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Contrastive Linguistics: English-Catalan/Spanish

Code: 106295 ECTS Credits: 6
2025/2026
Degree Type Year
English Studies OB 3
English and Catalan Studies OB 4
English and Spanish Studies OB 4
English and French Studies OT 0
English and French Studies OT 3
English and French Studies OT 4
English and Classics Studies OT 3
English and Classics Studies OT 4

Contact

Name:
Hortensia Curell Gotor
Email:
hortensia.curell@uab.cat

Teaching groups languages

You can view this information at the end of this document.


Prerequisites

The knowledge learnt in the  Gramàtica descriptiva I and II (Descriptive Grammar I and II) are taken for granted. THEY WILL NOT BE EXPLAINED AGAIN.

The course requires an initial level of English between C1 (Advanced) and C2 (Proficiency) (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment). Students with C1 can understand a wide range of demanding, longer 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. With C2 students can understand almost everything they read or hear without effort; they can summarise information from different oral and written sources, reconstruct facts and arguments and present them in a coherent way; they can express themselves spontaneously, with fluency and precision, distinguishing subtle nuances of meaning even in the most complex situations.

INFORMATION FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

This subject is NOT available to international students.


Objectives and Contextualisation

This subject consists in an introduction to contrastive analysis. This knowledge is then applied to constructions, NPs, the lexical level, and discourse and pragmatics in English, Catalan and Spanish.

By the end of the course, the student will be able to:

  • Define the main elements of contrastive analysis.
  • Recognise the main differences and similarities in constructions, NPs, the lexical level, and discourse and pragmatics between English, Catalan and Spanish.
  • Formulate differences and similarities between the three languages, different from the ones explained in class.

