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2020/2021

Descriptive and Prescriptive Grammar: From Sound to Word

Code: 105823 ECTS Credits: 6
Degree Type Year Semester
2503998 Catalan Philology: Literary Studies and Linguistics FB 1 1
The proposed teaching and assessment methodology that appear in the guide may be subject to changes as a result of the restrictions to face-to-face class attendance imposed by the health authorities.

Contact

Name:
Eulàlia Bonet Alsina
Email:
Eulalia.Bonet@uab.cat

Use of Languages

Principal working language:
catalan (cat)
Some groups entirely in English:
No
Some groups entirely in Catalan:
Yes
Some groups entirely in Spanish:
No

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites.

Objectives and Contextualisation

The goal of this course is to achieve a mastering of the basic linguistic properties of Catalan related to sounds, morphemes and words, with a distinction between descriptive and prescriptive aspects.

Competences

  • Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights, diversity and democratic values.
  • Analyse the phonetic, phonological, morphological, syntactic, lexical and semantic properties of the Catalan language, its evolution over time and its present structure.
  • Critically read and interpret texts.
  • Demonstrate a mastery of the rules of the Catalan language, its linguistic bases and all its application in the academic and professional fields.
  • Display teamwork skills.
  • Innovate in the methods and processes of this area of knowledge in response to the needs and wishes of society.
  • Interpret the political, social and cultural factors that affect the use of the Catalan language and its evolution over time and at the present day.
  • Produce written work and oral presentations that are effective and framed in the appropriate register.
  • Students must be capable of applying their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional way and they should have building arguments and problem resolution skills within their area of study.
  • Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • Students must develop the necessary learning skills to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  • Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Analyse linguistic structures.
  2. Analyse the most problematic phonetic, phonological, morphological, syntactic, lexical and semantic properties of the present-day language.
  3. Apply the principles of correctness required in the standard language and the different registers and variants.
  4. Correctly identify linguistic units.
  5. Describe the articulatory characteristics of the sounds of Catalan.
  6. Describe the combinatory processes for creating linguistic units.
  7. Determine register types on the basis of phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics.
  8. Express oneself with orthophonic correctness in standard Catalan.
  9. Gain a greater capacity for reading, interpreting and critically analysing literary and linguistic texts.
  10. Identify and describe the processes of inflection, derivation, composition and lexicalisation.
  11. Identify causes of variation deriving from register.
  12. Identify principal and secondary ideas and express them using correct language.
  13. Identify the contexts in which historical processes are immersed.
  14. Identify the linguistic differences between the various dialectal variants of the language.
  15. Identify the origin of errors made by non-native speakers when using the language.
  16. Identify the pragmatic factors that condition the use of the various linguistic structures .
  17. Interpret texts in depth and provide standpoints from which to analyse them critically.
  18. Make appropriate use of the knowledge acquired in order to collect data and handle documentary sources in the study of Catalan language and literature.
  19. Match the known internal and external properties of the language to the different conditions of use.
  20. Plan, organise and carry out work in a team.
  21. Produce normatively correct written and oral texts.
  22. Produce written work and oral presentations that are effective and framed in the appropriate register.
  23. Respect the opinions, values, behaviour and customs of others.
  24. Students must be capable of applying their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional way and they should have building arguments and problem resolution skills within their area of study.
  25. Troubleshoot errors made by non-native speakers when using the language.
  26. Use technological resources (digital and audiovisual) to acquire knowledge and apply it in language and literature.
  27. Work self-sufficiently on the synchronic and diachronic study of Catalan language and literature.
  28. Write text commentaries from a critical standpoint.

Content

1. Differences between grammatical description and grammatical prescription. Description and representation conventions: pronunciation and orthography; lexicon and dictionaries.

2. Lexical units: regular information and idiosyncratic information. Existent and possible words.

3. Sounds and distribution of sounds. Phonological regularities and allomorphy.

4. Word formation: derivation and compounding; other mechanisms of word formation. The adaptation of words from other languages.

5. Inflection. Paradigmatic relations. Nominal inflection and verbal inflection.

6. Pronouns.

Methodology

The explanation of concepts will be combined with the resolution and discussion of exercises, solved individually or in groups.

All information relevant to the course will be notified through Campus Virtual (Moodle).

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Flipped classroom 10 0.4 19, 1, 2, 18, 3, 6, 5, 7, 22, 4, 13, 16, 10, 15, 11, 14, 12, 17, 23, 9, 24, 25, 26
Problem discussion 15 0.6 19, 1, 2, 18, 3, 6, 5, 7, 8, 22, 4, 13, 16, 10, 15, 11, 14, 12, 17, 23, 9, 21, 24, 28, 25, 26
lectures 20 0.8 19, 1, 2, 6, 5, 7, 13, 16, 10, 11, 9, 26
Type: Supervised      
Individual problem solving 20 0.8 19, 1, 2, 18, 3, 6, 5, 7, 8, 22, 4, 13, 16, 10, 15, 11, 14, 12, 17, 9, 21, 24, 28, 25, 26
Programmed tutoring 5 0.2 18, 3, 12, 17, 23, 9, 24
problem solving in groups 5 0.2 2, 7, 22, 14, 12, 17, 23, 20, 28, 26
Type: Autonomous      
Stuying and individual work 58 2.32 27

Assessment

Grading will be based on:

(1) active participation in class: 10%

(2) handing in individual and in-group exercises: 30%

 (3) Written partial exam: 20%

(4) Written final exam: 40%

The day / time to revise assessed course activities will be notified in advance.

To access resitting students must have handed in at least two thirds of assessment actitivies and must have obtained a mark between 3.5 and 4.9. With resitting, the maximum mark that can be obtained is 5. Activities (1) and (3) are excluded from resitting. A ‘No avaluable’ will be awarded if a student fails to hand in more than 25% of the assessed work.

In the event that tests or exams cannot be taken onsite, they will be adapted to an online format made available through the UAB’s virtual tools (original weighting will be maintained). Homework, activities and class participation will be carried out through forums, wikis and/or discussion on Teams, etc. Lecturers will ensure that students are able to access these virtual tools, or will offer them feasible alternatives.

To pass the course students must have obtained at least a 5.

In the event of a student committing any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade awarded to an assessment activity, the student will be given a zero for this activity, regardless of any disciplinary process that may take place. In the event of several irregularities in assessment activities of the same subject, the student will be given a zero as the final grade for this subject.

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Active participation 10% 10 0.4 7, 8, 16, 12, 17, 23, 21, 24
Final written exam 40% 2 0.08 19, 1, 2, 18, 3, 6, 5, 7, 8, 22, 4, 13, 16, 10, 15, 11, 14, 12, 17, 9, 21, 24, 28, 25, 27
Handing in individual and in group exercises 30% 3 0.12 1, 18, 3, 7, 8, 22, 4, 13, 12, 17, 20, 9, 21, 24, 28, 26
Partial written exam 20% 2 0.08 19, 1, 2, 18, 3, 6, 5, 7, 22, 4, 10, 14, 12, 17, 9, 28

Bibliography

Fabra, Pompeu. 1956. Gramàtica catalana. Barcelona: Teide.

Institut d’Estudis Catalans. 2016. Gramàtica de la llengua catalana. Barcelona: IEC.

Solà, Joan, Maria-Rosa Lloret, Joan Mascaró i Manuel Pérez Saldanya. 2002. Gramàtica del català contemporani. Barcelona: Empúries.

 

At the beginning of the semestre a detailed list of references, materials, and links for each topic will be provided.