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2021/2022

English Grammar

Code: 100225 ECTS Credits: 6
Degree Type Year Semester
2500245 English Studies OB 2 1
2501902 English and Catalan OT 3 0
2501902 English and Catalan OT 4 0
2501907 English and Classics OT 3 0
2501907 English and Classics OT 4 0
2501910 English and Spanish OT 3 0
2501910 English and Spanish OT 4 0
2501913 English and French OT 3 0
2501913 English and French OT 4 0
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:
Hortčnsia Curell Gotor
Email:
Hortensia.Curell@uab.cat

Use of Languages

Principal working language:
english (eng)
Some groups entirely in English:
Yes
Some groups entirely in Catalan:
No
Some groups entirely in Spanish:
No

Teachers

Ana Fernández Montraveta

Prerequisites

The knowledge learnt in the first-year subjects English Descriptive Grammar and Introduction to Linguistics are taken for granted, and will not be explained again.

The course requires an initial level of English C1 (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment). Students with C1 can understand a wide range of demanding, long texts, and recognise implicit meaning; they can express themselves fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions; they can use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes; they can produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, showing controlled use of organisational patterns, connectors and cohesive devices.

Objectives and Contextualisation

This course introduces students to some of the components of (the English) language: morphology, lexicology, semantics and pragmatics.

 After taking the course, students will be able to:

  • Define the components of (the English) language dealt with.
  • Identify the basic units of analysis of these components.
  • Analyse English according to these components.

Competences

    English Studies
  • Describe synchronously the main grammar units, constructions and phenomena of the English language.
  • Students have the ability to gather and interpret relevant data (normally within their study area) to issue judgments that include reflection on important issues of social, scientific or ethical.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • 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.
  • Utilising new technologies in order to capture and organise information in English and other languages, and applying it to the personal continued training and to the problem-solving in the professional or research activity.
  • Working in an autonomous and responsible way in a professional or research environment in English or other languages, in order to accomplish the previously set objectives.
    English and Catalan
  • Describe synchronously the main grammar units, constructions and phenomena of the English language.
  • Students have the ability to gather and interpret relevant data (normally within their study area) to issue judgments that include reflection on important issues of social, scientific or ethical.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • 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.
    English and Classics
  • Describe synchronously the main grammar units, constructions and phenomena of the English language.
  • Students have the ability to gather and interpret relevant data (normally within their study area) to issue judgments that include reflection on important issues of social, scientific or ethical.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • 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.
    English and Spanish
  • Describe synchronously the main grammar units, constructions and phenomena of the English language.
  • Students have the ability to gather and interpret relevant data (normally within their study area) to issue judgments that include reflection on important issues of social, scientific or ethical.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • 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.
    English and French
  • Describe synchronously the main grammar units, constructions and phenomena of the English language.
  • Students have the ability to gather and interpret relevant data (normally within their study area) to issue judgments that include reflection on important issues of social, scientific or ethical.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • 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. Applying the acquired methodologies of work planning to work in an environment in the English language.
  2. Applying the acquired scientific and work planning methodologies to the research in English.
  3. Applying the information in English that is available on the Internet, in databases, etc. to the work and/or research environments.
  4. Communicating in the studied language in oral and written form, properly using vocabulary and grammar.
  5. Demonstrate sound knowledge of the topics within the study of Linguistics.
  6. Effectively communicating and applying the argumentative and textual processes to formal and scientific texts.
  7. Identify and explain the characteristics and morphological, syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic processes of the English language.
  8. Identifying and explaining the characteristics and morphological, syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic processes of the English language.
  9. Issue appropriate critical assessments based on the comprehension of relevant information about social, scientific or ethical issues related to linguistics.
  10. Locating and organising relevant information in English that is available on the Internet, in databases, etc.

Content

UNIT 1. Introduction

UNIT 2. Morphology

UNIT 3. Lexicology

UNIT 4. Semantics

UNIT 5. Pragmatics

In this subject, gender perspective will be taken into account in the following aspects:

1)      Making students aware of the sexist uses of language, and provide non-sexist alternatives.

2)      Not allowing a sexist use of language in the students’ oral and written contributions.

