SEL8689 : Minimalist Syntax: Data and Theory Building (Inactive)
SEL8689 : Minimalist Syntax: Data and Theory Building (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 | |
Pre-requisite
Modules you must have done previously to study this module
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| SEL8026 | Generative Syntax |
| SEL8116 | Syntactic Analysis |
Pre Requisite Comment
Students will normally have taken either SEL8116 OR SEL8026 before taking this module unless they have taken a similar module before beginning the MA.
Co-Requisite
Modules you need to take at the same time
Co Requisite Comment
none
Aims
This module gives students an introduction to Minimalist syntax, focusing on data from English and 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 this year 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
Learning Outcomes
Intended Knowledge Outcomes
A knowledge of the core properties of questions in English and other languages (including both signed and spoken langauges)
An understanding of minimalist approaches to the analysis of questions
An understanding of how the syntax of English is similar to and different from the syntax of other languages
Intended Skill Outcomes
An ability to understand primary literature and engage critically with it.
An ability to identify syntactic parallels and differences across languages
An ability to understand the relationship between data and theory
An ability to evaluate theoretical proposals by testing their empirical predictions
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 57:00 | 57:00 | N/A |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 11 | 2:00 | 22:00 | 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 |
|---|---|
| SEL3426 | Comparative Syntax: English in a cross-linguistic context |
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.
Reading Lists
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research paper | 2 | A | 85 | 3500 words. A guided study involving data collection and analysis |
| Reflective log | 2 | M | 15 | 500 words. Students will submit a report outlining their response to feedback on their research proposal. |
Formative Assessments
Formative Assessment is an assessment which develops your skills in being assessed, allows for you to receive feedback, and prepares you for being assessed. However, it does not count to your final mark.
| Description | Semester | When Set | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research proposal | 2 | M | Students will submit a proposal for their final assessment and receive feedback on it, including peer feedback. |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
Students will complete a research paper focusing on one of the topics covered in the module or something related to these topics. This will involve additional reading and 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 ad from peers. They will then respond to this feedback in a written report before completing their research project.
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- SEL8689's Timetable
Past Exam Papers
- Exam Papers Online : www.ncl.ac.uk/exam.papers/
- SEL8689's past Exam Papers
General Notes
N/A
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