Competences

    English Studies
  • Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values. 
  • Apply scientific ethical principles to information processing.
  • Demonstrate skills to work autonomously and in teams to fulfil the planned objectives.
  • Describe and analyse—synchronically and comparatively—the main phonetic, phonological, morphological, syntactic, semantic and pragmatic properties of English and its historical development.
  • Distinguish and contrast the distinct paradigms and methodologies applied to the study of English.
  • 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.
  • Understand and produce written and spoken academic texts in English at advanced higher-proficient-user level (C2).
  • Use digital tools and specific documentary sources for the collection and organisation of information.
  • Use written and spoken English for academic and professional purposes, related to the study of linguistics, the philosophy of language, history, English culture and literature.
    English and Catalan Studies
  • Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values.
  • Analyse the main phonetic, phonological, morphological, syntactic, lexical and semantic properties of the Catalan and English languages, their evolution throughout history and their current structures.
  • Apply scientific ethical principles to information processing.
  • Carry out effective written work or oral presentations adapted to the appropriate register in different languages.
  • Critically apply the different instruments of analysis to different types of linguistic data.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of the rules of Catalan and mastery of its foundations and applications in the academic and professional fields.
  • Demonstrate the ability to work autonomously and in teams with the aim of attaining the planned objectives in multicultural and interdisciplinary contexts.
  • 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.
  • Understand and produce oral and written academic texts with appropriateness and fluency in distinct communicative contexts.
  • Use digital tools and specific documentary sources to gather and organise information.
    English and Spanish Studies
  • Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values.
  • Apply scientific ethical principles to information processing.
  • Correctly use written and oral English and Spanish for academic and professional purposes, related to the study of linguistics, history, culture and literature.
  • Demonstrate the ability to work autonomously and in teams in order to achieve the planned objectives in multicultural and interdisciplinary contexts.
  • Identify the foundations of human language and the principles, methods and results of structural analysis of languages.
  • 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.
  • Understand and produce oral and written academic texts with appropriateness and fluency in distinct communicative contexts.
  • Use digital tools and specific documentary sources to gather and organise information.
    English and French Studies
  • Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values.
  • Analyse the main phonetic, phonological, morphological, syntactic, lexical, semantic and pragmatic properties of the English and French languages, their evolution throughout history and their current structures.
  • Apply scientific ethical principles to information processing.
  • Demonstrate the ability to work autonomously and in teams with the aim of attaining the planned objectives in multicultural and interdisciplinary contexts.
  • Identify the foundations of human language and the principles, methods and results of structural analysis of languages.
  • 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.
  • Understand and produce oral and written academic texts with appropriateness and fluency in distinct communicative contexts.
  • Use digital tools and specific documentary sources to gather and organise information.
  • Use spoken English and French correctly for academic and professional purposes related to the study of linguistics, history, culture and literature.
    English and Classics Studies
  • Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values. 
  • Apply scientific ethical principles to information processing.
  • Apply the concepts, resources and methods acquired to the study of the English language in order to understand its diachronic change, as well as its current geographic and social diversity, and to study its acquisition and learning in a global and multilingual society.
  • Demonstrate the ability to work autonomously and in teams in order to achieve the planned objectives in multicultural and interdisciplinary contexts.
  • 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.
  • Understand and produce oral and written academic texts with appropriateness and fluency in distinct communicative contexts.
  • Use digital tools and specific documentary sources to gather and organise information.
  • Use written and spoken English correctly for academic and professional purposes related to the study of English linguistics, history, culture, and literature.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Analyse different types of linguistic data.
  2. Analyse various types of linguistic data.
  3. Analysing various types of linguistic data.
  4. Analyzing linguistic structures.
  5. Appropriately use the different available formal and technical resources.
  6. Correctly identify linguistic units.
  7. Describe and analyse (synchronically and diachronically) the main phonetic, phonological, morphological, syntactic and semantic properties of English.
  8. Express oneself in English in writing and orally in an effective and correct manner, in an academic register and using appropriate terminology in relation to the study of phonetics and phonology, syntax, semantics and the history of the English language.
  9. Gather and interpret relevant data to make critical judgements on aspects of English linguistics and its practical applications.
  10. Identify and understand different models for the linguistic analysis of English at phonetic-phonological, syntactic, semantic and historical levels.
  11. Identify pragmatic factors that influence the use of various linguistic structures.
  12. Identifying the main and secondary ideas and expressing them with linguistic correctness.
  13. Incorporate ideas and concepts from published sources into work, citing and referencing appropriately.
  14. Locate specialised and academic information and select this according to its relevance.
  15. Maintain an attitude of respect for the opinions, values, behaviors and practices of others.
  16. Make use of the knowledge acquired while respecting diversity of opinion and varieties of a language.
  17. Plan, organise and carry out work in a team.
  18. Plan work effectively, individually or in groups, in order to fulfil the planned objectives.
  19. Produce normatively correct written and oral texts.
  20. Produce written and oral academic texts at higher-proficient-user level (C2) on the concepts and skills relevant to the study of English linguistics.
  21. Understand specialised academic texts on research in English linguistics at advanced higher-proficient-user level (C2).
  22. Understand specialised academic texts on research in English linguistics at C2 level.
  23. Understand specialised academic texts on research in English linguistics at higher-proficient-user level C2.
  24. Understand specialised academic texts on research in English linguistics at Mastery level (C2).
  25. Use the appropriate and specific terminology of the literary studies.

Content

UNIT 1. Introduction to contrastive analysis

UNIT 2. Constructions in English, Catalan and Spanish

UNIT 3. The lexicon in English, Catalan and Spanish

UNIT 4. The NP in English, Catalan and Spanish 

UNIT 5. Discourse and 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 units 3 and 4.
  6. Writing, in the references, the full names of authors, instead of only the initial.

 


Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Practical classes 20 0.8 1, 3, 2, 4, 7, 5, 6, 11, 10, 14, 15, 9, 25
Theoretical classes 30 1.2 21, 24, 23, 22, 6, 10
Type: Supervised      
Paper writing 25 1 1, 3, 2, 4, 21, 24, 23, 22, 7, 8, 5, 16, 6, 11, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 18, 17, 20, 19, 9, 25
Type: Autonomous      
Exercises 15 0.6 2, 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 5, 6, 11, 10, 18, 9
Information search 15 0.6 2, 1, 21, 24, 23, 22, 7, 5, 10, 14, 18, 25
Personal study 20 0.8 14, 18, 9

The teaching methodology is based on:

  • Directed (33% - 2 cr)
  • Supervised (17% - 1 cr)
  • Autonomous (33% - 2 cr)
  • Assessment (17% - 1 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.