3)      Guaranteeing in the classroom an atmosphere respectful with the diversity and plurality of ideas, people and politics.

4)      Avoiding gender stereotypes in examples.

5)      Including gender-related material in the following units: morphology and pragmatics.

6)      Including texts about gender in the compulsory readings.

7)      Writing, in the references, the full names of authors, instead of only the initial.

Methodology

The teaching methodology will be based on the following activities:

  • Directed activities (30%, 1.8 cr.)
  • Supervised activities (15%, 0.9 cr.)
  • Autonomous activities (50%, 3 cr.)
  • Assessment activities (5%, 0.3 cr.)

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Practice exercises 15 0.6 8
Theory classes 35 1.4 8
Type: Supervised      
In-class activities and group discussions 10 0.4 2, 8
Individual activities 15 0.6 3, 8, 10
Type: Autonomous      
Exercises 25 1 3, 8, 10
Individual study 25 1 8, 10

Assessment

The final grade will be calculated as follows:

  • Final exam: 40%
  • Midterm: 30%
  • Group assignment: 20%
  • Homework, in-class activities and progression: 10%

 

Important issues:

1)      The two exams and the group assignment are COMPULSORY, as well as having completed 80% of homework and class activities.

2)      The minimum grade on assignments and exams to form average is 4.

3)      The delivery of 30% of the assessment items (assignments / exercises / exams) excludes the possibility of obtaining the status of No avaluable as a final course grade.

4)      The level of English will be taken into account in the correction of written work and in the final evaluation. It will represent 15% of the grade.

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.

 

Procedure for Reviewing Grades Awarded

On carrying out each evaluation activity, lecturers will inform students (on Moodle) of the procedures to be followed for reviewing all grades awarded, and the date on which such a review will take place.

 

Reassessment

Re-assessment for this subject requires a content-synthesis test, for which the following conditions are applicable:

  • The student must previously have obtained an averageoverall grade equalto or higher than 3.5.
  • The student must previously have passed 60% of the subject’s assessment requirements.
  • The maximum grade than can be obtained through re-assessment is 6.


Evaluation Activities Excluded from Reassessment

The following activities are not eligible for reassessment: the group activity, and homework and in-class activies. Activities in which there has been some irregularity will also be excluded from reassessment.

 

NOTA BENE

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.

 

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Final exam 40% 2 0.08 1, 2, 5, 9, 6, 4, 8, 7
Group assignment 20% 11 0.44 3, 8, 10
Homework, in-class assignments and progression 10% 10 0.4 2, 8
Midterm exam 30% 2 0.08 5, 9, 8, 7

Bibliography

Aitchison, Jean. 1994. Words in the Mind: An Introduction to the Mental Lexicon. Oxford: Blackwell.

Ariel, Mira. 2010. Defining Pragmatics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Aronoff, Mark. 1994. Morphology by Itself. Cambridge, Mass.: The MIT Press.

Bybee, Joan L. 1985. Morphology. A Study of the Relation Between Meaning and Form. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins.

Carstairs-McCarthy, Andrew. 2016. An Introduction to English Morphology: Words and their Structures. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Cruse, Alan. 2004. Meaning in Language. An Introduction to Semantics and Pragmatics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Cann, Ronnie, Ruth Kempson & Eleni Gregoromichelaki. 2009. Semantics. An Introduction to Meaning in Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Fábregas, Antonio & Sergio Scalise. 2012. Morphology: From Data to Theories. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Hanks, Patrick (ed). 2008. Lexicology. London: Routledge.

Hurford, James R. 2007. Semantics. A Coursebook. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Lipka, Leonhard. 1992. An Outline of English Lexicology. 2nd ed. Tübingen: Niemeyer.

Lyons, John. 1975. Semantics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Mey, Jacob L. 1993. Pragmatics. An Introduction. Oxford: Blackwell.

Palmer, Frank Robert. 1976. Semantics: A New Outline. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/morphology.html

http://www.teachit.co.uk/armoore/lang/semantics.htm

http://www.sil.org/linguistics/GlossaryOfLinguisticTerms/WhatIsPragmatics.htm

http://courses.nus.edu.sg/course/elltankw/history/Vocab/A.htm

Software

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