalnych, samodzielnych badań w oparciu o materiały źródłowe, a kontynuowanie tematyki poruszonej w pracy dyplomowej (licencjackiej) studenta nie będzie możliwe. W trakcie seminarium studenci zapoznają się z szeroką gamą najnowszych publikacji z dziedziny językoznawstwa historycznego, angielskiego jak i ogólnego, dzięki czemu uzyskają umiejętność prowadzenia krytycznej analizy i dyskusji. Wymogiem zaliczenia pierwszego roku seminarium będzie przedłożenie pierwszej wersji jednego z rozdziałów pracy magisterskiej.
Wymagania: Kandydat powinien wykazać się ogólną wiedzą językoznawczą oraz znajomością kluczowych zagadnień z historii języka angielskiego.
Wybrana bibliografia:
Mugglestone, Lynda (red.). 2006. The Oxford history of English. Oxford: OUP.
van Gelderen, Elly. 2006. A history of the English language. Amsterdam: Benjamins.
van Kemenade, Ans — Bettelou Los (red.). 2006. The handbook of the history of English. London: Wiley-Blackwell.
The seminar will focus on a range of theoretical aspects of translation. The instruction will begin with an overview of the discipline's history, and will proceed with discussions of equivalence, functional theories of translation, discourse and register analysis approaches, system theories, as well as translation studies as an interdiscipline. Special attention will be devoted to issues related to audiovisual translation in general and audio description (making audiovisual media accessible to the blind and the visually impaired) in particular. During the course numerous empirical studies and theoretical models will be discussed and the students will be strongly encouraged to conduct their own small-scale research projects.
To successfully complete the course the students will be required to attend the classes, complete reading assignments, actively participate in discussions, be prepared to deliver an oral presentation and make systematic progress on their M.A. theses. They will be expected to provide topics and outlines of their M.A. theses by the end of the second semester.
Prospective candidates are expected to have an excellent command of English, be well-familiar with the principles of academic writing, have an inquisitive mind, be well-motivated and capable of independent study.
Suggested reading:
Munday, Jeremy. 2008. Introducing Translation Studies: Theories and Applications. London: Routledge.
Venuti, Lawrence (ed.). 2001. Translation Studies Reader. London: Routledge.
Political culture and history of the British Isles and the Commonwealth countries
Dr Tomasz Skirecki
The seminar will focus on the diversified concept of British political culture with special emphasis on national identities expressed in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth countries. During the course students will discuss patterns of political and historical development in the British Isles including the perception of political reality in literature, movies, media and pop culture. Particular attention will be paid to the uniqueness of British political and legal institutions, symbols and constitutional framework and their impact on the historical and present-day developments in other English-speaking countries. Comparisons will be also made with various political traditions and institutions in Poland and the United States. Students wishing to participate in the seminar should be interested in British political history, institutions as well as current political and social affairs in various English-speaking countries. The requirements for the course will include a number of reading assignments devoted to the topic, in-class multimedia presentations, active classroom discussions and making regular progress on the MA project.
Cunliffe, Barry (ed.). 2004. The Penguin Illustrated History of Britain and Ireland. From the Earliest Times to the Present. London: Penguin Books.
Davies, Norman. 2000. The Isles. A History. Basingstoke and Oxford: Papermac.
Hollowell, J. (ed.). 2003. Britain since 1945. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers.
Watts, Duncan. 2003. Understanding US/UK government and politics. Manchester: Manchester University Press.
The MA seminar Celtic Studies covers topics from various Celtic languages and Literatures. The focus, however, is on modern Irish, Welsh and Breton, although selected issues from mediaeval times may be covered as well. Students are invited to conduct socio-linguistic studies or those in lexicography, morphology and syntax in the Celtic tongues mentioned. Literary research may concentrate on genre development, mythological reflections in the literatures mentioned above or current trends in poetry, prose and theatre. All these studies may have a comparative perspective. Any subject chosen will start with a critical survey in the appropriate research area before a definite title of the thesis is chosen.
Students interested have ideally a BA in Celtic Studies. If not, they must at least have good Welsh and some Irish. In addition, students should be well motivated and capable of independent and critical studies.