Assessment

Continous Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Final exam 40% 2 0.08 3, 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 5, 6, 10, 18, 20, 9
Homework, in-class activities and progression 10% 10 0.4 3, 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 6, 11, 10, 15, 18, 20, 19, 9, 25
Midterm exam 35% 2 0.08 3, 2, 1, 4, 7, 8, 5, 6, 20, 19, 9
Written assignments 15% 11 0.44 3, 1, 2, 4, 24, 21, 23, 22, 7, 8, 5, 16, 6, 11, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 18, 17, 20, 19, 9, 25

The final grade will be calculated as follows:

  • Midterm exam: 35%
  • Final exam: 40%
  • Written paper: 15%
  • Homework, in-class activities and progression: 10%

The midterm will take place mid-April and the final in June. The written assignments and homework and in-class activities will be programmed throughout the semester. Exact dates for all evaluation activities will be confirmed at the start of the course through a calendar published on Moodle.

Please note:

  1. Students must have participated in a minimum of 70% of homework and in-class activities.

  2. The final exam is not a second midterm, that is, it will include the content covered in the whole course.
  3. The minimum grade required in the exams to form average 4.
  4. Students will obtain a “Not assessed/Not submitted” course grade unless they have submitted more than 30% of the assessment items.
  5. The level of English will be taken into account when correcting exams and in the final assessment.
  6.  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 this case, the activity will not have the possibility of reassessment. 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.
  7. This subject entirely prohibits the use of AI technologies in all of its activities. Any submitted work that contains content generated using AI will be considered academic dishonesty; the corresponding grade awarded will be a zero, without the possibility of reassessment. In cases of greater infringement, more serious action may be taken.

 

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR EXCHANGE STUDENTS (ERASMUS, etc.) ON EXAMS AND OTHER ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES

Exchange students (Erasmus and other) who request to bring forward an exam or any other type of assessment activity must present the teacher with an official document from their home university justifying their request.

 

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

Reassessment for this subject requires a content-synthesis test (covering reassessable activities, i.e., the midterm and final exams) for which the following conditions are applicable.

  •  The student must previously have obtained an average overall grade equal to or higher than 3.5.
  • The student must have been assessed before in a set of activities whose weight is equivalent to at least 2/3 of the total grade.
  • The maximum that can be obtained through reassessment is 5.

VERY IMPORTANT: It is possible to have passed both exams and still fail the course since there are some activities that are excluded from reassessment.

 

Evaluation Activities Excluded from Reassessment

The following activities are not eligible for reassessment:

  • Homework and in-class activities
  • Written assignments
  • Activities in which there has been some irregularity

 

SINGLE-ASSESSMENT OPTION

Students who opt for this evaluation system will do a final exam on the same day as the rest of the group (75%) and will have to hand in the written assignments agreed upon with the teacher (25%).

To participate in the reassessment process, the student must have sat the exam and handed in the assignments and obtain a grade of 3.5 or higher in the final exam.

As with continuous assessment, reassessment requires a content-synthesis test (covering reassessable activities, i.e., the  final exam). The written paper is excluded from reassessment.

The maximum grade that can be obtained through re-assessment is 5.


Bibliography

Mackenzie, J. Lachlan & Elena Martínez Caro. 2012. Compare and Contrast: An English Grammar for Speakers of Spanish. Editorial Comares.

Quirk, Randoph et al. 1985. A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language. Longman.

Real Academia de la Lengua Española. 2009. Nueva gramática de la lengua española. Espasa Calpe.

Solà, Joan et al. 2008. Gramàtica del català contemporani. Editorial Empúries.

 

Specific references for each unit will be provided throughout the semester.

 

 


Software

Not applicable.


Groups and Languages

Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2025. You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject.

Name Group Language Semester Turn
(PAUL) Classroom practices 1 English second semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 2 English second semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 1 English second semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 2 English second semester morning-mixed