Credit requirement are an active participation in class, at least a presentation/prepared discussion per term, the acting as discussion leader and extra-curricular attention of relevant guest-lectures (if available). Title and first plan of the thesis has to be established by the end of the first term and the first chapter by the end of the second.
Initial and basic readings:
The Oxford Companion to the literature of Wales (Stepehens)/of Ireland (Welch)
John T. Koch, 2005, Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia.
Birkhan, Helmut, 1998, Kelten, Vienna.
Birkhan, Helmut, 2006, Kelteneinfälle an der Donau, Vienna.
Birkhan, Helmut, 1999, Kelten/Celts. Bilder ihrer Kultur: Bilder Ihrer Kultur - Images of their Culture.
Bromwich, R, 1978, Trioedd Ynys Prydein, Caerdydd.
Heinz, Sabine, 2008, Celtic literatures - Discoveries, Berlin.
Price, Glanville, 1994, The Celtic Connection.
Martin Ball & Nicole Müller, 2009, The Celtic Languages.
MacAuley, Donald, 2008, The Celtic Languages.
Pilch, Herbert, 2007, Die keltischen Sprachen. vol. I, II, Universitätsverlag Winter, Heidelberg.
Russel Paul, 1996, An Introduction to the Celtic Languages.
M.A. seminar for the programme of Language and Discourse in Media and Political Communication
Critical Discourse Studies
LANCOM M.A. Seminar, 2012-14
Convenor: prof. Roman Kopytko
The aim of this MA seminar offered within the Faculty of English Studies’ postgraduate Programme in ‘Language and Communication in Mass Media and Politics’ (LANCOM) is to explore language and communication in contemporary politics and the media from the perspective of Critical Discourse Studies (CDS). The course starts from a theoretical introduction focussing on, inter alia, the principles of CDS and of its major trends as well as the role of media and politics in construction of contemporary public sphere(s) in Europe and beyond. The course then turns to explaining in detail key critical-analytic approaches to different instances of political language (such as, inter alia, parliamentary and other speeches, commemorative addresses, party manifestos, policy papers, etc.) as well as to different media genres. Within the latter, a particular emphasis is put on the analysis of print media (most notably the press), broadcast media (TV and Radio) and the ‘new media’ (incl. the internet, blogs, discussion forums, YouTube, Twitter, etc.). A special attention is also paid to genres at the cross-section of politics and the media such as, e.g., debates, interviews and other political media broadcasts. Students taking part in this seminar should be interested in conducting MA projects based on analyses of media or political discourse or on combination thereof. Both diachronic and synchronic analyses of media and/or political discourse are welcome, as are projects looking comparatively at British, Polish and other European (incl. the EU) and non-European contexts.
Students taking this course should have some basic knowledge of pragmatics and discourse analysis.
Recommended reading:
Dijk van Teun, (ed.) 1998. Discourse as social interaction. London: Sage.
Fairclough, Norman. 1995. Critical discourse analysis: The critical study of language. London: Longman.
Fowler, Roger. 1991. The language in the news. London: Routledge.
Mey, Jacob . 2001. Pragmatics. Oxford: Blackwell.
Schiffrin, Deborah, 1993. Approaches to discourse. Oxford: Blackwell.
Language, brain and behavior: psycholinguistic perspectives on language processing
The seminar is designed for students interested in issues in cognitive psychology and neuropsychology that contribute to our understanding of language processing. Discussed will be processes of language perception (including unusual perception of language, e.g., synaesthesia), language processing in bilingualism, language organization in the brain, as well as the contribution research into disordered language (aphasia, schizophasia (language disorders in schizophrenia) and language in autism) has made to understanding how language is processed in a healthy brain. This seminar will also familiarize students with aspects of research design used in psycholinguistic (e.g. reaction times) and neurolinguistic (e.g. EEG) studies. Students will learn how to design a simple psycholinguistic experiment and will be expected to conduct their own small-scale study on a selected aspect of language comprehension.
Suggested reading:
Altmann, Gerry T. M. (ed.). 2002. Psycholinguistics: critical concepts in psychology. London; New York: Routledge.
Gaskell, G. (ed.), Oxford Handbook of Psycholinguistics. Oxford University Press.
Gernsbacher, M. A. (ed.). 1994. Handbook of Psycholinguistics. San Diego: Academic Press.
